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Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Why did you buy the car that you drive?
When I left University I thought it was time to put good use to my student loan and decided to buy a car... I was looking at cars for around £3000. The BMW 316i Coupe was the top of my list.
http://www.sportscartire.com/before_...pe_2_web40.jpg
Although the BMW 316 Coupe is massively underpowered I though I would get pretty respectable insurance quotes. £2600 fully comp. I decided that the BMW Coupe wasn't the car for me and started looking elsewhere.
So i put my heart on the older shape BMW. My plan was to buy a normal BMW and do it up to M3 spec.
http://www.b18c5.org/images/other/bmw%20m3.jpg
Again the insurance was daft for me... so i started looking at more sensible sporty hatches such as the Ford Puma, Vauxhall Tigra, Megane Coupe... but I tried to stop away from the boring Saxo, 106, Corsa, etc... I didn't want the normal boring car...... I wanted something different....
After deciding I could afford to insure and buy a Megane Coupe I started to do some research into the models of them. This is when i decided i wanted a Monaco model as it is the top of the range model, with full leather, AC, electric everything. Slowly my £3000 price limit turned into... "i must have a Megane Coupe Monaco in Yellow... and don't care what the price is". So after a more specific search on Autotrader I found only 2 Megane Monacos in my area. A black one, and a yellow one. They were both the same price so i went to view them both. When i went to see the black one the salesman said "sorry sir. we sold this car an hour ago". So after a look around the car and thinking it was a pretty nasty car... dents all over... i carried on my travels to view the yellow one!!!! :D
I arrived at the garage at closing time. He had just drove the car indoors so he could lock up for the evening. I had a good look around it and set my heart on it. Decided it was the car for me and went back the next day to test drive it.
A few hours later I slapped a deposit down and it was mine... I went away to organise the insurance and the money. I couldn't wait to pick it up... my first car!!! After haggling with the salesman I said "the Monaco models are quite desirable cars." He seemed pretty pissed off as i didnt mention that I knew so much about the Megane Monaco. He assumed I was a young lad that didn't know much about cars as I let him do all the talking.
http://www.xtr.me.uk/gallery/albums/standard/1_G.jpg
I bought the car "exactly" 1 year ago today.
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...12_29_full.jpg
So that's my story................. why did you buy your car? What was your previous car? Did you have your mind set on a specific model/colour? What other cars did you consider?
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No car yet, still not old enough. What did the Megane cost you?
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Me want car.
Me has no NCB and is under 25 so me insurance quotes on anything with an engine are silly.
Me buys 106.
The end.
P.S. Even on that insurance in first year was 670 quid tpft. When i am over 25 i am thinking of getting a £3-4k Prelude and a £200 Suzuki SJ (lil' offroader).
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This is a typical TiG story, get the facts, do the research drive the cars that made it to the short list and go the Octavia is the car for me.
Cars i drove where
Mazda 323 2.0 Sport
Mazda 6 2.0 (can't remember model spec)
Ford Focus ST170
VW Bora 1.8T (150hp)
Skoda Octava 1.8Vrs (180bhp)
Reasons why i bought this car over others, firstly and most importantly Zak's advice, this man knows cars and i trust his car judgement pretty much without question. That and his ability to help me realise my driving style and what suited me.
IT seems that I am without a doubt a turbo/high torque person, Love my car being able to pull massively from 2k rpm and oh my god it does.
That and i'm a practical person the boot on my car is huge, half leather seats which sets of the interior superbly. It goes so well, and can be hugely fast.
Full comp insurance at age 24 with 3yr ncb cost me £900. But i have had one crash in my car so it could well bad this year. Still this car suits me perfectly i'm going to live with it for a few years as it rocks :)
TiG
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Bought mine cos it was available, and I've always wanted a Landy.. chopped in my Daihatsu to buy it.... I got it re-painted when I bought it, because it was a bit "used" I WAS gonna get it sprayed bright, eye-bleeding orange.... but he ran out of that so i got it done in bloo instead.
The other deciding factor was the fact that it's got a big chunky Diesel motor, and a turbo.. god I love that whistle when I clog it :D
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Bought my proton
a. Low Mileage
b. Loads of Warranty left
c. cheap
d. reliable.
Got it with 8500 miles on the clock and just a year old
now at 82000 miles 5 years on and still going strong though I just had to get a bit on the gear stick welded but 5 years and only general wear and tear. Looking to chang it once its (hopefully) though the 100k.
Next car looking like a small mpv like a scenic or a picasso diesel aswell.
Wife drives same caras I do for same reasons looking to change hers soon to a smaller car ala Corsa 1.2 life as posted on another thread.
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Drove car. Fell in love. The end :D
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I'd alwasy fancied the idea of a 200sx , and my car at the time, a Rover 820 Vitesse wasn't as much fun to drive as it could have been.
I was introduced to the sxoc forums and foudn them a great bunch of people.
I also wanted to buy something that had most of the work done to it ( it works out a lot cheaper and less hassle )
the for sale boards yielded a few pre modded cars and the one I bought was the best value :)
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the sound the engine makes
the way it looks
the way it handles
its the best car ever made
and the looks people give me when I drive it :D
Nox
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I had a 306, good drive and all, nothing wrong with it. But a mates dad needed to sell his E30 which I had always thought was very stylish, so I bought it :)
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The cappo:
Saw a picture of one and loved the fact it was tiny. Talking to a bloke in the pub about cars a week later and he told me they had one in as a part ex. Next day I was up having a test drive - It was only at this point I realised the car was a convertable! When he dropped the rear pillar down I was in a state of utter shock! Never had I seen such amazing engineering.
