Advice on secondhand car please - choice of 3

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 6:10pm #1

Hi all. I’m looking for a car around 2016-2018. I’ve narrowed it down to the following purely because I like the look of them, and they are within my budget, but I don’t know a whole lot else! Your opinions would be appreciated

1. Ford Fiesta - I would probably go for one around the year 2018 as I think they got a new look both internally and externally that year (maybe 2019?). Also their brand-new cars at the moment don’t look drastically different so the car wouldn’t age too much.

2. Hyundai i20 - Nice looking on the outside however the interior seems pretty basic. Also the new models for this year look a bit different so it might age quicker. Seems slighter cheaper than the Fiestas though.

3. Renault Clio - they seem cheaper than any of the other two and I really like the look of them. However my mother had a Renault Megane a few years ago and any problems she had always seems very complicated because of the electronics and I have it in my head now that Renaults are problematic, probably undeservedly! I also read they don’t hold their value as well because of the negative name some give them. I think they might use a key card rather than a normal key and I think that would annoy me. The new were models still look very similar so this car wouldn’t age very much. They look very good for the price and if they’re a good car, there seems to be good deals to be had on them.

To give an idea of my needs, I don’t drive a whole lot - in and out to work, etc. The longest journey I would mainly do would be seeing my parents 80km away every 3/4 weeks. I drive a very old car and only have my full license 2 years now, so anything would be an improvement, drive-wise!

alan partridge aha · 24-05-2021 6:20pm

A3 is Golf size, the others are superminis. My wife has a 1.33 Yaris 6 speed. Very reliable and grand on motorway journeys. They are rarer than the 1.0 but are far better. The luna model has cruise, reverse camera but no a/c.

grogi · 24-05-2021 6:22pm

alan partridge aha wrote: »

A3 is Golf size, the others are superminis. My wife has a 1.33 Yaris 6 speed. Very reliable and grand on motorway journeys. They are rarer than the 1.0 but are far better. The luna model has cruise, reverse camera but no a/c.

I'd look at Yaris hybrid, even if it had to be year or two older...

alan partridge aha · 24-05-2021 6:24pm

Hers is non hybrid, dont think the extra price justifies buying hybrid.

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 6:30pm

alan partridge aha wrote: »

A3 is Golf size, the others are superminis. My wife has a 1.33 Yaris 6 speed. Very reliable and grand on motorway journeys. They are rarer than the 1.0 but are far better. The luna model has cruise, reverse camera but no a/c.

Oops, major typo - I meant to type Hyundai i20! Big difference, haha! I was looking at an A3 online at the time...

colm_mcm · 24-05-2021 7:36pm

What’s the actual budget?

grogi · 24-05-2021 7:46pm

alan partridge aha wrote: »

Hers is non hybrid, dont think the extra price justifies buying hybrid.

But it gives you smooth automatic plus all the possible benefits of "hybrid-and-electric-only" benefits in future.

alan partridge aha · 24-05-2021 8:14pm

grogi wrote: »

But it gives you smooth automatic plus all the possible benefits of "hybrid-and-electric-only" benefits in future.

Ya I get you, I believe the 1.8 hybrid in the current Corolla is very good.
Fuel economy not near where claimed in mk3 Yaris hybrid also auto box not great and the extra you'll pay over regular petrol one.

lalababa · 24-05-2021 8:18pm

Clio..looks good/goes good/very comfortable/5 star cap. 1L is frugal and nippy with the turbo.

AMKC · 24-05-2021 8:22pm

Depends what year Clio you are looking at but it sounds like the last gen before the new one came out. In that case it should be well made and reliable. Renault upped there game over the last decade after going through a bad patch. They are better built and more reliable than the German cars now.
The kia Rio is also quite nice.

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 9:54pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

What’s the actual budget?

