Way overpriced Toyota Starlet..opinions?

LadyMayBelle

Hi,

Buying my first little car this week or next and looking at this one this eve...belongs to a 'friend of a friend' and is in fantastic nick apparenty....alright, the colour is yuk but the mileage is low...how much would you reckon I ought to knock it to?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Starlet/200927194462805/advert?channel=CARS

The person selling it has 2,300 of a pricetag on the windscreen just to see what she can get...I'm not sure if I would be better off getting a 01 Punto with mileage of about 65k for 1500?

Major dilemma for a first time buyer!!!

54kroc

Do you mean the car in the link is overpriced? I don't think it's that bad, If you could get it for €1800 or €1900 I think it would be a very good deal.

carly_86

They prob looking 4 that price cause its got wolfrace alloys on it it looks in mint condition. I personally wouldn't pay that much

Dazzler88

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

The person selling it has 2,300 of a pricetag on the windscreen just to see what she can get...I'm not sure if I would be better off getting a 01 Punto with mileage of about 65k for 1500?

That Starlet is way over-priced.dont buy a Punto,there a very bad car.I recently bought a 00 Ford Fiesta with 2 years NCT and 48,000miles.It cost me 1200 and its a nice 3 door 1.25 zetec.

LadyMayBelle

Sorry, i meant the white starlet seems overpriced at 2300/2100.. it's a 1998 like, I'm itching for a 5door, and possibly a punto, but the low mileage and the fact the starlet is a good starter car has me torn a bit...

Lex Luthor

my sis in law sold a 96 one 2yrs ago for €1200 with similar mileage (1 owner from new, full history) and in that racing green colour so its overpriced

EPM

For that kind of money you should look at a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec. Always seem to be saying these are good buys and they are. Reliable, cheap to insure, economical and really nice to drive. How much do you want to spend? This could be ok

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Fiesta/1.2LX-5D/200927194504192/advert?channel=CARS

Rowley Birkin QC

Those Wolfrace alloys set off alarm bells for me straight away.

LadyMayBelle

I'm looking in Galway ideally...clueless when it comes to cars...so basically what youre saying is that the reason the price is high is because I'm paying for the alloys right?

Sleepy

bigkev49 wrote: »

Those Wolfrace alloys set off alarm bells for me straight away.

Exactly my thoughts - those alloys on a Starlet? The engine will have been rev'd to bits...

LadyMayBelle

Having a mechanic take a look at it this eve anyway. Not convinced. Some handy cars around the country but i can't drive at the mo so wouldn't be able to collect it so kinda stuck with Galway...

netwhizkid

Sleepy wrote: »

Exactly my thoughts - those alloys on a Starlet? The engine will have been rev'd to bits...

That car has boyracer crap bucket written all over it, anyone who'd pay €2,100 for a 98 scummobile would need a CT scan straight away as the wiring in the brain must be gone wrong.

TwoShedsJackson

'Car has had lady owners' as if that was a plus point

netwhizkid

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

'Car has had lady owners' as if that was a plus point

TBH, that would be a negative for me.

Lex Luthor

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

Hi,
.belongs to a 'friend of a friend' and is in fantastic nick apparenty.

I wouldn't buy a car from a friend of a friend unless you knew the car..what happens if it turns out to be a lemon? You could fall out over it....plenty alternatives out there, unless the car checks out ok then an offer of about €1k would be a starting point

RichyX

The Fiesta linked to above is a far better car.

Those Starlets are nasty little buggers, horrible gearbox and a vile interior. I've driven the girlfriends one a lot. Reliable, but I wouldn't touch the things.

carly_86

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

I'm looking in Galway ideally...clueless when it comes to cars...so basically what youre saying is that the reason the price is high is because I'm paying for the alloys right?

correct

EPM

netwhizkid wrote: »

TBH, that would be a negative for me.

Usually means "may need new clutch"

And those alloys are cheap sh1te ones too. Halfrauds specials

LadyMayBelle

Ah no, i have no obligation whatsoever to buy, I'm not mad on it and yes questioning the alloys more and more...thanks a mil for the advice given here! Any comments on a Daewoo Matiz?!

EPM

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

Any comments on a Daewoo Matiz?!

Loads...but I dont want a ban

LadyMayBelle

EPM wrote: »

Loads...but I dont want a ban

Sound! found on in Clare for 1000, 2000reg, decent mileage...must be something wrong!