Sat in car and shut my eyes - All the controls were exactley where I'd expect them - It was almost like the car was custom built for me. Test drove and was in love. An absolute hoot to drive (although my friend who was following in his car told me I shouldn't buy it as it was dangerous - "the rear end keeps sliding out when you go round corners"). Talked finance.They wanted too much so I decided to play hardball. Called back a week later figuring they'd be more likely to haggle - "sorry sir, we sold it the following morning"
4 Weeks of frantic hunting, I'd tracked one down in Sheffield. Checked it out, HPi'd it and picked it up on April Fools day. It was a cold week but I went to work topless that week (with heater on full reheat!). Wrote to the previous owner to find out more about it. He asked if he could buy it back! Apparently he'd traded it in for a jeep Cheroke as his girlfriend thought she was pregnant so wanted a "proper" car - It was a false alarm and he was left driving a petrol gussling big bus.
Currently driving a ZX turbo diesel after the Pug 205 Diesel died.
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One - The engine, 120bhp Dci, variable geometry turbo. For a diesel - It Goes!
Two - The drive, test drove it round lots of winding tight roads, came back with such a grin I oredered it there and then.
The list...
Austin Allegro 1750 - JYD 665N ( :rockon: You never forget your first car)
Vauxhall Viva 1.3 :heckle:
Ford Cortina 2.0 Crusader
Toyota Corrolla
Audi 100 2.3 (Lovely car)
Nissan Bluebird
Rover 620
New Megane 1.9Dci Privelege
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What engine was that in the Allegro? My dads had 2 of em :)
Bought my 2nd mini cos they're brilliant fun and my first one got murdered by a cavalier :(. The noise @ 6.5k rpm in 2nd is my favourite thing atm.
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Fiat Cinquecento... It was dirt cheap yet in excellent condition. It's small, light, cheap to run and insure.
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I bought the CallyT cos Joel had just got some points thru n couldnt really afford to insure it, I've known the car for a while and know its been looked after...
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Well after suffering with 2 mini's since i was 17, when i got my new job decicded to get a "real" car that would get me to and from work quicky, comfortably and reliably, and reliability was important as i was growing tired of spending weekends under the mini. I also wanted a car that was as much of a drivers car as possible (after all the mini is such a drivers car) and as the focus was top of the list regarding driving and handling, i went for that. THe result was a Focus 2.0 ghia and aside from new tyres, an exhaust and brake pads, nothing has gone wrong with it, its a 99T - 5 years old.
People who say ford are unreliable, havent had a focus! :p
Butuz
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Got my Fiesta last year because......
I had clocked 28k on my Focus in 18mths and if I kept it til the Option period came up on my finance I was going to be stung on excess mileage charges. Also it was a diesel and having changed jobs to within 2 miles of where I live I didnt really think it was necessary to keep it - plus my partner at the time was itching to get a new car so dragged me round garages every weekend for AGES!!
Decided on the Fiesta because I wanted something cheap to run/insure plus it came with 1yrs free insurance! :) The new shape Fiesta is the first model Fiesta that I have driven where I dont have to sit with the steering wheel in my lap and my knees around my ears!!!
It handles well, is proper nippy and although I wasnt 100% taken with it at first (I REALLY wanted another Focus but couldnt afford one!) I love it now!!
The End....
(Well until I get another new car in 18mths time!) :D
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well i always wanted a wide arche clio, so i set off saving up. in the mean time i get insurance quotes and they're coming at silly prices... still with my heart set on a clio, until on my Bday my dad asks me how much do i have saved for the clio, just under a grand i reply. he says well put that towards the insurance and here's your mums M reg 1ltr Micra, woo hoo a free car! had it ever since although it can go slighty faster now and has a dent on the bonnet! LOL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honoop
Got my Fiesta last year because......
I had clocked 28k on my Focus in 18mths and if I kept it til the Option period came up on my finance I was going to be stung on excess mileage charges. Also it was a diesel and having changed jobs to within 2 miles of where I live I didnt really think it was necessary to keep it - plus my partner at the time was itching to get a new car so dragged me round garages every weekend for AGES!!
Decided on the Fiesta because I wanted something cheap to run/insure plus it came with 1yrs free insurance! :) The new shape Fiesta is the first model Fiesta that I have driven where I dont have to sit with the steering wheel in my lap and my knees around my ears!!!
It handles well, is proper nippy and although I wasnt 100% taken with it at first (I REALLY wanted another Focus but couldnt afford one!) I love it now!!
The End....
(Well until I get another new car in 18mths time!) :D
I thought you got hammered if you chopped it in before finance perioid up. I'd love to know cos I got exactly the same mileage, and chopping in would look *very* tempting
*edit* PS, sorry for hauling this thread back up :p
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Bought the Clio since I fancied a change from my old Fiesta (RIP) and my mate's missus was selling hers cheap. I knew the history of the car, it was at a decent price, so that was the end of that.
Then somebody at the RSC jokingly suggested I put a GTT lump in it. The more I thought about it the more I realised it could be done, and it'd be blummin hilarious... so despite the cost I thought "What the hell" and went for it. :D
It rattles, shakes fillings out, and is made out of plastic. But the smile per mile factor keeps me driving her. :)
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Reasons I bought my Primera GX 2.0TD (Saloon):
The GX is near the top of the range. A/C, RCL, trim etc. No alloys but bought alloys for it anyway.
The 2.0TD engine seems to do 200 000 miles with very little spent on it.
Reliable - Very important.
It has a HUGE boot and I need the space for LAN's etc.
It's Blue/Turquoise depending on how the light hits it.
It handles superbly for a car of that price range.
The saloon models are surprisingly rare. I've seen 1 other car like it, and many 5 doors but lower spec.
