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Rumour has it that the new series of Top Gear will use a Kia Ceed as their reasonably priced car.
It will be interesting to see how it stands up to the abuse.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 29 Jun 10 at 10:34
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I knew from day one it would be a Ceed. Its perfect really, powerful enough should be reliable but most importantly its the sort of brand TG will pick fun at.
I wonder if they will be using the seven year warranty! I should expect it would be void from day one.
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>>..its the sort of brand TG will pick fun at.>>
TG has, in the past, but it might backfire on them in this case as the C'eed is generally regarded as being well ahead of its predecessors.
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I would not be surprised if they abuse it to the point of damage for the entertainment value, or to prove their point. Toyota Hilux springs to mind.
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It might be interesting to see just how much better an established European makers car would last given the RPC thrashing used alongside the Eastern offering, would the use of say a Golf/Focus prove the better reputed car's worth both in handling and unbreakability.
Along those lines the celeb could drive both cars and the lap times be averaged out, would the Golf/Focus still be in top form where the Ceed a pile of scrap, i'd like to hear the celeb's views on the comparisons, indeed would the more established makers risk it?
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I actually think they have missed a trick and should have had a base model Panda as that is about the most reasonably price car on the road.
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The Panda is too slow to do a lap within the programme length. :)
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Shh, you will upset the Rattler.
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Does the cee'd qualify as "reasonably priced". Its not exactly cheap.
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>>Its not exactly cheap>>
A good point. A pal has just bought a new Skoda Octavia with most of the bells and whistles and forked out about £13.5k for it.
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I would expect to pay a few quid for a 7 year, 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.
And yes I know it doesn't include wear and tear items but no DMF or DPF on my diesel Ceed is good news.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 27 Jun 10 at 21:41
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The base Panda is actually the fastest car in the world, providing you don't exceed 35mph or change up from second gear. I would imagine though driven like that it would eat head gaskets rather than tyres.
I would not pay £14k for a Kia, you can get a brand new Golf for that.
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>> I would not pay £14k for a Kia, you can get a brand new Golf
>> for that.
>>
With a lawnmower engine and poverty trim.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 27 Jun 10 at 22:36
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>> I would not pay £14k for a Kia
Neither would most cee'd buyers, the What Car? target price for the cee'd 1.6 2 (RRP £13930) is £12578: bit.ly/9JZ8QW
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I suppose at £12k its not bad value considering its powerful. The power is not far of my mates 206 GTI 2.0. 10 seconds to 60 is quite bad though but I am guessing it is because of its weight. My dads Escort wasn't far off that figure and that was a 90bhp 1.6 unit.
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Modern cars waste much of their power carting the bulk dictated by modern crash and creature comfort demands around. 20 years ago you could buy a 115 bhp Vauxhall Astra that would do 0-60 in under 9 seconds. Now a car in the same class with 5% more power is 2 seconds slower. Pretty poor really. I use the Cee'd as an example, but it's not the only offender. The same applies to the competition too.
The weight gain across all classes of car over the last 25 years is unsustainable.
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One thing I like about my Panda, it only weighs 850kg so the 1.1 55bhp engine is more than enough. Yet it still has airbags/ABS etc. What it doesn't have is lots of curtain airbags, aircon and other heavy items.
I really think car companies are not making the most of modern material sciences but with the way things are going I think the next big leap in car technology will be weight reduction and added strength.
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As a recent Kia Cee'd owner, I feel smug :-)
>> Modern cars waste much of their power carting the bulk dictated by modern crash and creature comfort demands
I rather waste power than life! Accidents in modern cars are lot more survivable than previous generation cars!
Last edited by: movilogo on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 12:55
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The Ceed has NCAP 5 star rating with 6 airbags and all the usual safety kit.
Having said that nothing is going to help if you hit a tree or bridge support at 70mph.
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IIRC, the Focus ST170 has a lower power/weight ratio than the old 115hp Lotus Cortina. Progress, eh?
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>> IIRC, the Focus ST170 has a lower power/weight ratio than the old 115hp Lotus Cortina.
