to buy or not to buy?help plz

[2WSR55PB]

looking at buying this car for £6,150 tomorrow and getting cold feet.

on auto trader

2007 (07 reg) Hatchback 88,400 miles Manual 2.0L Petrol 88,400 miles, 5 Door Hatchback, Black, Petrol, Manual 6 speed, FSH, Full Manufacturer Option list installed! Drivers airbag, ABS, 18" Alloy wheels, Electric windows all round, Passenger airbag, Airbag Curtain, Slide n tilt Sunroof, Air Conditioning, Rain sensing wipers, Cruise Control, Central Locking, Auto Xenon Headlights, Cornering assistant lights, Headlamp washers, Foglights, Heated seats, Pioneer In Car Entertainment with 7" screen (supporting Ipod video and audio, FreeView TV with remote control, Bluetooth Phone, DVD, CD and full European SatNav) Tyre pressure monitor, Reversing sensors, MaxiDot computer UI, Sports seats. Tinted rear and rear passenger windows, Central armrest/Air Cond Coolbox. All items manufacturer/factory fitted from new. Full Service History. £6,500 ONO.

cam belts need doing,is it a good deal???

[m0bov]

Why are you getting cold feet? All we know is as much as you. :S Come back to us once you've viewed the car, pics, checked paper work, HPI and spoken to the seller.

[Mike Wrightson]

Gahhh, never mind :(

Edited 19 August, 2011 by Mike Wrightson

[2WSR55PB]

Gahhh, never mind never seen the car yet but it all checks out just is 88,000 miles going to be a problem and is the price good or bad?

[2WSR55PB]

Why are you getting cold feet? All we know is as much as you. :S Come back to us once you've viewed the car, pics, checked paper work, HPI and spoken to the seller.

seen over 25 pics of the car but not sure that 88,000 miles will be a good move as I have never owend a high mile car

[Mike Wrightson]

I'm assuming this is a vRS? 88K miles will not be a problem as long as it has been properly serviced and the correct oil used. When you go and see it, make sure the engine is stone cold. Start it up, if you see blue smoke walk away.

The price seems good to me, perhaps a little too good, is this from a dealer or private sale?

[2WSR55PB]

I'm assuming this is a vRS? 88K miles will not be a problem as long as it has been properly serviced and the correct oil used. When you go and see it, make sure the engine is stone cold. Start it up, if you see blue smoke walk away.

The price seems good to me, perhaps a little too good, is this from a dealer or private sale?

vrs petrol,private sale it was a company car,the only thing is I am meeting so the car will be warmed up

Edited 19 August, 2011 by 2WSR55PB

[Mike Wrightson]

As an ex-company car, 22K miles per year, it is likely to be mostly motorway mileage or long trips. This is good. You're looking for the usual things: Does everything work? Any nasty noises from the engine? Does it smoke when revved? Any clonking from suspension? It should drive properly, steering is responsive and accurate, gear selection should be easy for all gears (though VAG gearboxes don't like to be rushed). Check for any accident repairs.

If it still checks out, it should be a good car.

[2WSR55PB]

As an ex-company car, 22K miles per year, it is likely to be mostly motorway mileage or long trips. This is good. You're looking for the usual things: Does everything work? Any nasty noises from the engine? Does it smoke when revved? Any clonking from suspension? It should drive properly, steering is responsive and accurate, gear selection should be easy for all gears (though VAG gearboxes don't like to be rushed). Check for any accident repairs.

If it still checks out, it should be a good car.

thanks

that is what I was thinking,just trying to get as much advise as posible as never having a skoda and not sure how well they take the miles

[Mike Wrightson]

They take miles very well indeed. The vast majority of our taxi drivers use Skoda diesels, most of them will have nearly 300,000 miles on them by the time they have to buy a new one every 4 years.

It's a VW platform at the end of the day, engines, gearboxes, suspension components and materials are shared throughout the group. The vRS engine is the same as the one in the Golf GTi / Audi A3 / Audi TT / Seat Leon etc.