Oh - And I just LOVE the sound of Turbo's. Have since I was an iccle kid. :D
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rj45ethernut
I thought you got hammered if you chopped it in before finance perioid up. I'd love to know cos I got exactly the same mileage, and chopping in would look *very* tempting
*edit* PS, sorry for hauling this thread back up :p
Ahh, you do get stung a bit if your car is worth less than the amount of finance outstanding on it.
Technically you should pay the difference - which could be as much as few grand. However, it depends how much the garage wants the deal. If you are taking out a new finance agreement they are able to 'fiddle' with the figures and add the difference to your new deal. This isnt 100% cosher and the technical term is "Lumping and Bumping". What they do is raise the price of the car you are buying on the finance deal to accomodate for this extra amount. It only really works if you are buying a car which has a lot of play in the purchase price (ie. Say you are buying something like a VW which could have a much higher screen price than they are selling it at) because the dealership needs to make the finance company believe that this is a le-git deal, and it is - but not all the figures on it are 100% straight - they have been played with to accomodate your finance needs.
End of it being that you get the car you want, they get a deal - but you end up paying extra for your new car because of the negative equity on the car you changed in.
Its not necessarily a wise thing to be doing, but if you have a car which you need to get rid of because of mileage etc then it could be worthwhile. Its not worth doing it just for the sake of it coz you are only burying yourself into more debt in the long run!
Hope that makes sense? :inquisiti
Kinda verging off the point of this thread now, so if you want to know any more PM me if I can be of any help! (Sorry guys!)
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Don't worry honoop, i found this quite interesting, even though i have my own very second hand car and don't use finance.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honoop
Hope that makes sense? :inquisiti
Perfectly, TY
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Having only been driving for a short length of time, and going off to uni next year I thought there was little point in buying a car that did anything more thn get me from A 2 B as cheeply as possable.
Agreed that i'd leave the car at home during uni, so parents agreed to pay half the cost of it as they'd use it when i'm at uni. So i started looking at the 6 month old market, small cars like Corsa, Fiesta, Micra, Yaris, Polo and Clio. Went to the relevent garages and test drove them, looked at running costs.
After testing them all and looking at running costs I ruled some out. I was down to Yaris, Micra and Fiesta. The others were either rubbish to drive, imo, or to expensive to run (VW).
After thinking and looking at what was available, i finally decided on a 53 plate Silver Micra 1.2 SE. It's not flash, no alloys etc, but was in amazing condition, only 1,500 miles.
It has air con, leather, cd player, split rear seats, the best power steering (imo), ABS w/ EBD, 90bhp. Still under 3 yr warrenty, and I got three years free servicing, 1 years free RAC membership, 0% finance and 3 MOT vouchers worth £40.
Throw in 50mpg and low insurnce, group 2/3 i think, and to me, this is the best car for me atm.
Tbh, i didn't look at anything sporty, insurance and running costs would have been to high, plus having only had experiance in TD Fiestas and 1l Micras, getting something fast would have been a shock.
Maybe in the future after i've got some no claims and more experiance though :D
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Worked for my sister in law, was given 15k to spend on a car, originally wanted a Focus but was offered a good deal on a V5 170bhp Golf for £15,500 by Dave Clark at Specialist Cars in Milton Keynes (Dave is a good freind of my Sis-in-Law and the guy who came up with the 'Road Angel' speed camera detector)
The company only lasted a few months but made a boatload of dosh, they liquidated the company and I was allowed to keep the car + payoff.
So basically got a nice car for free :D
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Vovle C70 T5, it was just next car to have,
had the fords, peugeots, renaults, vauxhalls, rovers, would never buy them again. no disrespect - there just not what i want.
couldnt bear the thought of driving bmw's or mercs, the models i like i couldnt afford, just like the rollers and maseratis. porsche 'also out of reach' dont do 4 seats.
the japs dont make what i was looking for, speed quiet, exec, style, comfort. ive had a type r and was cool but not the easiest to live with, had the 4wd, nice, comfy but quite noisey!
also i sort of look for something slightly different, dont want to be one of the masses.
economy insurance doesnt make any difference.
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well been driving clio's for years so it was time I bought a clio of my own and put my own stamp on it and mod it to hell. Was going to get the 182 cup 2 litre then rang round for quotes and they were comming in thick and fast close to 1/3 of the cars price, then i picked up a few points for speeding :P so the insurance went even higher, so 22 years old on a new car has to be fully comp due to rules of finance so i had to drop even lower to a 1.2 16v clio hence what I am driving today, it aint to bad, nippy as hell just slow once it hits around the 75mph mark to gain even higher speeds.
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The Vimeous Method
1. Write a list of wants but forget desireability.
2. Get reference material that lists all available second-hand cars from the last 10 years from all makes. Include extensive knowledge of what imports are available.
3. Set a target price.
4. Now cycle through all of #2 and write down ALL the cars that meet #1 and #3. When considering #3 use the parkers guide or similar, then add £1k to account for silly sellers.
5. Take your nice list (I'm anal enough to rate each of my wants and chart the lot giving more points to things that mater more), select the top 3-5 cars that came out best and hunt them down, chase dealers, autotrader and the like and see what's available. Often the car you ideally want is rare.
6. Drive them, poke them, understand them.
7. Decide if, from the cars that are available, there is one you really want. Put sensible to one side for a sec because by now you should have a group of motors that will do the business regardless of what your heart says.
8. From the top of your list, now you've seen the cars, are you prepared to wait for the best example?
9. Do 6, 7 & 8 until you have a winner or reconsider what you really wanted in the first place.
10. You should have bought a car ages ago! ;)
My Criteria -
Decent space for 5 peeps - I usually do the post-pub driving.
