car chat - sorry!

[harriebird]

thought i'd ask on here for some inspiration.

i am thinking of changing my little cutesy hairdresser car for something a bit more suited to the A12 miles i do. i am racking up the miles on my streetka and i am worried about losing too much cash on it.

i want something that's not too big to park and not really dull.

i think i can get a nice 3 series coupe for the money i have but i'm worried about high insurance costs.

any ideas folks? preferably not a golf or a focus although i know these would probably be ideal :rolleyes: i do want something with a little personality but nothing that has been modded to within an inch of its life, as i prefer to spend my time fretting over bikes and cars.

i thank you :grin2

[v8-powered]

Anything French with a diesel engine in it....

Cheap to buy, mechanicals last and cheap to run.

[Dal]

Hi Harrie, When it comes to cars theres even more choice than cars. Whats your reason for changing? (other than the A12) Economy, safety, something flasher, reliability, overall cost of running.

The best way is to make a list of all thats important to you and prioritise them 1 to whatever.

Also what budget you got?

[kasandrich]

How about a secondhand Alpha?

They make a diesel for economy, they do not hold their money, so buy one a few years old and hang onto it and run it into the ground.

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/ALFA+ROMEO/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146,N-4294967222/advert.action?R=200812306097748&distance=44&postcode=CM7+3HN&channel=CARS&make=ALFA+ROMEO&model=&min_pr=&max_pr=&max_mileage=

[Dal]

How about a secondhand Alpha?

They make a diesel for economy, they do not hold their money, so buy one a few years old and hang onto it and run it into the ground.

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/ALFA+ROMEO/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146,N-4294967222/advert.action?R=200812306097748&distance=44&postcode=CM7+3HN&channel=CARS&make=ALFA+ROMEO&model=&min_pr=&max_pr=&max_mileage=


Not one i'd recommend :eek: I had a 147 Petrol when they first came out (2001 I think) and it would do 1 litre of oil every 1,000 miles. It only held 4.5 litres and there were 9,000 between services. The later 147 was still suspect on the electrics but not as bad as the 156 :grin2 Good looking car though with a nice interior but a pile of ####.

[tony3x]

What sort of price range?

[harriebird]

anything French with a diesel engine is not really shouting personality at me!

budget is about £6k

my streetka had 31500 miles on an 03 plate when i bought it and it now has 39500 since the middle of November. i know this isnt massive yet but it's only going to get bigger!

as they are bought mainly as second cars/runarounds, low mileage is a key thing for buyers. i know that 20,000+ miles on a car is not an issue engine wise, but i need to try and keep the value of the car as i am not going to get as much as i was hoping for my house (if it ever sells!)

the thing with the streetka is it's only in insurance group 6 so whatever i get will probably be a bit of a jump for me.

flashiness (is that even a word!) is not a major concern but i don't want a 406 diesel either! haha

the streetka is a hoot to drive, it's a go kart really but is quite firm ride wise and is quite noisy as it's a soft top. i use my handsfree a lot on long journeys but wind noise makes it awkward to hold a conversation!

i can't use my bike for commuting now, much as i would love to. there is no way round this now i dont have a garage where i live so can't use my bike. my bikes are 5 miles away and i live on a road where bumping a bike up and down a kerb is not an option. i would also have to keep my bike in a yard and i don't want to do that.

and i know it's rich coming from a ducati owner but i don't think i can cope with the reputation alfa's have!

[MickyGixer]

Ive always had small cheap cars and normally of Japanese or French decent (the current one is a good ole Ford).......they go on forever!

