''new'' car??

D!ve^Bomb!

I'm looking to buy a new car, have been driving for a few months and and i'm sick of the punto!! plus i'm just after getting a new job so i want to upgrade big time.. i have a fews cars i'm looking at.. My budget is about 13000 plus the value of my own car.. i'd preferably like a 3 door 1.4ltr car thats has a very nice look and drives well.. i haven't driven any of my choices yet so i'm bassically going on looks so can you lot help me out with the rest??

in no particular order...

VW Golf? i like the front, not sure about the back and i have to get used to the interior! but a nice car none the less...

Ford focus? Looks well and i've head good things, the only thing the concerns me is the size of the car, its more of a family car.. but i'd still like a 3 door one:)

and lastly.....

i really like the look of the new seats!! they look very very! nice but i know nothing more than that, my brother has a 98 ibiza which drives well but the interior is HORRIBLE!! plus i can get a newer seat cheaper than any older one of the golf or focus.. what are the new ones like??


does anyone have any other suggestions??

cheers

impr0v

Personally I wouldn't go for a focus, despite the fact that it's a very good car, due to the proximity of the new model's introduction. You'd suffer to some extent on resale valve further down the line. This factor would be lessened depending on how long you intended keeping the car.

Expect the new Golf tol cost substantially more than the focus, though you don't say how much your punto will be worth in part trade. I didn't like the look of it either when it first emerged, but with nice rims and the factory spoiler it can look pretty well.

The Seat Cupra I presume you are referring to? Nice looking car, especially with the 18" alloys and kit that you can get with it, but I don't know much about it.

If I was in that market, I would look at the Golf, and perhaps a 307, though again, I don't know too much about them and would obviously research it a bit before seriously considering getting one.

Esel

No opinions on the models you are consideringg, but I wonder why you prefer a 3 door model?

4 or 5 door is a lot more practical, and will be a lot easier to shift when it comes time to sell or trade in.

D!ve^Bomb!

including the value of my own car my budget would be around 15k.. I'm not looking for a new car, just a 00/01 maybe, depending on price.. and the golf and focus are within my budget but i just don't know which is the better car overall.. i was looking at the 307 aswell but the reviews is got on cbg.ie didn't impress me much -

what about the hyundai coupe,, it looks fantastic but they loose their vaue a lot and i haven't really heard anything about them with regards to performance.. anyone have any experience with them?

alias no.9

The 307 has a horrendus reliability record, probably the worst in its class. Mostly electrical problems. Best avoided. The golf is overrated, overpriced, underpowered and underspeced (I cant think of any other car in this class selling without front electric windows on base models at the very least). The focus is the pick of the bunch but make sure you don't pay over the odds because, as mentioned above, the new one will be here very soon. The Ibiza is a smaller car than the others, similar in size to the punto or a polo, this means it's lighter and will feel that little bit faster, the downside can be comfort on longer journeys (read 2 hours plus). There's always the Seat Leon which is based on the golf, a whole array of boring but reliable japanese cars, the corrolla, almera, civic, etc...

The one downside you'll probably have is trading in a punto, be prepared to be humiliated by most non fiat dealers, so much so that it might be worth checking out if a fiat dealer has any of the non fiat cars mentioned above as second hand stock, you might get a better deal. The other option of course is to sell the punto private.

giveth

How about a Ford Puma?

I recently bought a 3 door 1.4 litre puma and i love it. It handles well, has a really nice interior and looks amazing (imo). For €13000, you could get a 2001 puma. (I got a 1999 for €9000.)
They also hold their value quite well. But they can be difficult to find.

Hagar

newband wrote:

i'm sick of the punto!! .. My budget is about 13000 plus the value of my own car..

Hmmm so you have a total of 13000 to spend.