Hatchback or Estate for moving stuff - I rent and therefore move house often so anything else is totally impractical.
Sub 10secs to 60mph (offical) - My old Polo was 11.2 offical so less than 10 is good without threatening stupid insurance.
40mpg crusing - Crucial, my Polo could do it, my Dads MK2 Golf GTi could so why not? :)
Reliability & running costs - New enough to be worth servicing at a main dealer and not into 'serious' mileage. Overall mustn't cost more to run than the Polo which (because of advancing age and rapidly rising mileage) was about 1k a year before fuel.
Q-Car desirable - The Polo GT was superb at annoying Mercs and BMWs, the new motor should do the same.
Main Dealer History - For once I wanted a car that someone had looked after and had the lovely stamps to prove it.
I lucked out with the Civic in the end as it did everything I wanted, my only compromises being only 4k miles before the BIG service at 60k, traditional ex-fleet scratches and it's red (something I was very uncertain about but now love).
The one's I almost bought -
Nissan Primera GT+ (150bhp hatch) - 2K too expensive on a Y-plate.
Fiat Bravo HGT - Over priced and massively rare for a good one.
Citroen Xsara Coupe GTI - Cheap, fast and nearly new but a little too ugly.
Honda Civic 1.8VTi Aerodeck - Black, two years newer and 1k cheaper than my eventual purchase. I might have compromised on the 90k miles but the boot had obviously been very well used, the key hole looked like it needed new and the cost of replacing the locks on a new car is frightening. Shame.
In the end I've been a happy camper for 2+ years. 60 in 8.2 (less in reality), plenty of space, subtle looks, it's only a Civic Q-carness and similar running costs. Ins group 15 meant I had to wait a month to collect the car until my 25th birthday but it was worth it!
When I next buy I need to add a few more requirements.
Air-con, a working clock, a better supply of cars (this was hard to find) and 10k mile service intervals! (6k is a killer)
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[QUOTE=VimeousThe one's I almost bought -
Nissan Primera GT+ (150bhp hatch) - 2K too expensive on a Y-plate.[/QUOTE]
Shame it was too expensive, my old man drives one, brilliant car, grips like its glued to the road, often takes hot hatch/bmw/merc drivers by surprise on the twisties, and sometimes on the straights too :cool:
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After watching the the ST170 sucking fuel out of the tank at a phenomenal rate I decided it was time to get something a bit less of a toy. Trundling up and down the motorway every week I wanted something that was reasonably pokey. Didn't want a performance loss but was good on fuel. So I ended up with a BMW 320d. Well happy. Does what I want it to do and then some and I can throw it about a bit if I want to. Combined fuel consumption is around 45mpg. Over 50 on a long haul.
Car I nearly bought as a toy...Jaguar XK8 (obviously fuel consumption wasn't an issue at this point). Test drove it, had the money for a 4 year old model, sorted the deal out. Then got tipped the nod that all the contractors were going to be laid off shortly. So it didn't happen. Glad it didn't as I would have been selling it after about 6 months at the most. The S80 had to go too and I was running around in the wife's renault. Never mind, sh*t happens.
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Looked at new Clio's, wanted something more pokey than a 1.2.
Dealers completely uninterested in selling anything other than a 1.2..
On the way home from garage popped into local decent 2nd hand cars place.
Mentioned that if I had my way I'd have bought the nice silver/grey new mini they sold the previous week.
Dealer chap said he had another one coming in soon.
Dealer chap rang when said car was in.
Went down and bought it :)
= Proud driver of 51plate Mini Cooper in Red :D
(not owner as it's actually my dad's, but I tend to drive it the most)
Only a couple of niggles with it (slight pull to the left when hands off the wheel and the OBC has a glitch and needs updating to latest software) but those are covered on the Warranty so will be sorted fairly soon :)
Brilliant fun to drive, just have to watch your speed in the car as it'll quite happily do 90 in 4th without batting an eyelid..
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i saw all these people with 206, i wanted a 206 too!!!!
bought a 206 GTi , w reg ,, due to the love for it, looks so nice .... in golden brown gun metal rare to get it like this with half lethers, auto windscreen wipers, climate control, a/c., electronic windows , k&n filters, dead locks which was new for me , gti alloyss, gti alloy petrol cap. with original cd player and pioneer cdr player , metal polished pedals ,,...
i didnt know what a GTi was but i bought it due to the colour and looks ,,, and after the sales guy took me in for a spin doing wheel spins in second gear !!!! didnt tell my parents and took 500 deposit in cash in a crumpled brown evelope next day to hand over . lol . i was a poor student then ....
paid 5k for it on credit cardd.... 47k miles , new 1 yrs MOT , alloys not much kerbing.......took it home ..... got insurance qoute ,..... 7000 fully comp !!!!!! %$^%$^"$£"&&^ becase i was like 22 years old , no NCB , lived in london with high terorrist threat alert wen the tube /bus bombings happend at that time and it was a modified 2 litre engine pushing 147 bhp from 137 bhp stock... my parents beat me until my shoulders was bruised for the next two weeks .....
then they forced me part exchange it for a bloody 1100cc peugeot 206 on bloody finance wihch then had 1 yrs free insruance offer ,, i will always hate my parents for this for the rest of my life ,... i thoght they were ment to help me .not punish me for someting i didnt even know about cars .... so crap ... no alloys or climate control .....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stoo
Brilliant fun to drive, just have to watch your speed in the car as it'll quite happily do 90 in 4th without batting an eyelid..
u kiddin me , what model is it ? s sport? n engine cc size
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holy resurection? this the spammer at work again?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cv65user
then they forced me part exchange it for a bloody 1100cc peugeot 206 on bloody finance wihch then had 1 yrs free insruance offer ,, i will always hate my parents for this for the rest of my life ,... i thoght they were ment to help me .not punish me for someting i didnt even know about cars .... so crap ... no alloys or climate control .....
how are they punishing you? you made a very stupid decision to buy a car (with a credit card of all things) which was always going to be expensive to insure.. what else could they have done?