>> Progress, eh?
I guess Ford's answer would be 'which would you rather be in in a crash?' :)
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All modern cars are a lot safer. From about 1995 onwards there is a massive difference from say a 1985 car. The problem is lately the safety kit has gone over the top and is designed to stop stupid people from crashing.
That said if I did a lot of country road drving then all this heavy safety equipment would be welcomed.
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...Neither would most cee'd buyers, the What Car? target price for the cee'd 1.6 2 (RRP £13930) is £12578...
This might startle some, but you get what you pay for.
The fit, finish, quality of plastics, and general ergonomics (look where they stick the gear stick) of the C'eed is a little way behind the Focus.
And surprise, surprise, it's a little bit cheaper.
The driving dynamics of the Focus slaughter those of the Kia, but this is not so important to a lot of people, so doesn't demand much of a premium.
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seems only me myself i wasnt lost on the reason kia was picked
reliant was laughed at
and hyundai is now king int coalfields
unfortunately i also see t panda as t old riva for t masses too
but i suppose its better than a triumph and t sidecar
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I thought I'd read/heard that the new series was going to use the GM/Chevy Cruze on the track? Or am I a series or 2 out of date?!
Anyway, I've got to defend Kia seeing as I've just ordered one, much to my own surprise... Having just compared a brand new Kia with a 3 year old tidy Focus, the Kia still won hands down.
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It would have made far more sense to have had the Reliant as the reasonably priced car and seeing how many z class celebrities could keep it on all 3 wheels round the track.
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Bellboy I won't give the Lada comment the satisfaction of a reply :)
I think there might be health and safety issues with a celeb in a robin though! I really liked the robin clip because it was so clearly all staged but they didn't try and hide the fact. In fact it was so far fetched it was clearly nothing more than a funny joke.
I especially liked the Lada comment, when I was a kid I had to grow up knowing my dad drove a Lada but at least I always thought at least its not a Reliant Robin!
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Was the Focus and Kia both the same price? What Kia did you get? Thats why I got the brand new Panda, it was simply a far better buy than a three year old FIesta for the same price.
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Have you driven one, ifit?
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...Have you driven one, ifit? ...
I assume you mean a C'eed.
Did a few hundred miles in an early, but top spec, manual diesel.
Nice engine, gearstick too high and too far forward.
Ride abysmal, bit like some Focuses, but not made up for with sharp handling.
Cabin plastics fairly close to the Ford in quality terms, but there's still something fussy about the Ceed, particularly the minor controls.
It feels Far Eastern despite being made in Poland.
The car's been facelifted since the one I drove.
I'd be curious to see if they've sorted the ergonomics, but a couple of Kia dealers near the caravan and Ifithelps Towers have shut.
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>> ...Have you driven one, ifit? ...
>>
>> I assume you mean a C'eed.
>> I'd be curious to see if they've sorted the ergonomics, but a couple of Kia
>> dealers near the caravan and Ifithelps Towers have shut.
>>
I have the facelift estate, (SW3 crdi in Kia speak). the ergonomics are similar, and have a far eastern feel, which i don't find a problem, the interior materials have been improved as has the suspension and steering. My last car was a MK2 Focus and the handling of the facelift ceed is on a par with it, firm and sure footed, (I have not provoked the ESP into action yet). I have recently done a tour of the Outer Hebrides loaded with 4 substantial adults plus luggage without any problems on roads that would horrify some south of Watford drivers.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 09:00
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...the interior materials have been improved as has the suspension and steering...
They've obviously been looking at the right areas.
I thought the steering wheel on the one I drove was in a slightly odd position, rather like it was on the end of too long a stick, instead of integrated into the dashboard.
Never been in an estate, but I reckon it looks smart from the outside.
Same for the three-door Proc'eed.
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>> I thought the steering wheel on the one I drove was in a slightly odd
>> position, rather like it was on the end of too long a stick, instead of
>> integrated into the dashboard.