Up to around €16k

Rrrrrr2 · 24-05-2021 10:08pm

The Fiesta is objectively the best car there and as you know it’s the new model you really want to go for. Will be the dearest but it also the best to hold value. It is widely regarded as the best supermini. Try get the newer 1.0l engine in Titanium spec.
The Clio is a very good option too, I personally hate the Hyundai I20 think it’s a hideous looking thing but each to their own.

grogi · 24-05-2021 10:16pm

DebDynamite wrote: »

Up to around €16k

I will be super boring with my never-to-change love for automatics

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-yaris-hybrid/28237435

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 10:32pm

Rrrrrr2 wrote: »

The Fiesta is objectively the best car there and as you know it’s the new model you really want to go for. Will be the dearest but it also the best to hold value. It is widely regarded as the best supermini. Try get the newer 1.0l engine in Titanium spec.
The Clio is a very good option too, I personally hate the Hyundai I20 think it’s a hideous looking thing but each to their own.

Thanks for the info.
I actually think the i20 looks good in white but no other colour!

alan partridge aha · 24-05-2021 10:33pm

DebDynamite wrote: »

Thanks for the info.
I actually think the i20 looks good in white but no other colour!

Love the look of the new I20, bit over €16k though.

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 10:34pm

grogi wrote: »

I will be super boring with my never-to-change love for automatics

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-yaris-hybrid/28237435

I’m weird in that I like driving a manual and want to leave it as late as possible to switch to an automatic!

Good looking car though!

DebDynamite · 24-05-2021 10:35pm

alan partridge aha wrote: »

Love the look of the new I20, bit over €16k though.

The new one looks good alright, in any colour!

alan partridge aha · 24-05-2021 10:39pm

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-yaris-1-5-luna-4dr/28194569

Rare as hens teeth 1.5 manual petrol

AMKC · 24-05-2021 11:11pm

DebDynamite wrote: »

The new one looks good alright, in any colour!

Agreed. The new i20 is really good looking. There is two red ones around here.

The Peugeot 208 is another car for the OP that they could look at.

Rrrrrr2 · 24-05-2021 11:15pm

AMKC wrote: »

Agreed. The new i30 is really good looking. There is teo red ones around here.

The Peugeot 208 is another car for the OP that they could look at.

That’s true my brothers gf got a brand new one for just under the OPs budget with scrappage a few years back. Lovely car, nice spec and finish on them- that was the older model and I'm sure they’ve gone up in price since then though.

wonski · 27-05-2021 4:22pm

For 16k you can get 2019 Fiesta with extended 5 years warranty left, not sure how good the warranty is, though.

There are very few 1.0 ecoboost in titanium available unfortunately, most low miles I found were zetec for some reason, and you should avoid zetec. Really it's like different car.

Titanium from 2019 should have heated seats and steering wheel and plenty of other equipment, pretty impressive.
1.1 is 85hp now which is OK if you only drive around town and even motorway, but not so good if you live around Wicklow or other hilly areas.

Rrrrrr2 · 27-05-2021 8:17pm

My mother has a 18 Titanium 1.1. Sounds like if the budget can stretch it’s well worth trying to get a 191 for the extra goodies and the 1.0 if possible too. Zetec is miserable alright.

DebDynamite · 28-05-2021 1:05am

Thanks guys ^^

I actually never really knew what the difference was between the Zetec and the Titanium.

At first I thought it was the difference which model had the chrome trim! I really don’t know anything about engines!

So Titanium good, Zetec not so good.

shadyslimshady · 28-05-2021 1:16am

Just curious why you wouldn't get something a bit bigger, especially with a 16K budget. The cars you mentioned won't hold their value.

delly · 28-05-2021 1:21am

Since you already have an i20 on the list, how about a Kia Rio? They are sister companies, so models are based on the same class. I'm biased as I've now had three Ceeds in a row, but a 211 plate, great spec and a 7 year warranty for 16k would be a good choice in my view.

https://www.carbuyersguide.net/kia/rio/2021-petrol-silver-hatchback-1.2-dublin-60a4554c4fd8e

-=al=- · 28-05-2021 1:32am

Fiesta from the list mentioned for me, and yep titanium trim would be preferred for that little bit extra spec, it is definitely worth it

Good value in Kia’s also

bazz26 · 28-05-2021 9:20am

shadyslimshady wrote: »

Just curious why you wouldn't get something a bit bigger, especially with a 16K budget. The cars you mentioned won't hold their value.

I'm not sure I understand your logic in saying small cars won't hold their value but slightly bigger ones will.

Rrrrrr2 · 28-05-2021 9:59am

shadyslimshady wrote: »

Just curious why you wouldn't get something a bit bigger, especially with a 16K budget. The cars you mentioned won't hold their value.