Quite amazing how many different cars can be made with the same bits

[2WSR55PB]

They take miles very well indeed. The vast majority of our taxi drivers use Skoda diesels, most of them will have nearly 300,000 miles on them by the time they have to buy a new one every 4 years.

It's a VW platform at the end of the day, engines, gearboxes, suspension components and materials are shared throughout the group. The vRS engine is the same as the one in the Golf GTi / Audi A3 / Audi TT / Seat Leon etc.

Quite amazing how many different cars can be made with the same bits

just hope its not a wasted trip as its about 100 miles away but cant find anything local for less than 7k or poor spec Edited 19 August, 2011 by 2WSR55PB

[Wardy]

Take the time to fully check all the options, especially as there's a lot of them! Climate control system especially, make sure all the different modes work and that it blows cold. Check the xenon headlight operation as well, particularly. Just thinking of the things that will cost you most to put right, if they're not working!

Make sure the radio's off (once you've checked it!) for any test drive, to allow you to listen properly for any noises during the drive - from the engine, suspension etc.

Seems a decent price and as said, the mileage won't be a problem if it's been looked after properly and serviced on-time. So check through the service history carefully. All the better if it also comes with paperwork, receipts of work done, past MoTs etc. These all help build up a picture of the car, and can also be checked against the dates for the stamps in the Service Book.

Go through it methodically and don't be rushed

[FUBAR]

just hope its not a wasted trip as its about 100 miles away but cant find anything local for less than 7k or poor spec

Id lie and leave late if its a meet and call to say stuck in traffic etc and say since im going to be late pls leave it turned off so i can see a cold start then when there leave it as long as you can to try starting bonnet up straight away and leave open while looking around. Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Delacroix]

Agree with everything said, that milage in that time indicates a lot of M-way cruising which actually can do an engine a lot more good than 20k in the same time frame made up of short town trips where the engine hardly gets to warm up properly. If the fsh is genuine and the HPI is clear and you do all the things suggested (get the owner to rev while you check the exhaust for any smoke), then it sounds reasonable to me...

[2WSR55PB]

Id lie and leave late if its a meet and call to say stuck in traffic etc and say since im going to be late pls leave it turned off so i can see a cold start then when there leave it as long as you can to try starting bonnet up straight away and leave open while looking around. Good luck and let us know how you get on

well seen the car today and it was tidy with everything working as it should only odd stone chip on the bonnet but all 4 discs were totaly shot so took it for a test drive any how.nice and tight on b roads so took it on the m1.All good then after giving it a bit right foot action a strange noise started after braking.when in the right gear for the speed i was doing the sound was louder with the windows up,it was like when you were a kid and you stick a stick in your bike spokes to make it sound like a motor bike LOL.Greater the speed faster the noise.Any how I had to walk away which is a shame as it seemed a good car apart from the cam belt needing to be done and discs and pads.When the car was not moving,nothing even at high revs so any idea what it could be?

Edited 20 August, 2011 by 2WSR55PB

[Mike Wrightson]

If the noise was only when the brakes were applied, it will be related to discs/pads most likely. With the car needing that much work, it's no wonder the owner isn't asking much for it. Probably best that you walked away from that one, there are plenty around and you can afford to be picky.

[2WSR55PB]

If the noise was only when the brakes were applied, it will be related to discs/pads most likely. With the car needing that much work, it's no wonder the owner isn't asking much for it. Probably best that you walked away from that one, there are plenty around and you can afford to be picky.

defo not the brakes m8 100% sure of that more like something hitting something spinning that had a plastic sound that got quicker the faster the car went

[flying pig]

If you can, take your time and don't rush into a deal. I did, and recently purchased a cracking 56 plated Octavia 1.9 Tdi.

It was owned by a retired couple, full history and the bodywork was immaculate.

Whilst looking through the service history, I saw the previous owners name and phone number. I rang him that night to ask him his opinion on the car.

Needless to say I now own a pristine example.

Take your time and don't rush in. Buy in haste, repent at leisure!

There are plenty of good examples out there. Just be patient.