Advice on buying a car, please!

Helen · Post by **Helen** » Mon 30 Mar 2015 13:35

I'm now spending more time out in the PO and it no longer makes as much sense to hire a car every time. (This past winter I've been hiring at Girona airport for very reasonable rates - but the Spring change in flights will now mean flying in to France, and higher costs)

So, I'm thinking of biting the bullet and finally buying a car which can stay out in the PO. It needs to be LHD.

As I don't 'get' car mechanics and really don't want to learn, I'm looking to get a recent car which will just work. In fact, looking at the price of second hand cars, I'm also tempted to explore buying new. I'd also feel a lot happier buying a car from a reputable garage than say Le Bon Coin.

I'd be interested in any advice about buying a car in the region, including arranging insurance, please?

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Mon 30 Mar 2015 17:35

For a new Car try a Dacia. We have just bought a Sandero Stepway. Excellent value.

GrahamC · Post by **GrahamC** » Mon 30 Mar 2015 17:47

We bought one last week sight unseen. It was advertised by a dealer in leboncoin. No problems with it at all. Insurance is a doddle - just talk to Dimitri at Aviva Ceret. He speaks English and is absolutely on the ball.

Helen · Post by **Helen** » Tue 31 Mar 2015 01:18

Montgolfiere - thanks for the info about the Dacia make. It's not one I've driven before, so will do a bit of research.

Graham - glad you got sorted without a hitch. As a matter of interest, how did you solve the payment process? Earlier, you'd posted about the cap set by your bank. Did you do a direct transfer/get a bankers cheque or something else?

sue and paul · Post by **sue and paul** » Tue 31 Mar 2015 10:10

For a second hand car , if your knowledge of cars is zero - since at some time in the future , it will require service or repair , why not visit your nearest garage , within walking distance will make things easier in the future , and ask them to look out for a good 3 / 4 year old car , that they would trust and find easy to service . That way if they are trustworthy , your running costs and depreciation will be kept to a minimum and hopefully they will appreciate your trust in them and repay with good service and give you peace of mind ..... Paul ...

montgolfiere · Post by **montgolfiere** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 11:39

Helen wrote:Montgolfiere - thanks for the info about the Dacia make. It's not one I've driven before, so will do a bit of research.

Graham - glad you got sorted without a hitch. As a matter of interest, how did you solve the payment process? Earlier, you'd posted about the cap set by your bank. Did you do a direct transfer/get a bankers cheque or something else?

Dacia cones in at no.1 in Reliability !! ( BMW came in 10th.!!)

we had a Logan estate before. had it for 2 years 6 months , did 60,000Kms. Only expenditure was 2 Services at 20,000 and 40,000 and Tyres. Noithing else. never had a problem. Only critiscism on the Logan was the seats and steering wheel. have paid extra this time for Leather in both cases.

Helen · Post by **Helen** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 12:58

Which engine size/type did you take with your Sandero Stepway?

Dacia certainly seems to come out well in mpg, although some of the UK reviews are a bit sniffy about performance on the motorway in terms of drive/noise. I'm guessing that's not something you recognise!

A recent hire car I had - a VW Polo (Bluemotion) - had the most amazingly frugal fuel consumption. Given the price of fuel these days, it really made me determined to get a car with similar frugality.

Helen · Post by **Helen** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 13:01

sue and paul wrote:, why not visit your nearest garage , within walking distance will make things easier in the future , and ask them to look out for a good 3 / 4 year old car , that they would trust and find easy to service . That way if they are trustworthy , your running costs and depreciation will be kept to a minimum and hopefully they will appreciate your trust in them and repay with good service and give you peace of mind ..... Paul ...

Thanks Paul. Good advice.

The nearest in ALB is a Renault franchise - but I've no idea about its customer service. That said, I've good neighbours, so will ask them if they've got any experience of it.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 17:04

I would think very carefully before buying, I was in a similar position a few years ago when I was commuting to the UK. I bought a car there and then seriously wished I hadn't, hiring each time would have been much cheaper.

Remember with a hire car you don't have to worry about airport parking, or how you get back and forth to the airport.

If you buy a car you have to insure it, maintain it, replace tyres, pay for airport parking, suffer the depreciation cost and of course buy it in the first place.

With a hire car you can forget about most of those and you can keep the cost down with an annual car hire insurance policy and by joining a suitable loyalty program. Airports delays can be minimised by enrolling in something like the Hertz No 1 club which lets you bypass queues at most airports.

If however you decide to buy a new car then have a look at some of the online brokers such as Auto-IES or Elite, they generally give better prices than dealers and often have special offers not widely available.

jethro · Post by **jethro** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 18:07

The Belgian market for new and used cars is much cheaper than France and most used cars are well-maintained. Try the website Autoscout.be and you might be pleasantly surprised. Dealers and private sellers all use the site.

GrahamC · Post by **GrahamC** » Wed 01 Apr 2015 21:27

[quote="Helen"]
Graham - glad you got sorted without a hitch. As a matter of interest, how did you solve the payment process? Earlier, you'd posted about the cap set by your bank. Did you do a direct transfer/get a bankers cheque or something else?[/quote

Direct bank transfer - dead easy!

Hire cars are certainly an option but they can't pull a trailer to the decheterie and you cant fill it up with garden cuttings.

We solved the airport problem with a 320 euro 6 month parking ticket at Perpignan.

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