Suggestions for car to buy: Motoring Motoring Discussion forum

Motoring Discussion > Suggestions for car to buy	Buying / Selling
Thread Author: scot22	Replies: 28

Mon 2 Dec 13 17:36

Suggestions for car to buy - scot22

My motoring is such that a diesel is not suitable : usual annual mileage under 10,000 and non motorway. Most drives under 30 miles - all within limit.
I have been attracted by S40 Volvo but I would like an automatic and these are few and far between, also mainly diesel - very difficult to locate.
My priorities are safety, comfort, reliability and running costs. I prefer medium to smaller cars. My parking ability is limited but I do realise it !
Budget around £10/11,000. Would prefer good badge but open to suggestions.
Many thanks for any suggestions.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 17:42

Suggestions for car to buy - Runfer D'Hills

That size, budget, and brief I'd be starting with a 318i automatic search.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 18:11

Suggestions for car to buy - ....

You mention a Volvo S40, does it have to be a saloon? Open up your choice and you can pick from C30, C70 or V50 which are all based on the same platform.

Skoda Octavia, VW Jetta, fairly recent Alfa Mito 1.4 with 135PS to play with. For that budget the world is your lobster as some might say...

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Mon 2 Dec 13 18:18

Suggestions for car to buy - scot22

Thanks. I currently have C30 which has attracted me to Volvo. However, really would like 4 door auto - problem is the diesel issue with my mileage and not really raising engine temperature sufficiently to avoid diesel problems : unless there are ways to maintain a diesel and avoid expense. It might be me but there is a shortage of auto Volvos here ( East Yorkshire ) I am reluctant to buy from away in case need anything dealt with after purchase. Apologies if that sounds wimpish !

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Mon 2 Dec 13 18:27

Suggestions for car to buy - ....

If you're buying from a dealer with some manufacturer backed approved scheme you can buy from anywhere in the country and visit your local dealer/VAT registered garage for repairs should you be unlucky.

Lexus IS250 in Bolton (I know it's not E. Yorks. but it's not a million miles over the M62) with less than 20k miles. Or, a 2008 1.6 Ford Focus Titanium X 4 door with an engine that wouldn't worry any rice pudding skins in Manchester with a lot of change to your budget.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 18:54

Suggestions for car to buy - carmalade

How about a Focus 1.6 petrol auto.The Volvo C 30 is basically a Focus chassis.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 19:45

Suggestions for car to buy - scot22

Many thanks for these very helpful suggestions. I feel a Ford Focus test drive coming on. Delighted I've discovered this forum. Posted on Volvo Owners club an S40 query and after 80 views only one person has made any response. Other suggestions, or additional comment on current suggestions, welcome

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Mon 2 Dec 13 20:53

Suggestions for car to buy - Manatee

The Motorpoint site might give you some ideas as it's easy to search by feature/fuel/price/mpg etc.

I just bunged in auto, petrol, 4/5 door, £9k-£11k, and came up with

2013 12,000m -14,000 mile Astra SE 1.6i, £9,999 - £10,499, 39.8mpg combined

2012 12,000m Focus 1.6 Zetec, £10,999, 44.1mpg

2013 1,300m SKODA ROOMSTER 1.2 TSI 105 Scout Estate DSG, 49.6 mpg

2011 13,000m SKODA OCTAVIA 1.4 TSI Elegance 5dr DSG 44.8mpg

plus Citroen DS4, Hyundai i30, and sundry Fiestas, a Nissan Note and a Seat Ibiza.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 20:57

Suggestions for car to buy - R.P.

Octavia would be my choice....!

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Mon 2 Dec 13 21:19

Suggestions for car to buy - FocalPoint

As no-one else looks likely to do it, allow me to welcome you to the forum, Scot. We're a miserable bunch of has-beens, but still have a grain or two of wisdom to impart.

We do a nice line in self-deprecatory humour, also.

Last edited by: FocalPoint on Mon 2 Dec 13 at 21:23

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:03

Suggestions for car to buy - MJW1994

Golf perhaps. Or a nice reliable Renault Megane MK3. BMW 1Series?

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:06

Suggestions for car to buy - Zero

>> Golf perhaps. Or a nice reliable Renault Megane MK3. BMW 1Series?

