8k Budget - Unsure what to Choose

Chilli Con Kearney

Hi lads

So my 01 focus is dying a slow death and it is coming close to saying goodbye. I would like to get something for in and around 8k.

I mostly drive around Dublin, with regular enough trips out to Wicklow/Kildare. Average mileage would be around 16000 miles per year. Does this justify a diesel engine?

I am treading the line between sense and style. On the one hand people are recommending an auris or octavia for reliability, etc and while these are solid cars, no doubt, I would like something with a little more style. I really like the scirocco and BMW 3 series, but the scirocco is out my price range and people have told me that BMWs can be expensive to look after and get parts for.

Some of the cars I have looked at online include:
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a3/used-2008-audi-a3-1-6-102hp-attra-cork-fpa-201525234332596
http://www.capitalmotors.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=1279430&r=
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/volkswagen/golf/used-2008-volkswagen-golf-1-6-com-dublin-fpa-161414321321862620

It can be three, four or five door, though I think I prefer 3 or 5. Another thing was that I was focussing on getting a car registered from July 1 08 onwards to save on tax. Should I be ruling out options from beforehand on this basis?

Any thoughts or comments are much appreciated. Cheers

Atlantic Dawn

Chilli Con Kearney wrote: »

Hi lads

Another thing was that I was focussing on getting a car registered from July 1 08 onwards to save on tax. Should I be ruling out options from beforehand on this basis?

Any thoughts or comments are much appreciated. Cheers

You can choose the cheapest of either the CO2 or CC rate on cars from January to July 2008.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_tax_and_insurance/motor_tax_rates.html

New cars registered between January 2008 and June 2008 had their motor tax charged on the basis of engine size initially. If it was beneficial for those cars to switch to the CO2 based motor tax system, this happened on the first renewal of motor tax after June 2008. The CO2 based system does not apply to second-hand imports that were registered abroad prior to 2008.

AMKC

I think that Kia Cee,d is overpriced if its more expensive than a Golf and an A3 from the same year. What about a Volvo C30 or an S40 if you want more room.

bazz26

Post 2007 does not automatically mean the car is cheaper to tax, it depends on the car's emissions. For example that bog standard A3 has an ancient 1.6 litre petrol engine and costs over €500 to tax. The automatic Golf costs €1200 to tax which is why the price is so cheap for a Golf of that year. Remember cheap to tax cars cost more to buy.

Also if you are doing mostly city driving then that style of driving is not suited to diesel cars.

If you like the ProCeed then a petrol model is available:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/KIA/pro_ceed/PRO-CEED/170614351432708150/

Chilli Con Kearney

Thanks lads. How would you rate that Kia? Seems a decent enough price vs regular a3. Would I be better off saving a little more and getting a better model a3? Saw the s40, looks nice. It's a Ford body, right? So should be decent?