I need a bigger car, but I have a small budget.

Hi,

I have a 2005 three-door Mitsubishi Colt and need a bigger car: I have a three-year old and baby on the way... Don't have much cash  (€1,000 max); what sort of car could I get with my car as a trade in? I have looked at Mitsubishi Spacestar and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. I want a reliable car and want to keep engine size down to save on tax and insurance.. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, have you any ideas of anyone who would pay cash for my car? Tried all the cash-for-cars places and got no answers.

Thanks

Sarah Morgan (Dublin)

Oct 2010 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Sarah,

First of all you need to be aware that the cash-for-car places are usually going to give you a deal that is at the lower end of the scale so it can sting a little. I think your best bet is likely to try and trade-in your Colt for something bigger. I can imagine that the three-door Colt is a bit of a nightmare with one child, and two will be even worse. 

Depending on the condition of your car - we are guessing it might look like this, then you may get offered around €4,500 as a trade-in against another car. Obviously you need something a little more spacious. I think the right car for you would be a Ford C-Max because it is spacious, safe and comfortable. We found one from a SIMI dealer in Westmeath that has 67,000 miles on the clock, is petrol-powered, but won't be too expensive to run if you aren't doing a lot of mileage. This car would be ideal for your needs and €4,900 is the the asking price. You can find the advert here.

I think this would be in ideal car because the Spacestar is getting on and isn't all that good and the early Mercedes -Benz A-Class has been notoriously troublesome.

Hope that helps.

 

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