The steering wheel is adjustable for both reach and rake. You may have had it extended. I am 6' and have the seat in its lowest position, three clicks forward from right back, with the wheel right in, and centred in its vertical range.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 09:38
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There's a cee'd available for £11,295.00
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I'm in NZ, where the cee'd isn't imported because I understand it is not financially viable to do so (exchange rates, shipping,...) with regard to the small-ish size of the market. The cee'd is built in Europe for Europe.
In NZ we get the Schreyer-designed Kia Cerrato 4-door saloon instead, launched as an all-new model in 2008. It competes with the Corolla and Honda Civic - both saloons over here too.
Hard to compare pricing with the EU countries, but the Cerato is a 2-litre automatic and I'm paying a smidgen over GBP11 grand on the road. Equivalent Civic is 18-grand-ish...
What do you all think of the design? I prefer it to the slightly bland cee'd.
www.kia.co.nz/Vehicles/Cerato.aspx
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Good looking car that Nick and difficult to size, reminds me of Daewoo Cruze from rear and side aspects but sharpened up, and i find that a decent looker too, can't complain at that value.
Like Cruze it's got a decent sized engine under the bonnet driving a proper auto box, should mean a good drive and a long service life.
The Koreans are come of age in car design, they offer good value and long warranties and therefore peace of mind with their well designed and made range of vehicles, and have shunned the hell of the automated manual gearbox....so far.
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I have bookmarked the Kia Cee'd or the Hyundai i30, or their successors as replacements for my year old MK6 1.4TSI SE Golf when I get rid of it. The Golf is now far too expensive to buy, although the recently introduced 'Match' is better value.
No, all these premium cars (supposedly so) don't live up to my expectations and so I aim to buy a similarly sized car that won't raise my expectations so much, as the Golf did, only to be let down subsequently, with quality issues.
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I'd love to see a new, occasional, feature - though obviously TG would have to drop something - of Stars in their OWN cars... Imaging JayKay hammering round in HIS Ferrari...
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>> I have bookmarked the Kia Cee'd or the Hyundai i30, or their successors as replacements
>> for my year old MK6 1.4TSI SE Golf when I get rid of it.
I think you will be plesantly surprised,
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>> I have bookmarked the Kia Cee'd or the Hyundai i30, or their successors as replacements
>> for my year old MK6 1.4TSI SE Golf when I get rid of it.
Personally I won't be doing that, however I can understand why other's might. I recall reading somewhere that VW used the Hyundai I30 as one of their benchmark / comparator cars when developing the Golf VI as they see it as a serious competitor in many European markets.
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>> I recall
>> reading somewhere that VW used the Hyundai I30 as one of their benchmark / comparator
>> cars when developing the Golf VI as they see it as a serious competitor in
>> many European markets.
>>
I believe the Ceed was benchmarked against the MK V Golf, Megan, Peugeot 307, and Astra.
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>> The Golf is now far too expensive to buy, although the recently introduced 'Match' is better value.
I was perusing the local VW showroom the other day, admiring the beautiful shadow blue mk6 Golf GTI 5dr on show there. Then I saw the price ticket. With, admittedly a few options on it (DSG 'box, the paint, Monza alloys, and some flashy DVD navigation setup), it was a staggering £30,850!! For a Golf!
I'm sorry, but who are they trying to kid? An acquaintance of mine bought a brand new BMW 325i M-Sport recently for £2k less!
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>> I was perusing the local VW showroom the other day, admiring the beautiful shadow blue
>> mk6 Golf GTI 5dr on show there. Then I saw the price ticket. With, admittedly
>> a few options on it (DSG 'box, the paint, Monza alloys, and some flashy DVD
>> navigation setup), it was a staggering £30,850!! For a Golf!
List price for a 5-door GTI is £24880. That must have been 6 grands' worth of extras! £25k is still a lot for a hatchback of course, but somebody must be buying them...
And the absurdly fast Golf R will set you back more than £30k without extras!
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>> That must have been 6 grands' worth of extras
You really need the extras though, it's pretty basic inside as it comes :-(
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>> What do you all think of the design?
