27 year old girl looking for a no frills, easy maintenance car

completedit

Anybody got any advice for 2nd hand car shopping?

TeaBagMania

Kia Soul

Stay away from anything French or Italian

Mad_maxx

TeaBagMania wrote: »

Kia Soul

Stay away from anything French or Italian

How about romanian?

Atlantic Dawn

What's your budget?

TeaBagMania

id drive a Lada, Tata, or Romanian anything before i ever drive a French or Italian vehicle.

now max, don't be a mad wittle guy just because you drive a french car

wassie

Without any idea as to the OPs budget or needs from a car, I would follow TeaBagMania's advice and go Korean or Japanese for reliability. Whilst there are certainly reliable euro makes, generally they are as reliable as they get older.

lalababa

completedit wrote: »

Anybody got any advice for 2nd hand car shopping?

Need some more info....small/medium/large..budget..running costs...and most important of all colour! But yeah any Japanese small petrol are probably the most reliable.

TeaBagMania

Agreed, the Japanese make great cars as well but i think you're paying a big chunk of the price for the name. IMHO you get more for your money in a Hyundai or Kia.

Drove a Kia Soul a few years ago and was super impressed with the driving characteristics, quality, and over all fit and finish.

If i was in the market for a car, its the only one id look at.

one thing to keep in mind for the Irish buyers is insurance as i believe the Soul is only offered in a 1.6 and 2.0 petrol motors. They might make a diesel version for the European market

dar_cool

Also stay away from 1.2 Vw polos. Terrible engine that give valve and timing chain trouble. Cant go too far wrong with a 1.4 Vw Golf

shygal

dar_cool wrote: »

Also stay away from 1.2 Vw polos. Terrible engine that give valve and timing chain trouble. Cant go too far wrong with a 1.4 Vw Golf

Lol

colm_mcm

dar_cool wrote: »

Cant go too far wrong with a 1.4 Vw Golf

completedit

Nice one , thanks for all the replies. budget is 3 grand. short drive along the m50 back and forth probably around 1 hour a day. Really just looking for somethin to get me from a to b. no notions.

Mad_maxx

TeaBagMania wrote: »

id drive a Lada, Tata, or Romanian anything before i ever drive a French or Italian vehicle.

now max, don't be a mad wittle guy just because you drive a french car

I drive a Japanese car

colm_mcm

completedit wrote: »

Nice one , thanks for all the replies. budget is 3 grand. short drive along the m50 back and forth probably around 1 hour a day. Really just looking for somethin to get me from a to b. no notions.

Honda Jazz, Suzuki Swift.

TeaBagMania

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I drive a Japanese car

surely you jest!

lalababa

TeaBagMania wrote: »

Agreed, the Japanese make great cars as well but i think you're paying a big chunk of the price for the name. IMHO you get more for your money in a Hyundai or Kia.

Drove a Kia Soul a few years ago and was super impressed with the driving characteristics, quality, and over all fit and finish.

If i was in the market for a car, its the only one id look at.

one thing to keep in mind for the Irish buyers is insurance as i believe the Soul is only offered in a 1.6 and 2.0 petrol motors. They might make a diesel version for the European market

Agree Jap and Korean, smallish petrol.. can't go too far wrong. With fiesta , clio, Corsa not too far off that crowd.

italodisco

Another in favour of suzuki swift

gooner99

colm_mcm wrote: »

I have a 04 mk5 1.4 Golf that I've owned from new with 242k MILES. Still going strong. Never a single engine issue, bar coil packs. Sure it burns a bit if oil, but never more than the 1l per 1000 miles the user manual warns it will. Kept an eye on that and used the correct grade oil every 10k miles.

The main problems I have with it are a rear windy window stuck and regulator gone on front window. Also had shocks, springs, bushings, bearings, discs. But sure those are all wear and tear. It's even on the original exhaust, bar the flexibility pipe.

Hoboo

Read the thread title as far as 'frills', found chat about cars. What an anti climax.

Cartroubles

Is there really much truth to French cars being crap or is it a myth?

SmartinMartin

Maybe a Ka?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-ka-nct-6-2020-3-500/20672567

Odyssey 2005

gooner99 wrote: »

I have a 04 mk5 1.4 Golf that I've owned from new with 242k MILES. Still going strong. Never a single engine issue, bar coil packs. Sure it burns a bit if oil, but never more than the 1l per 1000 miles the user manual warns it will. Kept an eye on that and used the correct grade oil every 10k miles.

The main problems I have with it are a rear windy window stuck and regulator gone on front window. Also had shocks, springs, bushings, bearings, discs. But sure those are all wear and tear. It's even on the original exhaust, bar the flexibility pipe.

A great testament to you and the car. Well done.

bazz26

Hyundai i30:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-long-nct-01-20/20774516

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-1-4i-cvvt-deluxe/19706979

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-tax-and-nct-2020-low-miles/20643302

Mad_maxx

Cartroubles wrote: »

Is there really much truth to French cars being crap or is it a myth?

People like lazy stereotypes, Renault are a lot better than they used to be, as are fiat, Peugeot were never an outright bad car

To many however, that doesn't matter

daheff

try for a nissan note.... might be a bit outside your budget, but massive car for price

Hoboo

Mad_maxx wrote: »

People like lazy stereotypes, Renault are a lot better than they used to be, as are fiat, Peugeot were never an outright bad car

To many however, that doesn't matter

Or is it they're not bad, but not as good as say German or Japanese. And therefore, in comparison, bad.

kirving

1.2 Opel Corsa? Not the 1.0 version.

They fall into a very low insurance bracket and look well compared to a similar aged Korean car for the most part Ithink. Not too much to go wrong with them either.

Most of what your hear about French cars is pub talk. You just won't be told when your friend Merc which they spent a lot of money on has an expensive problem.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/jd-power-2016-uk-vehicle-dependability-study

DesperateDan

Nissan Leaf if you can get a home charger installed and have a small commute. Lovely car to drive.

allthedoyles

Have a Peugeot 308 hdi for 2 years with over 300km . Would recommend.

kirving

DesperateDan wrote: »

Nissan Leaf if you can get a home charger installed and have a small commute. Lovely car to drive.

Budget is 3k.

Also OP, don't buy a Dacia. Their safety ratings are very poor for what is marketed as a modern car.

stimpson

Mad_maxx wrote: »

People like lazy stereotypes, Renault are a lot better than they used to be, as are fiat, Peugeot were never an outright bad car

To many however, that doesn't matter

Missus had a 206 when I met her. She had it from new and had small enough miles. It used more oil than petrol. Electrics were entertaining. One headlight blew every 3000 miles and was a bitch to replace. And then the serpentine belt snapped and had to be replaced. 3 times in a few thousand miles. €1200 each time.

I had a VTEC Honda at the time that I used to abuse (8k redline on a daily basis) with 3 times the mileage. Never let me down.