Is this a good buy guys

[TomS]

Hey folks,

Ive found a car that Im interested in and I think its a bit of a good en but want your advice on the price etc....

Its a clio 16v M reg - with 62,000 miles.

Full Renault service history...3 owners from new....completely standard.......

Cat1 all electrics, recently serviced.

£3,500???

Aplolgies if its anyone on the forum but I just wanted opinions cus i looks like a very nice car!

TOM

 

[Clart]

not bad - offer him £3250

 

[TomS]

Quote: Originally posted by Mitsi on 15 April 2004

not bad - offer him £3250

Yeah, wud defo offer a bit less

Is that sounding like a good example?

 

[Speiro]

paid 3400 for n reg with full leather on same mileage

 

[TomS]

Quote: Originally posted by Speiro on 15 April 2004

paid 3400 for n reg with full leather on same mileage

So maybe offer a bit less then?

 

[WeeGad]

Offer £3000 max!!

 

[TomS]

Yeah may be around the 3k mark

Theres another valver its a j reg with 33k on clock! one owner!

£2,995????

just having alook around really

advice welcome!!

 

[Ben H]

The book figure for it will be a fair bit less but I think it doesnt reflect what people pay for a 16V. Remember that finding a mint 16V is hard - especially with miles like that. Youll not find a mint 16V for anywhere near the book figures. I think Williams book figures for an A1 car are something totally useless and unreflective like £2-3000.

Nevertheless, that is about as expensive as a 16V gets and youll probably get to £3k with some haggling. If youre prepared to pay the full £3,500 then it might be worth considering a Williams if you can scrape together the extra cash, afford the insurance and then find one.

 

[TomS]

BenH - Nice one, Yeah Im thinking a 16vlaver wud be better for me at the mo cus of uni etc, and I d rather wait another yr or 2 before I get a williams cus of insurance and costs etc.

Should I be swaying towards the j reg or the M reg u think?

 

[Ben H]

If the J-reg is a good price, then then its worth a punt because even if you sell it in the next few years, it will still be a low miler. It probably wont be in any better condition than the higher mileage cars, but the low miles will draw the buyers in when you come to sell (cars wear with age as much as mileage, which most buyers ignore).

 

[Bookie]

Be sure to thoroughly check the car over, i.e known rust spots, brakes etc, use them as points to haggle the price if they need replacing in the future.

Only saying this cos i paid the same for an M reg with 72000, 3 owners, full renault history and ive done nothing but find problems!!

Dont

 

[TomS]

Quote: Originally posted by Bookie on 15 April 2004


Be sure to thoroughly check the car over, i.e known rust spots, brakes etc, use them as points to haggle the price if they need replacing in the future.

Only saying this cos i paid the same for an M reg with 72000, 3 owners, full renault history and ive done nothing but find problems!!

Dont





Really? Thats kinda put me off a bit cus youd think with a full rebault service history itd be reliable!

Just out interest what have you had problems with?

 

[TomS]

BenH - The J reg is £2,995 and like I said it has one owner, 33k miles, a 12 month RAC warranty and apparenty is "immaculate".

Im tempted to take a drive up there as Swindon isnt very far from me and I havent driven a valver before so got nothing to lose going up and having a gander.

I currently drive an immaculate N reg clio and would be a bit worried going for an older motor, altho it had a very low mileage!

Cheers

Tom

 

[Ben H]

The only thing youd notice from the drivers seat of an older Phase1 Clio is the relative lack of soundproofing and the older-looking heater switches. There are other minor differences both inside and out, but if youre moving up to a 16V its all be nicer stuff than you have on your 1.2 anyway.

I went from a 1995 1.2 to a 1994 16V and now to a 1993 Phase1 Williams. Both the 16V and Williams are a lot different from the base models - much more so than a 182 is over a Dynamique 1.2 these days. The step up from my old 1.2 to the Valver was astonishing - handling, weight of the steering, accleration, comfort. For me, the Williams was more of a lateral move with a focus on performance at the expense of a little comfort and spec (no sunroof, manual mirrors, more noisy etc).

Im afraid its unusual that a ten year old hot hatch would be as reliable as a 1.2 base car. To be fair, my Williams has given me very little trouble, but my 16V required a lot more TLC. Im used to it now, but dont be surprised to find bills for £2-500 a few times a year (wheel bearings, alternator etc) - you need good cashflow to look after a 16V.