New Car Time

[Ali C]

As some of you might know, I am without a car and needing a new one.

I am after somthing big enough to sleep in/carry bikes easily, good on fuel, repairs and is fun/nice to drive.

I was tempted by a small van, but they are higher tax and boat travel costs, not very nippy either. This has led me down the road of the estates....can lie down in the back with the rear seats removed, can easily fit two or more bikes in, better on tax and boat journey costs and still car-like to drive.

I don't want a peugeot as I don't trust the electronics in them despite the estates being decent in size. A german or Japanese car would be great, but they are a little out of my price range. The best value for money estates seem to be fords (booring), BUT, the Focus estates seems to get great reviews....roomy, great to drive, nippy, good on fuel and tax. Also insurance would save me around £200 over my 306tdi even if I went fully comp!

I have seen 3 cars, my budget is around £1000, but I can stretch it if its worth it.

1) here, most exspensive of the three, but the newest and has 12 months mot. I like the colour, its got a tow bar, its the nippy 1.8 engine (they always get recommended over the tdi's), seems pretty good. High miles, but not over the top. No backup from a dealer if anything goes wrong though

2) 2nd one, middle price, I like black cars, only had one owner, fsh, 1.8 engine again. Miles are high, but not over the top.

3) here, cheapest car, lowest miles (but I think thats a mistake), colour is ok, but will need lots of cleaning to keep nice, its the deisel model, so sluggish but good on fuel.

Those are the only ones I can afford really, they all seem like a pretty good buy, if the miles are correct on the last one that seems like a bargain! I would prefer a petrol one just for the fun factor, but I do drive 70miles a day for work, so maybe the deisel would be the smarter choice.

What are your thoughts?

[Rich Pearson]

My mum's got one of the more recent FFEstate models and she really gets on with it. On the odd occasion that I drove it its a really nice car that isn't a hastle to drive. One thing though, I know your not a massively tall guy Ali, but just see if you can actually fully lie down in the back to sleep before you make an investment with that as one of your main principals.

2nd one gets my vote, just because I like black cars aswell

Rich

[Ali C]

yeah, I would deffo see if I could lie down, but I recken even if its shorter than I think, I'll come up with some way to have a flat bed, even if it means including the front seat.

btw, do the front seats recline fully? or even go forward? would make a good place for my feet to go if they do.

[The Duck]

Have you considered Astra estates? Very similar, also with good reviews...

[Tony Harrison]

I'm looking at buying one myself, probably 02/03 plate which is (I think) the same shape/engine as slightly earlier ones. Personally I'd prefer a diesel (1.8 turbo), and you might find they're not as sluggish as you think. The Golf I have at the moment is great fun to drive - more fun in fact than any of the petrol cars I've had, although it is of course a little lighter.

I think you can definitely multiply the mileage of the third one by 10!! I saw that earlier today on eBay. To be honest, especially with dealers, you get what you pay for. I'd be inclined to look at private sellers, especially those who have a genuine reason for sale and haven't neglected/ragged the car. As far as estates go, I went from a Fiesta to an Astra Estate years back and the bigger car was no problem to get used to. My bikes would just go straight in the back with both wheels on - far better!!

EDIT: As Quackers says, the Astra is indeed a worthy alternative - great cars to drive, and very reliable. The Isuzu diesel engines are good for a few hundred thousand miles, and the 2 litre version certainly isn't sluggish.

[Ali C]

cheers guys, been very helpfull so far!

[robonatomz]

what have you done to my van ali?

[Ali C]

let it have its wheels stolen! You dont have the old steels around do you?

[robonatomz]

i sold them years ago ali sorry, cant believe that,

cant believe your replacing the beast already, fuel eco on a petrol focus aint mint, i know it says it will do 47 mpg, but knock some off to be realistic, and some off to compensate for your heavy foot! lol

you need a motor like mine, it actually does do 65 mpg and is £35 a year for tax,

foe example, to drive to devon and camp over in the vito would probs cost £90 in deisel (far as i can remember and olowing for price increases since i sold it)

in mine now it wouls cost about £45 to drive, leaving enough for a nice comfy bed and breakfast! lol

winner

[Waddy]

ali get a passat, its the best option imo, if you had got one last year instead of your transporter you would have saved alot of money to be honest. if you get some steals for your vito and get it sold then you will have more to spend and could get a better car thats goin to need less work (ie less miles less likely to need bits replacing) ,

[Pashley26]

Buy Meeeee !!!!

