Which 1.4L? Got 7-8k to spend

kifi

Looking to upgrade from my 1L '97 VW Polo which now has 90k on it.
I have been looking at 01 Almeras as I am attracted by their reliability and the looks of the car dont bother me. A Corolla would be nice but they seem to sell a little higher for the same mileage of the Almera. I would like to get a motor with 40-60k on the clock. Meganes seem to be available cheaper than the Almeras again but I am not as sure on their reliablity.

Any opinions?

colm_mcm

01 Almeras are 1.5, and aren't as highly regarded as the older model. Consider a Mazda 323 or Toyota Corolla

bazz26

Also consider the Ford Focus:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=445900
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=447999

Though the 1.4 Focus is a bit sluggish but no more than a 1.5 Almera. The Focus is alot better than the Almera and worth more come trade-in time. The hatchback is alot prettier than the saloon and easier to sell.

Another to look at is the Seat Leon:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=420590
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=441933

Most parts are from the VW Golf/Aud A3/Skoda Octavia, prettiest of the bunch imo.

Plenty of Toyota Corollas going for €7k-€8k but the older model:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=368292
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=423161

And dare I mention it but how about the Skoda Octavia:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=361447
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=420129

The Octavia is the same as the Golf/Leon, etc. It has a huge boot and always does well in reliability surveys.

unkel

kifi wrote:

I have been looking at 01 Almeras as I am attracted by their reliability and the looks of the car dont bother me

The Almera is just about perfect for you so. High depreciation has already been suffered by previous owner(s). The car is still very reliable. You couldn't give a monkeys about the look or feel and you just want an A to B vehicle. You don't care how well it drives at all

All of this can be said about a Toyota Corolla, with the exception that it hasn't already depreciated much. In other words: way too expensive second hand

lomb

unkel, that year of almera is one of the worst cars on the road.stearing loose and all over place is main problem.like u can use the stearing like they do in old movies and nothing happens!and thats from new. dangerous car imho. they got bettter more recent though..

i was driving my mkiv the other day although thr stearing isnt direct like a sportscar, its does turn when u move it slightly.its more mercedes with recirculating ball. cant feel bumps in road so relaxinG over distance without being loose.lovely...consider a mkiv, alhtough they are dear, they dont cost alot to keep and regardless of what boardsies say they are a lovely car that get better with time whereas stuff like focus look tired as the years pass. if ur budget stretches id get a 2002 or 2003 one. make sure it makes a ticking noise on the right underbonnet though. this is a pump that sorts the clogging throttle body problem that plagued earlier mkivs.

Mailman

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=439816
I'd guess if you offered €5K or less they'd take it.

Thinking outside the box - Rover 45.
Well specified car with a pokey engine and by '02 the head gasket issues on the K-series engine should have been resolved not that they ever affected the 1.4 to the same extent as the 1.8..
At 17K miles it's practically new.

bogmanfan

I was in the same position recently and went for an Audi A2 1.4. I got a 2001 with 60k on it for e7000. Nice and nippy, and attracts lustful stares everywhere you go. There's a few 2001s on Carzone for around 8000

maidhc

Those rovers are starting to look like good value! Hell you would even have 3k left for repairs if the worst happened....

The Almeras were a fantastic car as regards reliability, as dull as ditch water, but they just stayed going. The newer ones seem to be showing more renault influences and are definately not screwed together as well. A s/h one might be an OK buy at the right money.

A golf is isn't a very wise place to invest s/h.

unkel

lomb wrote:

unkel, that year of almera is one of the worst cars on the road.stearing loose and all over place is main problem.like u can use the stearing like they do in old movies and nothing happens!and thats from new. dangerous car imho

I had a '01 1.5 for a day 5 years ago and it was ok for going from A to B. Can't remember the steering, but it sure wasn't dangerous

For the price of an '01 Almera, you'd probably only get a '98 Golf. Golfs are stupidly overpriced second hand in this country

tred

Mailman wrote:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=439816
I'd guess if you offered €5K or less they'd take it.

Thinking outside the box - Rover 45.
Well specified car with a pokey engine and by '02 the head gasket issues on the K-series engine should have been resolved not that they ever affected the 1.4 to the same extent as the 1.8..
At 17K miles it's practically new.

that car is brilliant value. No matter about the fact rover are bust..but if u wanted a second car for runner around its brilliant value....if ur doing small miles....id jump at the rover..and ignore what anyone says to you....

cargrouch

unkel wrote:

Golfs are stupidly overpriced second hand in this country

QFT:D But maybe "stupidly" is a bit strong.