Nothing reliable about the Mk3, the best you can say is that its better than the Mk2

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1

Mon 2 Dec 13 22:15

Suggestions for car to buy - Zero

NEARLY NEW MAZDA 3

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201308178362531

LOW MILEAGE TOYOTA AURIS

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310319567205

Last edited by: Zero on Mon 2 Dec 13 at 22:16

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Tue 3 Dec 13 08:36

Suggestions for car to buy - Dog

>> NEARLY NEW MAZDA 3
>>
>> www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201308178362531
>>
>> LOW MILEAGE TOYOTA AURIS
>>
>> www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310319567205
>>

Grate minds think alike - I was thinking of the self same jamjars my self as it appens.

Does the Toyo have Satan's gearbox though, or had they changed it by then.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 08:50

Suggestions for car to buy - Crankcase

>> Does the Toyo have Satan's gearbox though, or had they changed it by then.

The V-Matic is the mmt box, so yes, it will be the one you don't like.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 08:56

Suggestions for car to buy - Dog

>> so yes, it will be the one you don't like.

Thanks Cc ... not just me of course ;)

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Tue 3 Dec 13 20:02

Suggestions for car to buy - MJW1994

>> >> Golf perhaps. Or a nice reliable Renault Megane MK3. BMW 1Series?
>>
>> Nothing reliable about the Mk3, the best you can say is that its better than
>> the Mk2

Nothing wrong with the MK3, average to good for reliability. I considered one but could not find a 2.0 diesel that wasn't a GT Line with its hard ride.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:18

Suggestions for car to buy - Runfer D'Hills

Yes indeed, where are our manners ? Welcome indeed Scot ! ( by the way I'm not a has-been I'm an "am" ) Quite a lot of the others though...Well, you'll get used to them. Do you remember those two old guys on the Muppets by any chance?

;-)

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:30

Suggestions for car to buy - Manatee

There were two of us in my department about 20 years above the average age.

We came in to work one day to find everybody had a picture of a Muppet attached to his or her partition in the open plan office.

I was Waldorf, he was Statler. I was edged out last year, Statler is now on "strategy" which is usually a move towards the door!

Yes, welcome :)

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:33

Suggestions for car to buy - Ted

Jogged a memory there, Rumph....Now what were their names ?

Oh yes....Roger and Armel....or some such !

Ted

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:40

Suggestions for car to buy - Zero

Welcome Scott,

One thing you'll learn here is, to get info out of us, you need to manage your chosen thread ruthlessley otherwise it will drift into all sorts of crazy direction.

i.e. what car should I have = the muppet show.

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:43

Suggestions for car to buy - Runfer D'Hills

Tell me about it. I realised recently that I'm twice as old as most people in my company. They don't quite expect me to wee myself in meetings just yet but they do tend to offer to carry things for me...( that might be sycophancy on their part of course )

;-)

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Mon 2 Dec 13 22:47

Suggestions for car to buy - WillDeBeest

The Volvo C30 is basically a Focus chassis.

Often asserted here by non-Volvo owners, as if somehow one would step from a C30 to a Focus and feel immediately at home. It's the bits that aren't Ford that define a Volvo, not the bits that are.

Welcome aboard from me too, Scot. We don't bicker all the time here; just on days that end in a Y.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 09:47

Suggestions for car to buy - ToMoCo

A lot of good suggestions to follow up, but very few are 4 door. The Mazda 3 would be worth seeking out in saloon form, but I'd be following up the suggestion of the Lexus IS. Low mileage 2009 car should be easily achievable upto £11k

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Tue 3 Dec 13 10:15

Suggestions for car to buy - Crankcase

Faced with that Lexus choice for similar money and mileage I'd pick a 2008 GS over a 2009 IS any day of the week. Streets ahead.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 10:19

Suggestions for car to buy - ToMoCo

Me too, I'm eyeing up the 450h as my next car, but the guy did say he wanted a small/medium 4 door.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 10:21

Suggestions for car to buy - Crankcase

Skirting around the possibilities of a 450H too as a matter of fact. But if a black one comes up on Autotrader you can have it.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 10:49

Suggestions for car to buy - scot22

Thanks for the welcomes they are appreciated. Also I enjoy humour - life is too serious not to have fun. No problems with diversions : I've spent decades studying learning and achievement often digressions free up thinking. I am grateful for the help that had been given. Unfortunately it does seem that there is an element of chance in car buying. I expect I will need a number of test drives and balance advantages/disadvantages. Also since I share driving with my wife it will be a joint decision. The input from here has been incredible - thanks again.

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Tue 3 Dec 13 11:22

Suggestions for car to buy - Dog

How's about a SUV scot? .. I've owned over 40 cars o'er the years but, now I've got an old Subaru Forester 2.0 auto, I realise what I've been missing all these years.

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