First car, what to buy?

Briansie

Hey, im about to buy my first car and was wonderin if anyone has advice on what i should get, budget of about 2k give or take a couple of hundred euro.
Currently considering two almeras, both 1.5 and 2001, and €2200 each, a 2 door hatchback with 66000miles and a saloon wit 91000, any1 had any experience wit these?
Also considering a '00 corolla wit 130,000miles for 2k and a '99 1.5 mazda 323 for €1300 with 115000 on the clock.
Having a tough time deciding what to buy, would like a focus but these are proving quite expensive, and also find both the 1.4 focus and corollas to be quite sluggish, any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

CianRyan

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1400377
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1400276

The second one would be my choice.

johndaman66

Would the insurance be a bit saucy for a first car on a 1.5 almera or Mazda 323 I would have thought? Maybe you have previous named driving experince or going on something like the Hibernian ignition course though. With a budget such as your own I'd be inclined to go for a Japanese car, Toyota/ Honda/ Nissan/ Mazda/ Mitsuibishi or maybe even Hyundai.

Also worth considering the likes of a car derived van such as a 98/99 corolla 2.0 diesel. Some insurance companies give or at least used to when I started out driving some years back, very favourable rates on thses...the fact you will or at least should only be carrying one other passenger at most makes it less of an insurance risk from their point of view. Do bear in mind though that some insurance companies will hardly touch them at all never mind give you a good quote on one...depends on insurance company. If taxed comercially tax should be pretty much on a par with 1.5 car if not less I'd be thinking.

Muckie

I recently helped a friend of the family buy a 00 Almera.
3 door model with 90,000 miles, after looking at 5 of them!

Common fault on them was a rusted cross member, its at the very
front of the car just under the radiator. Found it on 3 of them.

They can also have have worn timing chains, so listen for a rattle
when you take one for a test drive.

But overall i found them to be a nice nippy car. Get an import one,higher spec come with Air con(which is nice in this weather).

bazz26

The 1995 to 2000 Almera was alot more reliable than the later 2000 to 2008 model. I would choose the older one over the newer one every time.

johndaman66

bazz26 wrote: »

The 1995 to 2000 Almera was alot more reliable than the later 2000 to 2008 model. I would choose the older one over the newer one every time.

Renault sourced running gear in the later models? If this is the case such wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

David09

If it's a small car that you're after, go for a ford fiesta with the old 1.3 engine but make sure it has power steering.
They are everything that you could ask for in a small car and are utterly reliable. Handling is excellent, running costs are rock bottom and imo they're more fuel efficient than the zetec ones.
The only disadvantage is that the engines are a tad noisy, being ohv derived but the reliability makes up for this.
They're far nicer cars to drive than corsas or starlets..

Briansie

Thanks for ideas guys, no not that interested in cars as small as the fiesta, just that bit too small for me i feel, and have a years named no claim bonus so insuring a 1.4 or 1.5 is proving to be not that much extra at all.
Still think il probly buy either of the almeras, for the price and mileage their the best i can seem to find really

Max Power1

Briansie wrote: »

Thanks for ideas guys, no not that interested in cars as small as the fiesta, just that bit too small for me i feel, and have a years named no claim bonus so insuring a 1.4 or 1.5 is proving to be not that much extra at all.
Still think il probly buy either of the almeras, for the price and mileage their the best i can seem to find really

if you dont like the fiesta, why not step up to the focus?

Plenty of 1.4 models around

Alanstrainor

Max Power1 wrote: »

if you dont like the fiesta, why not step up to the focus?

Plenty of 1.4 models around

I'd definitely check out the 1.6 model focus over the 1.4, i drove the 1.4 fpr a year, and although it was a good looking car that handled well, the 1.4 was woefully slow. I found it drank petrol too.

Max Power1

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I'd definitely check out the 1.6 model focus over the 1.4, i drove the 1.4 fpr a year, and although it was a good looking car that handled well, the 1.4 was woefully slow. I found it drank petrol too.

I'd agree with you re the larger engine in general. It seems to be part of the Irish car industry to make cars so underpowered to have smaller tax/insurance and an illusion of better fuel economy - which is not always true (like a 1.4 focus/bora/octavia or a 1.6passat/primera/laguna)

I was suggesting the 1.4 for the OP because it may prove easier to insure as there is a big gap between 1.4 and 1.6 cars for 1st time insurance.