Car suggestions - get ya thinking caps on!

[iMc]

Budget - £1000 ( )

Insurance - Group 6 or lower

Any suggestions?

EDIT: I don't want a corsa! (no offence corsa owners!)

[Taz]

Hi iMc. Here's a few questions for you:

How many miles will you do per year? What sort of journeys (town or motorway)? How many seats do you need? Petrol or diesel? Manual or auto? How long do you think you will keep the car for? Maximum mileage? Maximum age?

Sorry for all the questions but it will help to narrow down a car for you!

Here are some suggestions that i've picked from Autotrader at the £1000 mark:

1996 PEUGEOT 306 1.9 XLD, N reg. 115000 miles
1999 FORD ESCORT 1.6i Finesse Hatchback 5dr Special Eds
2001 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.4i 16V LS 5dr Hatchback, 60,000 miles
1993 SUZUKI VITARA JLX SE 16V 5dr Estate, 132,000 miles
1995 FORD MONDEO 1.8 TD ASPEN ESTATE, N reg
1997 FORD ESCORT 1.6i Ghia 4dr Saloon, R-Reg
1996 RENAULT CLIO RT 1.4 5dr Auto Hatchback, 37,000 miles
1998 NISSAN PRIMERA 1.6 16V GX 5dr [AC] Hatchback, 85,000 miles
1993 VOLKSWAGEN Golf CL 1781cc, K reg. 101000 miles

I'm not sure about the insurance groups of the above cars, but it should give you an idea of what you will be able to get.

[iMc]

6000ish miles per year
70% town driving 30% motorway
3/5 door
Petrol or Diesel - no preference really
Manual
Keep the car for as long as possible
80,000 max mileage if possible
No older than 96/97 so thats N/P Reg I think

[daffy4895]

try this web site, has reviews on pretty much all cars out there

http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/?frommenu=true

helped me choose my current car, Renault Laguna 2.0 16v 1997 R, had it for a few months no probs so far. good for motorway, i'm getting about 35-38 mpg, from what i've heard diesel on somthing that old isn't much cop, newer diesels are better

[iMc]

Hi daffy welcome to Hexus,

yeh I agree about the old diesel thing. Looking at Punto's as the most likely option at the moment it seems.

[Konan555]

If you do look at the escort, try going up from the 1.6 to the 1.8. You'll be getting the Zeta engine that ll prove a lot less of a headache than the CVH.

I've noticed there's a lot of rovers going cheap in that price range since they collapsed. 214s go for peanuts.

[hitman67]

Skoda Octavia.

As I said in a previous topic, you can get Skoda's for around that money now, and they are the fine semi old shape ones, there are possiibly slightly better choices at this low (No Offence) Price range, but I still think there worth checking out.

[Howard]

Konan and Fox will suggest a Ford. Hitman will suggest a VAG car. 5Lab will suggest a Volvo.
Just a head's up


£1000 will get you a fairly good nick "ordinary" car like a Fiesta. You didn't specify any aversion to "ordinary" cars so that's one suggestion. Then there's the other usual suspects... Clio, 106 etc. Puntos aren't bad, just crap handling. The old ones were, anyway. Try and get as new as possible.

Is this a first car or just a car to tide you over? If you're not fussed about luxury and creature comforts, try and spend the money on a car with less mileage as opposed to an older more knackered model with more toys. It'll cost less in maintenance bills

[hitman67]

Sorry Howard got it in before you

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW...ch_full=SEARCH

aLL Skodas for under £1000, a Lot of Felcia's, which I don't have any expireance with but were built with VAG Input.

Seats:
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW...ch_full=SEARCH
VWs:
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW...ch_full=SEARCH
Audis:
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW...ch_full=SEARCH

Could get a Nice Audi 80 or old VW Golf, depending on what you needed.

[iMc]

Is this a first car or just a car to tide you over? If you're not fussed about luxury and creature comforts, try and spend the money on a car with less mileage as opposed to an older more knackered model with more toys. It'll cost less in maintenance bills

Well my AX is on it's last legs so I need something fairly sharpish - I'd like whatever I get to last me a year or two, so I can save some cash for something a bit more decent. Don't leave Uni till May/June and I only work part-time atm hence the low budget.

Thanks for the suggestions so far

[Konan555]

Konan and Fox will suggest a Ford. Hitman will suggest a VAG car. 5Lab will suggest a Volvo.

*ahem* *points up*

It's only certain fords ya know, if someone wanted a coupe you think I'd mention a cougar?

[J4MES]

I'd get a Clio. For £1k you could get a decent diesel, they're well made, the wife had one for 8 yrs, did over 40k miles, no probs. Sold it on 115k miles, regularly serviced the 'Energy' engines last for ages. Cheap parts, cheap to run, nice interior... the 1.2 is fine for m/ways, economical, cheap tax etc.

Va va voom etc.

From autotrader

[Moby-Dick]

try not to get fixated on insurance groupings - you are likely to save cash by hunting round different insurers.

you may well find a few bargains outside the usuall range. I wonder if a late model renault 19 or early megane would be affordable ?

[Konan555]

regularly serviced the 'Energy' engines last for ages.

Bless ye olde engineering, it's properly robust. That engine first saw life in the renault 4 or there abouts and it's still going in clios.

[Moby-Dick]

ZX TD woudl be a serious bargain - a 306 without the brand snobbery

what sort of Mazda 323 would a grand buy you ?

[J4MES]

A decent 1.5, which would last forever I reckon... quality suggestion...