which car?

alive

Hi,
I'm looking to buy a used car. Have narrowed down the options to a toyota corrola hatchback, ford focus or opel astra hatchback. Everyone I ask seems to have a different opinion but I was hoping ye could tell me how ye would rank these cars in terms of reliability.
I'll probably be averaging about 20,000-25,000 miles per year and mainly driving small back roads but also some motorway driving on weekends, need something that's handy enough on diesel. What litre engine would ye recommend, I was told a 1.4 would be too small?
I'd really appreciate any advise anyone could give me about this.
Thanks!

ormondprop

one of my friends had a 1.4 corrolla and loved it but it was wrote off when a guy crashed into him, he then bought a 1.8 turbo diesal focus and hated it as it gave nothing but trouble, has since sold it and bought a 1.4 or 1.6 diesal corrolla van and loves it

mathepac

Toyota - it's a no-brainer really.

fonecrusher1

alive wrote: »

Hi,
I'm looking to buy a used car. Have narrowed down the options to a toyota corrola hatchback, ford focus or opel astra hatchback. Everyone I ask seems to have a different opinion but I was hoping ye could tell me how ye would rank these cars in terms of reliability.
I'll probably be averaging about 20,000-25,000 miles per year and mainly driving small back roads but also some motorway driving on weekends, need something that's handy enough on diesel. What litre engine would ye recommend, I was told a 1.4 would be too small?
I'd really appreciate any advise anyone could give me about this.
Thanks!

I'd go for the corolla all day. Yes its boring, dull to drive & soulless but its more powerful than the others & has the same economy. Its a very reliable car & reasonably comfortable. I have a 10 year old corolla & it just plods on & on without fuss. The 1.4 focus is a snail, the astra is less powerful also. That 1.4vvti engine is a little gem & easily shifts the car around at a reasonable pace.

Like all cars theres a few with issues. Oil consumption problems can affect some cars but sure theres no gaurantees in life & these faults are rare. Go for the toyota.

Stevie Dakota

mathepac wrote: »

Toyota - it's a no-brainer really.

Forget 'The car in front is a Toyota', that should be their catch phrase, very apt.

ninty9er

My parents both drive Jap cars and I have no objection to owning one, but I have had 2 Opels and find that the Astra is much more "planted" and feels more solid on the road than either of those or my grandparents' Focus.

The Focus would probably come bottom of the list for me.

squod

alive wrote: »

I'll probably be averaging about 20,000-25,000 miles per year and mainly driving small back roads but also some motorway driving on weekends,!

That's a lot of time spent in a a car. Drive each of them and see which you prefer.

alive

Thanks so much for the replies everyone! Sounds like the corolla is coming out on top then! I test drove all three and thought the astra was really nice, it was a 1.9litre TDI and the corolla was a 1.4 though so prob not really a good comparrison!
The astra is £7,200 and the corolla is £6,500 both have 44,000 miles and the corolla is late 06 wheras the astra is early 08.. Think the astra seems like a good deal but that's alot of power for me! It's a very comfortable car though..