08+, tax band a/b/c, 160bhp+

Timmaay

Any suggestions for an 08 up car, has to be tax band c or better, and a decent few pony's under the hood? Budget the likes of 7k. A Leon fr 170bhp tdi would be perfect but tax band d ugh. I don't mind petrol or diesel, mostly rural/mw driving but only about 5k/yr. Has to have back doors also!

colm_mcm

For €7k you might be asking a lot!

bazz26

I'd say you will end up having to pick one - cheap to tax 160bhp+ car costing greater than 7k or a 160bhp+ car costing less than 7k car because the tax is higher on it.

Nuw

An easy one this: Golf TSI GT. 1.4 turbo petrol engine, comes with 170hp on tap. You should find an 08 (based on the old tax regimen, so will cost you 385/year because it's only a 1.4) in your budget...

If you need something bigger, it's gonna be diesel, something like a 320d E90, comes with 170hp and should be good fun to drive.

GustavoFring

For the sake of a small amount extra tax would you not get the Leon if you like it? It's tiny money extra in the whole scheme of things.

bazz26

Nuw wrote: »

An easy one this: Golf TSI GT. 1.4 turbo petrol engine, comes with 170hp on tap. You should find an 08 (based on the old tax regimen, so will cost you 385/year because it's only a 1.4) in your budget...

If you need something bigger, it's gonna be diesel, something like a 320d E90, comes with 170hp and should be good fun to drive.

Can decent versions of either be bought for 7k though?

Edit, this is one of the cheaper ones:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-golf-1-4-litre-petrol/13319076

Nuw

bazz26 wrote: »

Can decent versions of either be bought for 7k though?

Edit, this is one of the cheaper ones:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-golf-1-4-litre-petrol/13319076

If you're willing to go up the mileage, you'll most likely be able to find something decent.
Something like this looks OK (from the ad).

EDIT: might not be the 170 version... worth double checking with the dealer.

Nuw

Or maybe this one

Special Circumstances

Nuw wrote: »

If you're willing to go up the mileage, you'll most likely be able to find something decent.
Something like this looks OK (from the ad).

EDIT: might not be the 170 version... worth double checking with the dealer.

There's sleeper... and then there's narcolepzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

bazz26

Nuw wrote: »

If you're willing to go up the mileage, you'll most likely be able to find something decent.
Something like this looks OK (from the ad).

EDIT: might not be the 170 version... worth double checking with the dealer.

That's a 80bhp non TSi version.

Special Circumstances

bazz26 wrote: »

That's a 80bhp non TSi version.

LOL, was there a rip roaring 80bhp Golf with GT trim, or is this just standard used car salesman ammmm, "exaggeration" we'll call it?

bazz26

They originally did have the MkV 1.4 TSi 170bhp and 2.0 TDi in GT trim afaik but then introduced a GT Sport trim across the range with the 1.4 non TSi and 1.9 TDi engines.

Special Circumstances

bazz26 wrote: »

They originally did have the MkV 1.4 TSi 170bhp and 2.0 TDi in GT trim afaik but then introduced a GT Sport trim across the range with the 1.4 non TSi and 1.9 TDi engines.

They should have copied the Audi "Sport Ambition" spec level. No actual sportiness/GTness, just notions.

Nuw

bazz26 wrote: »

That's a 80bhp non TSi version.

:D:D:D ah well... I knew there was something wrong there

can't be 100% at all times can we?

Timmaay

bazz26 wrote: »

That's a 80bhp non TSi version.

Ah ffs lads, I'm sore enough about losing afew bhp coming from a 210bhp s3

But anyways, it unfortunately has to be tax band c or better, which rules out the 1.4tsi altogether I'm fairly sure. I'd have no problems going to the UK for the right car, and from a quick look there the Leon 170 with a dsg box are coming in at 148g/kg which is perfect, is a dsg box (with flappy paddles ha) any disadvantage over a bog spec manual? Still throws me over budget, the few I could find are the likes of 6k stg, about 7100e, then 1300vrt, best part of 9k by the time I've it across and nct etc on hmmm

TRS30

bazz26 wrote: »

Can decent versions of either be bought for 7k though?

Edit, this is one of the cheaper ones:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-golf-1-4-litre-petrol/13319076

If thinking of this model (MK5), I would make sure the timing chain has been done (like it says in the ad above).

Timmaay

Narrowed down my search to a 09+ leon 170bhp, with a manual gearbox, they are coming in at 139g/km co2, or tax band b. Plenty in the UK for sale at the minute which will come in under budget. How to tell if the car is a lemon or not, I'm finding this website ( https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk ) extremely good, to show a full mot history, you can very quickly get a good idea of the sort of previous owners (car fails an mot and has some adviseory failure, only the main failures get fixed!), then things like how far apart the mileage is spaced between tests (clocked?). How far away are we from having a similar service here with the nct ha?

I'm probably going to have to push the budget up to 8k euros by the time I have it fully back and on Irish plates, but worth it for the right car.

Timmaay

Timmaay wrote: »

I'm probably going to have to push the budget up to 8k euros by the time I have it fully back and on Irish plates, but worth it for the right car.

Took a gamble, and a stroke of luck, I managed to get bang on what I was looking for on an eBay auction, for 4500stg. Will stand me about 6200e after vrt and transport paid for. Seller was a part time "dealer", but he was very up front about everything, had decent feedback etc. I paid cash for the car (he had no way of taking cards, and bank transfer before defo too risky in this case) got lucky with the cash also, my local BOI happened to have it in stock, and gave it to me at a good rate (about 1.3c off the xe rate, against 2.5c in the post office etc).

Henry Ford III

Did you "buy blind" OP?

Timmaay

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Did you "buy blind" OP?

Not quite, I had won the auction, but only paid (the full amount in cash) after I'd seen the car, ebay rules do state that if it's not as advertised you can backout ha? Even if they don't, I'd sacrifice the negative feedback if it turned out to be a total lemon.