Clio 172 Advice Needed Quick!!!

panthro · 25 Feb 2006 at 13:42

Hi Guys

Just been to the Ford garage down the road, they have a Mk2 172 in stock for £6999. Its on a 51 plate but only has 17k on it. Its silver. They have offer me 0% finance over a range of year, if I pay 50%. Does this seem like a good deal. Its a main ford dealer and all their cars have a 12 month warranty on. Help!!!

Coco · 25 Feb 2006 at 15:39

First of all, THERE'S NO RUSH!!!
Shelling out £k on a car doesn't ever need to be hurried, take your time to make sure your getting what you want.

The car,
I'm suprised it has such low mileage for it's age, make sure you check out all it's history. The dealers good for offering 12m warranty, although any big problems would have already occured by now, from here on it's just wear & tear.

The finance,
If you pay a deposit of £3.5k the dealer will offer you 0% for how long?
To be honest, even a 2-3 year loan for £3.5k from the bank isn't going to incur much interest.

Other choices,
On the AutoT market for the same money will pick you up a 12-24m newer MK2 172. Sure it will have more miles, but as the car has been replaced by the 182 & soon to be new RenSport model, mileage wont mean so much when it comes to your re-sale.
On the other hand, paying £1-2k less will get the same age & again more miles.

panthro · 25 Feb 2006 at 15:50

Your right about not rushing. I was feeling a bit rushed because there were a few other people looking at it.
I put a £100 refundable deposit on it. Now your probably thinking I have rushed into it!!
But I have method behind my madness.....Ive been trying to sell my 52 reg punto sporting for a long time now, and it has been a nightmare. It has loads of problems with it, piston slap, cracked rear spoiler, driver seat bolster has deteriorated, etc. The garage has confirmed that they would give me £3000 for my car. I would have liked to get about £3500 for it, but for that to happen, I would need to buy a new spoiler and have the seat fixed, which would cost probably about £300. This way it is a big weight off my shoulders and a lot less hassle.
The deal they have offered me is, a deposit of £2600 and the rest on 0% finance over 2 years. I haggled with them a little and the best they can do it £200 extra on the p/x of my punto if I pay cash.
I have the cash to pay it all, but I need the money for other things.
Ive test driven it and looked round it, and it seems to be ok. Im going to try and find a decent buyers guide and have an in depth read.

Coco · 25 Feb 2006 at 16:00

If you check out the thread... here!
It should have a bit of a guide to it.
Or ask/steal a mate's copy of last Month's EVO magazine which had a decent buyers guide.

Remember the 172 may have been part-ex with the dealer for similar reasons...
If it was me, I wouldn't, mainly because i'd be more happy getting an example with more Miles on the clock for less dolla privately. But I can see your itching to get shot of the Punto, understandable really!

Maz · 25 Feb 2006 at 17:35

Book Price for 52 Punto Sporting is £3275 trade.

Is it a UK Sporting or an Import? (Basically has it got AC and Sunroof)

£3000 is a good price if it needs work.

Ev0 · 25 Feb 2006 at 17:39

51 plate means it'll need the cam belt doing asap (coming up to 5 years), that's £250/300-ish from a specialist, £500 from Renault iirc.

Also even though in mileage terms it's not hit the second service yet time wise it has, they are supposed to be serviced every 12k or 2 years, whichever is sooner, so check that it's been done.

Not much elso to say that's not been said

panthro · 25 Feb 2006 at 18:03

Maz said:
Book Price for 52 Punto Sporting is £3275 trade.

Is it a UK Sporting or an Import? (Basically has it got AC and Sunroof)

£3000 is a good price if it needs work.

Its a UK, but it doesnt have a sunroof. Bought it from a main dealer....biggest mistake of my life. It needs loads of work!! Also remembered that the interior light wiring is screwed, and the sidelights have loose connections so keep going on and off.....tbh I cannot wait to get rid of it.

Ev0 said:
51 plate means it'll need the cam belt doing asap (coming up to 5 years), that's £250/300-ish from a specialist, £500 from Renault iirc.

Also even though in mileage terms it's not hit the second service yet time wise it has, they are supposed to be serviced every 12k or 2 years, whichever is sooner, so check that it's been done.

Im going to go through the papers tomorrow, but it has only been serviced twice, which isnt great, 1st time renault, 2nd time non dealer, but I will insist on them servicing it before I buy it, and Im going to ask them to put it on a ramp so I can check the exhaust, as Ive read they are rubbish.

If the cambelt needs doing asap I will see if they will do that too. Just found out the warranty is only for 3 months, so I guess if the cambelt change is outside that time period they will be reluctant.

Ev0 · 25 Feb 2006 at 20:46

panthro said:
Im going to go through the papers tomorrow, but it has only been serviced twice, which isnt great, 1st time renault, 2nd time non dealer, but I will insist on them servicing it before I buy it, and Im going to ask them to put it on a ramp so I can check the exhaust, as Ive read they are rubbish.

If the cambelt needs doing asap I will see if they will do that too. Just found out the warranty is only for 3 months, so I guess if the cambelt change is outside that time period they will be reluctant.

Twice, whilst not a huge amount, is fine when looking at the manufacturers requirements, i.e. every 12k or 2 years.

This car is 4 and a bit years old so 2 services.

If you can get them to do the belt then that's very good, saves you having to do it. The warranty probably has a claim limit anyway so even if it did snap within warranty I'm sure they'd try and weasel out of paying for the whole lot

I'd say to them belt is done or I'll walk away, wouldn't have thought they'd want to lose a sale that's almost certain over something that probably won't cost them much to do (although the full cam kit is £120 alone, eek).

The exhausts are a weak spot, although touch wood mine has been fine. From factory the whole thing is welded together to create one large piece in effect (rather than the backbox and centre section bolted together they are welded) as the exhaust is put on at a stage where fitting it as a whole is possible. This means when one goes both need changing

If it already has these joined by bolts etc like a normal exhaust then it's already been changed.

panthro · 26 Feb 2006 at 15:39

The car was serviced at 12k miles, but the garage said it would go through their workshop to make sure it is all in working order. I asked them to service it, but no avail. Cambelt isnt required a change till Sept so thats another no.
Took it for a longer test drive, about 15 miles, on motorway (got it up to about 95), A roads, B roads and town driving. It seems to be ok, apart from the odd rattle here and there. The 3 month warranty is pretty good, it basically covers everything up to a wiper blade falling off.
The guy Im dealing with is a good bloke, and remembered me from about a year ago when I went to the garage to look at ST170's. What does make me laugh is that some of the other dealers there were speaking to me like I had absoloutely no idea how to drive a car, let alone know anything about how they work.