BigMouth Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 [mod]Title altered from "Car Buying Advice (Again) Please" to the above to better reflect the contents of the thread.[/mod] Despite being opposed to it we have finally made a decision to buy a car. We would rather use public transport but it is just not available when we would like to use it. It's going to be a new one and either an Aygo, a Yaris or a C2 (we think). We are going to look at the prices, but the biggest difficulty is making the choice in the end. We live in Lerwick, so that makes servicing of the C2 more difficult as the garage is in Brae. Has anyone got any opinions that they might like to share? An ownership experience, experience of a dealer (PM me if necessary!) or anything else. Thanks a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wifey Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Jim's Garage is good. We've bought 3 cars from him and we've always been pleased with the service. I've got a Yaris. It's bigger inside than you'd think (a bit of a Tardis really) and it's cheap to run. I went for the 1.0 engine - its acceleration isn't good and it's slow going up hills, but it's brilliant around town. Overall, I just love my little Yaris and I would certainly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorit Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Don't buy a brand new car. You lose thousands the second you drive it out of the showroom.Go south and buy a one or two year old car with low mileage. Look on autotrader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twerto Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Yeah I agree with moorit. For years I have bought a cheap run about from £500 to £1500. and all have done me well.. but saying that I had enough of driving around wondering if it was going to last the next journey or not.. I wont say that buying a new car you wont have peace free driving as that is not possible when driving a car.. but you can lessen the chances of something going wrong. I have just travelled down to Manchester to buy a car I found on Autotrader, I bought privately but I was lucky enough to have friends down there that could go and check it out for me before I handed any money over or even travelled down to find it was a dud.. so unless that is an option for you I recommend buying from an accredited garage. feel free to get prices from Jim's or burgess or where ever up here but you must compare it to Autotrader or even garages south.. As you might find for a price of a car from Jim's or similar you can by a car south and get a wee holiday out of it to. The car I bought Isn't even a year old and only had just less than 6k on the clock, would of been about 9k new and I got it for 7k, so basically just run in and brand new for 2k less.. I'm not saying it would of cost me more to get it up here.. but I would of been surprised if it wasn't but since no garage up here sells the car I wanted I had to go south anyway. Jim's is a good garage but you do pay for the service, which is something I have trouble swallowing, and probably until my car is out of warranty I will be stuck paying his outlandish prices when I want my car serviced. At the end of the day I cant think of any garage out there that doesn't have you shafted over a tyre anyway.. (** MOD EDIT **8. Shetlink reserves the absolute right to remove any content (or hyperlinks) which Shelink moderators, at their discretion, consider to be defamatory, objectionable, unlawful or otherwise inappropriate and to do so without seeking the consent of, or giving notice to, the poster of the content in question. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nautim Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 I've had a series of Citroens from the Central Garage at Brae and they've been very good with me, never seeing me stuck for a car while mine is being fixed, looking at it for nothing to check out something which is niggling. I'm intending going back there for my next car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Good luck with your purchase BigMouth. I hope you take advice from the posters that have actual experience of Shetland garages, rather than those that have "heard stories". Happy motoring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooks Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 I've had a series of Citroens from the Central Garage at Brae and they've been very good with me, never seeing me stuck for a car while mine is being fixed, looking at it for nothing to check out something which is niggling. I'm intending going back there for my next car. My experience of Citroen vehicles is pretty poor. I have never owned one but I know of plenty of horror stories from people that have. Going by your quote, "While mine is being fixed", is that not a bad sign? If you have had to have your car fixed so often then congrats to Central Garage for doing such a good job, but should you have needed to be having it fixed so often in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lec Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 We bought all our cars from the Central Garage in Brae until we moved Sooth. We had a C2 from them last, and had no major problems with it, other than a fuel filter not working properly, which wasn't a big deal. Their overall service is brilliant, no other word for it. The C2 was a great wee car - slightly inconvenient when you were taking passengers in the back as they have to climb in through the front door, but that's just minor. There's a surprising amount of room in them - I got a flat packed dining room table and 6 chairs in our one with tons of room to spare, and I think we managed a washing machine too at one point. We had an SX model, which had the stereo, air conditioning etc, and it was very comfortable - we did look at the basic model too, but it was really basic. As to the comments about Citroens - we've had a Saxo, a C2 and now a C3 over the last seven or eight years, and the only problems we've had have been minor. