What car??

Kazzer00

I'm planning on buying an '04 or '05 hatchback for the €12000-€14,000 mark. I had my heart set on a Megane but have read some bad reviews. Other options would be Ctiroen C4 or Opel Astra. Anybody any pointers? Thanks.

drdre

id go for a vw golf new model, much better drive and good resale value.

fletch

None of the above tbh but if I had choose from the given list, then most definately the Astra. Otherwise, Golf all the way

ballinloughan

Have you considered a commerical SUV - toyota landcruiser / Tropper / Pajero .. 2000,2001 .. ?

Kazzer00

The new golf is possibly a go-er although not sure that its within budget. Not keen on an SUV - thanks though.

ballinloughan

No worries - what about passat diesel 2002/3 .. you plan on doing alot of miles?

Kazzer00

ballinloughan wrote:

No worries - what about passat diesel 2002/3 .. you plan on doing alot of miles?

My mileage is usually very low - about 8,000 yearly - so diesel wouldn't be of huge benefit to me. Also really not keen on going older than '04.

Thanks for the reply all the same

Weaselator

Would rec a golf myself too, pricier tho as u pay a premium for golfs in this country. Had a megane coupe myself a few years back and never again!
Out of the options I'd go for the Astra tho

deman

After writing off my 03 Primera 2 and half weeks ago, I decided to spend the insurance money on an 03 Renault Scenic. Number 1 reason - Safety. Got 3 kids to watch out for.

That's why I recommended the Megane.
Opel - NO. Had one, never again.
Never had a Citreon so can't say.

colm_mcm

I wouldn't go for any of those 3. I'd be putting the Golf, Corolla, Leon, Focus all ahead of them.

junkyard

I wouldn't touch a Renault, Citroen, Opel or a Golf with a barge poll to be honest none of them are up to scratch for the money, especially the Golf which is totally overrated. If I was you I'd buy a Ford Focus or a Toyota Corolla if you want a car that will sell again and do the job its intended for and not break you heart and your wallet.

sk8board

Have an older Megane ('00) that we use to dump in the railway station for some paint-swapping with the other drivers

I have to say its as good as the day it was bought; but I have heard lots of bad things about the newer model.
Everyone naturally suggests the golf and focus, but sometimes its hard to get good value 2nd hand (perhaps better value 'new', if thats possible!)

1.4 VAG (golf/leon/octavia) is a dog, at 75bhp, and 2 tonnes weight

newer megane not much better (mine is 96bhp 16v). go for the 1.6 if possible (in any make/model you choose)

sdanseo

Personally I'd get an older Beamer 3 Series...;)

But restricted to the vote...go for the astra. No competition IMO.

drdre

Kazzer00 wrote:

The new golf is possibly a go-er although not sure that its within budget. Not keen on an SUV - thanks though.

make the budget for it, go for a test drive in it and you will know what we are talking about.they are the best cars in that range.

TempestSabre

drdre wrote:

make the budget for it, go for a test drive in it and you will know what we are talking about.they are the best cars in that range.

How so?

junkyard

I don't think so, VW's, all of them, are overrated. VW stopped making decent cars in the early 1990's. The modern ones are overly complicated and troublesome to say the least. I used to be a big supporter of VW's, I have six mark 2 Golf GTI's and a beetle but there's no doubt in my mind the modern stuff is rubbish.

bazz26

Of the three mentioned above I would go with the Astra but not a great choice imo.

I had an Opel Vectra a few years ago and it broke my heart so I am not a big fan of Opels. I have also found Opel dealers and Opel Ireland's after sales service very poor indeed. Not sure about the Astra though maybe they are not as bad as the Vectra was.

Renaults, Peugeots and Citroens tend to be hit and miss imo. Some people have had no trouble with them but equally they have broken some people's hearts too. They are so complex with electronic gadgets these days that there is so much which can potentially go wrong. These can be expensive to put right.

Are these the only three that you would consider? There are alot of other cars out there in this class and price range. Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon are a few that come to mind. I would check these out before making a final decision.

icemanjimbo04

None of the three for me.. Golfs are too slow and heavy.

