Without sounding like a popular magazine... but "what car?" would you recommend?

[joshwa]

Practical and as close to £1k as possible, contenders are below, with the most likely purchase at the top... due to engines, size, safety (4star euroncap), isofix, price, reliability etc.

Ford Mondeo 2.0 2001+ 145bhp estate from around £900 (in poor condition on autotrader)

Skoda Octavia VRS (ideally estate) from around £1500? (more likely £2k) other engines are poor, for example 100bhp 1.6l, or 115bhp 2.0l - why so little power from a 2 litre engine? and why did they replace the 125bhp 1.8litre engine with a 115bhp 2.0litre engine? (1.8l 2000 reg estate is available for around £1k)

Seat Toledo 2.3l V5 (150ish bhp) - but saloon from around £1300 (autotrader)

VW Bora (aka boring) 2.3l V5 - cheap? may as well get nicer Toledo (better spec / handling)

MG ZT-T 2.5litre V6 190bhp estate £2k (too far away from budget and potential head gasket issues?)

Rover 75 2.0l V6 150bhp estate £1750 (ditto)

What else should I consider? The obvious one is the Mk 1 Focus - but whilst I like the look of the hatchback - I think the estate version looks AWFUL - and I may as well get the more modern looking Mondeo instead

Josh

[kalniel]

Mk IV astra? DTI engine versions are practically bullet proof, though estates are in high demand from tradespeoples, and maybe not enough powooor.

[how1]

New Megane?

[Funkstar]

New Megane?

And how is that going to be anywhere near the £1k budget?

Not a helpful post there.

[how1]

And how is that going to be anywhere near the £1k budget?

Not a helpful post there.

oops! Sorry, thought it was meant to be a new car.

[Funkstar]

Then read the actual post properly.

[how1]

Then read the actual post properly.

I saw 11k instead of 1k. lol

[finlay666]

My megane is roughly worth £1k for a 1.9dci 115bhp model with extras included. (2001 model)

Thought about a VW passat or something similar? I saw you had the Bora but wasn't sure.

Maybe a Honda Accord/old civic or soemthing similar?

[Guy]

Id stay clear of any 'performance' model for that budget. Bound to have alot wrong with it or about to go.

[Howard]

How many bloody cars have you been through Josh? Why not just keep one? You had a perfectly good Passat before, IIRC?

[joshwa]

How many bloody cars have you been through Josh? Why not just keep one? You had a perfectly good Passat before, IIRC?

I had a Passat for 18months, in that time I changed the cambelt twice (second time coz the waterpump went), changed the brake pads numerous times, changed the calipers, changed the brake servo (due to a design fault), glow plugs, and then sold it, then more recently the turbo went... so nope... not a perfectly good Passat (in fact that was my second Passat after there were no problems with the 1st Passat (apart from the MAF sensor))

I've got a VRS at the moment which is VERY nice - however - we hardly use it - and I'd rather free up some dosh for my bank account and drive around in an older car.

Anyway

Has to be petrol as we do a low mileage.
How about an old Golf MK4 V5? probably expensive because it's a "Golf" but it does have the added bonus of not having a cam belt...

[Howard]

Mondeo/Accord then

[joshwa]

How about a Saab 9-3 Turbo (185bhp) seems like 2000 reg cars are strangely cheap around £1k eg ebay saab 9-3 turbo - maybe Zakky could shed some light?

[kalniel]

Has to be petrol as we do a low mileage.

Que?

Diesels can also do low mileage - the only reasons you wouldn't are costs; but the new price differential would have disappeared by the time you get old enough for 1k cars, and you can more than make up the servicing costs by going for a car that's next to nothing to service in the first place (ie Ford or Vaux diesels are still going to be cheaper than VAG petrols).

[joshwa]

Que?

Diesels can also do low mileage - the only reasons you wouldn't are costs; but the new price differential would have disappeared by the time you get old enough for 1k cars, and you can more than make up the servicing costs by going for a car that's next to nothing to service in the first place (ie Ford or Vaux diesels are still going to be cheaper than VAG petrols).

We do a lot of short journeys, and whilst that's not good for any car, petrol engines tend to warm up a bit quicker than diesel. Plus I prefer petrol

[staffsMike]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/news/de...?storyId=19730

There are others around at the same sort of price but they are getting thin on the ground.