need a cheap A to B car

homeless student

Hi, my car(95 1.4 astra)just failed the nct, gonna cost 700-800 to fix so iv decided to buy a new car, willing to spend 2000 euro max, my mother got a 1.2 corsa a year ago for 2000 euro great little car, never had any problems with it and flew the nct so I am considering getting 1 although id like something a bit more pleasing on the eye if possible,my astra wasnt standard looking to say the least,spent thousands on it over the years but that was when I had money, doing a posgrad at the mo and have a year and a half of it to go and ill probably be emigrating then so really all I want is a cheap runabout that is reliable.

also stupidly I bought 4 brand new tyres for my car 3 weeks ago, 205/40/r17 so will try to sell them if I can get a few quid for them,if anyone knows where to sell them, let me know. cheers.

Ded_Zebra

So you are on a tight budget so you want to spend €2000 on a new car rather than €800 on the car you have now?

Makes sense to me.

Alanstrainor

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

So you are on a tight budget so you want to spend €2000 on a new car rather than €800 on the car you have now?

Makes sense to me.

To be fair, spending 800 on a car, which isn't worth 500, and where I can imagine more bills appearing quickly is a bit mental. I can see the logic in moving on.

Chuck Stone

Renault Clio
2002
1.2
91,000 Miles
€1,500



http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4333025

homeless student

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Renault Clio
2002
1.2
91,000 Miles
€1,500



http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4333025[/QUOTE]

my sister has a clio and has spent hundreds on it in the last two years fixing it,wouldnt go near one.

bazz26

Have a look at something like this:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3872583

or something like this:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4147037

mickdw

If you are studying and low on cash,, get a fiesta for about 1k. Reliable, cheap to fix, comfortable and for a small car, not half bad on a long run.

NOVEM12

As above, cheap fiesta 1 to 3k sounds just the job, cheap to run easy to repair
Usually easy to sell on.

George Dalton

Those Fiestas are all falling apart with rust by now, I'd be wary of recommending one tbh!

OP, if you could stretch the budget even to €2500 you would have a much better chance of getting a good sound car than trying to find something decent in the €1500-2000 bracket.

mickdw

George Dalton wrote: »

Those Fiestas are all falling apart with rust by now, I'd be wary of recommending one .

Fair enough. I've seen a few very very tidy ones recently though.
Where are they rusting?

George Dalton

Sills and rear arches mainly, but lots of other places too.

corktina

i've two fiestas sat in my drive, neither are falling apart from rust. For sale at €400 the pair on Donedeal....The catch? well one has a blown engine (but 6 months NCT) but is a smart little low mileage car ; the other is very chalenged but the engine works. True Bangernomics if you are handy with the spanners.

Del2005

Alanstrainor wrote: »

To be fair, spending 800 on a car, which isn't worth 500, and where I can imagine more bills appearing quickly is a bit mental. I can see the logic in moving on.

There's also a couple of hundred Euro of new tyres on the OPs car. No matter what people say about this or that car being bullet proof in the 2nd hand car game there's always a risk of buying a money pit. €800 to fix the OPs car and €1200 for any other repairs is better than €2000 on someone else's problems, especially since the OP is planning on emigrating.

ancuncha

how about this
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4334040
i know audi isn't the 1st car to come to mind for cheap and cheerful, but i had a good few of them and the are misers on fuel

I can't quite remember the figures, but i figured out one time that the difference between the extra tax and the fuel economy of a tdi vs a small petrol car was about even at around the 5700 miles, so doing more than that mileage in the year would mean saving money driving the bigger more comfortable car

as for reliability the most reliable cars i ever had

mickdw

Touch of the scumbag to that one imo.

ancuncha

mickdw wrote: »

Touch of the scumbag to that one imo.

probably, i'd have a straight normal one myself, but re-read the op, he seems to be into that stuff a bit

homeless student

George Dalton wrote: »

Those Fiestas are all falling apart with rust by now, I'd be wary of recommending one tbh!

