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What Car should I buy?

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natefz6
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PostPosted: 15:54 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: What Car should I buy? Reply with quote

With the biggest nipper starting school in September it looks like for at least a few mornings a week I am going to need a vehicle with more seats than the fz6 has.

As with anything that involves spending money I seem to spend more time looking at what I might/should/want to get than I will actually driving the thing. I now turn to the advice of BCF! Some basic requirements:

1, Not to cost a fortune, I am looking at £2-5k
2, Not to be £££ to maintain.
3, Smallish I already have a car or two on the drive when the mother in law stays
4, High miles not a problem if reliable I am only going to be doing 20 miles a week in it.
5, 5 door


I have been looking at BMW 1 series, Audi A3's, VW polo, and even a 325ci Very Happy

To be honest though, I dont really care and will be driving it that infrequently as long as it works when it should I am not fussed. I might just buy a Honda Jazz.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 16:01 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

£2 - £5K is the range where you're not getting a worthwhile warranty. And at that mileage, why pay more than you have to.

I'd bangernomics that one. Cheapest localest runner with an MOT and a non-usurious VED band - watch for people trying to offload £400+ guzzlers. If it breaks, scrap it and start over.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 17:33 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the OP wants something German Smile I'm inclined to go for the lowest mileage, lowest owner vehicle you can find within budget. The Borg's right about VED, it's a bit of an eye-opener (compared to bikes) how much they can charge for a small petrol engine.
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Ted
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PostPosted: 18:39 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

VAG and 'cheap to maintain' are two things that don't go together well.


A mid to late 90's Vauxhall however, parts are pennies. Wink
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RhynoCZ
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PostPosted: 18:40 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

325ci, have some fun, life is short. Thumbs Up
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 19:12 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's no right or wrong answer, and not even the usual racist shit applies, like avoid Frog machinery etc.

Roger has a good point, forget anything about warranty and buy a private example. I think if I wanted it to be closer to 2k, I'd apply some race stereotype myself, and get a nice little Jap hatchback, one that avoids fun or attracting tuning to look like a type R etc. Micra, Yaris , Jazz etc. Only thing to watch and avoid with these is OAP owned examples (sometimes), and buying from an owner that thinks a top class reliability score, means you don't have to service them.

You don't need to enjoy driving it, as your only doing 20miles a week, and that's not enough to enjoy driving anything period.

I don't get buying a cheap old bavarian saloon with a big engine that's a shitter to tax as well as fuel up. Only living once doesn't mean saddling yourself with silly running and repair costs to drive an outdated once bruiser of a car.

I'm not against buying a council estate Ferrari, but you don't want to do that with your requirements. I own a qualifying car for that image myself, but I'd happily spend 10x the purchase cost or more on keeping it running, clean& rust free, and upgrading bits as I replace them.

Most of the people round here that own them, are now looking after them as they are so rare, or selling them as the value rises, and buying a 10year old Focus/Megane/Golf etc to rag the shit out of instead until they die, and then they'll get another one.
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 19:17 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

VED is certainly an eye opener with cars. Our little Twingo is £30 a year and is peanuts to run and insure so I'm going to keep it till it dies, it's not worth selling for the money I would get for it. Not 5 door though.

My Ford CMax granny mobile is lovely and roomy but has a stupid VED and guzzles fuel around town.

My recommendation? Bangernomics or get something loony that brigs a smile to your face. An old Landrover? Laughing
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Ted
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PostPosted: 19:36 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Old Land Rovers are going up in price, and aren't cheap to run.

The wife's 2003 Megane is cheap as hell, and £30 a year tax. 1.5 diesel.
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natefz6
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PostPosted: 20:37 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did have a browse at discos earlier today as that is a car on my want to have owned list. The £500 tax is a bit much to swallow but... on the plus side it has 7 seats. It's small compared to a Range Rover Smile

I think bangernomics is the right solution but it I jut find myself looking at nicer things even if I know that I will probably end up pouring money in to it!

Self control required I think..
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Last edited by natefz6 on 09:38 - 22 Aug 2017; edited 1 time in total
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dodsi
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PostPosted: 20:53 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am on my second 2.5l 3 series - the first one was a Ci and the current one is a saloon.

The first one I sold to a friend of mine who wanted it and I ended up with his 1.8 Avensis. I gave the Avensis after 1 year to my sister who is still using it - fantastic cheap and super reliable cars! The BMW is still in my friends ownership and only had consumables. I paid £1200 for it a few years ago - some things like the electric mirrors didn't work and someone had butchered the electrics trying to fix it but everything mechanical that matters works on it to this day. I drove all over Kent, Sussex and Hampshire in it faultlessly.

The current one I have I paid £800 for but it needed £400 work on it in servicing stuff hence the purchase price. This was a year ago - since then it has had a few consumables and mainly done short trips with the odd jaunt. Been basically faultless in the time but is going in tomorrow as it has developed a noisey wheel bearing and needs new brake pads and possibly discs. Whether it survives thus visit to the mechanic will depend on the proposed bill.

I rate the 6cyl e46 3 series but you do pay for the dependability of it at the pump. The 4 pots are not as good. If you do minimal mileage then don't sweat the urban 20mpg and 35mpg motorway.
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Bikeless
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PostPosted: 21:18 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

If your hardly using it, 20 miles? Get a lowish mileage polo, cheap to run and reliable.
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RhynoCZ
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PostPosted: 21:41 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

dodsi wrote:
I rate the 6cyl e46 3 series but you do pay for the dependability of it at the pump. The 4 pots are not as good. If you do minimal mileage then don't sweat the urban 20mpg and 35mpg motorway.


A friend of mine has a E39 523i and 38 MPG (7.5L / 100km) is doable, long term. My 2.0L four cylinder Pimp mobile, does 33 MPG. 125kW vs 100kW.

