no question about it, i need a new car

munzab

my 96 almera is starting to fall to pieces slowly and i definitely need to change now.

ideally looking for a dealer that would p/ex this towards the new one.

budget - up to 3500 cold hard cash plus whatever the almera can fetch.

has to be max 1.6 litre engine - insurance purposes.

im narrowing my search to:
2000+ golf 1.4
2000+ bora
2000+ leon (actually, how is the leon?anybody can give me their quick opinion on it?)
1999+ audi a3/a4 <---why are they so expensive?


ideally looking for a car with an nct going into 2009-2010, and below 100,000 miles?


Cheers for helping, i really cant make my mind up. carzone aint helping, dont know why cars are still so expensive - even though apparently they arent selling well?

colm_mcm

asking prices and selling prices differ.

find a car you actually like, then haggle.

All the cars you mentioned are pretty much the same thing. If I were you wouldn't worry too much about which one it turns out to be. just find one in great condition for the money you want. the Almera is worth next to nothing as a trade in. you may be better off buying straight and selling the Almera.

listermint

munzab wrote: »

my 96 almera is starting to fall to pieces slowly and i definitely need to change now.

ideally looking for a dealer that would p/ex this towards the new one.

budget - up to 3500 cold hard cash plus whatever the almera can fetch.

has to be max 1.6 litre engine - insurance purposes.

im narrowing my search to:
2000+ golf 1.4
2000+ bora
2000+ leon (actually, how is the leon?anybody can give me their quick opinion on it?)
1999+ audi a3/a4 <---why are they so expensive?


ideally looking for a car with an nct going into 2009-2010, and below 100,000 miles?


Cheers for helping, i really cant make my mind up. carzone aint helping, dont know why cars are still so expensive - even though apparently they arent selling well?

You would be dam lucky to get 1500 for your almera. But best of luck getting p/x on a new car. Tough market your in.

E92

The Nissan is worth a big fat nought. I'd nearly say dealers will tell you please don't bring this in as a trade in. Worth far more to you than anyone else.

Suppose it needs a few jobs done to it why not just spend the money on looking after the car and keeping it? Nissans have a reputation for being quite reliable on the whole, so it's highly unlikely to let you down, and anyway Almeras are so basic it's not like there's a lot that can go wrong in them in the first place:D!

Carzone are dreamers - don't believe everything you see;)!

murphaph

Remind the dealers of the iminent recession and walk away unless they take your almera as p/x. You'll find a dealer who'll play ball now that the celtic tiger is dead. Be hardnosed and you'll get a deal.

listermint

murphaph wrote: »

Remind the dealers of the iminent recession and walk away unless they take your almera as p/x. You'll find a dealer who'll play ball now that the celtic tiger is dead. Be hardnosed and you'll get a deal.

Not is if the dealer cant get rid of it himself/herself for love nor money.

cantdecide

E92 wrote: »

Suppose it needs a few jobs done to it why not just spend the money on looking after the car and keeping it

Yes, question about it.

You can do a PILE of repairs to a car like that for the €3,000 saved by keeping it. Falling apart is a very relative thing. I'd wager you're not a car nut and anything other than a very occasional service would make you sweat (correct me if i'm wrong). Don't begrudge it a little TLC, it'll be your best friend if you mind it.

If you do change, I'd actually go and get some quotes for insurance before assuming they will hike it (well, more than 10-15% which is effectively the same). It once was true but now it's one of the biggest false assumptions and it's well worth keeping in mind when you consider that by far, the best value for money will be found in the <€5k 1.8L+ end of things.

Forcing them to take you car as a trade in could prove to be a total false economy. You could, conceivably give it away and get a much better straight cash price on your new car.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Mazda/626/2.0/1118469/

listermint

cantdecide wrote: »

You can do a PILE of repairs to a car like that for the €3,000 saved by keeping it. Falling apart is a very relative thing. I'd wager you're not a car nut and anything other than a very occasional service would make you sweat (correct me if i'm wrong). Don't begrudge it a little TLC, it'll be your best friend if you mind it.

If you do change, I'd actually go and get some quotes for insurance before assuming they will hike it (well, more than 10-15% which is effectively the same). It once was true but now it's one of the biggest false assumptions and it's well worth keeping in mind when you consider that by far, the best value for money will be found in the <€5k 1.8L+ end of things.

Forcing them to take you car as a trade in could prove to be a total false economy. You could, conceivably give it away and get a much better straight cash price on your new car.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Mazda/626/2.0/1118469/

Good Advice, Take it!

JHMEG

E92 wrote: »

Almeras are so basic it's not like there's a lot that can go wrong in them in the first place:D!

Almeras of that era were generally of better spec than most of the competition. Rear electic windows and sunrooves were common, as were alloy wheels. And they all had decent enough twin cam 16v engines.

Cionád

E92 wrote: »

The Nissan is worth a big fat nought. I'd nearly say dealers will tell you please don't bring this in as a trade in. Worth far more to you than anyone else.

Suppose it needs a few jobs done to it why not just spend the money on looking after the car and keeping it? Nissans have a reputation for being quite reliable on the whole, so it's highly unlikely to let you down, and anyway Almeras are so basic it's not like there's a lot that can go wrong in them in the first place:D!

+1

I've a 98 Almera with over 150k miles on the clock and I know it's pretty much unsellable. I'd recommend keeping the car until it dies (ie The cost of the repair is more than the car is worth). I've seen many the Almera on carzone with over 250k miles so they are very reliable once given the right treatment. I service mine religiously every 6k miles (diesel), do the same and it'll last forever

GB15

munzab wrote: »

my 96 almera is starting to fall to pieces slowly and i definitely need to change now.