Clean inside, heaters that work!, low insurance and cheap on petrol/diesel. Speed doesnt matter to me on the commute but it gets me there, anything around a 1.1 to 1.4 I find id the ticket, then Im not bothered if it gets bumped or scraped.:laugh1

Would it not help just to find a cheap little motor with as low mileage as you can get hun as opposed to a Coup or Alpha which may actually cost you more and still rack up the miles?:grin2:grin2

My N reg fiesta is fab it has 36,000 on the clock and I paid £900 quid for it hun, for that and with insurance you could buy yourself a second car for the weekends!:grin2

[NinjaMad]

i used to have one i honestly said to everyone if i ever had to get a cheap car to comute in agian it would be this

Renault CLio 1.5DCI superb car over 600miles a tank for around £35-£40 pounds, trust me on this one there superb

[MICKTLS]

I would rather walk than own an Alfa they seem to be made out of pasta and pizza base , any of the major companies small diesels are a good choice cheap to run by comparisson ive just serviced a c2 citroen 1.4 hdi diesel and its averaging 63.5 mpg .......in all honesty Harrie i would go and test drive as many as poss, dont discount any car before you drive it you will be very surprised many of them drive so differently to how they look :clap:clap

[NinjaMad]

I would rather walk than own an Alfa they seem to be made out of pasta and pizza base , any of the major companies small diesels are a good choice cheap to run by comparisson ive just serviced a c2 citroen 1.4 hdi diesel and its averaging 63.5 mpg .......in all honesty Harrie i would go and test drive as many as poss, dont discount any car before you drive it you will be very surprised many of them drive so differently to how they look :clap:clap

Mick is very right there, the Small cars are fun to drive, the clio for instance was a very nippy car for its class and handles like a mini, used to have it on 3 wheels round roundabouts, there was a top gear on the clio sport it has the same suspension set up as one on mine, great cars highly recommended

[v8-powered]

[quote=harriebird;143204]anything French with a diesel engine is not really shouting personality at me!/[quote]

I run a Megane SportHatch Dci 106. Looks nice - made full use of the Renault options list with bigger wheels, full length panoramic glass roof, multi-disc CD etc. £35 a year road tax, 50+ mpg around town hitting high 60's on a run. Will cruise all day at 90 - 100 mph and is very quiet.

I've owned many 'nice' cars over the years including BMW, TVR, Porsche, Audi as well as the usual Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot etc. and I can safely say that he 2 frog-cars (Renault and Peugeot) have been the most comfortable and reliable of the lot....

[Bullitt]

A MINI!
They hold their value.
Fun to drive.
Will easily do 150k miles witout major problems
German design, built by BMW here in the Uk
...what more could you want?

[Bullitt]

stay away form the French cars

The French only sell them here to get even :grin1

[MICKTLS]

nearly £600 for a clutch on a new mini lol :clap:clap:clap

[harriebird]

i've been in a mini on a motorway, my streetka is actually better!

i know what you're saying micky but i feel like i spend my life in my car at the moment so jsut want something a little bit nice :grin2 i know what you're saying though.

actually i really like the C2s :grin2 but would probably want the nippier one as i do like to play with the boys off the lights, it seems compulsory in colchester!

[harriebird]

I run a Megane SportHatch Dci 106. Looks nice - made full use of the Renault options list with bigger wheels, full length panoramic glass roof, multi-disc CD etc. £35 a year road tax, 50+ mpg around town hitting high 60's on a run. Will cruise all day at 90 - 100 mph and is very quiet.

thats' a fair point. what year is your megane?

[NinjaMad]

Megane my old dear had thats a superb car DCI same as V8-powered and a superb motor so nice to drive and very comfy

[v8-powered]

thats' a fair point. what year is your megane?

Mines a 2006 model. If you come up to Snett tomorrow, it will be parked there...
You are welcome to have a nose around it.

[RaceMeNSee]

Hey hey Harrie.........Afraid cas arent really my Fortay.........but im pretty sure my brother knows a little more.....and im sure if you both found something you liked i could work out some form of discount! (he owns the place) http://www.centralcarsuk.co.uk/

[harriebird]

oooh nice one jon thanks, i will bear it in mind :grin2 my old house is over the road from a used car dealer who i know well so i shall be speaking to them too (they got me the streetka so should hopefully be alright to take it back off me!)

[Bullitt]

nearly £600 for a clutch on a new mini lol :clap:clap:clap

A clutch should last about 100k miles on a Mini...