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooks Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 Probably one of those things, you only hear about people who have problems with their vehicles not those that don't. There are maybe a lot of happy Citroen owners out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 I have this O'level (educated in England, sorry!). Anywho, I bought a nearly new Yaris (1.0) from Jim's Garage. I considered the C2 and the Aygo. I really wanted an Aygo but they were only just out and very difficult to get hold of one so I opted for the Aygo as I wanted a small immediately. Dear little Yaris - very economical, cheap to run, service and insure and tax. I think the Aygo may be a bit cheaper but there are no second-hand ones around yet I was told as they are relatively new. There may be one by now. I have not had a moment's misery with my Yaris and would thoroughly recommend Jim's Garage. If you buy from them, they will give you a car to use when your's goes in for a service, which is incredibly useful and few garages seem to do this anymore. Also Yaris' hold their value for re-sale fairly well, especially the top spec range. The Yaris is well made, well thought out and well designed. It trundles along perfectly well and I use and abuse mine thoroughly. I bought one that had two years' guarantee on it. I decided to not buy a Citroen as Brae is too far for me to go just to get the car serviced. I would not normally be in that neck of the woods. I also looked at a SmartCar but servicing would be difficult as there is no dealership here and they seemed to think that would invalid any warranty (which I am not sure is true). Good luck - pm me if you want more info. I went into all this car thing in huge detail last year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted April 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 The story so far..... The C2 1.1 presumably the L is about £6.500The C2 1.1 limited edition thing is another grand on top The Aygo is about £7,500The Yaris is about £8,500 Brae garage have apparently got a 3 year old C2 demonstrator. but they are not being forthcoming with the price as yet. An ex said that they were always very good with her. Being a motorbike fan I have to admit that my feeling about a car is that it is just a box with a wheel at each corner so I can't get excited about the whole experience. The limited edition C2 is ruled out straight away. I don't care about translucent gear knobs etc. A little too long in the tooth for all that. If I sound like a miserable old sausage it is because I am The Yaris is more than I am willing to spend, but I wouldn't rule it out as a second hand choice. The good thing is the insurance. Two of us in a brand new C2 1.1 will be £131 per year including no claims protection cover. Makes me glad to be old! We pay the same on a 125cc scooter 8O I am tending towards the C2 I think, although there has been a lot of positive comment on and off list about the Yaris. No-one I know will own up to driving an Aygo. If Bolts weren't so expensive I would hire one to try it out. I will look on the net this evening at the dealers in and around Aberdeen to see if they are more responsive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 Think about driving to Brae and back for servicing - not very near or economic on petrol if you are not normally in the area! Yaris - ask Jim about secondhand ones. He usually has some. Aygo - I would happily admit to driving one. Maybe I should sell you my Yaris and then go and buy myself an Aygo!!! If you want to try one out, Jim's Garage (ask for Monica) will let you borrow one for a few days and you can see what you think and ditto for the Yaris - well, they did for me! Insurance is cheaper for Aygo and also car tax is much less. Fx PS Deals south - may look good but add the cost of the ferry and you are looking at another £350 to get the bloody thing here. Lifeline service, my ass! (sorry....) and if you get another car south, the garages here can get abit sniffy and charge more for servicing (their rate per hour goes up for non-bought in Shetland) and also will not give you a car to run about in whilst your's is in for servicing/mending, which is a pain if you do not live on a bus route. PPS If you get your car from south sent up without you on the ferry, the car goes are freight which is another word for extortion! Make sure you are sitting down when you talk to Northlink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nautim Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 Going by your quote, "While mine is being fixed", is that not a bad sign? If you have had to have your car fixed so often then congrats to Central Garage for doing such a good job, but should you have needed to be having it fixed so often in the first place? Having had more than one car I've had more than one thing to get fixed... And I was including regular services in the 'fixing' category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted April 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 Thanks Frances. The other half just pointed out that we were offered a car to try out. I agree about the ferry charge. It all depends on the savings and the fact that the "sooth" car will contain less ferrous oxide! They don't make buying cars easy here. Try to get on Jim's Garage website if you doubt me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted April 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 We went for a wander around and some inspiration tonight. There was a C2 GT outside of JBs but it's 6 grand and 3 years old/32,000 miles. Shocking set of white wheels on it 8O I would have to dig out my white stilletos We came across a car that was really interesting though at the Clickimin car sales lot I wont say what it was, but it is priced at £2,400, unusual enough to interest us. No sign of the mileage though, but should be about 60,000. We were about to ring up but I thought that we would do a bit of research on the net to see what the price should be: - Independant dealer - 1860Private good - 1715Private poor - 1435Franchised dealer - 2,000 Looks like I would get my £350 ferry fare back by going to a mainland franchise Frances Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.