Merrion

For that kind of money (stg8,800) you could pick up a 1969 MGC roadster, a 150bhp Triumph TR6 or a 1972 Karman Beetle cabrio...you pay €50 registration tax, €50 road tax and if you choose to sell the car in a years time you'll get as much or more than you paid for it.
Of course you probably want that Ford Focus...

fletch

Wouldn't consider a Skoda Fabia. You could prob pick up a nice '03 comfort model for that money. Heres an ad from the buyandsell: Skoda Fabia 1.2 '03.Comfort, light blue met, r/c/l, e/m, e/w, a/b, CD player, front fog lights, trip computer, leather s/w, 1 lady owner, €11750
I know you're lookin for a 1.4...the Fabia comes in a 1.4, u could find one easy enough if u searched....but just look at the kit your gettin for your money....great value car....btw I don't work for Skoda....jus thinks its a brill car

D!ve^Bomb!

Hagar wrote:

Hmmm so you have a total of 13000 to spend.

good one.. in all fairness its in excellent condition and drives pretty well.. its a perfect car to start off in..

i'm not really a fan of the puma... i don't think it looks all that great.. and lets face it, looks are important

fletch

The Puma is soon to become a collectors car...keep one in good nick and it could be worth alot in years to come

D!ve^Bomb!

fletch wrote:

Wouldn't consider a Skoda Fabia. You could prob pick up a nice '03 comfort model for that money. Heres an ad from the buyandsell: Skoda Fabia 1.2 '03.Comfort, light blue met, r/c/l, e/m, e/w, a/b, CD player, front fog lights, trip computer, leather s/w, 1 lady owner, €11750
I know you're lookin for a 1.4...the Fabia comes in a 1.4, u could find one easy enough if u searched....but just look at the kit your gettin for your money....great value car....btw I don't work for Skoda....jus thinks its a brill car

seems like a cheap enough car alright, theres a 04 on cbg.i for 14k!!! plus it has great reviews on it... thanks for the tip

fletch

newband wrote:

seems like a cheap enough car alright, theres a 04 on cbg.i for 14k!!! plus it has great reviews on it... thanks for the tip

Oh and you can't go far wrong with it really....behind the Skoda badge is basically a VW so build quality is second to none. Rear legroom is also excellent.

D!ve^Bomb!

i'll definitely be looking into this skoda fabia.. it has great reviews.. i've checked on other sites and there's plenty of 04s within my price range and its not bad to look at either..

Tech Overhaul

I think the new model ('02 onwards) Toyota Corrolla 3dr are a great looking car and are very realiably. Theres a few nice ones on car buyers guide for around 14,500

garthv

ahem
golfogllfolgolfoglfolgoflgolfoglfoglfoglfolgoflgoflgolfoglfoglfoglfolfgolfoglfoglfoglfoglfolggolf
go golf man!
Mark IV,none of this new model sh*te
you will not regret it

Tech Overhaul

One thing to note when/if getting a golf, get a comfortline model! It does make a big difference. They're around the same price when buying second hand.

garthv

Wizard Archer wrote:

One thing to note when/if getting a golf, get a comfortline model! It does make a big difference. They're around the same price when buying second hand.

you heard the man

fletch

Wizard Archer wrote:

One thing to note when/if getting a golf, get a comfortline model! It does make a big difference.

Yeh dont touch the base model unless you want to build up some muscles with keep fit windows

Merrion

..or a 1969 Porshe 911T (black and chrome) that will double in value in the next 5 years.....
..I think I am preaching to the unconvertable here...

Nuttzz

I believe the 1.4 diesel engine in the skoda fabia is the same as the Audi A2, cant be bad then (told this by an A2 driver)

D!ve^Bomb!

what do ya's reckon... would it be worth my while forking out for a brand new motor such as

SKODA FABIA 1.2 HTP CLASSIC 55BHP or SKODA FABIA 1.2 HTP COMFORT 65BHP (both 5dr hatch) for 14/15k respectively or should i go with a used one with all the extras included at a cheaper price??

The Clown Man

Ok seriously, go to the north for a car and get it registered down here. You can get some class cars up there for great prices even after VRT.

For instance here you can see 2 1999 BMW 318 IS Coupe's for a little over 11k. After VRT your talking around €15500 (assuming you can get 3k-4k at least for your punto.)

Now these are a serious peice of automobile for comfort and style. If you can find one with the chrome/leather interior you are laughing.

