Worth paying more for a newer fiesta?

[dathtom]

Hi,

Sorry for asking such a boring and age-old question but I'm relatively new to cars. I had recently purchased a 2013 fiesta and was then in an accident a week later and the car is a write-off.

I really liked the car and want another fiesta, but am not sure whether to go for another 2013 one or to spend the extra to get a lower mileage car from around 2017 in the hope that it would save me money on maintenance in the long run. In my area the older cars sit at around £5k/60k miles and the newer ones at around £8k/20k miles. 

I'd like to keep the car for 3-5 years and am looking for the cheapest option, given that from what I can tell there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in features.

Cheers,

Tom

[Gaz0000000]

If I was you Tom I would spend a little more on a newer car eg: a 2017 say as the entire car will only be 3 years The engine and expensive bits will be 3 yrs old and the car will more than likely last you a fair while without any problems .  There aren’t any major differences between models bumpers trims and lights and a few difference engine options really 

[Bobr]

I spent a little more for a 2017 Titanium auto and have never regretted it.

[statts]

Hello

I bought a December 2014 titanium x 3 years 4 months ago and haven't regretted it. The only thing I don't like about it is the fuel economy because it is an ecoboost 125 and as people have said in other posts you can have 'eco' or 'boost' but not together. According to my trip computer I am average 36.3mpg but that's because I drive like a hooligan and it only goes 2 miles to my place of work and back.

I have had a few minor niggles with it but they haven't cost me much to sort out. Are you looking at a petrol or diesel and what spec are you looking for? Mine is a Titanium X with extras (full leather, 17" alloys)

hope this helps

[jace1969]

My car is the old 1.6 Titanium 2011 with loads of toys added when i had it, it's on 30k but it's been fault less in 6 years i have had it.

I had it 3 years old from ford and i would never buy a new car always as you said 3 to 5 years old.

If can i would go with the 2017 and the spec you want and need as i don't use half my stuff just was on it when i had it i didn't pay for stuff.

[Bobr]

I've had a 2006 Ghia, a 2009 Titanium, a 2013 Ecoboost Titanium and my current 2017 Ecoboost Titanium.   Apart from broken front springs on the 2013 I've never had a problem.

[TomsFocus]

I'd try to buy one under 3 years old so you still get some manufacturer warranty left on it.  Even it's just 3 months that should be long enough to find any faults. 

Also try to make sure it's had the expensive 3rd year service which includes spark plugs, or negotiate that into the price.  If any non-consumable faults are found during the service, they can also be covered by the manufacturers warranty...

[Milkman]

I would buy a 10 year old car for £500 and put the rest of the insurance money in your Bank account, you can then take your time in finding the right car and have something to sell on or trade in.

[TomsFocus]

£500 for a 10 year old car?  Maybe 10 years ago!   

More like £2k+ for a battered supermini or moon mileage Mondeo on a 2010 plate nowadays.  Cheapest 2010 Fiesta within 30 miles of me is £2,700...it's a 1.25 Zetec in Lime Green and has done 117,000 miles.   

[jace1969]

13 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

£500 for a 10 year old car?  Maybe 10 years ago!   

More like £2k+ for a battered supermini or moon mileage Mondeo on a 2010 plate nowadays.  Cheapest 2010 Fiesta within 30 miles of me is £2,700...it's a 1.25 Zetec in Lime Green and has done 117,000 miles.   

Mine is 9 years old and i would never sell that for £500,as you said 2k+ depends on miles and stuff.

2017 Titanium Eco would be my choice.

[StephenFord]

My ancient Focus (15 years old) is pretty troublesome free, with immaculate bodywork, though it was your proverbial one owner from new when I got it complete with replacement engine. I would never take £500 for it....now, £600, that's another thing LOL

 

 

 

[Lonedev]

On 9/20/2020 at 9:41 PM, statts said:

Hello

I bought a December 2014 titanium x 3 years 4 months ago and haven't regretted it. The only thing I don't like about it is the fuel economy because it is an ecoboost 125 and as people have said in other posts you can have 'eco' or 'boost' but not together. According to my trip computer I am average 36.3mpg but that's because I drive like a hooligan and it only goes 2 miles to my place of work and back.

