€3000 to spend on a first car.

ozt9vdujny3srf · 29-03-2010 9:51am #1

Hey guys, I have 3000 euros to spend on my first car, and was hoping to find something that:

Is cheap to run and reliable
Is relatively comfortable for long journeys
Can carry a bit of a load (I'll be putting roof racks on it and using it to transport kayaks through mountain roads)
Is cheap to insure (I'm a young male driver).
Is not tiny!
Van's are acceptable!

I have been looking through carzone, and havent been able to find anything that really tickles my fancy, heres by far the nicest one I saw:

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Audi/A4/estate/201012197310010/advert?channel=CARS
Though it might cost a bit to insure?

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

EPM · 29-03-2010 10:13am

First car, any driving experience? That could open up a lot more options. If not I'd pass on the Audi.

Maybe a 1.4 (1.6 is better) Focus estate?

ozt9vdujny3srf · 29-03-2010 10:26am

1 year named in a 00 1L Nissan Micra (and have full Licence). I had the focus estate in mind, but didnt seem to come up in any of my carzone searches.

bazz26 · 29-03-2010 2:01pm

Astra vans can be bought pretty cheap these days:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=Car&carID=200933194921361&message=You%20searched%20for%3A%20Opel%20Astra%201%2E7%20Dsl%2E%20Your%20search%20returned%20one%20vehicle%2C%20which%20is%20shown%20below%2E&CFID=108501548&CFTOKEN=87843218

You also have the passenger version:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201010197188454

or Ford Focus estate:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200936195089907

ozt9vdujny3srf · 02-04-2010 11:58pm

I know I'm on a tiny budget, but how many mils is too much?

I have limited knowledge, but ,y gut would be to go for something80 / 90 000km ish with a new timing belt.

fonecrusher1 · 03-04-2010 12:16am

Ellen Bewildered Shackle wrote: »

I know I'm on a tiny budget, but how many mils is too much?

I have limited knowledge, but ,y gut would be to go for something80 / 90 000km ish with a new timing belt.

Hello.

Just remember average yearly mileage is about 10,000 miles so just multiply the year of the car by 10k. Therefore if a 6 year old car has 120,000 miles on it, it has been very well used.
Having said that mileage figures aren't everything. How well a car has been maintained is of huge importance.
A car with low mileage that has been very poorly maintained could be in worse shape than a well looked after high miler.

Just get it checked by a mechanic as they will know the difference.

Alanstrainor · 03-04-2010 12:17am

Ellen Bewildered Shackle wrote: »

I know I'm on a tiny budget, but how many mils is too much?

I have limited knowledge, but ,y gut would be to go for something80 / 90 000km ish with a new timing belt.

You're going to have to look at every car individually and not go in thinking a car with 90000kms is better than a car with 190000kms. Because that is simply not the case. And not every car even has a timing belt, so again look at each car as they come.

Tea 1000 · 03-04-2010 12:22am

€3000 to spend on a first car.

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