If you won't be using the car that often, then just don't care much about the fuel consumption, enjoy yoursefl. Buy a car that suits your needs.
Long routes = diesel (2.0 and above, small diesels are crap from my experience)
Short routes = small petrol engine
Mix of both = petrol (around 2.0-2.5L).

The worst thing one can do, is short rides in a diesel car, especially the new diesels with DPF. You've got to warm everything up, so the process of purging can start, we're talking several miles, tens of minutes. If you don't let the car warm up, the purge never happens, everything gets cloged up and you're gonna end up paying a good shop to clean it or replace it.
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Monkeypony
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PostPosted: 21:55 - 21 Aug 2017    Post subject: Re: What Car should I buy? Reply with quote

natefz6 wrote:
I am only going to be doing 20 miles a week in it.


For 20 miles a week?

Assuming a push bike with a kiddie trailer is no good,

A taxi.
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 00:56 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

^ This!

I'm not going to go on about it, but it's a fucking idiot in the extreme that buys a Discovery or an E46 3-series, with OP's requirements.

I don't think ''things I'd like to tick of the I once owned list'' is a valid reason for buying a load of shit or a potential chain around your neck.

I came round to agreeing with Dodsi, about the sometimes merits of PCP for some/many people in 2017. But his idea of the worst era 3-series IMO for several reasons, I can't comprehend or agree with. A big engined 20mpg or less car, has to be bought for totally not giving a shit. This often means a two seater, a sports convertible, an old supercar or a classic/kit car.

Not many people want to smoke round in a 15year old bottom of the depreciation curve luxury car, that's only got potential for lots of spending to keep it on the road. In BMW terms I've never liked most of them, but I could see a point in wanting an E-21, or E-30, maybe a cheap big engine E36 all as projects or track cars etc.

But having a daily that does 20mpg, and isn't a tight fun drive or something your going to be deliberately fiddling with sounds crazy in my book.

OP buy any modern cheap car that's big enough space wise, and is reasonable in running costs. That's as far as you need to go.
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BTTD
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PostPosted: 07:40 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Few years ago a friend of mine bought a 2002 VW Bora V5 automatic. He gets around 33mpg out of it and it hasn't broken down yet. Cost him just under £2k and actually isn't a bad looking car. Never as popular as the Golf, but as a run around he rates it highly (his fun cars - TVR Cerbera, MK2 Jag, several Landy Defenders).
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 08:00 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it for sale?
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andyscooter
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PostPosted: 08:01 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

mk4 ford fiesta

1.25

cheapish to tax costs buttons in fuel and reliable
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BTTD
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PostPosted: 08:15 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
Is it for sale?


Not at the moment, but I do believe that VW made more than one of them.
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Keir
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PostPosted: 08:20 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

20 miles a week? get a taxi, its not worth buying, taxing and insuring a car for that!
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grr666
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PostPosted: 08:43 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fiat 500.
Loads about, decent spec on many, MP3, ABS, TCS, E/W, PAS, easy to park, 30quid a year to tax or even less,
easily in budget. 65mpg from the 1.2 petrol which won't mind short start stop journeys. NCAP 5star rated, chicks
will think you have a humungous wang, seats 4, ours needed a battery £50, rear shocks £60 and thats it in 5 years
apart from tyres. We did a tour of Scotland in ours and it never missed a beat.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 09:13 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

jnw010 wrote:
Rogerborg wrote:
Is it for sale?
Not at the moment, but I do believe that VW made more than one of them.

Barely.

https://i.imgur.com/Kej3QtN.png
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natefz6
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PostPosted: 10:06 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good debate going on and similar to what is currently going on in my head.

Part of me wants to go stupid because well with that little mileage I am not going to be running to the pump much any way, but the other part thinks as I will be using it so little and have access to another car I might as well get something small and with no poke.

I did look at the 500 with the last car I bought, liked the look of them (it was for the wife) but fuck me the lack of power was laughable, I'm sure you get used to driving it in a certain was but I nearly go rear ended on the A40 on the test drive as 3 gear seemed to max out at about 20mph. The other problem is the amount of doors, I have two kids in car seats to contend with.

Taxi would be £10 each way so we would be looking at £60 a week which would be approaching £3k a year and without the convenience of having two cars which sometimes we need. I am currently a gold member of Enterprise car hire as I often get one to travel with work, they pay, but its the hassle of organising it.

I might have a look at whats on gumtree, I think as the date looms the mind will focus.
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angryjonny
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PostPosted: 10:19 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's your budget for running the thing once you've bought it?

A 2-5k car will need some work from time to time. Speaking as a once-upon-a-time Mitsubishi Galant owner, buy something rare and you'll have a hell of a time sourcing parts for it.

Go to any scrapyard and there'll be a dozen Focuses in there that you can take parts off. Or if you're feeling lazy, 100 of anything on Ebay. Try doing the same for a Bora V5 Auto.

Also, bear in mind that ease of sourcing parts and specialist labour (i.e. cost of repair) will loosely correlate with insurance costs.
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natefz6
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PostPosted: 10:29 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

angryjonny wrote:
What's your budget for running the thing once you've bought it?


If I am only spending 2-5k on it I don't want to be spending a similar amount a year on servicing and parts.

In the 5 years we have had the wifes (now 8 year old) BMW we have spent on average about £500-600 a year including consumables, we did have a new clutch and flywheel done. That was doing about 15,000 miles a year. I dont think that is too bad I have done that on my bike pretty much Very Happy
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P.
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PostPosted: 10:30 - 22 Aug 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could always buy my tatty type r Laughing

That said, I love little econo-boxes. Ran my £80 Peugeot 206 2.0 diesel for pennies and managed to get serious miles out of it. It just went on and on.
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