I like it. The back third of it makes me think of the original Audi A4 for some reason (and that's no bad thing).
It looks best in metallic silver/grey colours, IMHO.
Huge saving over the Civic, isn't it!
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If you wanted a (new style) Subaru Impreza, this would easily be confused with one.
Wonder if Cosworth would be up for working their magic on a c'eed :-P
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Wasn't there a Lotus fettled "hot" version of a small Proton hatchback some years ago? Apparently it was really good to drive, but the image obsessed UK market largely ignored it.
It was easier in the days of homologation rules in motorsport. An ordinary car could suddenly be launched into mainstream public consciousness, and you could actually buy a reasonably close version of the racing car for road use. Look what happened to Subaru's fortunes when the Impreza started winning rallies, and more importantly the version you could buy in the showroom actually had something in common with the competition version.
A Cee'd (or anything else) finding success in a popular motorsport discipline, and then being available in closely related road going trim would work wonders for Kia's image in the UK, and would sell like hot cakes. Good as it is, you can bet Ford are only selling the Focus RS in any numbers because people remember the Cosworth days where the road going version was literally a competition car civilised for general consumption.
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Thats a clean tidy and smart looking car in anyones eyes
But:
"The new Kia Cerato illustrates the power of a straight line. The tiger nose grille design reflects the designer Peter Shreyer's "less is more philosophy" evoking passion through purity, perplexity and honesty."
Oh Perleeeeeeeeeeese, what a load of old mens testicles. Tiger nose? what? what tigers has he seen?
evoking pasion through purity perplexity and honesty?
Honestly I am purely perplexed at such carp.
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Did anyone notice the deliberate mistake made by Clarkson?
Designed in Korea, wrong, it was designed in Germany.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 09:18
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As I said elsewhere, bought a 57 Ceed on Sat for my eldest (well, helped her buy it - her money, for a change!). 1.6 diesel, the better spec. The dealer let us have a quite reasonable test drive and I drove it for a couple of miles and was impressed with the car - seemed to handle well, plenty of knobs and buttons (cruise, iPod connect, climate) and felt relatively nippy.
I'll let y'all know how she gets on with it...
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Just to point out the Ceed was the first car designed in Germany (by ex VW designers now working for Kia) and made in Slovakia.
That's why VW are a bit worried.
As other posters have said, the cost of buying a new Golf these days is getting into BMW territory.
How silly is that ?
Thinking of basic's, the Golf is a family hack car.
and so is the ceed.
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VW are not a bit worried, and to benchmark against other cars is a fundamental part of any car design process and means nothing more than that.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 10:23
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I see twenty post 56 reg Golfs (since the Cee'd was on sale) per Cee'd so at least in the UK I don't think VW need to be too worried. As longs as the UK car buyers remain snobby certain surburban streets will always remain full of Audis and Golfs.
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Residuals take some of the sting out though, Rattle.
For sale this week:
Golf 1.6 FSI "S" 2007 (07 reg) 5dr Hatchback 32,401 miles £7,799 (Cargiant)
Kia Cee'd 1.6 LS 2007 (07 reg) 5dr Hatchback 33,000 miles £5,795 (Kia franchised dealer)
There's £2k of the approximate £3k new price difference back at 3 yrs old. On a TCO basis, the Golf is actually not an expensive car to run. The initial outlay is higher, but you get most of the difference back come resale time.
I still wouldn't pay £31,000 for any shopping car though. :-)
Last edited by: DP on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 12:15
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That is true, but then if you take the car out on finance you would pay less interest on a lower purchase price.
Is it also fair to say that Hyundai has basically become a premium badge Kia or rather Hyundai's Skoda?
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>> Is it also fair to say that Hyundai has basically become a premium badge Kia
>> or rather Hyundai's Skoda?
>>
Not as easy as that, Rattle, The Ceed is set up as a "sporty" model, and the i30 is set up as a softer "comfort" option. Apparently the i30 does not handle as well as the Ceed but has a softer ride.
