Matthew's Journal

We currently have a 1998 Ford Fiesta, with about 75k on the clock (it's just gone through an MOT). We're thinking of upgrading to a larger vehicle, because our typical use case is taking a couple of other people plus their stuff quite some distance. I've never bought a car, so I'm asking for some advice.

Previous things I've driven include an even older Fiesta, and a Renault 19 (not a bad car other than its dreadful reliability). I'm thinking something family saloon or hatchback-sized, possibly a Ford Mondeo. I don't want an estate car. Whilst I'd like a Jag :), realistically I don't want to waste money on shinies. I'd like a manual transmission car, with air-con (preferably a Cd-player, but we could always fit one), that isn't bad to drive, and doesn't cost the earth to run. Something that isn't too bad to drive long distances in a day would be good, too - we'll be going to Adrnamurchan later in the year, for example. Any suggestions? Places to look for comparisions and the like?

Separately, I have some queries about the acquisition process. I'm a bit scared of private sales, as I've known a couple of people who got caught out with stolen and re-sold cars, or vehicles that fell apart not long after purchase (and I don't think I'm mechanically knowledgeable enough to spot a dud). On the flip side, the local authorised Ford dealership seems to charge rather over the odds (one in Brum is selling a car like our current one for £3k, which seems to be about 3 times the going rate). On another flip-side, part-exchanging the current car would save some hassle [mod possibly selling it to a member of Sally's family, who we may have to give first refusal to]. Parkers won't give a price range for my car without me paying for it, which is a bit annoying, but a bit of googling suggests £1k would acquire one from an independent dealer.

Comments? Suggestions? Thanks :)