Buying a second-hand car at the moment can feel like an impossible task with inflated prices and a market that is moving quicker than Usain Bolt.
We made the decision to buy a new car for a number of reasons but most importantly because we are starting a family. Our beloved Vauxhall Corsa has seen us through many a road trip and has been a trusted steed for years, but there was the feeling that it may struggle to accommodate both my fiancée Cathy and I as well as a newborn, border collie and pram.
So we have scraped together some funds, cutting back on our future wedding plans and trying to not go mad on baby stuff in the middle aisle of Aldi. Altogether we have a budget of between £4,000-£6,000.
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Pre-Covid, this would have got you a decent second hand family motor, but with the pandemic and Brexit, it is seeming as though it is not enough to get the Flintstones car. The usual family cars are popping up, from Kia Sportages, to Peugeot 2008s and even Nissan Qashqais.
They vary in price, with most ranging from £4,900-£5,900. The issue is that the mileage is always high, or there is a dodgy fault popping up whenever we go to view one.
Unfortunately my partner and step-dad have felt the brunt of the unforgiving market as I’ve been frantically trying to pass my test whilst also working a host of weekends. Anyone searching for a used car at the moment will tell you that the minute a reasonably priced vehicle springs up, it is gone within 24 hours, in the most frustrating of whack-a-mole games.
For those that we were able to go and see, there were always problems popping up, not least when we ventured to test drive a Qashqai at a garage on the outskirts of west Edinburgh.
When my partner and step dad appeared to try the vehicle, a man clad in a full cotton tracksuit hopped out. The garage was described as ‘beyond dodgy’ and both were considering heading home before the car was even in sight.
The garage looked like a graveyard for sad and tired cars, when they opened the door animals were heard making loud noises as if to warn them off. The casually clad salesman hands the keys for the car over to my fiancée only for it not to start.
He then tried to usher the both of them away to look at the dilapidated cars nearby as they desperately tried to get the battery back to life. The Qashqai was being advertised for £4,500 but was covered in scratches with a busted battery.
So they ventured onto the next one. This time they travelled to a garage in the north east of the capital. There was a Kia estate being advertised for £5,600 and hopes were high.
The Kia was a bit beaten up but it looked considerably better than the previous Nissan. Again Cathy went to go and try the car out but the salesman said that the clutch was not working.
The dealer, who had the aura of reliability of the Simpsons Lionel Hutz, informed them that they would only be fixed the clutch if we put a deposit of £500 down. So they were unable to test drive the car without forking out half a grand for a deposit that was only refundable if the car was ‘not mechanically sound.’
At the end of the testing afternoon, the beleaguered pair were eventually able to test drive another car but it was felt that it was being advertised for a price that was well beyond the vehicles ability and history.
Our struggles continue, having lost out on three cars that shot off the market at breakneck speed and been challenged by questionable salesmen. But tomorrow is a new day with a new Peugeot 2008 to test our resolve.
However fear is beginning to set in and we are worried that we will have to squeeze into our Corsa like a family of clowns once the new baby arrives. Our frustration is also heightened by the fact that the UK government seems hell bent on crashing the economy and inflating interest rates - making loans for a more expensive car an unrealistic option.
Let us know of your struggles in finding a used car in the current market in the comments section below - I certainly hope you have fared better than we have.
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