As said before 00 BMW 316, same spec as any 04 car with great reliability
and a great image, the only downside its a 1.8..

I have a focus now, cheap reliable and handles great..

Not enough Japanese cars mentioned. Nissan Almera, Honda civic..

Volvo s40 worth a mention, or an Alpha 156 for looks and handling but seriously unreliable..

Stark

sk8board wrote:

Have an older Megane ('00) that we use to dump in the railway station for some paint-swapping with the other drivers

I have to say its as good as the day it was bought; but I have heard lots of bad things about the newer model.

My parents have been going with Renault cars for years. The early '00s Megane was a lovely car, stylish, reliable and great to drive. The new model is a poorly built tank.

My uncle has an Opel Astra and while I think it's a lovely car (When away on holidays with friends, we often rent one), he said it's a **** if anything goes wrong with it as servicing is generally very expensive. The timing belt in particular is meant to be a nightmare to replace. The new Megane is the same with the timing belt, if you want to replace the belt, you have to replace the water cooler as well (not a cheap job).

After having the Focus experience, I'd love to own one. The thing is like a TARDIS, looks small on the outside and is easy to handle, but volumes of room on the inside.

crosstownk

Of the 3 you list I'd go with the Astra. I'm a bit 'nervous' of French cars. I agree with others - consider the Golf.

overdriver

Corolla, Corolla, Corolla

Thank you, that is all.

junkyard

Focus.

overdriver

Why the Focus over the Corolla, Junky?
Makes no sense to me.

TempestSabre

overdriver wrote:

Why the Focus over the Corolla, Junky?
Makes no sense to me.

Its nicer to drive for starters.

Tabnabs

Seat Leon, "the poor man's golf", go for the 1.6L for decent power! Same bloody engine as the VW with the Seat badge slapped on to it.

junkyard

overdriver wrote:

Why the Focus over the Corolla, Junky?
Makes no sense to me.

I think the Focus is a nicer car allround, nicer looking, nicer to drive and more choice of options over the Corolla. While the Corolla is a good enough car it strikes me as being a bit bland, that and the fact that I got f**ked around by my Toyota dealer with a warranty issues a few years ago.

joolsveer

I drive a Megane and have had an Astra. I wouldn't consider buying any of the three. My Megane has been in the garage about a dozen times in its three year life - only one visit was for a service. Lovely car but bad build and main dealers. The electrics are another problem. I love French cars but would not like to buy another because I can't afford the down time. I would buy a Toyota before I would buy any European car.

Kazzer00

Ok so I've decided I'll probably go for the Golf which I know was none of the 3 that I originally put down but it seems most popular plus the value won't drop as quickly as other models.

So here's my predicament - should I buy in December or January? I'm a very impatient person and SSIA comes through in December so would love to get a car sorted asap however would I be better off waiting til Jan 07 when the price I would have to pay for the Golf will have dropped (as its a new year) or would the price drop be significant enough to bother waiting. If I wait my car that I want to sell will also drop in value but not to the same degree as its a 2000 Renault Clio Sport worth about €5K...

attavalla

You've chosen well.
I'm on my third renault (19, Megane coupe, Laguna) and it's definitely my last. Best friend has an 04 megane and it's been a nightmare, on one of it's frequent trips to the dealer, its replacement a (Brand new) megane blew out the back window when its heater was turned on.
I've driven older Golfs, Focus and Corolla and IMHO all 3 are way ahead of your original wish list.
Personally I'd have gone for the corolla, but the golf won't let you down¡

Did you consider the Leon? Have heard great stuff about them.

unkel

Kazzer00 wrote:

So here's my predicament - should I buy in December or January?

You know the answer to that yourself

Having it on '06 plates will cost you a couple of grand come resale in a few years time. The longer you intend to keep the car, the less this figure becomes relevant

Bear in mind that good deals can be had for pre-registered cars at the end of the year though, although the discount on a new Golf is not huge

The extra depreciation of your trade in is insignificant compared with the extra depreciation of your new car