Or you can pick up a genuinely mint condition Diesel one for £750. One of the best estates ever

[Simpson]

One of the first cars I've ever drove was an old school 1.8 turbo diesil estate. Or may have been the 2 litre? Anyway beautiful car the handling was amazing for such a big car. Don't know what more i could say, i highly recomend it, suberb car

[robonatomz]

should have got locking wheel nuts, lol too late for that,

waddy's right get a passatt, love em,

[Ali C]

cant seem to find cheap passats unless they have done mega miles. Thats what stopped me getting one last year. I could sell my vito (actually, I plan to once I find some wheels) and spend more on a car, but I don't fancy having a really exspensive car, it means if it breaks, I HAVE to spend the money to get it fixed rather than loosing a couple of hundred quid and flogging it.

I was tempted by a small car rob, but I really don't think it will be as practical as a slightly bigger car, plus most cars that are 60+mpg are all newer ones that are over my budget.

[TomN]

vw diesel engines are sound so if you get one over 100k it'll be fine. I bought my golf on 126k and still pulling mate with fsh receipts and all that so i know its been look after.

astras are good. or a a4 advant one

[minitrialer]

I have a Focus estate 1.8 tddi. Done about 105,000 and it's been good! Can't complain, had a couple of troubles with the fan belt but other than that been ok. Not the easiest car to work on, engine bay is a bit cramped though. It's a nice car to drive but the newer diesel engine (tdci) is apparently better. I get well over 50mpg and it's massive, can't complain. Any other questions let me know.

[Pashley26]

Diesel Audi 80 Avant ticks every box and is under budget

[robonatomz]

yer i admit a bit more room would come in handy some times,

i still cant believe the vito's rims got robbed, and cant believ its going allready, i loved that van, if i had the money id buy it back, o and if you hadent compleatly trashed too of corse! lol

rob

[Ali C]

yeah, I am gutted about the wheels! I can't find any steels anywhere either To be honest, the van is still great, the inside is good and the engine purrs like a cat.

I am still swaying on a focus estate, seems to tick all my boxes...I just need to test drive one, shame I cant do that because of work, I'll have to wait till next saturday now, hopefully they wont have sold by then.

[Waddy]

ali vdubs are piss to fix, if it brakes ring me and il help you fix it, its pretty much the same as stans car up front (if you get a 1.8t) and i have just put that engine into my golf so know my way around it, and a high milage one will probably mean its done motorway miles so will of just been chugging in 5th most of its life not rallied about like that vito

[Phatmike]

Yeah, but I can't see a 1.8T being the best engine to go for if I was Ali (or me..)

Sounds like you seem comfortable with the Focus Ali, although another vote towards the Audi 80 Estate (1.9 TDI) or an Audi A4 Estate. You should be able to pick up a 1.9TDI A4 for around £1500 or less (my spotless 1.6 A4 Estate was £1300 103k), or a mint 80 for well under a grand.

[craigjames]

i'd defo plumb for a vag tdi, if you really want the power of a 1.8t then get the tdi remapped but you'll still be returning 45-55mpg rather than the 25-35 of the 1.8t.

[Ali C]

cool, cheers guys, I'll look harder for an audi or passat before I fork out on a focus.

[N.Wood]

I have an 80 estate and I don't have a bad word to say about it, its been perfect since it was born 14 years ago, NEVER not started and generally has been great.

[Pashley26]

I pointed out 80's on the first page and got no response.

80's are amazing value for money, the 5pot's offer good fuel economy and good, reliable power. The v6's offer amazing power delivery and optional Quattro. But fuel economy drops to 25Mpg driven like you should.

The Diesels are bulletproof and will do 200K easily if they've not been murdered.

And you can pick up a mint one for less than a grand. Without having to search about, I'm sure if you actively looked for one you could get a real bargain.

And they look amazing.