RichyX

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

Sound! found on in Clare for 1000, 2000reg, decent mileage...must be something wrong!

Lots, but it's about 1001€ overpriced for a start.

bazz26

OP, there are better choices out there other than an overpriced 11 year old Starlet and the Daewoo Matiz.

Other choices:-

Nissan Micra:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200923193001697

Or you might be able to meet the owner of this car half way between you and them:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200929194597831

cpoh1

netwhizkid wrote: »

That car has boyracer crap bucket written all over it, anyone who'd pay €2,100 for a 98 scummobile would need a CT scan straight away as the wiring in the brain must be gone wrong.

Its got a set of aftermarket wheels on it otherwise its standard out. My gran drives a 1.3L starlet and loves it! Why do you think its a scummobile is anyones guess.

OP offer im 1200 and if he doesn't like it walk away and tell him the offer stands for 2 weeks if he changes his mind. Dont worry he'll come back to you.

They are super reliable and cheap to run, a great starting off car!

Sleepy

cpoh1 wrote: »

Its got a set of aftermarket wheels on it otherwise its standard out.

It's not the wheels themselves but what they mean that makes the car one to steer clear of...

Alloys on a starlet = wannabe boy racer = over-reved-enging, burned out clutch, probably a wrecked gear-box and god-knows what else...

cpoh1

Sleepy wrote: »

It's not the wheels themselves but what they mean that makes the car one to steer clear of...

Alloys on a starlet = wannabe boy racer = over-reved-enging, burned out clutch, probably a wrecked gear-box and god-knows what else...

Wow its amazing you can tell what shape a car is in just by looking at a set of wheels

mondeo

Over priced and ancient! Buy somthing else for gods sake........

Wibbs

EPM wrote: »

For that kind of money you should look at a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec. Always seem to be saying these are good buys and they are. Reliable, cheap to insure, economical and really nice to drive. How much do you want to spend? This could be ok

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Fiesta/1.2LX-5D/200927194504192/advert?channel=CARS

That's the one with the Japanese engine, Suzuki? Bloody great little car(and I hate Fiestas with a vengeance as a general rule). As EPM said, Reliable as a rainy irish summer, great on the juice and surprisingly nice to drive and remarkably flat cornering. An ex of mine got one of these a few years back and I really couldn't fault it(her on the other hand.....:D)

The Yaris is another good un if you can stretch to it. Never liked starlets, but that's just me, they always felt cheap to me. They are very reliable though.

netwhizkid

Sleepy wrote: »

It's not the wheels themselves but what they mean that makes the car one to steer clear of...

Alloys on a starlet = wannabe boy racer = over-reved-enging, burned out clutch, probably a wrecked gear-box and god-knows what else...

QFT

cpoh1 wrote: »

Wow its amazing you can tell what shape a car is in just by looking at a set of wheels

Upon further investigation we also have the numpty number plates, the colour coded non standard bumper also adds to my deduction that this car belongs/belonged to a boyracer.

GT Tdi

Dont know much bout cars but dont pay that much, you'd nearly pick up a turbo glanza for a few quid extra if your into modified cars!

road_high

OP some very good advice here; listen to it. Be willing to travel a bit to get the right car. The likes of that Starlet and Matiz are far inferior cars to the Micra and Fiesta (that one in Carlow looked a lovely little car). Plus they always had a decent safety rating; doubt you could say that about the other two :eek:

colm_mcm

I don't think it's outrageous, you could keep it for 12 months and still sell it for close to that price. Starlets have a very loyal following in Ireland. that car looks in great condition, and alloys wouldn't put me off it./ it's very easy to tell if the car is driving properly or not.

ji

These days €1200 max

Gary ITR

colm_mcm wrote: »

I don't think it's outrageous, you could keep it for 12 months and still sell it for close to that price. Starlets have a very loyal following in Ireland. that car looks in great condition, and alloys wouldn't put me off it./ it's very easy to tell if the car is driving properly or not.

Finally. Somebody with some cop on

That looks a tidy little car to me. A tad overpriced and a set of alloys wouldn't put me off any car. Best thing to do with be let a mechanic have a look. He'll be able to tell if it's decent or not

MidnightQueen

Its not that bad a price at all for what the owner has done to the starlet.