How much would I need to spend on a car if I want roughly a decade out of it?

10 comments

1. for 6k yes, just lookout for full service history and any damage etc

2. Use the London ULEZ checker to see if you have to pay the emissions charge. I expect more and more places will be introducing these zones over the next few years. Either that of just buy something for way under 6k and plan on scraping it when ULEZ starts to affect you.

3. My last car, 6k had it 7 years, swapped for motorbike

   previous one was 6k had it 9 years. swapped for last car.

4. How long is a piece of string? I’ve had <£500 cars last years and cars that cost several grand go bang within months of owning them.

5. 4k a year for 10 years is 40k.

   That’s not a lot of miles for a modern car. It will 100% depend on how well it was looked after before you got it, or if you have a bargain.

   FWIW I am over 150k miles and touch wood it is running OK, so I am sure if you got the right car £5k would be enough.

6. You can’t put a price on specifics. If the car has a full service history and jobs done and you continue that then yeh maybe a decade.

   In other news though shit happens and anything can go wrong

7. Yes, 6k is fine if you get a manual. But autos have become much more expensive in the last few years and a 6 grand auto will be shit, at the moment.

   My suggestion would be to go Japanese. A Nissan or Mazda. I’ve had a few and they only ever need wear and tear things done. They don’t break down.

8. Inflation is a thing, but I bought my car in 2010 for £6k and I have put 130k miles on it since (now on 190k) and it’s still fine.

   Modern cars are extremely reliable if you keep up on basic maintenance and servicing.

   I’d have thought you could easily find something for quite cheap that would last you. 4k miles is nothing. Just make sure you keep it maintained.

9. I bought my current car for £4800 I’ve had it just over 10 years and it’s still probably got another few years left in it

10. I still have a car I bought in 2010 for £2k.
    The price you buy it for is irrelevant, it’s how you treat and maintain it that matters.