Deals are not always so great; MALCOLM TUMBRIDGE gives advice to punters set tp splash the cash on a budget-priced car - and which ones to avoid.Byline: MALCOLM TUMBRIDGE IT'S a buyer's market A Buyer's Market is the second novel in Anthony Powell's twelve-novel series, A Dance to the Music of Time. Published in 1952, it continues the story of narrator Nick Jenkins with his introduction into society after boarding school and university. right now, isn't it? At least that's what people keep telling me. The credit crunch Credit Crunch An economic condition whereby investment capital is difficult to obtain. Banks and investors become weary of lending funds to corporations thereby driving up the price of debt products for borrowers. means dealers are desperate to sell cars and slashing prices. Only that's not necessarily true. Some cars, yes, are dramatically dropping in Dropping in is a skateboarding trick with which a skateboarder can start skating a half-pipe by dropping into it from the coping instead of starting from the bottom and pumping gradually for more speed. value - luxury cars and big 4x4s are definitely under pressure. But there are lots of cars where the prices haven't moved for months. Sadly, these are the older small and family cars most likely to be bought by people on a budget. There is a good chance that the average punter on the street could get ripped off, paying a premium for a car that is anything but. So here, for one week only, are three cars NOT to buy. CITROEN SAXO It is a pretty little car that was rightly popular in its day, but is too easy to break into and not brilliantly built. Most economical: 1.5 D Worst used buy: 1.6 VTR (VideoTape Recorder) A videotape recording and playback machine. VTR may refer to consumer MiniDV and DV recorders or to professional machines such as Betacam, DVCPRO and DVCAM. Used Car Expert checks: 17 Used Car Expert guide price: A 1.6 petrol from 2003 with average miles of 45,000 will cost pounds 2,900 to pounds 3,924. You can have the much better C2 for pounds 800 more. CITROEN XSARA Complicated engineering and tired interior design should have consigned this car to the 'banger' bin. But instead, because of the popularity of the excellent Xsara Picasso people-mover, it retains high asking prices. Most economical: 2.0 Hdi. Worst used buy: 2.0 Hdi. Used Car Expert checks: 20. Used Car Expert guide price: A Citroen Xsara from 2004 with average mileage of 38,000 miles, it will cost pounds 4,800 to pounds 6,000. You can buy the much better Ford Focus for less. FIAT MAREA A practical, if plain, estate car. Not the best built car in its class, but not unreliable as such. By now it should be bargain transport, but prices are still too firm. Most economical: 1.9 JTD JTD Joint Table of Distribution JTD JTIDS (Joint Tactical Information Distribution System) Test Device JTD Jet Turbo-Diesel JTD Joint Test Director JTD Job to Date JTD Joint-Service Technical Data . Worst used buy: 1.6 SX Used Car Expert checks: 13 Used Car Expert guide price: A 1.6-litre petrol from 2001 should be cheap, but with average mileage of 40,000, it will cost pounds 1,700 to pounds 2,200. |
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