Looking to buy a new car. It should be a decent sized estate, and not cost too much, but be reasonable value compared to "book" and ideally "fun" in some sort of way, and not too thirsty. It mustn't be a Citroen, nor a Renault owing to reliability issues (much as I'd love to run either of them as they're definitely "fun"). The only access I have to book is the trade-in price offered by Glasses on the Vauxhall site. Probably ideally a diesel thanks to an anticipated 2,000 miles in France this summer.
Here are some thoughts (high mileage examples probably done 120-150k):
2001 £750 Mitsubishi Galant 2.0 [book £200-250]. Seems like rather a large profit for the dealer.
2005 £2900 heavily loaded Honda Accord 2.2 D [book 2,300-3000 depending on condition]. Intriguingly, no or virtually no premium either for a diesel or an estate over a petrol saloon. Seems like a lot of car for the money having lost 88% of cost over six years.
2003 £1500 Vectra 1.9 D or 1.8 petrol. [book 700-1000] Seems like rather a large profit for the dealer, and it's still a dull repmobile with a spacesaver.
1997 £900 Audi A6 1.8 petrol [book 400-600]. Probably a bit gutless; anything bigger probably far too thirsty.
1996 £600 Honda Accord 2.0 petrol. Well, you really couldn't get cheaper than that, could you.
More suggestions, please.
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Have you considered how easy it would be to get parts in France if the need arose? Audi would be easy enough, but Mitsubishi?
Lots of old Volvos still running well. I see a surprising number in rural France too, so someone must know where to get them serviced.
Incidentally, dealers must have fixed costs per sale regardless of whether the price is £500 or £10,000 - presumably why many here advise against buying old cars from dealers.
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>> Incidentally, dealers must have fixed costs per sale regardless of whether the price is £500 or
>> £10,000 - presumably why many here advise against buying old cars from dealers.
Yeah for <£1k i'd get rid of the trader's profit element of the price to get the best for the money.
Not really missing out on much anyway - it's all but impossible to find a Bellboy type emporium where they genuinely care, so if something does break, you get to keep both pieces.
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Its a mitsubishi, you wont need parts!
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201118386180796
You know, deep down in my heart I know I should have got one of these rathger than the lancer. And that one is a peach.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 13 May 11 at 11:01
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Doesn't really tick the economy box does it? "38mpg" at 45mph on the motorway presumably. [Glass's 550-780], nice looking motor though.
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yes they were a thirsty beast, stuff your toe down and you are looking at very low 20's but it has the manual box so 38 at 120kph is possible, ticks every other box with ease tho.
Jeez i am so tempted to dump the lancer for that.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 13 May 11 at 11:27
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>> Jeez i am so tempted to dump the lancer for that.
And a £450 annual road fund tax bill. No wonder it's cheap... though with 8 months tax that's worth £300 alone...
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I tell a lie, only £260 as it is a pre-2006 vehicle. Maybe I will think about it...
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I have what sounds like an identical Honda.
Good:
Very comfortable, pretty fast, very very refined for a diesel, huge boot, almost nothing that is annoying to live with. At 115k miles it's rattle free, hasn't missed a beat in 80k miles, still looks pretty much like it did when new inside an out, other than some corrosion on the alloys. New clutch at 100k miles was on warranty!!
Bad:
My particular car has always been thirsty. I get about 41 in normal spirited driving with AC on, saintly can get 47, worst about 36. Some examples struggle to get below 50 (Robbie on the other place had one that would average about 54), Honda informally admit they don't know what the difference is. I had a simple breakdown in France at 17k miles, what should have just been an alternator turned into a two week holiday ruining nightmare, only solved when Honda UK heard about it and came in all guns blazing, so all credit to them.
I have no intention of changing the car. It did exactly what I wanted when it was new, and apart from 'what it's worth' which some of my friends are obsessed with, it drives, looks, and fufills my needs just as well now as it did when it had 10 miles on the clock. I'm aiming for a light second before I change.
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I was going to make the stunningly original suggestion of a Mondeo 2.0TDCi estate, but I can't see any cheap ones around apart from utter sheds.
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I cannot either (that was where I started). And don't they have a bit of a reputation for burning injectors?
Finding cheap cars is a bit of a challenge. I don't know where they lurk. It's no longer eBay. Autotrader seems a better bet - I think people like the extra detail eBay provides so are prepared to pay more (though I think A/T gives much better summaries of the motors so is easier to search). Is a 2004 Honda promising 40-55mpg worth three times a 2001 Galant promising 30mpg?
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Early examples of the 2.2 Honda diesel engine are known to have reliability problems, which could be why they appear good value.
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>> Is a 2004 Honda
>> promising 40-55mpg worth three times a 2001 Galant promising 30mpg?