I don't think there are any "dangerous" cars on the market these days. (Although you could make a case for micro-mini cars and "possessed" fly-by-wire Renaults and BMWs;) )
OFF TOPIC:
possessed renault
satanic_renault
satanic_bmw


Back on topic:
OP, I wouldn't be too worried about mileage (within reason)on the Corolla or the Almera. Both of these would be fine choices reliability wise*. Judge it on what is the best you can get for a price - the best for you may mean - drive, which is more comfortable, extras, running costs etc

*Disclaimer: based on my personal experience and general opinion of older Nissans. I haven't experienced this particular model or any Renault influenced Nissans.

unkel

The Rover is very good value. But there are a few buts

- You won't be able to sell it. Doesn't matter of course if you intend to drive it into the ground

- It is very much old skool (as in 15 years old)

- Head gasket failure (then again if you have a friendly mechanic, it might not be that painful - brother in law got his fixed for only €400 including a service)

- Parts will be available, but the price of them is likely to sky-rocket

- Rover is over, so there are no Rover dealers. You'll have to go elsewhere for repairs / maintenance

cargrouch wrote:

satanic_bmw

We've discussed that one here before. That driver is an eejit

tred

unkel wrote:

The Rover is very good value. But there are a few buts

- You won't be able to sell it. Doesn't matter of course if you intend to drive it into the ground

- It is very much old skool (as in 15 years old)

- Head gasket failure (then again if you have a friendly mechanic, it might not be that painful - brother in law got his fixed for only €400 including a service)

- Parts will be available, but the price of them is likely to sky-rocket

- Rover is over, so there are no Rover dealers. You'll have to go elsewhere for repairs / maintenance



We've discussed that one here before. That driver is an eejit

True but Rover engines are not that complicated meaning any decent mechanic iwll keep it going for you. AS far as i know, the 02 model isnt as prone to gasket failure and as a previous poster said the 1.4 is usually solid. Yuoll never move it on. But like i said if u wanted a second car for running around....u couldnt go wrong with it..

Eoin

unkel wrote:

I had a '01 1.5 for a day 5 years ago and it was ok for going from A to B. Can't remember the steering, but it sure wasn't dangerous

For the price of an '01 Almera, you'd probably only get a '98 Golf. Golfs are stupidly overpriced second hand in this country

I also had a 1.5 Almera for a few days last month, and not only did I not remember the steering, but I can barely remember driving it at all. Most. Boring. Car. Ever.

Again, I agree with your sentiments about the golf; over priced, sluggish and not overly reliable.

gobby

Not many people talking about the Corolla. I would like to know what peeps think of these. A while back I was looking at getting one (didn't in the end. Long story). I was looking for a 00ish 1.4 16 valve vvti hatchback (not liftback).

Opinions?

phoenix_nights

bogmanfan wrote:

I was in the same position recently and went for an Audi A2 1.4. I got a 2001 with 60k on it for e7000. Nice and nippy, and attracts lustful stares everywhere you go. There's a few 2001s on Carzone for around 8000

Not sure about those lusful stares ! Think its different but wouldnt really want (and i appreciate the aluminum body and quiet ride ) to be seen in it to be fair.

kifi

Nobody has mentioned Renault Meganes? Any opinions on 01/02 models?
Theres no way I would be interested in a Golf, they're overpriced and over-rated.
I actually wouldnt mind driving the Audi A2 but I guess the maintenance costs on these would be higher i.e. servicing and parts? Hows the A2 on reliability?
After reading the posts about the Almeras I am slightly put off

cargrouch

kifi wrote:

Nobody has mentioned Renault Meganes? Any opinions on 01/02 models?

I'm gonna be flamed to bits for this but I'd rather a 01/02 Fiat Bravo 1.2 to a Megane. Yes, there are known problems (at least if you know what to expect you can deal with them better) with the Bravo but it would be my preference. Just my preference, not gonna get into my feelings on meganes - you've already been put off one car!

We haven't had a Fiat or Alfa bash all week, have we?

unkel

cargrouch wrote:

I'm gonna be flamed to bits for this but I'd rather a 01/02 Fiat Bravo 1.2 to a Megane

I'll share the burns with ya

How about a Fiat Stilo? You'd get a modern car with lots of goodies. For your budget you'd easily pick up a '03 Stilo 1.2. With the added benefits of running a 1.2 that's more powerful than the 1.4 Golf

bogmanfan

phoenix_nights wrote:

Not sure about those lusful stares ! Think its different but wouldnt really want (and i appreciate the aluminum body and quiet ride ) to be seen in it to be fair.

