How do you choose between the cars on a short list?

[Doctor Gollum]

So Alabama Mumsybus replacement is provisionally sourced... The variety of available cars around the budget raised some interesting questions.

Car was chosen from the shortlist of identical cars, some newer some older, all with slightly different options.

Ended up deciding on a combination of condition and MoT history as opposed to price or spec. A better equipped, but higher mileage/owner car with full service history that was 20% cheaper due to one door being unopenable was dismissed instantly because the DVLA think it's something else and the MoT history is horrendous. And slightly more expensive cars don't offer much over the chosen one.

How do you all decide upon the car you buy?

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

So Alabama Mumsybus replacement is provisionally sourced... The variety of available cars around the budget raised some interesting questions.

Car was chosen from the shortlist of identical cars, some newer some older, all with slightly different options.

Ended up deciding on a combination of condition and MoT history as opposed to price or spec. A better equipped, but higher mileage/owner car with full service history that was 20% cheaper due to one door being unopenable was dismissed instantly because the DVLA think it's something else and the MoT history is horrendous. And slightly more expensive cars don't offer much over the chosen one.

How do you all decide upon the car you buy?

Gut reaction. If it feels good do it.

[Nick W]

Condition.
Cost
Convenience
Colour
Cost and availability of parts to fix the problems. What you want is a car that you already have the bits in stock...


Those things vary; a cheap car in use, with a good interior, is preferable to one a low mileage car used to move the dog.

[Doctor Gollum]

Gut reaction. If it feels good do it.

That hasn't always worked out

[Doctor Gollum]

Condition.
Cost
Convenience
Colour
Cost and availability of parts to fix the problems. What you want is a car that you already have the bits in stock...


Those things vary; a cheap car in use, with a good interior, is preferable to one a low mileage car used to move the dog.

Having to be of some sort of ULEZ compliance means an unfortunate level of complexity by virtue of age, but the issues are well documented and parts on the cheaper side of reasonable.

A nice W116 would be a money no object choice, but  I think the car I ended up at is a pretty reasonable balance of all the above

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Gut reaction. If it feels good do it.

That hasn't always worked out

Not for me either.

But I keep doing it regardless.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Condition.
Cost
Convenience
Colour
Cost and availability of parts to fix the problems. What you want is a car that you already have the bits in stock...


Those things vary; a cheap car in use, with a good interior, is preferable to one a low mileage car used to move the dog.

Having to be of some sort of ULEZ compliance means an unfortunate level of complexity by virtue of age, but the issues are well documented and parts on the cheaper side of reasonable.

A nice W116 would be a money no object choice, but  I think the car I ended up at is a pretty reasonable balance of all the above

Which is?

[Doctor Gollum]

I will say once it's done Suffice to say it's not a VAG product.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I will say once it's done Suffice to say it's not a VAG product.

Wild guess.....Lamborghini Urus.

Yust kidding.

[Sir Tigger KC]

The Mondeo I bought in the auctions so didn't drive it before I bought it and the V70 I bought blind on Ebay.

Both were bought because they looked OK, or in the case of the V70 the advert looked good, and were cheap enough. 

[Doctor Gollum]

Must admit I haven't looked at the auctions 

[ronnyd]

I bought a lovely red Carlton back in the day. Had receipts for a new engine and gearbox on the seat. Found out that the car had been stolen and they had both been removed and replaced with crap ones. Put it back in the auction a couple of weeks later and almost got my money back. That was my first,(and last) auction purchase.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Must admit I haven't looked at the auctions 

Don't bother. As a retail customer, once you've added on the inflated buyers premium it won't be cheap, and you'll be buying a car that you haven't properly tried and tested.

I managed to blag a BCA Silver account for a while, so the buyers premium was reasonable, but at the end of the day cars go into auctions for a reason.   

When I picked up the Mondeo, I got a couple of miles down the M5 when the Engine Malfunction message flashed up on the screen, but luckily just turned out to be a duff glowplug. 

[Doctor Gollum]

A cursory glance suggests nothing of interest

[VXL V6]

I will say once it's done Suffice to say it's not a VAG product.

Up!     

Lol was reading on a phone without zooming in, thought I read your text as it WAS a VAG product!