The SW (estate Ceed) is sold as a "sporty wagon" on the continent.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 14:10
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SW = sport wagon or station wagon
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I have done a bit of checking and the Ceed is aimed at a 30 year old customer, I cant find the equivalent data for the i30 but believe it is aimed at an older age group. The Hyundai group covering its options.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 14:21
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>> I have done a bit of checking and the Ceed is aimed at a 30 year old customer,
Interesting, how do you get that? I have seen several old people driving Cee'ds on the road!
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They missed it then, 30 year olds do not aspire to a Ceed. Its a sensible purchase.
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Its probably aimed at a 30 year old penny pincher that has a few kids. Maybe a 30 year old accountant with a big mortgage to pay off.
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>> Its probably aimed at a 30 year old penny pincher that has a few kids.
>> Maybe a 30 year old accountant with a big mortgage to pay off.
>>
Spot on, Rattle, thats what the blurb says. (ish)
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>> They missed it then, 30 year olds do not aspire to a Ceed. Its a
>> sensible purchase.
>>
Have a look at the Ceed forums, lots of customisers and tuners throughout Europe, especially for the Pro-ceed, (3 door), tuning the diesel is popular.
Yes they missed the 30 year old bit with me, I am of a pensionable age. :)
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Im 30, a penny pincher and id be looking at the Ceed/i30 as a first port of call if I had £15k to spend on a family car. The diesel estate of either would suit me down to the ground thx.
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penny pinchers dont buy new cars.
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>>penny pinchers dont buy new cars.<<
Oh they do. I know because my father is one. He has occasionally had a flourish and spent money on a new car, but he gets his moneys worth outta them. He only bought the Materia because after his heart attack and surgery, he couldnt be bothered nursing his old Astra along anymore. A new car was the hassle free solution.
Didnt mean that he went ahead and spent alotta money despite having rather alot available.
He spent 4% of his savings on the car. He could have spent 50% and never run out of money.
He looked very seriously at the Ceed estate actually, but he couldnt justify the five grand extra to buy one although the diesel auto was the car he wanted. I couldnt persuade him to buy one even though I knew he wanted one.
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then he is not a real hard core penny pincher.
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Nobody said anything about hard core though did they.
I know a guy who wont spend more than £100 on a car. He drives it till it stops, then buys another.
He thinks its cheap motoring, but then he seems to take pot luck on how long the car lasts.
Ive seen a Carina similar to mine, a Daihatsu Charade and a Fiat Uno so far this year. The others seem to be stacking up in his garden.
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Its not cheap motoring when he gets a big clean up bill or the plod pull him and spot a major defect with one of his £100 cars.
I do think the Cee'd does make a lot of sense to a lot of people and its probably a hundered times better than their old Daweoo/Chevy thing.
Its the sort of car I may consider when I am 30 and paying a mortgage but until then my next car will be anything but sensible :).
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>> I do think the Cee'd does make a lot of sense to a lot of
>> people and its probably a hundered times better than their old Daweoo/Chevy thing.
>>
My last car was a MK2 Focus 2.0 TDCI Ghia.
And I prefer the Ceed. or I would have bought a Ford.
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>> Its the sort of car I may consider when I am 30 and paying a
>> mortgage
yeah - your car will be knackered by then, it might even have a 1000 miles up.
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>> >> Its the sort of car I may consider when I am 30 and paying
>> a mortgage
Im 30 (2) and I have a mortgage - but i dont consider myself where i would desire a buy Kia*.
* meant as toungue in cheek :-)
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>> might even have a 1000 miles up.
No need to exaggerate Zero. It won't be 750, and it won't ever have gone over 40mph. It might have seized solid out of sheer disappointment. I bet it's pawing the ground and whinnying for exercise right now, but being snooted for the dodgy bike or Manchester's world-beating public transport system. Being kept in reserve for its once-a-week trip round the block to thicken that mayonnaise.
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>> >> I have done a bit of checking and the Ceed is aimed at a
>> 30 year old customer,
>>
>> ............. I have seen several old people driving Cee'ds on
>> the road!
