Anyone else a dreadful car buyer?
Discussion
When I bought my GT3 I walked into a showroom, it was the 1st I looked at, 1st I drove & bought it pretty much there & then. Probably not the smartest thing in the world to do, but it worked.
I'm now looking for a Boxster. Reading on here there are "loads" out there a low prices. Well having spent the weekend trawling through the classifieds on here & Autotrader I've seem only to discount every single one finding a reason why it's not for me. It's either wrong colour, wrong interior, too many miles, no A/C, too old, too new, too cheap, too expensive, too far away,etc., etc.. Did actually go & take a look at one, yeah, yeah it was "immaculate", except for the light scratches all down one side & large chip (gouge) out of the paint on the passenger door. Maybe I'm just too fussy & expect perfection. I'm certainly pedantic. God it makes buying cars hard work.
The search shall continue!
I'm now looking for a Boxster. Reading on here there are "loads" out there a low prices. Well having spent the weekend trawling through the classifieds on here & Autotrader I've seem only to discount every single one finding a reason why it's not for me. It's either wrong colour, wrong interior, too many miles, no A/C, too old, too new, too cheap, too expensive, too far away,etc., etc.. Did actually go & take a look at one, yeah, yeah it was "immaculate", except for the light scratches all down one side & large chip (gouge) out of the paint on the passenger door. Maybe I'm just too fussy & expect perfection. I'm certainly pedantic. God it makes buying cars hard work.
The search shall continue!
Yep I'm exactly the same, I'm also after a boxster S if I sell mine, I want a gen 2 S with PDK, PASM, 19s, heated sports seats in black, blue or silver with opc warranty amount for sale in the uk - zero!
Though I certainly wouldn't buy the first car I saw, you need to see a few first so when the "one" comes up u know it's right
Though I certainly wouldn't buy the first car I saw, you need to see a few first so when the "one" comes up u know it's right
I think you do tend to know when something is right whether it's the first or tenth one you look at.
Having said that, a guy bought my X6 last year based on a 5 minute phone call with me. Deposit paid within the hour and balance paid direct to my account within a week. He saw it for the first time when he collected it.
Having said that, a guy bought my X6 last year based on a 5 minute phone call with me. Deposit paid within the hour and balance paid direct to my account within a week. He saw it for the first time when he collected it.
Or so that you know that the first one WAS right when you saw it (but it's now gone) 
Your C2S is still looking lovely, Pete - saw your post the other day in the pics thread. Hope all's well.
Your C2S is still looking lovely, Pete - saw your post the other day in the pics thread. Hope all's well.
Nano2nd said:
Yep I'm exactly the same, I'm also after a boxster S if I sell mine, I want a gen 2 S with PDK, PASM, 19s, heated sports seats in black, blue or silver with opc warranty amount for sale in the uk - zero!
Though I certainly wouldn't buy the first car I saw, you need to see a few first so when the "one" comes up u know it's right
Though I certainly wouldn't buy the first car I saw, you need to see a few first so when the "one" comes up u know it's right
Yes, but for slightly different reasons.
I bought my first pork 2yrs ago from a non specialist Indy. I did no research ignored some of what I now know are tell tale signs and bought the first one I saw. Why, because emotions took over and I just had to have it. I reckon i ticked most of the boxes of how not to buy a sports car!
2yrs on and I've had to pay a fair amount to put things right, though I did get a good deal in the first place. Now I have a well sorted car which I still love to bits and will keep me smiling for at least another year.
Lessons learnt though and it will be a different story when I buy the next one!
I bought my first pork 2yrs ago from a non specialist Indy. I did no research ignored some of what I now know are tell tale signs and bought the first one I saw. Why, because emotions took over and I just had to have it. I reckon i ticked most of the boxes of how not to buy a sports car!
2yrs on and I've had to pay a fair amount to put things right, though I did get a good deal in the first place. Now I have a well sorted car which I still love to bits and will keep me smiling for at least another year.
Lessons learnt though and it will be a different story when I buy the next one!
In the last 12 years I've gone through about 18 cars, mostly Porsche with a Ferrari an M3 a 330ci and Subaru thrown into the mix.
Depreciation does not concern me although it hits hard when changing cars within a year.
I just get that itch every so often...usually 6 months into a purchase.
Seem happy not to change at the moment with a Carrera S and Rangy TDV8 Vogue......but never say never.
Depreciation does not concern me although it hits hard when changing cars within a year.
I just get that itch every so often...usually 6 months into a purchase.