OP, if you could stretch the budget even to €2500 you would have a much better chance of getting a good sound car than trying to find something decent in the €1500-2000 bracket.

really? I thought if I picked up a car for around 2000 euro with a year plus nct id be ok,iv seen a few on done deal that have just passed the nct 2004 cars(2000 euro mark) some with 1 year plus nct,thought they would be a sound buy? i would stretch to 2500 if i know im getting a car that will just require a service every year and no repair jobs, I also do very little driving now as I get the train to college and just need a car so as not to loose my independence,iv had one the last 10 years,id be lost without one.

homeless student

ancuncha wrote: »

probably, i'd have a straight normal one myself, but re-read the op, he seems to be into that stuff a bit

im not into being a scumbag:)

natnifnolnacs

for your budget I'd find a decent focus and get that. They are good at what they do and don't break often. Not the most exciting of cars, but it'll get you around for a year or 2 until you can get something a bit nicer.

bazz26

Del2005 wrote: »

There's also a couple of hundred Euro of new tyres on the OPs car. No matter what people say about this or that car being bullet proof in the 2nd hand car game there's always a risk of buying a money pit. €800 to fix the OPs car and €1200 for any other repairs is better than €2000 on someone else's problems, especially since the OP is planning on emigrating.

That is on the assumption that nothing else failes on the OP's Astra which is almost 18 years old.

homeless student

anyone any opinions on getting a corsa,have seen them 2003-2004 for 2000-2300 euro. my mother has had 2 of them and never had any problems with them,just wondering was she lucky or are they a reliable car in general?

bazz26

2004 Ford Fiesta with over 12 months NCT for a little over budget:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4299785

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4309180[/URL]

Great car my Aunt has a 00 and it's a very reliable car, never gave any trouble and is chain cam.

This is just one example.

I think the 4 pot 1.0L are a far better engine than the 3 pot rubbish they have these days.

Del2005

bazz26 wrote: »

That is on the assumption that nothing else failes on the OP's Astra which is almost 18 years old.

Whats to say that the car they buy won't need major repair work. Loads of people posting about this car or that car being bullet proof the only way to find out is to skimp on services or thrash it.  Buying 2nd hand is a gamble, the less you pay for bigger the gamble. €1200 will pay for a lot of repairs. €2000 means no money for repairs.

If I was doing low mileage, didn't need it for college /work, was emigrating in the next year or so I wouldn't be spending €2k on a car. Once everything else on my current car was fairly sound, the NCT hasn't flagged anything else, I'd repair. If I was going to buy a car it'd be a few hundred Euro with some tax and NCT, if it turned out to be a heap I'd repeat. You'd get some money back on scrap value and still have spent less.

homeless student

ok so I have been thinking some more and made up my mind ill probably go for a open corsa 1 liter 03-05 or a toyota corolla 1.4 litre 00-01

looters

Consider a Nissan almera, loads of cheap ones around. Very reliable.

homeless student

looters wrote: »

Consider a Nissan almera, loads of cheap ones around. Very reliable.

have read some horror stories about almeras on here so wont be going for one of them.

goz83

Those old astras are great cars. You'd be mad to get something else for 2k for just a year. With a small budget, you could be stung for 2k.

homeless student

goz83 wrote: »

Those old astras are great cars. You'd be mad to get something else for 2k for just a year. With a small budget, you could be stung for 2k.

ya I know and theres only 125000 on the clock,not bad for a 95 but im being forced to scrap it really,if the nct was never introduced im convinced i could happily drive the astra for another 3 or 4 years as they failed me on modified front bumper,tinted windows,excessive noise from the full stainless exhaust and things like that,the engine is going great in it.

Something like this then? Comes in well under budget, if it doesn't burn oil and the timing chain isn't rattling it'll go forever.

Corolla 1.4 VVTI, 2001, 114k, NCT'd.

Stunning pearl green metallic with grey sports velour interior. Colour coded bumpers and mirrors
NEWER SHAPE FACELIFT MODEL.

Electric windows, Electric mirrors, power steering, five speed gear box. Remote central locking, Air conditioning, ABS, twin airbags, Rear headrestraints, Folding rear seats, Immobiliser, Rear headrests, Sports seats, Rear wiper
All in working order!!!

homeless student

Deleted User wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4309180[/URL]

Great car my Aunt has a 00 and it's a very reliable car, never gave any trouble and is chain cam.

This is just one example.

I think the 4 pot 1.0L are a far better engine than the 3 pot rubbish they have these days.

unlike my sister with the clio,my other sister has a 00 yaris the last 5 years and has never hsad it at the garage except for a yearly service,great car but a bit girly for me.

monkeysnapper

Ok I have some experience in this because I had a van at start of the year that engine seized . I'd just put 2 new tyres on it and the other 2 were ok. The van was going to cost 500 to fix and it wasn't worth it plus I have a 2 year old and a new born baby so needed a bigger car anyway.