>>
shouldn't be too tricky to knock up a quick total cost of ownership number over a number of years for a given mileage.
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A6 1.8 has a turbo - 150 bhp IIRC. No ball of fire, but goes well enough. Centainly not gutless IMO
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Would a Volvo V40 do the job or is it too small?
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Bit small aren't they, V40s?
Thanks Iffy. From what I can work out, Honda have replaced large numbers of timing chains (+ water pump + injectors = £1,600 per HJ) under warranty to an uprated version, so the trick is to make sure it's been done.
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Was thinking it's not much different to a Vectra, which was on your original list. But yes, they're no Mondeo.
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No-one's mentioned Passats yet. Anything against them?
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That Volvo at two thirds the price, perhaps. Is a Vectra much smaller?
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201117385980844/
Aren't VWs somewhat unreliable? HJ says so, so no point paying the premium for them.
edited link to remove postcode
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 13 May 11 at 16:51
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There are V40s out there in that price range. I linked a particularly nice one. I'm always a victim of "price creep" when I'm on autotrader............
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It's the vendor who has price crept... Glass's think he's overpriced.
I don't have a budget at all, rightly or wrongly I'm looking to pay no/little more than the car is worth as a trade-in.
ZERO! That Mitsubishi has sold; I was going to buy it. Find me something else please.
I did say I was never going to have another black car...
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Fri 13 May 11 at 16:00
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thank god for that, the thought of you driving round in my car is a hurt too far.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 13 May 11 at 16:02
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Here you go, MM:
tinyurl.com/65n58ad
Mazda 626. Sorted. :-)
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>> Here you go, MM:
>>
>> tinyurl.com/65n58ad
>>
>> Mazda 626. Sorted. :-)
>>
No seriously, if you are just after cheap reliable motoring go for a 626 but preferably the GSi as it has that extra 20bhp over the GXI/LXI.
Both myself and legacylad have had them and you generally dont find many problems. Rust on the rear arches are common but buy on condition and ignore mileage and age and you should be ok. Engines soldier on for many thousands of miles, and exhausts and suspension parts seem to be long lasting (from experience). I sold my GSi 2 months ago (98R 110k) for £360, that guy got a bargain alright!
Just my 2ps worth.
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and I sold my '98 S plate 2.0 SE in April 2010 to a friend for £950. I bought it as a 3 month runaround until I could find a nice soft top in winter, but as I couldn't, I kept it for 18 months!
134bhp, leather, digital climate control, elec sunroof, CD. 100% reliable and mid to high 30's mpg.
I see it most days and it still looks immaculate.
Very under rated mid sized cheap motoring.
Not as much fun as my 330Ci but that cost 10x the price.
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>> ZERO! That Mitsubishi has sold; I was going to buy it. Find me something else
>> please.
How about
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201116385406982
or
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201117385959991
I am tempted by that last one again.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 13 May 11 at 16:17
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Z, he wants an estate.....
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ah
still a nice car that honda tho.
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How about
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201119387125044
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 13 May 11 at 16:35
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"or
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201117385959991
I am tempted by that last one again."
Yeah, that Legend is a cracker. If only that one was LPG converted too.
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Whilst the Vectra B is smaller than the C I reckon it's still bigger than a V40. If that Vectra has the same engine as SWMBO's Zafira (maybe, maybe not on a 2001) then it should give 32+ mpg in winter in short runs and 43 mpg ish on a 70 mph motorway cruise.
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>> If that Vectra has the same engine as SWMBO's Zafira...
That Vectra-B should have the Z18XE engine. Can't find my info on the Zafira.
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>> >> If that Vectra has the same engine as SWMBO's Zafira...
>>
>> That Vectra-B should have the Z18XE engine. Can't find my info on the Zafira.
>>
SWMBO's 2000 Zafira has the Z18XE (125 bhp drive by wire), that's about the time they changed over from the X18XE (115 bhp IIRC, throttle cable). Wasn't sure if the Vectra engine type changeover was 'in synch' with the Zafira as it were. Should give similar economy then.
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No gratuitous gas guzzlers please! It's bad enough paying £1 per mile for petrol if crawling through London, when that reaches £2...
The SAAB looks quite good, but is only, surely, worth closer to £500, not the £1,000 he wants for it.
The Mazda... If I could get myself around the idea of buying a 1998 car that looks like a fridge (being white) then it's still nearly 100 miles away. This one looks like a bargain, but it's too far away:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-Mazda-6-Estate-Diesel-1-OWNER-SATNAV-LEATHER-FSH-/150604008588?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2310b2cc8c
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Mon 16 May 11 at 12:55
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Choosing a car - WillDeBeest
