Advice on 2nd hand car, about €2k budget

As per the title, I know less than nothing about cars, looking for advice on what make/model I could get for about €2k, looking for a diesel as it would get the most MPG?

Absolute main thing I'd be after is reliability. I was looking at a Peugot 407 on Donedeal but have just read another thread on here that they can be very unreliable?

bazz26

First of all, most €2k or less diesel cars will be well past their best at this stage and could have some big bills around the corner which is probably the main reason they are being sold cheap. Good diesel car even with big mileage on them fetch good money.

Does your annual mileage and driving style warranty a diesel car as there are other costs to take into account other than just saving a few bob filling up? Unless you are doing alot of daily driving then a early 2000s Toyota Corolla or Avensis petrol for around €2k will probably cost less to own over a jaded diesel car.

bazz26

bazz26 wrote: »

First of all, most €2k or less diesel cars will be well past their best at this stage and could have some big bills around the corner which is probably the main reason they are being sold cheap. Good diesel car even with big mileage on them fetch good money.

Does your annual mileage and driving style warranty a diesel car as there are other costs to take into account other than just saving a few bob filling up? Unless you are doing alot of daily driving then a early 2000s Toyota Corolla or Avensis petrol for around €2k will probably cost less to own over a jaded diesel car.

Fair enough thanks. I'd be driving close to 100km per day with my work commute so was looking for something economical alright. I'll have a look at those models you mentioned, any idea what MPG you might get from them?

Tony Beetroot

Is the 100km a round trip?

Tony Beetroot

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Is the 100km a round trip?

Yep, 50km there and 50km back.

Tony Beetroot

Buy a handy petrol, as mentioned most diesels for your budget will be well molested.

bazz26

You should be able to get close to 40mpg from those cars on long runs. Since your doing a good bit of driving then maybe a 2.0 TD (non D-4D) first generation Avensis might be worth looking for too if you can find a clean one.

Raymond Darcy

If you can pick up an aging Toyota or Nissan you will be guaranteed reliability as long as the car has being looked after...Ten or twelve years old is not that old, and modern enough to still be quite efficient, fuel wise. on the other hand if you are looking a diesel car, Volkswagen is a good choice but you will have high road tax to contend with.

bigroad

If you can search for the last of the older toyota avensis 1.6 .around 2003 .You will get 42 to 45 mpg or maybe more on that run.Look for one with a long nct on it.
Another good car is the last of the older nissan primara and go for a 1.8 petrol.Think they stopped around 2002 year.
There are some good ford focus model mk1 1.6 petrol s out there .They ran up till 2004.Ghia trim is best as it has a few nice extras.
Far better value out there for buying petrol s and will give as good mpg and wont be driven into the ground like alot of diesels will have 150k to 200k miles at this stage.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Buy yourself a 1.4 civic saloon. They'll do 40-45mpg all day long on longer runs and even on shorter rubs. They're ultra reliable and so long as you service it once a year, the engine will never give you bother.

idnkph

Honda civic 1.7 cdti. Great reliable chea diesel. Mine is 2002 and runs like new. Will go on the smell of diesel. Iv driven petrol cars of the 1.6-2.0 range and you'd never get near the mpg this baby gives me.