...there is a clutch specialist in Essex quoting £250 complete clutch replacement...£600 quid figure must be from a dealer.

[RaceMeNSee]

Your Welcome Harrie! If you need anything, just ask :-)

[Murray]

Peel P50? Economic, easy to park, stylish!

[Gramps]

As the others said about the Megane, they just go on forever. My 1.9D had good fuel economy, far better performance than the Ford diesels and still had the original clutch in it when it died on me at 201,000 miles (cambelt tensioner broke, 10,000 miles short of next cambelt change, with the usual consequences).
Certainly a car to give serious consideration to.

[RaceMeNSee]

My mum used to RAVE about her Turbo Diesel Curry Injection - Focus...seemed to get good milage and was rather rapid to!

[CBR-Dave]

Vauxhall Vectra diesel's are great as are the astra's. great for motorway miles same with mondeo and believe it or not a honda civic diesel, i had the later as a company car for 2 years doing 50k a year and it never dropped a beat.

[harriebird]

Vectras/Mondeos are not on the agenda. too big for easy parking on the road i live in where it's terraced houses, residents bumper to bumper parking etc.

keep em coming folks. i do like the big bum style meganes so will have a look at these. i don't think my meagre funds will stretch to a 2006 one though.

[firestarter]

Also worth considering a peugeot 307 2.0 hdi I have one myself done 123000 miles so far ,with minimal maintainance. Also does 600 miles to a tank of diesel and cruises along at motorway speeds very comfortably.
I would get the 110bhp model though not the 90bhp version.
Also you can pick the 2002-2006 models up quite cheaply now as the have a new model out now

[harriebird]

sorry, but i drove one of those as a hire car a couple of years back and hated it. hated the driving position, everything.

thanks though

[tony3x]

Seat Leon 1.9 TDI

VW build quality but not VW price. Probably get an 04 for about 6k.

[v8-powered]

i do like the big bum style meganes so will have a look at these. i don't think my meagre funds will stretch to a 2006 one though.

You would be surprised how cheap you can get them for, especially if you don't mind one that has already done a few motorway miles.
Friends picked up one that is a 2004 plate for around £3800 through Manheim. Guessing mine is only worth around 7K now....

[Gixxer-TeZ]

Vectras/Mondeos are not on the agenda. too big for easy parking on the road i live in where it's terraced houses, residents bumper to bumper parking etc.



From the person who said in her first post "I think i can get a nice 3 series coupe for the money".

Good idea.......3 series is about the same size as the Mondeo and vectra.

For the money you want to spend, I would go for something as late and low milage as possible. For £6000 you could get a late new shape fiesta and before you say they are not on the agenda, they drive awsome and you don't really need a diesel, the petrols are good on fuel. They are comfy, not too french, not too german and defo no where near Italian.

[Murray]

Seat Leon 1.9 TDI

VW build quality but not VW price. Probably get an 04 for about 6k.

Mmm, i like them :grin2

[harriebird]

From the person who said in her first post "I think i can get a nice 3 series coupe for the money".

Good idea.......3 series is about the same size as the Mondeo and vectra.

For the money you want to spend, I would go for something as late and low milage as possible. For £6000 you could get a late new shape fiesta and before you say they are not on the agenda, they drive awsome and you don't really need a diesel, the petrols are good on fuel. They are comfy, not too french, not too german and defo no where near Italian.

a coupe is smaller than the saloon version i think, and therefore smaller than a vectra/mondeo.

i dont want a fiesta. if it's too late reg, i will lose too much on it.

[Lateshift]

Mondeo ST24's can be picked up for peanuts now with fairly low mileage on for their years, they are bulletproof too and not too bad on the juice as long as you are not to trying to drive it like a 600cc sports bike (as i have found :D )

A W-V reg as a run around, with 70,000 and service history (no cam belts to do as its chain) will set you back around £2500 at most, they are good for 350miles to a tank and quite happily sit at 135mph :D