I was wondering about the falling apart bit myself. What exactly is wrong with the Almera out of interest?

munzab

tachymeter gone (it has its own mind and works when it wants)- costs 1000+ to repair/change.

clutch on the brink soon - guy from servicing recently told me so

exhaust system starting to rot

this car was backed into twice, hence passenger door and behind passenger doors both knocked in a bit

car bonnet - previous owner drove into a branch hence its got paint off, rusting somewhat there, and the headlamp moved a bit - somebody also decided to design some twirls with their nails or something on the bonnet

windscreen washer not working anymore. there is liquid in the compartment, just doesnt come

car still drives straight (no alignment problem) but the steering wheel isnt straight to do so, it assumes a resting position sligtly turning to the left.


i have only 62k miles on it. im not even expecting 1500 much less 1200 for it to be honest.

ive just changed tyres on it, nct is till may 2009.

im not sure i want to spend on it, would rather change now. it was a good starter car.

u are right, im not a total petrol head - so there are things i wouldnt know.

im with tesco - at the time i got the car, no other insurances would touch me. and since this was a 1996, (ie >10 years) only tesco touched me and quoted me. hence ive renewed with them last week, and they dont want to quote me on >1.6, plus im not sure i need the >1.6 as im only mostly doing city driving with the occasional trip to belfast or castlebar once every 2-3 months.


thanks for the help, ill keep looking and calling around? i dont think this car is sellable to a particular individual. too many niggling little things to repair

Dirty_Diesel

munzab wrote: »

tachymeter gone (it has its own mind and works when it wants)- costs 1000+ to repair/change.

The exact same happened my almera so I got the clocks from a scrappy. €30 and I have 10,000 miles less on the clock now!

munzab wrote: »

clutch on the brink soon - guy from servicing recently told me so

Obviously you havent noticed the clutch going yourself. It's not like it's gonna suddenly pack up, it will eventually start slipping more and more.

munzab wrote: »

exhaust system starting to rot

Nothing that a friendly farmer with a welder can't fix. Make sure you disconnect the earth from the battery or you'll fry the alternator.

munzab wrote: »

this car was backed into twice, hence passenger door and behind passenger doors both knocked in a bit

That just adds to the character of the car :cool:

munzab wrote: »

car bonnet - previous owner drove into a branch hence its got paint off, rusting somewhat there, and the headlamp moved a bit - somebody also decided to design some twirls with their nails or something on the bonnet

More character.

munzab wrote: »

windscreen washer not working anymore. there is liquid in the compartment, just doesnt come

Can you hear the motor going when you push the lever? Does the back one still work? just inside the black plastic guard in in front of the front drivers wheel you will see the bottom of the water tank. Swop around the pipes and connectors until you have it working. You may lose the rear squirter but who cares!

munzab wrote: »

car still drives straight (no alignment problem) but the steering wheel isnt straight to do so, it assumes a resting position sligtly turning to the left.

Take it back to where you got it tracked. Although your wheels are tracked (i.e. have correct toe in) they obviously didnt "lock" the steering wheel in the straight position. Essentially your track rods are now different lengths as the wheel is off to one side. It's not dangerous but just annoying.

munzab wrote: »

i have only 62k miles on it. im not even expecting 1500 much less 1200 for it to be honest.
ive just changed tyres on it, nct is till may 2009.

thanks for the help, ill keep looking and calling around? i dont think this car is sellable to a particular individual. too many niggling little things to repair

At the end of the day you have a perfectly roadworthy car, surely some eastern european would snap it up off ya. Nearly any car with some NCT is worth minimum of €1,000 nowadays.

dloob

Well as regards the Leon I had an 01 model for 7 years and it was a fine car.
The 1.4 isn't the fastest car on the road but it's as good as any other car of that size with a basic 1.4.
It was very well fitted out inside.
I was only left stuck once with an alternator regulator failure that left me with a flat battery.

Watch out for water in the footwells, there was a problem with the door seals on the older models were water collected in the seals at the bottom of the door and leaked into the interior.
If it's been raining recently open the doors and see if any water falls out.

munzab

thanks lads. im going to try and sell mine. id say 1000 should do it. i called a car dealer where i wanted to get a new car, and they want a straight sale and not any trade in. limits things i guess. didnt really want to go into all the hassle of selling privately,oh well.


http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=62287&cat=2


http://www.carzone.ie/1125780

aint got better pictures:
1. car needs a wash (inside out)
2. i havent seen the sun in a week. once it comes back, ill take pictures then !!!

cantdecide

The trick to old car ownership is that you fix things as they come to save you a massive repair bill all at once.

Are you sure your car, with so much wrong is worth a grand or more???

munzab

no its not. but theres always a starting price no?

johndaman66

munzab wrote: »

im with tesco - at the time i got the car, no other insurances would touch me. and since this was a 1996, (ie >10 years) only tesco touched me and quoted me. hence ive renewed with them last week, and they dont want to quote me on >1.6, plus im not sure i need the >1.6 as im only mostly doing city driving with the occasional trip to belfast or castlebar once every 2-3 months.

I stand to be corrected on this one but I do believe that Tesco car insurance are actually Hibernian and if you go direct to Hibernian you may and probably will get a cheaper quote. Also I'd be pretty sure if Tesco/Hibernian quoted you that Quinn Direct would also quote you competitavely. I know you have renewed now but may be worth bearing in mind for next year.

S.I.R

almera falling to pieces ?? gimme a shout, ill give you any parts you need so you can get a decent trade in price...

and no i wouldnt rob you


also upgrade to a passat bor a if possable... Pretty nice cars..

x in the city

o reilly cullen moved me from a 1.4 astra to a 1.8 mondeo zetec for zilch extra cost.

highly recommend em, lol.

regarding the op, most bargains now can be had for bigger cars, like 1.8 plus.

as someone said already.