Seem happy not to change at the moment with a Carrera S and Rangy TDV8 Vogue......but never say never.
taaffy said:
In the last 12 years I've gone through about 18 cars, mostly Porsche with a Ferrari an M3 a 330ci and Subaru thrown into the mix.
Depreciation does not concern me although it hits hard when changing cars within a year.
I just get that itch every so often...usually 6 months into a purchase.
Seem happy not to change at the moment with a Carrera S and Rangy TDV8 Vogue......but never say never.
Ah, the perfect mix. Depreciation does not concern me although it hits hard when changing cars within a year.
I just get that itch every so often...usually 6 months into a purchase.
Seem happy not to change at the moment with a Carrera S and Rangy TDV8 Vogue......but never say never.
RR
(911 Carrera and Rangy 3.0D)
yup cars still great, LOL can't seem to be able to sell the damn thing though!Very fussy car owner here too; but they are out there! I genuinely find Pistonheads a good place to find cars from similarly minded souls who cherish their vehicles. Only point I would make is that you should buy on condition, not extras; life is too short to spend too long hunting for the car with your prefered spec that may not exist. Good luck!
Well viewed another immaculate one at the weekend. Nice enough place & people...however the immaculate car was sat there with one flat tyre, scratch on the door handle & seat belts (yellow I think) that looked like they had been sat in mud for a couple of months. This was not a cheap car so why do dealers not fix these things!!!!! They had another car that they described as a great buy, which to be fair it was, but it had a ding in the rear quarter....why not fix it before you put it on the floor!!!!!!!
I trawl the internet, classifieds, reviews for months obsessing about every last option (I have even been known to make spreadsheets of options I do and don't want).
I avoid dealers until the last possible moment as that smell of tyres and shinyness in a dealer makes me lose judgement.
I get an early test drive of the models in the shortlist and make up my mind what I want.
Then I internet shop until a likely looking model has come up.
My 993, I boughtthe first one I seriously test drove, after about 6 months of research. I immediately felt happy with the dealer and the car. I was not wrong.
My XKR, much the same, but research was focussed on choosing between different makes and models before I settles on the Jag. About 2 weeks of online "shopping". Again first dealer, first car. Again, I got good 'uns.
Currently in early test drives for the next model/car choice.
I am, however, terrible at negotiating. Because I have narrowed it down to the car I want, I tend to pay very close to the asking price, negotiation seems limited to getting extra services added on top.
I avoid dealers until the last possible moment as that smell of tyres and shinyness in a dealer makes me lose judgement.
I get an early test drive of the models in the shortlist and make up my mind what I want.
Then I internet shop until a likely looking model has come up.
My 993, I boughtthe first one I seriously test drove, after about 6 months of research. I immediately felt happy with the dealer and the car. I was not wrong.
My XKR, much the same, but research was focussed on choosing between different makes and models before I settles on the Jag. About 2 weeks of online "shopping". Again first dealer, first car. Again, I got good 'uns.
Currently in early test drives for the next model/car choice.
I am, however, terrible at negotiating. Because I have narrowed it down to the car I want, I tend to pay very close to the asking price, negotiation seems limited to getting extra services added on top.
pilchardthecat said:
Has to be a colour other than grey/silver/black/white. Ah.
This is my problem too. They are all one of these colours. My other problem is go looking for one thing, see something wonderful in the showroom & walk out with something completely different having spend far more than I intended. I once walked into a dealers looking for a 2nd hand Freelander, walked out having ordered a new Range Rover Sport, then went to see a 911 C2 and bought a GT3. Now looking at a change from an Elise to a cheapish Boxster, I now seem to have talked myself into looking at 997 cabs as well. I'm hopeless.
GT03ROB said:
Well viewed another immaculate one at the weekend. Nice enough place & people...however the immaculate car was sat there with one flat tyre, scratch on the door handle & seat belts (yellow I think) that looked like they had been sat in mud for a couple of months. This was not a cheap car so why do dealers not fix these things!!!!! They had another car that they described as a great buy, which to be fair it was, but it had a ding in the rear quarter....why not fix it before you put it on the floor!!!!!!!
Might be a case of increasing your budget if you have trawled the market and not yet found a worthy example - it may be the better well cared for examples carry a price premium...I bought the first Boxster i viewed and then the first 996. I had done a bit of research and knew that the Boxster had to be GT silver with black sports seats at the very least. After a long wait for one i viewed and it was perfect, never missed a beat. The 996 had to be a turbo in seal grey, manual with black sports seats, again it took me ages to even find one but after a long drive to view it was everything the shop said it was.
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