I have had a few minor niggles with it but they haven't cost me much to sort out. Are you looking at a petrol or diesel and what spec are you looking for? Mine is a Titanium X with extras (full leather, 17" alloys)

hope this helps

I've a 2014 Titanium too. With mixed city, motorway and country, mostly economic driving with some more... excitable jaunts in the Scottish countryside.  52MPG is my current reading. Just treat your brake pedal as the enemy and have just enough throttle for you to roll to the lights. With any luck you can be accelerating again before you get to a complete stop, saving fuel. Also change up a gear just before 2kRPM and down around 1.2kRPM. This is so dull for acceleration but in the city with sluggish lorries and such about, you won't ever feel like you're too slow. The more leisurely pace will also be safer, leaves a wider gap to vehicles in front and gives plenty of time to react. Rightly takes stress out of driving.  If you also don't mind journeys taking a smidge longer, going at 50 instead of 70 on motorways whilst chilling in the left lane will also save a load of fuel. The realtime mpg gauge doing that on flatter motorways will spend a lot of time sitting at 99.9MPG

[Bobr]

1 hour ago, Lonedev said:

I've a 2014 Titanium too. With mixed city, motorway and country, mostly economic driving with some more... excitable jaunts in the Scottish countryside.  52MPG is my current reading. Just treat your brake pedal as the enemy and have just enough throttle for you to roll to the lights. With any luck you can be accelerating again before you get to a complete stop, saving fuel. Also change up a gear just before 2kRPM and down around 1.2kRPM. This is so dull for acceleration but in the city with sluggish lorries and such about, you won't ever feel like you're too slow. The more leisurely pace will also be safer, leaves a wider gap to vehicles in front and gives plenty of time to react. Rightly takes stress out of driving.  If you also don't mind journeys taking a smidge longer, going at 50 instead of 70 on motorways whilst chilling in the left lane will also save a load of fuel. The realtime mpg gauge doing that on flatter motorways will spend a lot of time sitting at 99.9MPG

I agree with everything you say except 50 mph on the motorway.   I'm an ex copper and have worked on the motorway and have seen a number of accidents caused, believe it or not, by cars being driven too slowly.   A much safer speed would be around the 60 mph mark.

[Guy Heaton]

At 50mph on the motorway you'll be surrounded by lorries.  Not a place I would want to be.

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, Guy Heaton said:

At 50mph on the motorway you'll be surrounded by lorries.  Not a place I would want to be.

Agree'd.  It's bad enough when you're forced to do it while using a space saver, can't understand why anyone chooses to do it myself.  I suspect this is why a lot of nervous drivers don't like motorways - they're driving too slowly and in a perilous position. 

Can't speak for th 1.0EB as I didn't own one long enough, but I tried capping my speed at 60 instead of 70 for a whole tankful on the 1.6TDCi...there was literally 1mpg difference.  Not worth it to spend half my life in lorries blind spots or with a queue of angry drivers bunching up behind as I attempted to overtake a 56mph truck at 60mph...  

[tomshepp]

Agreed. You are safest at traffic speed. My choice was a 2017 mk 8 Titanium eco 100 with the sunroof. I am delighted with it and I have had enough cars in the last 45 years ( about 70) to know a good un when I see one. The mk8 isn't the prettiest but it is a damn good motor car.

[Lonedev]

20 hours ago, Bobr said:

I agree with everything you say except 50 mph on the motorway.   I'm an ex copper and have worked on the motorway and have seen a number of accidents caused, believe it or not, by cars being driven too slowly.   A much safer speed would be around the 60 mph mark.