Yes they will and far better than something bigger. All 3 are always in demand used as they are simply good cars. The Fiesta especially- they always hold their value as they have a vast audience and are part of the vernacular as regards motoring reputation

Wesser · 29-05-2021 9:55pm

What did you decide debbie?

Im in the same situation as you but slightly smaller budget.

Looking at a 2018 fiesta.

DebDynamite · 30-05-2021 4:04pm

Wesser wrote: »

What did you decide debbie?

Im in the same situation as you but slightly smaller budget.

Looking at a 2018 fiesta.

Not really sure yet! I prefer the Fiesta, but I want the newer model and that might stretch me a bit. A lot of the Fiestas are UK imports, which doesn’t really bother me - only thing is that the speedometer has MPH as the main display, and KPH as the smaller one.

I’m thinking maybe the Renault Clio as even the slighter ones have a better spec and they still look like the more recent ones and it won’t cost me as much.

I’ll probably still keep an eye out, but start searching properly in July as more trade-ins will have come on the market after people getting the new 212 regs.

wonski · 31-05-2021 12:05am

Your budget is OK op to get 2019.

I only got one last week from main dealer at 16.4k, original Irish car with just under 17k km on the clock. 5 years extended warranty left and in titanium spec.

Unfortunately it is 1.1 85bhp, but tbh for my type of driving now it is just fine. If you mostly drive around town with some random trips here and there it is all right.

But sure ecoboost engine would be better

Did Kildare to Donegal and back this weekend, Kildare to Cork the weekend before and while I wish I had a little more power at times, especially around Donegal, it did just fine.

Comfy enough for a super mini and happy with it.

DebDynamite · 02-06-2021 1:20pm

wonski wrote: »

Your budget is OK op to get 2019.

I only got one last week from main dealer at 16.4k, original Irish car with just under 17k km on the clock. 5 years extended warranty left and in titanium spec.

Unfortunately it is 1.1 85bhp, but tbh for my type of driving now it is just fine. If you mostly drive around town with some random trips here and there it is all right.

But sure ecoboost engine would be better

Did Kildare to Donegal and back this weekend, Kildare to Cork the weekend before and while I wish I had a little more power at times, especially around Donegal, it did just fine.

Comfy enough for a super mini and happy with it.

Thank you for your post!

Do you mind me asking - what’s the benefit of the Ecoboost? Is it a more economical engine, or is a more powerful?

What engine on the Fiesta would be preferable to the 1.1 that you have?

colm_mcm · 02-06-2021 2:19pm

The ecoboost is more powerful, being a turbocharged engine.

I’ve driven the 1.1 non turbo version and found it quite unrefined. Mainly as a result of the need to rev it quite a bit to make any sort of progress.
Reminded me of the Yaris 3 cylinder engine.

The rest of the car felt very grown up, I’m not sure what the refinement of the ecoboost is like in comparison.

wonski · 02-06-2021 4:27pm

As Colm said.

Also be careful because there were two variants of 1.1 fitted that year - 70bhp and 85bhp.

I would not even touch 70 version as 85 is already slightly underpowered.

If I had a choice and time I would definitely look for ecoboost.

Just go for a test drive all 3 models and see which one fits you best if you can before spending money.

02-06-2021 9:28pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

The ecoboost is more powerful, being a turbocharged engine.

I’ve driven the 1.1 non turbo version and found it quite unrefined. Mainly as a result of the need to rev it quite a bit to make any sort of progress.
Reminded me of the Yaris 3 cylinder engine.

The rest of the car felt very grown up, I’m not sure what the refinement of the ecoboost is like in comparison.

A mate drives a Focus 1.0L with ecoboost, and it drives very well.

Deb, you could buy a 17 or 18 Skoda Fabia for well below your budget limit, and still have a couple of grand left over to spend on something else - but if so you should look for one of the 95 bhp versions (1.0 litre TSi) rather than the 60 or 75 (MPI). I'll admit that we're prejudiced in our house; I'm driving my fourth Skoda and my wife is on her third Fabia.

If you're looking at the Fiesta or the Clio, be careful to avoid their underpowered versions - I know from bitter experience that they're very hard work when you're driving.

Advice on secondhand car please - choice of 3

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