Insurance is not such a problem on these cars if you have been driving a while and are over 23. You'll find it anyway.


Btw, this is the exact route i'll be taking in a few months time.

Mutz

The SEAT's are great cars - I drive a cordoba (Saloon Ibiza) and its very spritey (is that a word?) car. Lively engine - good poke when you need it and good fuel economy and a big car feel - the new ones look the business, although it might be a bit much of a family car for you?

The SEAT Leon? Basically a golf Engine with a VW badge and tonnes extra - you'd be mad to buy a golf.

Corrolla Hatchback - look great with a set of alloys

Renault Megane - great cars with lovely ride

unkel

newband wrote:

what do ya's reckon... would it be worth my while forking out for a brand new motor such as

SKODA FABIA 1.2 HTP CLASSIC 55BHP or SKODA FABIA 1.2 HTP COMFORT 65BHP (both 5dr hatch) for 14/15k respectively or should i go with a used one with all the extras included at a cheaper price??

Seeing you are quite keen on the Fabia and a new one is only slightly over budget, that might be a good idea

Skoda do on the road prices. Take into account though that you probably need a few extra's such as metallic paint and remote alarm / central locking. But you will get a discount or a very good price for the Punto

Also don't go for the 55BHP engine. It is only 6 valve and dog slow. The 65BHP is 12 valve and a bit better - I'd strongly advise to get the Ambiente and not the classic. This will make selling your car a hell of a lot easier. The 1.4 is again a better engine, but might be pushing your budget too far

Much more money is the 1.4TDI, which would be very cheap to run, but well outside your budget. If you plan to do a high mileage, this is the one though!

Stark

I've driven both the Volkswagen Polo and the Nissan Micra. I would heavily recommend the Polo over the Micra. The Micra has a gearbox that keeps jamming whereas you can practically operate the Polo gearbox with one finger. The pedals are much smoother on the Polo and as steering goes the car practically steers itself. The steering on the Micra starts rattling like mad when you get to 40mph and above.

D!ve^Bomb!

what are your opinions on the hyundai coupe? has anybody had any experience of it? it has great reviews on cbg.ie. a '01 would be within my budget. do they do a 1.4? i only see 1.6+..

Darwin

what are your opinions on the hyundai coupe? has anybody had any experience of it? it has great reviews on cbg.ie. a '01 would be within my budget. do they do a 1.4? i only see 1.6+..

I drive the current gen coupe (2.0) and it's a fab car. My brother has had all three models of the coupe, and no problems with any of them. The pros are good warranty (3 years), good looks (imho), good spec and value for money. There is no 1.4, only 1.6 and 2.0. The cons are the 1.6 is a bit underpowered, the engine a bit coarse and of course the resale value not great - but that is to your advantage as you are in the market for 2nd hand one. If you can stretch to the newest model, I'd go for that. Considering other models - If you are after a sporty drive I wouldn't rule out the Puma - I use to own one and it was the best handling car I ever drove - slick gear change and pin sharp steering. Build quality was a bit crap though (sticking electric window and rattles). Next in line, I would go consider a (3-door) Focus which offers an excellent drive and good reliability.
Seat Leon is a Golf in disguise but drives better, but I would be wary of Golf/Seat as I've heard from someone in the trade they give a lot of gearbox trouble (my younger brothers Leon needed new gearbox/clutch at 50k).
Anyway, good luck with your choice - it goes without saying if you buy privately, get someone to check out the car first.

D!ve^Bomb!

what about peoples opinions on a SEAT Ibiza 1.2 SIGNO.. looks great and not bad reviews..

ando

I dont mean to barge in on this thread, but do people here think the current Focus model resale value will drop dramatically once the new model comes along?

D!ve^Bomb!

the 3 door 1.4 ford focus is the winner on this one i think.. hyundai is a 1.6 - i'm only 20 so that will kill me on insurance.. the fabia is nice and cheap but i just prefer the focus.. the golf is nice but i was in a friends and it didn't impress me *that* much!! plus i'ver heard good things of the focus.. i could probably get a nice 01.. maybe even a 02 if i stretch the budget a lil:)