It is a real love it/hate it car alright. Personally, I fall into the former camp. As I'm sure do the designers of the C4.

bogmanfan

kifi wrote:

I actually wouldnt mind driving the Audi A2 but I guess the maintenance costs on these would be higher i.e. servicing and parts? Hows the A2 on reliability?

I did some research before I got mine. You won't get any real idea of reliability from Ireland, since there's so few of them about, but the ADAC, the German AA, ranked it as the most reliable car in Germany in 2003 and 2004. Apparently there's tons of them there.
Of all the 1.4s I looked at, the A2 was streets ahead in my opinion. Loads of space (I'm 6'4") and the dash/interior look really smart, much better than most newer cars. Plus, at around 23k+ new, a 5-year-old is great value used. As for parts, the engine is the same as the 1.4 Polo, so should be no problems there. Bodywork could be expensive to repair however.

colm_mcm

Any 01 Almeras I've drivwen (a good few) haven't had any problems with steering. No ABS till last year though

Seanie M

Just seeing the first couple of posts, so I'll throw in my own to follow those ones!

Meganes? Stay away! They have a very poor reliability record. Blown lights, faulty connectors and electrical problems, and some engine issues too. Their fancy gizmos tend to be unreliable.

Almera? Can't say I have driven one I'm afraid. Though I will add that I have noticed relatively new Almera's on the road that bellow smoke, on both petrol and diesel engines. Why, I don't know, but something to be aware of, for some reason, I guess.

Another 1.4 option? What about a Citroen Xsara? I have had one for over 3 years now - a '99 1.4i. I have 122,000 miles on it (over 60,000 of them are mine), and it is still going strong. Its a nice nippy little 1.4, even if only an 8 valve Coupé! Extremely economical too - get about 520 miles from a full-to-the-brim tank (most I have clocked on it).

I wouldn't hesitate a Xsara - and for the money available to you, you should be able to get the remodelled 2000 and upwards model too (has some extra features the previous 1997 to 1999 models didn't have, like the fancier headlights, reduced engine and road noise in cabin, gizmos inside, torque on the engine).

Just my 2 cents worth.

Seanie.

pburns

Meganes - like a previous poster said - stay away. Renaults are great in the showroom - lots of gizmos but age withers 'em.

Almera - I had a Mk 1 Almera. Dull as ditchwater but great car, great handling & really reliable. Later model not a patch on it IMO.

Corolla - the old model from 01 is crap to drive. I had one for a week a few years ago, not a patch on the contemporary Almera.

Mazda 323 - very reliable, often overlooked.

kifi

I am actually seriously considering an Audi A2 at the moment. Looks good to me!

Big Balls

bogmanfan wrote:

Nice and nippy, and attracts lustful stares everywhere you go.

????

I must be drunk. I can't be reading what I am!? An Audi A2!!! :eek:

bogmanfan

kifi wrote:

I am actually seriously considering an Audi A2 at the moment. Looks good to me!

Go for it! Last month's issue of Top Gear magazine had a feature on the A2, called it an undiscovered gem and mentioned that looks, safety and performance put many 06 cars to shame. Plus, I've read reports of used prices in the UK actually going up!!!

kifi

A slight problem is that there's not many of these A2s around. A few being available up north adds to my options but paying the VRT makes it unreasonable

bogmanfan

Yeah, they seem to be dearer up north and over the water than they are here. I was just lucky that when I wanted to get one, there were several available. Looking at Carzone, some of the ones I saw must have been sold in the last few weeks. I went down to Cashel (from Dublin) to buy mine. Still, it's a fine automobile and worth hunting for. Both my Focus-driving sister and Polo-driving gf are very impressed with it.

elven

We have an A3 and when it went in to the audi garage for work got the A2 1.4 tdi, and woooo hoo, that thing was nippy. Strange driving position and when it rained i though someone had opened fire on my roof with a machine gun... but ooh, it was really fun to drive in the city and also really steady and smooth on the motorway. I wish I could get one

zod

2003 newer shape seat Ibiza 1.4 5 door for about 7K

VW underpinnings and looks the part also.

next

Livewire304

I bought a 01 almera a little while back and the only think i find bad about it is the fuel consumtion. Starting to think there is a hole in my tank or something. But other than that the car is damn relaible. There are a site of almera's on the road and they are one of the most popular cars used for taxi drivers and not all of them can be wrong.