kingandy | (no subject)

My car is in need of substantial repairs before I MOT it, and it needs MOTing by the end of the month so that I can buy road tax. Friendly Local Garage Man estimated there was somewhere around £400 of work (though he can't personally get it done by the end of the week, he's very busy). So, either I have to find some place that can do the repairs by Friday or get hold of a new car.

I seem to recall a few people on the flist mentioning spare cars but I strongly suspect they'd be out of my price range ... I'm currently toying with the idea of leasing, because it's like paying off a loan but better because the leasing company take care of all the repairs and servicing, and you get a new car, and stuff like that. The other options are combing Auto Trader (which can be enormously fast), or walking into somewhere like Carcraft and seeing if there's something I can drive off the lot (for a minimal part-exchange on the old Honda). I'd probably have to let them finance me, though, as I don't really have the time to chase around banks and loan agencies to get the best deal. Anyway, I probably wouldn't know the best deal if it slapped me in the face shouting "I'M THE BEST DEAL".

... Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness ending, I'm in a bit of a rush.

Threaded | Flat

A car loan from the likes of car craft et all will generally be ripping you off compared to even bank loans. Take the time to shop arround because it will make a big difference to your repayments.

Yep - flee in fear from Carcraft - they are very expensive.

The MR2 is £3.5k and the MG £4k. The issue doesn't stop there though - the insurance would be a killer as you have too many points on your licence.

What's your budget? You know I love a good car conversation :)

Do not go for any finance deal they offer you at a car showroom. Pay for it and stick the balance on a 0& credit card if you can...

Best loan deal, I've seen is 6.1% with Sainsburys.

Carcraft - avoid with a barge pole. Even if you could drive off with one, it will be overpriced and your trade in will not be a good one.

Try going to Honda dealership, as the new registrations are out and there are some good deals with older cars. Alternatively, buy from auto trader with a loan, but take someome with you who knows about cars so you don't buy one which will colapse in a week.

ephraim is selling a car on ebay.

Absolutely agree with others here re: car finanance *deals* - they only exist to rip people off.

Thinking about it a bit more, Citroen are offering 0% interest on new cars. That might work out better than a loan. Watch the added protection in the small print though. There may be other dealerships that do that as well, as Citroen's don't look that good!

I agree with all the above comments about Carcraft.

And are you aware of Autotrader's online prescence?
It's really very good.