Advertisement
Hi,
After looking at new cars this weekend and being told enthusiastically how I could have a 30k car as long as I pay a lot and give it back in three years! I have decided to try out the bangernomics route!
Couple of questions if you have done this in the past:
1) what sort of budget do you set?
2) any reliable makes to go for?
3) estate mpv or van (bikes and dog, and really not that fussed about interior etc!
4) anything else I should know before I start?
Buy on condition and the owner - not fixed on a specific model or spec.
Bangernomics = money you could walk away from if it dies next month. Typically less than £1k
What do you need it for?
I went down the bangernomics (ish, it wasn't quite under a grand, but it was a nice big family car in v good nick for its age) route a couple of years ago, and it died just before Christmas of a snapped cam-belt/water pump/valves.
Luckily it happened quite close to home, but it got me thinking that it could have happened at any point in the previous 2 years, with wife and kids in the car, and potentially a long way from home.
Decide if this is what you'd be cool with. Potentially stuck (or at least waiting for Mr RAC to turn up) a long way from home, dog/kids in there too, and faced with no transport when you get home. Sounds negative, but it's the risk you take.
So I had a good look around and found a 7 yet old Mitsubishi Lancer 1.9 diesel (so very reliable if boring), 70,000 miles, 1 owner from new, FSH, and still on extended warranty. Paid £2,600 (proper bargain IMO) and I'm a lot more confident that I won't get stuck somewhere. YMMV!
Grand max and untrendy brands.
Most vag bmws etc at that level are run by people who can't afford them so don't get maintained.
I bought a saab it's been ace put a starter on it in 2yrs. If it died tomorrow I'd be upset it's been brilliant
If you can find anything old and Japanese (not an import)
And probably petrol and manual of any brand has less chance to go wrong and cheaper to fix if does
And older but with lower milage.
Mk.3 Mondeo estate is the answer. Bought one three years ago with 90k on the clock. Put 35k in 18mths on it. Never missed a beat. Wrote it off on some black ice. Bought another one in May 2016. Had 120k on it. Now 200 miles shy of 170k, not missed a beat, starts first time every time and sailed through last MOT with no advisories. Both were 1.8l petrol. I'm going to have to replace it as with three kids and a dog I need an MPV. Replacement will be a 2009 or 2010 Galaxy.
Go Japanese - Mazda 6 estate is where I ended up. Fully loaded with electric windows, seat heaters and aircon, electric seats etcetc. Was over a grand but was also only 5 years old, 78k miles and reliable as hell. Mate has done better though - Yaris bought as a clunker 8 years ago for £80, still going despite abuse and no servicing!
Advertisement
Luckily it happened quite close to home, but it got me thinking that it could have happened at any point in the previous 2 years, with wife and kids in the car, and potentially a long way from home.
This could of course happen to any car new or old...
Japanese is also a good call. Mazda 6 is a great car!
Mk.3 Mondeo estate is the answer.
We've run two MK3 mondeos in our house and there is another in the immediate family. Two 1.8l petrols and one 2l tdci.
All have been outstanding cars to live with. One we had from 4 years old and sold over 8 years later. The other two were bought old and high mileage. One was moved on last year as it had done it's job and the other is still going strong.
Whoever said buy based on the owner and condition is spot on I reckon.
Bangernomics as stated up there is all about cheap, older cars. Probably 10 years or so, and under £1000. It’s actually quite hard to buy well in that market unless you know a lot about cars from a taking them apart and putting back together point of view or you have someone you trust implicitly who does that’s prepared to look at cars with you. Anyone can be lucky of course, but obviously most sellers don’t want to highlight bad points, and most bargain winners don’t like admitting they fluked it.
There’s an entire secondhand market between 3yr old and 10 yr old that has nothing to do with bangers and everything to do with value for money and you should be able to buy sensibly in that range with a reasonable expectation of reliability. Prestige marques and models will eat your money as always.
ajantom I think bangernomics does not mean you do not maintain the car (you could have got another 2 years from the car for the sake of a timing belt) You can/should still maintain a car whether its cheap or not. To the OP buy on condition and owner/ gut instinct rather than anything else cheap decent well looked after car from a decent house.
All about condition and seller.
No history with the current car, but was a garage owners runabout, no resale value to him as an ex ambulance car, petrol turbo, 4x4. Everything about it and his place was meticulously tidy. All fluids, filters, belts and pumps changed as well as polybushing the whole front end and no crap tyres.
Gone past 200k last month, still just consumable stuff.
Buy on condition and stuff that is considered unpopular or not super economical will always be cheaper. Parts costs I find much of a muchness on older cars. Something with parts common across models helps with part costs and breaker availability.
Budget is whatever you're happy to leave upsidedown in a hedge and get a taxi home.
ajantom I think bangernomics does not mean you do not maintain the car
It was maintained 
serviced by my trusted local mechanic.
I bought it at 95k with receipts showing the belt and other bits had been done at 80k. I'd done 25k in the 2 years I owned it (so it was on approx 120k) and was planning on getting it done at 130k. On this particular car the recommended interval was 80k, so I'd have been well inside that. Just pure dumb luck it went I guess!
I suppose my point was that with older cars you have to take the risk that they are probably more likely to break down. Especially ones bought cheaply, as they may not have been well kept.
As a younger man with less responsibilities this was a risk I took, but with kids, etc. I'll pay a bit more and (hopefully) have something more reliable. Though of course all cars could die at any time. Though Japanese ones tend to have a reputation for reliability.
Advertisement
You must log in to post.
Premier Dealers
Advertisement