Oh I had no idea, I thought 50 would be fine in the slow lane when keeping good distance, since that's what lorries and stuff are stuck at in it. Better doing 60 then unless you're near out of fuel! I'd trust a copper over my own thoughts for that one.  That said, I'm super curious @Bobr's thoughts on those stretches of motorway where drivers seem determined to go around 90, or on smart motorways where the majority of the drivers seem to ignore the electronic signs above. I always feel being safe is illegal in those circumstances. It's not fun following a 40 limit when people are whizzing past beyond 70.

[Bobr]

8 hours ago, Lonedev said:

Oh I had no idea, I thought 50 would be fine in the slow lane when keeping good distance, since that's what lorries and stuff are stuck at in it. Better doing 60 then unless you're near out of fuel! I'd trust a copper over my own thoughts for that one.  That said, I'm super curious @Bobr's thoughts on those stretches of motorway where drivers seem determined to go around 90, or on smart motorways where the majority of the drivers seem to ignore the electronic signs above. I always feel being safe is illegal in those circumstances. It's not fun following a 40 limit when people are whizzing past beyond 70.

Thanks for your vote of confidence.   A lot of those idiots who drive at ridiculous speeds on the motorway finish up with a ban.   As for smart motorways, they didn't exist in my day so I have no experience of policing them but, as a driver, I refuse to use them as I think that they are dangerous.   Get a breakdown or a puncture and you've nowhere to go other than sit in a live lane and wait for someone to run into the back of you.   My advice in that case would be to get out of the car and as far away as possible.   The death rate on smart motorways per mile is well above that of normal motorways.   ( https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/12/government-smart-motorways-safety-hard-shoulder )

I live in Nottingham 5 minutes from J26 of the M1 and my son lives in Leeds so the M1 would be very convenient.   The smart motorway starts at J28 and on the one occasion I used it the red X came on over the inside lane together with the speed limit sign indicating 50mph..   I pulled into lane 2 and slowed to 50 only to be overtaken on the inside by a number of lorries; mostly with foreign registrations.   There was a car broken down in lane 1 and how there wasn't an accident as I was approaching it I'll never know.   There were vehicles swerving all over the place.   I now go up the A1.

Incidentally, you should never go onto a motorway if you're low on fuel.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

9 hours ago, Lonedev said:

I thought 50 would be fine in the slow lane when keeping good distance, since that's what lorries and stuff are stuck at in it. 

I believe that is Scotland only for lgvs over 7.5 tonnes. Elsewhere It's 60 for them, and UK-wide it's 70 for coaches etc and goods vehicles under 7.5 tonnes. As Bob says, a lot of the foreign registered lgvs don't seem to stick to the limits anyway.

[Milkman]

HGV's are supposed to be restricted to 56mph.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

33 minutes ago, Milkman said:

HGV's are supposed to be restricted to 56mph.

Yes, been an apparent anomaly there for years. The limiter is a euro regulation, the speed limit is UK law. I believe the wording on limiters refers to restricting the powered speed and I understand they operate by cutting the fuel, so in theory the speed limit could be exceeded on a downgrade. 

Perhaps one of our resident current or ex-police officers could comment further?

[Bobr]

The national speed limit for lorries over 7.5 tonnes on a single carriageway is 50 mph.   On a dual carriageway and motorways it's 60 mph.   It may be different in Scotland.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

9 minutes ago, Bobr said:

It may be different in Scotland.

Yes, 40 and 50 respectively up there, for over 7.5 tonnes.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Lol caught me in mid-edit there, Bob! Going a bit off topic, as usual, Was just going to add that it shows what a minefield limits have become these days. My brother in law is a goods vehicle driver and he says you have to try hard to make the mental adjustment when going over the border. 

I attended a speed awareness course a few years back (naughty boy, I know!) and one of the other chaps on the course had inadvertently been caught out. He'd been driving his van quite legally on the Friday at 60. On Monday he'd done the same and been caught for speeding. Over the weekend he'd swapped his van (under 2 tonnes) for a slightly larger one taking him into the up to 7.5 tonnes category and thus a 50mph single carriageway limit.