Suggestions/alternative

comanche

Oh dear its another one of these threads! Looking for a few suggestions alternative for what seconder hander to pick up this year.

At the moment am driving a 99 megane, and well its just time to move on and would like to move up market somewhat.

My requirements are comfort, decent bit of poke and a bit of style. I don't like saloons - i think they are pointless. What the point in having a car if it aint practical so I am leaning towards an hatchback or an estate.

My budget is sub 12k

So the only cars that spring to mind are

VW Passat estate
A4 Avant (hard to get one in budget)
V40 ... not too hot on this.

Am also thinking of going diesel coz for a car this size, if i want any decent performance I need would need around the 2L mark for a petrol and well I think that diesel starts being more economical at that stage. However I am not doing large millage.

Other option that has sprung to mind is the ford focus or A3. But after driving a megane for 3 years I want to move out of that class of car.

So anyone got any ideas?

peasant

one

two

three

four

five

all somewhat "outside the box"

comanche

peasant wrote:

one

two

three

four

five

all somewhat "outside the box"

Thanks for the suggestions, but well all petrol apart from the Volvo. Think I would like to get away from petrol (tax & insurance).

Like the 5 series though, but millage & year are negatives. It is something that I will add to my list, perhaps the 320D touring...

maidhc

You would get the last of the Mk1 Avensis D4D hatches (2003, with sensible miles) for around that money. Not a desirable car by any means, but it has poke, is comfortable, and is priced pretty right.

Forget about trying to get a 320d. Anything for 12k will be tired.

peasant

320D touring

there you go:http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=543143

comanche

maidhc wrote:

You would get the last of the Mk1 Avensis D4D hatches (2003, with sensible miles) for around that money. Not a desirable car by any means, but it has poke, is comfortable, and is priced pretty right.

Forget about trying to get a 320d. Anything for 12k will be tired.

Avensis - solid car, but not for me.

See the odd Mazda 6 h/b on car giant which may fit the bill.

comanche

peasant wrote:

there you go:http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=543143

looks nice, but well I can see a car of that age and millage breaking my heart, emptying my wallet and hand cuffing me to the bed as she makes her get away ... well maybe not the last bit, but although these cars are capable of big millage, not willing to take the risk with the size of the repair bills these cars can make!

peasant

The thing is, a diesel engine adds a good bit to the price, compared to the equivalent petrol model. On small annual mileage you're not going to get sufficient savings to make up for that difference. Insurance and tax should be pretty much the same ...they mostly go (up) along with engine size anyway.


different suggestion(s):

have you considered these:
Saab 9-3's

They are fairly cheap second hand, not a bad car, quite pokey and with a very useful boot. (Number 33 looks like a pretty good deal to me)

junkyard

A Ford Focus or Mondeo diesel estate is probably one of the best choices from a value for money point of view and they're nice to drive and cheap to run too, worth a look anyway.

comanche

junkyard wrote:

A Ford Focus or Mondeo diesel estate is probably one of the best choices from a value for money point of view and they're nice to drive and cheap to run too, worth a look anyway.

Yeah I think the ford focus is the way I am leaning. Just don't like the fact that anything in the sub 12k budget is old school focus. Also would have to pick one up in the uk to find a tdci and decent spec - everything here seems to be poverty spec 90psi

Mondeo has no residuals from what I can see...

but good suggestion, its the sensible option unfortunately...