I bought a Peugeot partner car . I got van scrapped. Got 200 euro. Plus I kept wheels so I can use them on the car when tyres are finished

My car was a 2004 and cost me 1300 . Granted it was high milege but is working out a treat so far

Jimmy Garlic

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4338115

Perfect, can't go wrong.

homeless student

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4338115

Perfect, can't go wrong.

cant go right

homeless student

1 litre corsa or 1.2?is there much difference??

miller50841

1.2 better engine stay away from 1

homeless student

miller50841 wrote: »

1.2 better engine stay away from 1

ya was thinking that,cheers.did you ever own a 1.2 corsa?

homeless student

Alanstrainor wrote: »

To be fair, spending 800 on a car, which isn't worth 500, and where I can imagine more bills appearing quickly is a bit mental. I can see the logic in moving on.

seems like Alanstrainor was right, the astra wouldnt start the other night,thought it might have been a battery problem but looks like its a problem to do with the ignition, glad I didnt decide to hold on to it.

miller50841

homeless student wrote: »

ya was thinking that,cheers.did you ever own a 1.2 corsa?

I have driven both still find both are small cramped and slow but sure if you had to keep one I would stick with 1.2 it's a better engine and more reliable

homeless student

miller50841 wrote: »

I have driven both still find both are small cramped and slow but sure if you had to keep one I would stick with 1.2 it's a better engine and more reliable

cheers,what would you go for if not a corsa? someone said go for an almera but have read some horror stories on here about them so not an almera, wouldnt mind a corolla but they all seem to have big mileage.saw a nice looking 1.4 petrol golf but then found out there a ball of $hit.:p

BdaraB

homeless student wrote: »

cheers,what would you go for if not a corsa? someone said go for an almera but have read some horror stories on here about them so not an almera, wouldnt mind a corolla but they all seem to have big mileage.saw a nice looking 1.4 petrol golf but then found out there a ball of $hit.:p

Have an Almera and a 1.4 Bora, loved the Bora even though it blew a timing belt, hate having to drive the Almera feels flimsy or something

homeless student

BdaraB wrote: »

Have an Almera and a 1.4 Bora, loved the Bora even though it blew a timing belt, hate having to drive the Almera feels flimsy or something

i like the almera interior but iv read about timing chain problems with them and that that are boring to drive?

BdaraB

homeless student wrote: »

i like the almera interior but iv read about timing chain problems with them and that that are boring to drive?

Hate the interior feels to cheap to me but haven't had any problems with it a nicer engine than the Volkswagen but find the suspension to floating going around a bend or on a back road.

homeless student

BdaraB wrote: »

Hate the interior feels to cheap to me but haven't had any problems with it a nicer engine than the Volkswagen but find the suspension to floating going around a bend or on a back road.

oh, will leave it so, will be on back roads most of the time.
any opinion on the focus?

L-M

George Dalton wrote: »

Sills and rear arches mainly, but lots of other places too.

Wouldn't say that now to be fair, been through lots and lots of them and the only one I ever came across that had to be scrapped was a 02 that spent its life in Salt hill!

If you can get a recently tested one I'd be picking a Fiesta all day long.

BdaraB

homeless student wrote: »

oh, will leave it so, will be on back roads most of the time.
any opinion on the focus?

Haven't driven one but the sisters MKII felt smoother than the Superb on the awful roads near us

homeless student

BdaraB wrote: »

Haven't driven one but the sisters MKII felt smoother than the Superb on the awful roads near us

ok,its an option so,only thing i dont like about them is the look of them:rolleyes:

Jaysus, ye want something cheap and reliable and you are worried about looks ?

Get the Yaris and be done with it, change the oil every 8-10 k max miles and it will go forever, no timing belts to worry about and the older 1.0l 4 pot was far better, same with all the 1.0l cars including Corsa, the 3pots are rubbish. sure it's not a head turner but girls don't care about cars so they won't even notice anyway.

Go now and bloody get something and show us what you get! :-)

homeless student

Deleted User wrote: »

Jaysus, ye want something cheap and reliable and you are worried about looks ?

Get the Yaris and be done with it, change the oil every 8-10 k max miles and it will go forever, no timing belts to worry about and the older 1.0l 4 pot was far better, same with all the 1.0l cars including Corsa, the 3pots are rubbish. sure it's not a head turner but girls don't care about cars so they won't even notice anyway.

Go now and bloody get something and show us what you get! :-)

ok "mad lad"

homeless student

homeless student wrote: »

ok "mad lad"

Good go and "do it"

homeless student

Deleted User wrote: »

Good go and "do it"

wont be buying till early feb, dont really know what this 3 pot 4 pot means.