what are my options

ntlbell

I'm looking to by a new car (new to me ) and I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction.

I've only about 7-8k of a budget

Looking for a saloon 1.6-2.0 engine

must be light enough on the petrol..

air con..

reliable but also relatively cheap to maintain, e.g. I couldn't really afford to maintain a BMW at the moment

I have a fairly short commute to work and some trips down the bog

apart from that I'm open to pretty much any suggestions

wingnut

Mondy

LolaDub

Need a bit more info, 2 or 4 door, petrol/diesel/either, what costs and mileage are you thinking of / what years are you considering?

From the sounds of it i'd be thinking a VW passat/Mazda 6/Ford Mondeo. You might get a decent a4 if you can handle the running costs.

ntlbell

LolaDub wrote: »

Need a bit more info, 2 or 4 door, petrol/diesel/either, what costs and mileage are you thinking of / what years are you considering?

From the sounds of it i'd be thinking a VW passat/Mazda 6/Ford Mondeo. You might get a decent a4 if you can handle the running costs.

Thought I mentioned petrol...

If it's not in my OP I'll consider it

e.g. amount of doors etc I don't have any real preference

MugMugs

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Avensis/VVTI-LUNA/1197364/

colm_mcm

that's a nice car MugMugs, those old type Avensis 1.6 VVT-i are very good on fuel, and the runout Luna model is well equipped.

Also consider:


http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Accord/1.8i-SE/1144325/


http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/1.6-SE/1087565/


http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Avensis/Aura-New/1052262/

Do you actually need a saloon car, do you bring passengers a lot?


http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Mini/One/Salt-Pack/1198362/

MugMugs

colm_mcm wrote: »

that's a nice car MugMugs, those old type Avensis 1.6 VVT-i are very good on fuel, and the runout Luna model is well equipped.

I only second looked it there !

Nice car.... Looks fairly clean too.

If I wanted one, i'd get it.

bazz26

Alot of car for the money:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Alfa-Romeo/156/1.8-TI/1201592/

Martron

would the reliablility not be an issue?

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I'd go for a civic or accord

ntlbell

colm_mcm wrote: »

Do you actually need a saloon car, do you bring passengers a lot?
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I don't actually carry a lot of passengers, it's just more of an attraction to the shape.

bazz26

Martron wrote: »

would the reliablility not be an issue?

Alfas are fine if properly looked after, they just require more TLC than most other makes of cars.

If the OP is not used to checking things under the bonnet or just turns the key then maybe an Alfa is probably not a good suggestion.

ntlbell

bazz26 wrote: »

If the OP is not used to checking things under the bonnet or just turns the key then maybe an Alfa is probably not a good suggestion.

I turn the key, when the service light blinks i book it in...

that's about it

colm_mcm

so looks are a factor then? souldn't you include coupes in your search then?

jimbling

ntl... how's it going man. I've just traded in my Skoda Octavia vRS, but I would honestly advise anyone looking at that price range to look at that car. It's fantastic. It's got everything you're looking for.
check my add below to see some pics. Theres a black one on carzone been sold for 6,200.

edit: they're fast, reliable, do 30mpg, has a/c and all the other extras.

Martron

i just had a mondeo for last 2 months. lovely car. solid as a tank. quick and nippy. 2 litre diesel. economical eonugh to. and one of the most comfortable cars i have driven in a long time. it was a 2005.

ntlbell

colm_mcm wrote: »

so looks are a factor then? souldn't you include coupes in your search then?

I just happen to like the shape of a saloon I don't particularly like coupe's or hatchbacks or bubbly micra's

Looks are important up to point of I only really like saloon cars

if that makes sense?

if it's beaten up old banger saloon I don't care, I'm not trying to impress the neighbor's :pac:

colm_mcm

is the year of the car important to you?

ntlbell

colm_mcm wrote: »

is the year of the car important to you?

Nope, not at all.

colm_mcm

Would a premium brand like Lexus appeal to you, for example, would you take a 99 Lexus IS200 before a newer Avensis of the same mileage?

What I'm trying to figure out is if you're prepared to pay extra for a more desirable car.

fifth

I recommend my current (soon to be previous) car

2001

1.4

Honda Civic Saloon 4dr

Fantastic car for the money you'll get one for around €6,000.

Reliable as ever..being Honda, quick (for a 1.4!), comfortable ride and interior. Plenty of boot space, requires little attention , service once every year/year half, and it'll last you years.. and you'll still get a decent resale value.

I got the newer model which looks better than the pre-01 models. There's a few of them knocking around although they do seem to go quickly off the forecourts in my past experience.

e.g this one

ntlbell

colm_mcm wrote: »

Would a premium brand like Lexus appeal to you, for example, would you take a 99 Lexus IS200 before a newer Avensis of the same mileage?

What I'm trying to figure out is if you're prepared to pay extra for a more desirable car.

Wouldn't the Lexus be a bit costly from a maintence point of view?

I was considering a Lexus but I thought like a BMW it would cost a lot to maintain for parts etc

colm_mcm

The IS wouldn't be bad for maintainance. they don't tend to give electrical problems, but items like suspension arms sometimes need replacing, and that can be quite pricey.

That said, based on my experience of them, I wouldn't say that an IS200 would be any more costly than an A4 or a Passat. they're very well built and extremely reliable. Parts aren't as cheap as Toyota parts, but they're not ridiculous either.