CHEAP CARS BANGERNOMICS
8 APRIL 2 020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39
Set a buying budget. Choose one
that you can afford and stick to it.
Overlook the cosmetics. Paint
a bit iffy? Irrelevant. Dent on
the door? The more the merrier.
Terrible colour? Whatever. Stain on
the seat? Well, go and buy a cover.
Do an MOT check. This saves you
a journey. Go to the government
website and look at ‘MOT statusand previous history’. Instantly,
you’ll know how it has been looked
after and whether there are any
outstanding advisory issues.
Talk to the seller. Don’t rely on
emails or texts. Speak to them
and ask blunt, difficult questions
politely. Ask what the problems are
with the car. Often they will tell you.
M a ke su r e th ey h ave p a p e r wo r k.
View the car at the seller’s home
or dealer’s forecourt. Don’t make
arrangements to meet halfway or
at a motorway service station – and
a l way s t a ke a m a te w i th yo u. G e t a
data check (to ensure the car is not
stolen, on finance or written off)
before you go. Look at local cars.
Look under the bonnet. When
the engine is cold, look for any rust
and check the level and conditionof the oil. Ideally, it should be
clean (honey, not black) and at the
correct max level with no hint of
bubbles. Are the hoses secure and
i n g o o d n i c k o r p e r i s h e d a n d cove r e d
in gaffer tape? Ideally, you want to
see a clean and dry environment.
Inspect the bodywork. Although
we don’t care what it actually looks
like, it really is important that all
the doors open, shut and lock.
Serious rot in the sills, bulkhead or
floor means you should walk away.
Check the tyres. It’s nice to see
the same brand of tyre on each
wheel as it suggests that someone
has cared. At the very least, tyres
must be legal and reasonably
treaded. Remoulds, bulges, bald
spots and different patterns are
bad, as are gouged alloy wheels. Start the engine. First of all,
it shouldn’t be pre-warmed. The
seller will have done this for a
reason, usually because it’s a swine
to start from cold. With a diesel,
it might be worn out and lacking
compression. Ask your mate to
stand at the back and check that
there’s not loads of smoke.
Take a test drive. You don’t want
to hear crashes, bangs, screeches
or whines. The steering shouldn’t
pull to the side and the suspension
shouldn’t make odd sounds or sag.
Afterwards, check for leaks, smoke
and strange noises.
Haggle. Finally, if you discover
anything that the seller hasn’t
brought to your attention, that’s
an excuse to chip the price. Start
with a stupidly low offer and workupwards from there. Good luck.
2004 DA I H AT S U TE R I O S 1. 3 S P O RT
100,000 miles, £1400
These are worth finding. The 2000-07 model is a box
on wheels that really can get down and dirty. Pay top
money and get a well-equipped little thing that’ll be all
the 4x4 you’ll ever need. Most important, these
are bombproof.
2004 T OYO TA C E LI CA 1. 8 V V T
102,000 miles, £800
Fabulous to look at and great to drive. Surprisingly
quiet and relaxed on the motorway, too. The 1.8-litre190 version is the model to buy if you want serious
p e r fo r m a n ce. At th i s st a g e of i t s l i fe , yo u’ l l fi n d l ot s of
stupidly modified ones and those in need of tyres and
suspension parts, so be discerning.
2005 A LFA RO MEO G T 2 .0
75,000 miles, £895
Old Alfas are always a cause for concern, but a buyer’s
bravery will often be rewarded with a proper driving
machine. This one is a pretty and purposeful little carthat will put a smile on your face. The less complicated
petrol is the sensible way to go.
2007 HYUNDAI COUPE 2.0
100,000 miles, £950
Squint and you might think that it is a Jaguar or Aston
Martin – seriously. That’s reason enough to buy. The
other is that Hyundai equals reliability. So you get agood-looking sports car that can be run for i30 money.
Target the few-owner examples and you’ll be fine.
2003 BMW 320Ci
170,000 miles, £1000
The best-looking 3 Series yet? It will cost relatively
little to find out. There are some terribly modifiedones around, but smart buyers stick to the clean,
stock models that still look like an M3 without the
badge. It’ll need history and a recent timing belt
receipt to be a safe buy.
2002 SUBARU FORESTER
2.0 TURBO
200,000 miles, £999
A slightly pumped-up estate car but what a magnificent
machine. It’s good to drive and powerful, with a decent
boot, but the rear seats are slightly cramped. Parts can
be very expensive if all is not well with the 4x4 system.
2003 JEEP CHEROKEE 2.5 TD SPORT
115,000 miles, £1200
Cherokees have bags of character, look the part and, unlike most
off-road softies, can mix it in the mud. The plasticky interior spoils it
for some and overall it isn’t very sophisticated, but that’s a big part of
its charm. It has decent standard kit, too. Tyres and suspension are
expensive to replace, though.
HOW^ NOT^ TO
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G A^ BANGERThe^11 - point^ budget^
used-car^ buying^ guide