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And the moral is, check insurance quotes before you buy. :p
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Ironic this thread comes up as I just got rid of my 7 month old Fiesta for a Focus Titanium :)
Why the Focus Titanium ..? I love the shape, the drive, the comfort, the performance and the insurance is still reasonable for a driver with less than a years driving under my belt :)
Having finally passed my test @ 31 years old (I know.. I know!) in a Focus Titanium... it was time to get a car..
I started with a horrible V reg Fiesta. That lasted 8 weeks before I binned it. Test drove a new Fiesta and thought it was great (I even did a thread about it!)... 7 months in, I was sick of it. I went for a cheap basic model instead of the higher spec I test drove. No power, no aircon, uncomfy seats and so many things that I just didn't like.
A bad purchasing decision and a disappointing lesson learned! So I paid off the couple of grand finance and started looking around for something else....
Test Drove:
316i BMW
Vauxhall Astra
Mazda 3
Citroen C4
Peugeot 207
Honda Civic (old and new)
Volvo S40
and finally (almost reluctantly) .. a new shape Focus.
Getting into the Focus, I just felt home. It was the same model as I did my test in and everything I loved about it was right there. Had it now for a month and I can honestly say it's awesome. Smooth for cruising, lots of punch when you need it, looks fantastic (I prefer the new shape to old shape) and all the toys are actually useful (auto dimming rear mirror is amazing!).
I decided to get the top spec model. I made the mistake of being the base model last time with the Fiesta and I hated it so quickly after I had it. I wanted a few nice toys and luxuries (without spending a fortune).
So here she is.. my pride and joy.
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...noregsmall.jpg
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...noregsmall.jpg
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...rior2small.jpg
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...rior3small.jpg
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...rior4small.jpg
http://www.dnpdynamic.com/shorty/new...powersmall.jpg
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Last January I was given a G reg Corolla Executive which I thought was excellent! Then, one day, the steam started... then the water p***ing all over. So that went within 2 weeks, radiator needed recoring which was a shade over £200. So I decided that I was going to buy a new car, I just had a few grand pay rise and thought what the hey.
Then thats when I made a huge mistake. A 1.2L brand spanking Corsa in Ultra blue, cost me over £9k and I was so happy with it, until it started going wrong. The central locking would work, then wouldnt, problems with the handbrake, oh and the fact it was so goddamn slow (the amount of times I nearly got crushed for having zero power).
Anyway after 6 months of that, I was extremely happy until I went to the BTCC Croft meeting in July and seen a car I fell in love with. I dreamed that one day I would own it, so I asked the nice lady how much it cost, to which I got the reply £13995 for that particular facelift model. I turned away wth my tail between my legs and promised myself I would buy one in a few years once the insurance was under £1k (3 years driving but no NCBs, plus im 23!).
A week later and im seaching the internet and decide to se what these babies go for 2nd hand, nearly new etc and I see the exact colour and model I want. For £9500 on the nose. I promise myself a "proper" look at it and a test drive. Then comes the insurance card. One quote was over £4500, and with one popular online broker I got it for £900 fully comp! 5 days later I was driving my shiny ex-demo model out of the showroom, and it still brings a turbocharged grin to my face. But only when im not filling it up!
Cheers for listening,
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^^^ what car is it though? :confused: :p
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I just wanted one of the best-handling sports cars that money could buy. Erm...actually I wanted a mid-life crisis car! It's great to drive at slow or fast speeds on the road and even better on a track.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tarffie
^^^ what car is it though? :confused: :p
Seat Ibiza FR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taz
I just wanted one of the best-handling sports cars that money could buy. Erm...actually I wanted a mid-life crisis car! It's great to drive at slow or fast speeds on the road and even better on a track.
Yup, soo true of most of the Porsche Range (even the Cayenne). Dad's boxster was a mid-life crisis car - already had the motorbike, wanted something sporty but comfortable for his daily drive - the boxster was perfect.
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Bought my car as it seemed ok for a second one. I'm surprised it's lasted more than a year too.
It's a Ford Escort mk6, now with 126,000miles!
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bought her cos
- quiet smooth ride
- understated yet powerful to shift
- turbo fun
- have a local audi servicing specialist
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7...0008mr8.th.jpg
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Ford Ka, because noone would insure me on a 1.6 Escort I had, so went down the garage and PX'd it.
I've had it 2 years from new, will look to change it next year when the finance has cleared and i have 3 years ncb.
Let it be said, I'm never buying new again.
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mkII golf gti - because I was working in the states, had very little floating cash and for 750 dollars I knew it'd put a smile on my face. It did :D
mkIV astra 1.7dti - because I was working in the UK, had a little bit more floating cash, and wanted a car that was economical, good to drive on country lanes, had enough space for moving and adult passengers, was comfortable on long journeys, and would last a while. I was initially looking at things like a 206 HDI but the test drive put me off. One car supermarket later and I found my match - I didn't actually think I could afford an astra so it wasn't on my list at first.
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I have an Audi A3 3.2 Quattro 55 reg at the moment. Insurance is not to bad (£900 fully comp and I'm 23 and live in one of the dodgiest parts of Manchester)
My target is to get something along the lines of an Aston Martin before I'm 27 though. Long way to go before I get to that!
