Car-buying regret? Yes, I’ve had a few. In fact, I’m probably into double figures, not helped by my soft spot for the sporty variety which can be costly in bills. So what are your top car-buying regrets?
More than a third of the 1,300 people we surveyed regretted buying a particular car, citing reasons from rust to rear-seat space. Of those, a further three in 10 said their car was faulty, nearly one in five found it cost more to run than they expected and around one in 10 wished they had done more research beforehand.
As a car fan (some might say ‘geek’), I’ve always done my research first. But that hasn’t stopped me buying various unreliable sports cars that feel like they cost me more each month than a decent mortgage.
Interestingly, the fourth most common regret concerned depreciation (reduction in value due to increasing age and mileage). This is usually the biggest car running cost if you buy new – and one many people forget about. Luckily, I’ve usually avoided it by buying cars over 10-years-old. Like their owner at times, they have little or nothing left to lose.
Try before you buy
I’m surprised to see that 6% of people in our survey either didn’t even test-drive the car before they bought it. I once had my heart set on a particular VW Golf GTI 16v before it expired in a cloud of steam during the test-drive. Oh, and did I mention that we were on the M23 in rush hour at the time? Needless to say, the owner, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was very apologetic.
Now I actually have a mortgage, so the sporty car needs to go. The time has come to buy something sensible. Any suggestions? I need space for a small baby and a petite girlfriend.
Naturally, I will read reviews on the Which? Car website (goes without saying, right?) but I’d love some advice from you, too. What have you learnt from buying a banger or splashing out on an impractical car?
What's your biggest car-buying regret?
I have no car-buying regrets (36%, 82 Votes)
I've never bought a car (21%, 49 Votes)
The car cost more to run than I expected (11%, 25 Votes)
I didn't haggle on the price (11%, 25 Votes)
I lost money because of depreciation (6%, 13 Votes)
The car was faulty (5%, 11 Votes)
I didn't do enough research about the car (5%, 11 Votes)
I didn't trust my gut instinct (3%, 7 Votes)
I didn't check the car for mechanical problems (3%, 6 Votes)
I didn't check the car's service history (0%, 1 Votes)
I didn't take the car for a test drive (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 233
