Need advice on what to buy - Budget €8-9k

mushroom

I'm looking to buy a car for the commute to work (30k) and about a fortnightly journey from Dublin to Cork. I want a step up from the usual small hatchbacks and I've always been more comfortable in bigger cars. I also need something flashier for work than a yaris or a fiesta (don't want to look like a ponce either tho, I'm mid-20s).

I've been looking at Focuses, Golfs, A3s, A4s, Passats, a few BMWs.. but really I have to admit my knowledge is limited. I spent days whittling down '06 / '07 Audis & Passats only to realise the road tax is > €700 on pre-'08 TDis which is a bit of a farce. On top of that I don't know whether I should be aiming for a petrol or diesel.. I've only recently moved to Dublin and foresee frequent motorway miles between Cork & Dublin, at least for this year.

So I'll take any and all advice. Reading through some of the threads here, people seem to have a lot more knowledge on the aul cars than I do. What would you get if you were me? Am I on the right trail or am I drunk?

bazz26

Hyundai i30:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Hyundai/i30/premium-1.6/63414065608435970/

Not exactly flash but less likely to come with expensive repair bills either.

But if you want something less sensible then something like this:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Alfa-Romeo/GT/1.9-BLACKLINE/42613965219536660/

mushroom

I hadn't even considered the newer Hyundais, they actually look fairly cool. That engine would be cheap as chips to tax and insure as well, I wonder would it be powerful enough? The Alfa on the other hand would be too pricey on an ongoing basis. Will certainly be considering the i30.

colm_mcm

My mum has an identical spec i30 to that one, that one has the 116bhp engine which is quite torquey and feels faster for overtaking than my 140hp Civic.

Over 2 years on, nothing has gone wrong bar a tyre pressure monitor sensor that was covered by warranty. Only real issue is it goes through headlight bulbs every 8 months or so. They're always on when the car is on though. No cruise control either, which is odd considering all the other goodies you get.

Idbatterim

E90 320D, passat, a4, volvo S40 would be a nice comfortable cruiser, not sure what diesel engines they come with though. Id want something comfy, sturdy with cruise control if I were you...