>>
>>
Some people see 30 as being old!
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>> SW = sport wagon or station wagon
>>
Kia does not specify what SW stands for in the UK.
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I'm 34, mortgage, 2.4 kids, and I'd spend £13k on a nice used BMW 330i/d, not a new Kia.
Had a couple of new cars as company cars, and they don't fuss me enough to spend my own money on one. I'd rather have something used and fun.
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its the mortgage bit creased me up
it could be the start of a new thread
should i buy a house/flat or stay at home and pay 10 bob a week
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What is this take the **** out of rattle day?
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>> What is this take the **** out of rattle day?
Like every other day you mean Sheikh Rattolo? The short answer is yes.
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>> What is this take the **** out of rattle day?
>>
Rattle, revel in your popularity for as long it lasts. My philosophy is that I much prefer people to take the mickey than to ignore me and pretend as if I didn't exist.
:-D
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"its the mortgage bit creased me up"
You don't need a mortgage in Rushome/Levenshume, you could bung all 7k on a credit card.
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the no roof and slightly charred timbers are a bit off putting though to first time buyers i feel
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Not all that long ago you could buy terraced houses in the more straightforward parts of Blackburn etc. for £10- £12k. They were not bad wee houses. Friend bought three of them and rents them out. Good return on initial investment. Shame socially though in some ways. Would've made good homes for those on a restricted budget.
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Things have changed, even in the rougher parts of Levenshulme or Rushulme you can't get change from £120k. Two bed terraces is in the area I live cost upwards of £220 and on certain streets it was not unusual for 3 bed terraces is to fetch over £300k.
Even if I earnt £30k a year I could not afford a mortgage in the current climate. Even tiny flats are far too expensive.
I really don't know how I will get a bought place of my own unless I get married. I will probably end up buying a tiny field and living in a double decker bus on it!
This is an example
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15988078.html
I remember when those sort of houses in that area went for £30k and it wasn't that long ago.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 18:29
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House prices have always been lower in north Manchester and surrounding areas. And this example is not in an expensive area and is going to auction... and the point was Zero?
Maybe you find it surprising that a house in Manchester can easily cost £500k or more? One near me is over £1m.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15887652.html
This was a quick search near where I once lived in a flat, i.e. post code based.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 19:33
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My aunty lived in a house they sold many years ago in Manchester for £500k, it would be worth over £1 million now.
Not all of North Manchester is cheap and rough but certainly houses are move expensive south of the Mancunian way.
My parents nearly bought a house very similar to that in Didsbury but they couldn't find the extra £2k they would have needed. I think it was £25k in 1980.
There is going to be a real housing crisis in Manchester soon unless more cheap houses are built. We need £50k basic bedsit type places.
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My point was its still possible to buy a place in manchester for 30k, rattle seemed to be saying it wasnt, and to prove you could get a house on a smaller salary. Which to be frank, if more people did those rough areas where you can buy for 30k would soon "improve"
I know houses can be dear up there. but if you want to bandy prices, a house neer me ( 8 miles as the crow flies) was up for 47 million pounds.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 28 Jun 10 at 20:12
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That is guide price though so will probably be double. That area is also so bad its just not worth living there. Being burgeled every day and having my car smashed in every night is not my idea of fun. I would rather live in a tent.
There is a reason why there is £300k price difference in just a few miles. Just like London really only on a different scale.
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I assume he's trying to wind you up as usual Rattle. I know how expensive houses can be where you live and near where I live. I could not afford the mortgage to buy my house if I had a good size deposit (say 30%). Thankfully we do own it without a mortgage now.
I earn a decent salary but house prices have got stupid.
Anyway this was a thread on a Kia Cee'd. And I'd prefer the Golf.... ;-) My next car might be a Skoda Octavia estate, Audi A4 saloon, VW Passat CC or maybe the new VW Jetta when its out. I could opt for cheaper but I'll go for what I want to afford.*
* Probable to be company cars because we might get a new fun car (FIAT 500/Abarth) for my wife which I would then have use of too ;-) The Passat CC would be about what I pay in tax etc for a Mazda6.