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honda jazz
because breakdowns suck(tm)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
wilksj01
I have an Audi A3 3.2 Quattro 55 reg at the moment. Insurance is not to bad (£900 fully comp and I'm 23 and live in one of the dodgiest parts of Manchester)
My target is to get something along the lines of an Aston Martin before I'm 27 though. Long way to go before I get to that!
You want an Aston Martin yet you live in a dodgy part of Manchester?! Brave, brave man!
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Skoda Fabia vRS - I needed something more economical than my VR6 and still be reasonably fun to drive.
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BL Metro 1L (998cc I think)
Renault 19 1.9d
Renault Meganne Coupe 1.6e
Mercedes A Class 170cdi Avante Garde
Alfa 147 1.6tspark Lusso 4 door
Renault Cleo Van 1.4 (maybe 1.5) dci (still have)
Audi TT Coupe (180 quattro)
BMW 320i sport saloon E46
Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer SpecB (still have)
Had the scoobie since May2005 and it's still the best car I've ever had, a perfect mix of practicality and performance - recommend it to anyone!
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Having spent £500 per month on repairs average and many, many man hours to keep my 200sx on the road, I decided I wanted a car that was cheaper to run, but still reasonably fast. Also it had to have air con.
So I bought a Xsara VTS that was completely standard, and later that year in a dyno day, the completely standard car dynoed 179 BHP
Not bad for a car that'll do over 30 MPG and a 15.7 second quarter (down the pod - got the slip to prove it!)
I'll probably be selling it this winter but havent decided what to replace it with yet.
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Having survived without a car for years, I went for one a year ago as I was cycling to work on a busy, narrow A-road in icy weather. Lorries would bomb down it and clip me. And twice car's would swerve in front of me seeminly to try to knock me off. Once a guy was leaning out of the window to scream at me while trying to hit me.
Ended up going for a 3year old Mazda 323. Red, 1.6.
Works well, holds all I need to, and should last for a long while.
That reminds me, I need to book my annual service...
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Parents bought the one that I drive now (about 10 years agoo) because they have 4 kids and with them, thats 6 of the 7 seats in a ford Galaxy.
Also it doubles as a delivery vechicle when buying bulky stuff for the chippy and also because the guys at Renault ket ignoring my dad when he wanted one of their cars!
Oh and I think us (the kids!) went "I want this one........"
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It's funny how good sales reps are at actually stopping people from buying their cars :p
My dad was the same - went into a couple of dealers wanting to test and buy a car that day - the disinterest of the rep led him to go elsewhere at least 3 times.
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I bought what I did because I couldn't find anything else that I liked that gave me the performance I wanted at a price I was prepared to pay. I looked for quite a while, tried a variety of alternatives and bought the one I loved when I tested it.
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Mine costs £40 Tax per year, does 70+ mpg with about 420 miles to a tank, and costs £400 to insure (I'm 21) and its not a Prius.
Reasons speak for them selves.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saracen
I bought what I did because I couldn't find anything else that I liked that gave me the performance I wanted at a price I was prepared to pay. I looked for quite a while, tried a variety of alternatives and bought the one I loved when I tested it.
That the M3? Nice cars, but I'd still be tempted more by the new 3.4 Boxster S :P (As far as I know, they are a similar price new)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
dave87
That the M3? Nice cars, but I'd still be tempted more by the new 3.4 Boxster S :P (As far as I know, they are a similar price new)
Which, of course, wasn't an option at the time.
But, for that matter, I've tried a few Porsches. They are certainly interesting, but I just don't like the drive. The only one I enjoyed actually driving was a 911 Turbo, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted it as an only car. And I could have had two M3s and £20k change for what it would have cost me.
Each to his own, I guess, but to me, Porsches are just too much of a "look at me" car, especially for a bloke of my age. I'd feel like a plonker, to be honest. An M3, on the other hand, is quick when you want it, but as tame as a pet dog when you just want to potter about town. And, while those interested in cars might know what it is and what it can do, for most people it's just another common-as-muck 3-Series.
As I say, each to his own. For me, the M3 was a practical option. A Boxster wasn't, even if I had liked them.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dorza
Mine costs £40 Tax per year, does 70+ mpg with about 420 miles to a tank, and costs £400 to insure (I'm 21) and its not a Prius.
Reasons speak for them selves.
What is it then?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Butcher
What is it then?
An Aygo black. Had a ka before it nothing special or flashy about either of them but they get the job done without any problems:).
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We've a Mazda 6 2.0 TS.
I had always liked Mazdas, and in particular the old 323, but never had the dosh for one then. The 6 is a pretty similar shape but a wee bit bigger. Would have liked an RX-8 but the missus felt it was too much of a stretch. She's wanting kids and stuff. Bah !
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dorza
An Aygo black. Had a ka before it nothing special or flashy about either of them but they get the job done without any problems:).
i really enjoyed test-driving an aygo. cracking little car
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saracen
Which, of course, wasn't an option at the time.
But, for that matter, I've tried a few Porsches. They are certainly interesting, but I just don't like the drive. The only one I enjoyed actually driving was a 911 Turbo, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted it as an only car. And I could have had two M3s and £20k change for what it would have cost me.
Each to his own, I guess, but to me, Porsches are just too much of a "look at me" car, especially for a bloke of my age. I'd feel like a plonker, to be honest. An M3, on the other hand, is quick when you want it, but as tame as a pet dog when you just want to potter about town. And, while those interested in cars might know what it is and what it can do, for most people it's just another common-as-muck 3-Series.
As I say, each to his own. For me, the M3 was a practical option. A Boxster wasn't, even if I had liked them.
