Sorry another "new" car thread

[daniel_owen_uk]

Right until now I have had sheds.

First car was a fiesta on an F plate, second was an escort on a G, currently have a clapped out orion on a J plate.

The orion is about dead, MOT is due in october, so I am thinking do away with it, borrow some cash and treat myself to a nice(r) motor.

I can probably spend 5-6k maybe 7 at a push.

Now here is where I come unstuck, what do I buy?

I want something with relatively low miles and reasonably new (less than 30k miles and newer than 2000). Something nippy but not crazy.

I am 25, do approx 10k miles a year, mainly around town.

I am thinking Golf GTI or similar.

I know you lot will have some good suggestions (sorry about the long thread)

[directhex]

what kind of trip lengths do you do?

what concerns you most - fuel economy? reliability? interior styling?

do you want a small car (supermini or mini-mpv class) or something bigger?

[daniel_owen_uk]

Trip lengths are probably 5 miles ish, with a couple of 20s thrown in and a 50 say once a month.

Fuel economy is not to be ignored but I would say reliability and cost of service are probably most important.

Don't want anything too small (I am 6'2), although I would prefer a hatchback.

Cars I have considered so far; Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia, Ford Focus, VW Golf

[5lab]

toyotarrr celica?

[directhex]

for five mile trips, you don't want a big engine, as big engines take longer to warm up properly (& therefore you'll put a lot more strain on them than they were designed for by always running 'cool')

you ought to be able to stretch to a smallish jap car for that, a nice little indestructible city car. a quick search suggests that's yaris territory (which is fine in town, but somewhat underpowered with a 1l engine, but ought to be great with the rare 1.5l engine, which is in budget)

as another poster has discovered, modern small cars are actually fine for taller people, and sometimes better than bigger cars, depending on "where" you're tall - see http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=81844

and on that front, on your budget, you can afford a new aygo107c1 - they're fantastic fun, have fantastic fuel economy, dirty cheap to insure, but possibly a little small for you (worth a test drive anyway for a larf)

i'd recommend a jazz (of course) as meeting the criteria, but i reckon you'd be lucky to find one on your budget (but it can be done, e.g. http://www.allapprovedcars.com/Used-...arDetails.aspx)

[daniel_owen_uk]

No offence but are any of those similar to a golf GTI?

Part of my problem is I have had crap cars for the last 7 years, 1.1 fiesta, 1.4 escort, 8v 1.6 orion.

As well as wanting something a little more reliable than my banger I want something thats a little fun.

Take your point about modern smaller cars, but if you were 6'2 and tried sitting in a saxo vtr you wouldn't say the same thing

[directhex]

No offence but are any of those similar to a golf GTI?

no. but you're gonna kill a 2l engine dead with tiny trips

Part of my problem is I have had crap cars for the last 7 years, 1.1 fiesta, 1.4 escort, 8v 1.6 orion.

so don't buy a crap car. that doesn't compel you to buy something that's not suited to your usage patterns

As well as wanting something a little more reliable than my banger I want something thats a little fun.

if fun means bigger engine, then pick one of the two - a small car with a big engine is gonna be very unhappy after a year of small city trips

Take your point about modern smaller cars, but if you were 6'2 and tried sitting in a saxo vtr you wouldn't say the same thing

hence linking a thread to a 6'6 person who went for a mitsubshi colt because it was /bigger/ where he needed it than most of the big cars he tried

[dangel]

Consider... Golf 1.8T GTI, Seat Leon Cupra, Skoda Octavia vRS - all the same car basically and fairly cheap to run. 38mpg as a max, typical 32 or so. The 1.8T takes very little time to warm up (if that actually was ever an issue) - mine's warm before i get out of my village.. All very comfortable cars - and well suited to the taller driver.
Engine's very strong mechnically, as is the gearbox. Common issues were coilpacks (but very few cars with the problematic versions still exist), build quality best on the Skoda.
Fun factor - better of with the leon or the octavia as they're setup a bit better but all 3 can be fettled cheaply to help out. 1.8T good for 210-240bhp when chipped - watch the golf as there's lot of versions of the GTI, some of which are dog slow, and you want the 180bhp 1.8T model (leon/octavia always are)

[daniel_owen_uk]

You think even with regular servicing and steady driving, my work trip is directly through town centre so it's not like I can be driving like a loon in those 5 miles.

To be honest I see your point and it makes a lot of sense, but I don't want a 1 litre car.

Size isn't that much of an issue, like I said I couldn't drive a saxo, but like I also said I did have a Fiesta

if fun means bigger engine, then pick one of the two - a small car with a big engine is gonna be very unhappy after a year of small city trips

Think I should drive the long way round?

Edit- Dangel the skoda is out of the price range really, as is the cupra.

[dangel]

Edit- Dangel the skoda is out of the price range really, as is the cupra.

Not true m8 - a high miler cupra is 4.5k (98k) with same being true of the Octavia.. The don't differ significantly in price from the Golf (aside from being a little less most of the time). They also hold value very well after they get down to this sort of price range.. With the leon also consider the 'topsport' model which has the same engine.

[daniel_owen_uk]

Ok so it's not in the price range for less than 30k mileage and newer than 2000

But seriously good information, don't want to seem to come across ungrateful, some nice advice been given (even if some of it I am putting my fingers in my ears and say "blahblahblah").

[directhex]

You think even with regular servicing and steady driving, my work trip is directly through town centre so it's not like I can be driving like a loon in those 5 miles.

To be honest I see your point and it makes a lot of sense, but I don't want a 1 litre car.

Size isn't that much of an issue, like I said I couldn't drive a saxo, but like I also said I did have a Fiesta



Think I should drive the long way round?

Edit- Dangel the skoda is out of the price range really, as is the cupra.

test-drive something like a 1.4 jazz or 1.5l yaris (if you can find it). they're in your price range, they'll give damn good fuel economy (44.7 measured for me, and i do even more short-stop city driving than you), and if you feel you're short on fun, take tight junctions at >30 rather than buying a "boy racer" car with >200bhp

[daniel_owen_uk]

Driven a pretty new Citreon c4 1.4 and it was nippy no question, sharp around bends too, but honestly lacked the power of bigger engine cars that I have driven, such as an accord 2l and megane 1.6rt

The slightly bigger engined yaris is probably as quick as the megane, but it's not really in the same league as the other cars being mentioned.

With your point on warm up times, I presume a quick TDI is gonna be worse?

[dangel]

Ok so it's not in the price range for less than 30k mileage and newer than 2000

But seriously good information, don't want to seem to come across ungrateful, some nice advice been given (even if some of it I am putting my fingers in my ears and say "blahblahblah").

lol - well you said Golf GTI and the mk1/2/3 are all waaay older - the leon i looked at in autotrader was a 2001 btw. I'd suggest your chances of finding a 2000 onwards Golf GTI with less than 30k on it somewhat optimistic... Somebody needs to get realistic

[daniel_owen_uk]

Fair point I was just trying to set the mood

[BenW]

You wont like the idea at first but prehaps a fiesta TDCi? Diesel give you the low running costs with great MPG and the TDCi are fantastic performing engines. We've got a focus TDCI, 1.8 and its pretty much as fast as our V6 mondeo once its got going