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They were not bad wee houses. Friend bought three of them and rents them out. Good return on initial investment. Shame socially though in some ways. Would've made good homes for those on a restricted budget.
And therein lies the problem of lack of houses in this country - too many buy to lets. Simples.
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>> And therein lies the problem of lack of houses in this country - too many
>> buy to lets. Simples.
Actually its the other way round, not enough buy to let landlords. What has happened is too many people buying to renovate and then sell on, not enough buy to refurbish and rent out.
Its changing now at the moment, the property market is not condusive to large "move it on" profits, so people buy at auction to refurb cheaply and then rent. You should be able to get a 7% yeild from your investment if you rent it out, which is better then other forms of investment at the moment.
It could all change tho.
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When I was a student (in Manchester) it was popular for wealthier parents to buy a house and then rent it out. Son/daughter lives free and the others renting it (friends) pay the mortgage. I bet that's not possible or feasible now.
I knew of streets in Fallowfield where a landlord owned all of the houses. If they sold recently they would be very wealthy.
Step-son on the other hand is about to rent a house with friends for their second year. Rent is about £600/month for the house. The house was bought for £122k in Sept 2007.
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Student lets are are unique proposition. They need to be within certain areas and in certain towns, but as you can rent each house out by room, the rewards are much higher. There are certain regulations you need to budget for (as a house of multiple occupation) but still very rewarding.
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As a student in the late 1980s I lived in Rusholm and Walley Range, I reckon the houses were worth less than £10K at the time, both areas had problems back then with deprivation and crime, I developed a life-long love of curry and Marsden's Pedigree though and remember it with fondness.
Back in those days only the students of very wealthy parents had cars - probably 1 in 100 (to give a motoring link).
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One of my customers who is having very tough times at the moment owns a student property in Fallowfield. I asked him can't he lived of that, it turns out he still has a mortgage on it and the rent only pays for the mortgage. When other costs are factured in he is loosing money on it. He has to rely on the fact it will increase in value otherwise he is stuffed.
Rushulme is still a bit of an iffy area but its not as bad as a lot of areas. It does have a sense of community. Interestly a lot of the wealthier asian people are now moving to quite near I live. When that community arrived from places like Bangladesh and Pakistan they all bought up really cheap houses in the 1960's and 1970's to rent them out. It has paid off for a lot of them.
When I was a student about half of us had cars, I didn't even have a licence at the time. The locals got really fed up of it though and they often got smashed up. The only Kias in the car car park back then was the Kia Pride.
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>> Back in those days only the students of very wealthy parents had cars
When I was an undergraduate, the only friend I can recall with a car (a new 205) in 1989 was from a wealthy family as it turns out. He'd meet the Queen at least annually with the family! Other than that, in 1989/90 not many had cars. Later years friends had cars.
I didn't bother learning to drive until closer to the time I could afford a card. And insurance for that first year was a huge £250ish ;-) (1995 and a Fiesta BTW).
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>> I still wouldn't pay £31,000 for any shopping car though. :-)
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The Golf R has 2 cylinders missing for its £31K+ price tag IMHO, a 6 cylinder BMW would be yours for similar money.
Having said all this, cooking Golf's are still reasonable money IMHO, their prices seem to have crept up since Dec when we bought SWMBO's but the whole life costs compared very favorably with cheaper (and under-specced from a safety perspective) Skodas, can't say we considered anything from Korea tbh.
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>> can't say we
>> considered anything from Korea tbh.
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I dont follow your from Korea idea, The Ceed is designed and built in Europe, OK the parent company is Korean (Hyundai).
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>> I dont follow your from Korea idea, The Ceed is designed and built in Europe,
>> OK the parent company is Korean (Hyundai).
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I apologise, more accurately - we didn't consider anything from a Korean manufacturer, no criticism of those who do was intended, merely an admission that we didn't and probably won't (for the time being).
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The new TG reasonably priced car. - RattleandSmoke