Fair enough really. I'd love an M3, just a) can't afford one, b) couldn't insure one (19 yo uni student) :(
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
directhex
i really enjoyed test-driving an aygo. cracking little car
Yeah, I was a little surprised with how much go they had in it when i took it for a test drive.
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I needed a car to protest against the bus service here.
It was becoming hard work (and dangerous) cyling slowley infront of them to make them late, and I really cant keep a job without my own transport.
I looked at cars for about 2 months. My price range was upto about £2k, which one half would be for car and the other for insurance (as I was only 20, 8 months ago).
£1k = car had to be older than 1997, but I was looking mostly at 1994-1997.
Of all the cars I test drove, my mk3 fiesta was by far the best condition, and still worth it even though the fact its a 1.6 meant the tax and insurance would cost +£175 more combined.
I have been burning a lot of fuel recently though. Since sepetmber my 90miles per week has left me at ~25mpg for the last 5 fill ups.
So I thought this month I would drive slowley, although for 2 days I failed, it really put a smile on my face when I heard it accelerate after driving like an oap for 2 weeks :D
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Did driving slowly help the fuel economy?
25 mpg sounds very low though, I get about 36-40 mpg on my 1.6 A3.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Butcher
Did driving slowly help the fuel economy?
25 mpg sounds very low though, I get about 36-40 mpg on my 1.6 A3.
Ill have to wait a week to find out.
I was literally driving with my foot 75%+ to the floor all the time :)
She also drinks about 1liter of oil for every tank when my foot is so far down, that seems to be fixed if I drive slowley. I think its the valve guides and been talking to a mechanic about it.
However I have about 17 liters of cheap oil in the garage so Im not too bothered.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
directhex
i really enjoyed test-driving an aygo. cracking little car
I drove a Citroen C1, too (same thing ;) ) and it was fairly amusing. Didn't have a lot of (ok, any) acceleration, but the engine was willing enough to be revved ;)
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To be honest, I didn't need a new car. Infact, I was more than happy with my Mondeo. But a change in circumstances meant getting hold of a nice example of a car which has been my realistic dream car ever since I saw the first one they first came out was possible. I jumped at the opportunity.
The actual requirements which led to this sort of car being suitable were the same as that for the Mondeo.
I needed something that would do everything, but do everything damn well. It needed to be able to get me to and from University, be suitable on long journeys to visit family and attend meets, and of course satisfy my thirst for cool funky gadgets. I also wanted proper, decent performance.
But as well as this, I wanted a well built, comfortable and luxurious interior, and I didn't want something that would break down every 34 seconds, or feel cheap. Something understated, yet sporty looking.
Something like my 530i Sport :)
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some nice motors here...been checking out autotrader out of interest for prices :surprised:
I still have a real problem spending anymore than 7k on a car - it just hurts !:shocked2:
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Because I was young and reckless and I wanted the car I'd dreamed of owning since it first came out. :)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
For 2 years I had an 07 plate Mazda MX5 1.8i. Sweet sweet driving machine. Handled like gluey car goodness. roof off every chance I got. That's the way to drive.
Then I get a job 100 miles away :crazy:! Resulting in filling up the tank almost everyday! Aye, it cost nearly my wages to to get to and from work. Sheesh.
Got rid of that and got a spangly new Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCI Titanium. Totally different but excellent in it's own right. Quiet, comfortable, filled with gadgets and blacked out rear windows as standard.
I then got a job 7 miles away :) And now I fill the tank about once every 3 weeks. Moneytastic. Car looks good too ;)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
I have two cars, both utility vehicles. The oldest is a 1994 Renault Clio 1.9 diesel. It looks like someone took a dump after eating a lot of tin foil. The paint as held on by some kind of shiny layer, but that's mostly gone and the bits that remain fill with water when it rains. It will do 135 km/h (about 84mph). I bought it as I needed a car to carry logs back from my land to my house, and I needed something I could leave at the station while I commute to the city for 4 days a week. It is the worst car I have ever seen.
I have another tractor-type car, a 2007 Porsche Cayenne S. I bought it as I needed a 4x4 for the winter, and because I test drove a number of 4x4s and liked it more than the RR Sport, or the ML, X5 or Land Cruiser. It's actually a very competent mud-plugger and can go up a wet muddy hill at angles you would find hard to believe. It can also take me from Carcassone to Antibes in superb comfort in about 4 hours. It's a 470km/290mile trip, but mostly autoroute without cameras, and I used to drive it in my old E32 BMW 740il, and I actually find it a nicer drive in the Porsche, which says a lot.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
VW Scirocco R:
I didn't. It's my wife's choice. I just manage to borrow it pretty much every day. What a shame.
Why do I like it? Because it's fast, comfortable, well equipped, and looks ok.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Always wanted a DC2 since playing Gran Turismo. Was going to be either a DC2 or a 3000GT.
DC2 looked more financially sensible, so went for that.
