Thanks for the info, I had a cam belt problem as described on my current
astra, this was fixed with a modification, is this the same on the new
astras? i.e is there a modification, if so do you have any details so
network Q can do the work first?
I've never heard of this modification on either new or old models.
Just make sure that the cam belt's been changed if the car's done over 40k
miles, and if it's about to go over 40k miles ask the garage to do it as
part of the deal; if they say it doesn't need it, they're lying (petrol
engines anyway). That said, as you said you're looking at a year old car
it's unlikely it'll be close to 40k.
Also I assume if the change frequency is 40K the log book will state that
The service book should, but often service books don't say this. As I said,
originally intervals were set to 80k miles which you should ignore even if
the service book says so.
and this problem is well known to all network Q garages hence they will
tell me to ensure the work is done.
Any Vauxhall dealership will know this.
What year is it? 1997
Is it a saloon, hatchback or estate? hatchback
If a hatchback, how many doors does it have? 5
Is it manual or automatic? manual
How many miles does it have? (Glass's Guide doesn't list 'average'.)73 k
Your car is not something that the dealer will retail so he'll doubtless
sell it through the auction or to a local trader.
97/R Astra 1.6 GLS 5dr manual 73k miles, I'm assuming it's a 16v.
If it's in reasonable condition (preferably with a reasonable service
history), trade value of your car is £900. If it's got dents and scratches,
start to knock off hundreds of pounds. Now you know the trade value, you
know that whatever the dealer offers you above that is over-allowance and
effectively a discount on the new car.
You should expect the dealer to offer you a low price first, don't be
demoralised by this, it's par for the course. As I said before, the amount
of discount/over-allowance entirely depends upon how much profit the dealer
has in the car he's selling. At a Network Q dealer you should expect at
least £500, often a little more. The best test is to SHOP AROUND, playing
one dealer off against another if you need to.
If you sell the car privately you can go into the dealer with no PX and
expect a discount off the new car. Your car has got to be worth £1,500 in a
private sale (check the Autotrader to see what similar cars are making
locally). It's a desirable model (as Astras go), not too expensive, with
the higher spec and 16v engine so it's the kind of car which should sell
well.
If you sell privately you can make £500-£600 more on the car you're selling
and then also get a discount at the dealer so you win at both ends.
I wouldn't get too hung up on Network Q either, there are a lot of year old
Astras in the world and there won't be much wrong with them at a year old.
Nearly everyone else will be cheaper than Network Q. Also, if you're buying
a year old car it'll still have the remainder of its 3 year warranty (the
first year is manufacturer warranty then it gets two years dealer warranty).
The majority of year old Astras will be ex-rental cars. This is NOTHING to
worry about - most will be in excellent condition and are great value. Even
if a Network Q dealer tells you it's a management car and it has Vauxhall
Motors named as the first owner in the log book, it's still probably an
ex-rental. You should play this to your advantage when talking to the
dealer as most members of the public are very reticent to buy ex-rental, so
you should use it to haggle a lower price.
If buying an ex-rental, obviously make sure the car is in A1 condition - no
dents, scratches, cigarette burns etc., and ensure that the second two years
of dealer warranty are intact.
The average auction price for an 03/53 Astra 1.6 SXi 16v 5dr manual with 15k
miles is about £7,000 so expect to find them at car supermarkets between
£7,750 and £8,000 (there won't be much discount to be had there).
At dealers they could be as much as £9,000 but I'd want at least £500 off
that.