Had it for ~30000 miles and ~4 years now. Love it.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Got a BMW 330d Touring. Only really bought it as I had the opportunity to get it very cheaply, but I think I was subconsciously looking for something practical, quick and fairly economical at the same time. Not as much fun as my 328 was, but it does lots of jobs very well.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Currently on dark and oily side in an Audi A3 2.0TDI (170) Quattro due to a 100 mile a day commute. While I miss the fun of petrol its quite nice settling in to early stages of getting old and having the easy lowdown diesel torque for a laidback and cheaper drive.... some day I'll return to the petrol goodness but probably not until mid life crisis time hits.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Ah - good to see the dust blown off these old threads... :)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
2010 - A 2002 Ford Mondeo 2L LX [TDDi] - Because it was the best i could find at short notice with the £1600 I had (my 1.8L TDDi Mk1 Focus died on me and needed replacing asap :( ); its a shed but a working shed :)
To be replaced with who knows; looked at Alfa 159 Sportwagon, Seat Exeo, Seat Leon, Octy vRS, MK4 Mondeo Estate or a late MK3 ST/Top Spec Estate, BMW 330d/530d touring, will be a little bit sad when she does finally go :(
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
peterb
Ah - good to see the dust blown off these old threads... :)
I think this one was discovered during an archaeological dig. :)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Only ever owned one car, and I bought it because it was the nicest looking car I could find in 1 day of hunting for < £1000 ;)
Spent £795 on an aging Rover 414i just after passing my test because I couldn't hire a car and I needed wheels for my self-employed work. Loved her to bits. I've still not forgiven my dad for promising to take her on when I stopped needing her, then dropping out at the last minute (after I'd paid for a day's insurance to drive her down and a train ticket to get myself home), consigning her to engine seizure and scrapping. She should still be bombing up and down the motorway, IMNSHO.
Nowadays I drive whatever Enterprise see fit to give me. Nice little Corsa this weekend - should be fun on the trip over to Wales :D
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
I bought my current car to make girls think that I'm very rich and successful.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Nissan pathfinder T-spec......bought this car 4 year ago and sold it after a year......bought it back off the guy i sold it from 3 year later as all the cars after that never cut it for me.
Done a few upgrades like 22" wheels, bullbar, chrome mirrorcaps/door handles etc etc....oh and modded a shogun sport rear roof spoiler onto it as the nissan one looked gash for £420 unpainted and unfitted imo.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps5ca28bf4.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps8fa4df6e.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ps9d04365a.jpg
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
1970 Series 2A 88" Land Rover pick-up -
http://media.tumblr.com/400ba8d42a4a...jLF1qz4rgp.jpg
Purchased because it does exactly what it says on the tin. When other people run out of road, I don't. Cheap(ish) to maintain, no electronic interlopers in my engine bay, no PAS, no ABS and virtually everything on her can be fixed with judicious application of a hammer, gaffer tape and WD40 :)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Bought mine because it's (fairly) fast and comfy, and has enough capacity for when I need to carry stuff without being a giant tank. Fuel economy is a little lacklustre mind...
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Bought mine because I could not afford another
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Started a new job and had a massive change to my daily commute so I treated myself for the first time in a long time... Seat Ibiza sport in Lumina orange...
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k...76920524_o.jpg
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
No exhaust issues with that then? :P
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TAKTAK
Love the colour.....nearly bought a 310bhp focus ST in similar colour till the guy told me he was getting 12mpg....a standard one only does 24mpg.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Bought mine because it is rare, fairly rapid and the insurance didn't cripple me.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mother
Love the colour.....nearly bought a 310bhp focus ST in similar colour till the guy told me he was getting 12mpg....a standard one only does 24mpg.
You think that's bad, mine does that kinda mpg around town without the turbo or the extra cylinder and with 210 fewer horses in the stable.... People with V8's laugh at me on the petrol station forecourt on a daily basis! ;)
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Knoxville
You think that's bad, mine does that kinda mpg around town without the turbo or the extra cylinder and with 210 fewer horses in the stable.... People with V8's laugh at me on the petrol station forecourt on a daily basis! ;)
What you driving Knoxville to get that bad mpg? I cant think what is 100bhp apart from a R1, but they arent that bad on juice.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
There's a pic a few posts up but seeing as I enjoy posting them so much...
http://25.media.tumblr.com/a3891347d...k5qo1_1280.jpg
When a Tdi engine finds it's way under the bonnet she'll do 30mpg, until then it's 12-14mpg around town and about 20mpg on a run for me. Needless to say I am well versed on every petrol station within a 50 mile radius.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
I didn't know they were bad on petrol.....i thought the opposite....in fact i thought they were all diesel?
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mother
I didn't know they were bad on petrol.....i thought the opposite....
You thought land rovers were economic??! Even modern ones have atrocious economy, they're all about the torque. Plus look at the shape of the thing...
Quote:
in fact i thought they were all diesel?
Diesel is the sensible choice certainly, but still not for mpg reasons.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mother
Nissan pathfinder T-spec......bought this car 4 year ago and sold it after a year......bought it back off the guy i sold it from 3 year later as all the cars after that never cut it for me.
Done a few upgrades like 22" wheels, bullbar, chrome mirrorcaps/door handles etc etc....oh and modded a shogun sport rear roof spoiler onto it as the nissan one looked gash for £420 unpainted and unfitted imo.
Ah the old "Boy meets Nissan, boy loses Nissan, boy gets Nissan back again" :D
I bought my current car, an Alfa 147 Lusso 1.9 mJet, to reduce motoring costs. Loved my old Alfa 166 V6, but parts were expensive and at 13 years old everything was starting to fail.
Looked at quite a few cars, but most were either too expensive or rejected under vito by the wife as "not having one of those on the driveway".
150bhp seems about right for a car this size, the handling is good, it has all the toys you expect. Just doesn't make me grin like the 166 did though.
Don't think I will ever enjoy driving a diesel, so not sure how long this car will last.
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
Ah the old "Boy meets Nissan, boy loses Nissan, boy gets Nissan back again" :D
lol.....very good........Love the David Thorne 7 legged spider avatar btw. Are you a fan?
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Re: Why did you buy the car that you drive?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mother
lol.....very good........Love the David Thorne 7 legged spider avatar btw. Are you a fan?
His website is excellent, just my sort of humour.
Have had that avatar for a while though, it could do with an update. Perhaps I should add a drop-shadow, make it more branded ;)