Cheap car: yey or ney?

rIcK · 28 Oct 2013 at 23:09

Currently have an 09 plate Fiesta Titanium still with a bit of value on it. I am racking up the miles and looking to move to Manchester shortly and have a job near the centre.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310229399023

Do I sell mine whilst its still worth something and grab the above car? Seems ideal for throwing mileage on whilst I save up to escape from my current horrible area.

I currrently do a round trip of 100 miles per day and 250 miles on the weekend, so a Diesel still seems to make sense

[TW]Fox · 28 Oct 2013 at 23:19

You currently do 100 miles a day in a reasonably new, reasonably specified and economical car.

You want to instead do 100 miles a day in a £500 Fiesta. No, it's not a good idea and a £500 Fiesta is about as far from 'ideal' for 'throwing mileage on' as it's possible to get.

Hxc · 28 Oct 2013 at 23:21

I've no idea what the 1.8td is like, but the mk5 fiesta is a solid car, although give it a good check for rust before heading forward.

I personally wouldn't want to do 750 miles a week in a Fiesta but that's a different matter.

breadturbo · 28 Oct 2013 at 23:45

Hxc said:
I personally wouldn't want to do 750 miles a week in a Fiesta but that's a different matter.

+1
If you are going to sell, i'd get something like a mondeo instead, it'll use a tad more fuel, be be a LOT comfier

mame · 29 Oct 2013 at 00:51

Your motives are right and if you were driving a car that was worth £10,000 or more then it might be worth doing but I'd say stick with what you have.

rodenal · 29 Oct 2013 at 10:43

There's no way I'd sacrifice a modern fiesta for an ancient diesel one, madness imo.

mattyprice4004 · 29 Oct 2013 at 10:46

No no no no no.

I had the 1.8 non-TD as my first car, it went through 2 cambelt tensioners (brilliant design, plastic) and of course a few valves each time a tensioner let go.

Ford revised the cambelt and tensioner change interval several times due to the poor design, now it's something very low.

They also have an issue with the cam carrier if I remember correctly, which means they also snap the odd camshaft.

It cost me more to keep running for 11 months than 4 years of owning Rovers did. Impressive!

Will Gill · 29 Oct 2013 at 10:50

bad plan, stan

d_brennen · 29 Oct 2013 at 10:53

Stop thinking of your Fiesta as an asset and start thinking of it as a tool that devalues with use. Swapping it for an old tractor is madness

Cleisthenes · 29 Oct 2013 at 11:28

Driving down to plymouth in a bmw mini is bad enough; definitely stick with the newer car, i'd feel bad saying anything else.

airwave99 · 29 Oct 2013 at 20:07

rIcK said:
I currrently do a round trip of 100 miles per day and 250 miles on the weekend, so a Diesel still seems to make sense

I'd watch this video with the sound turned up loud:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCRpWsH-Y3o

Then imagine that a Fiesta probably offers considerably less sound insulation than a Mondeo....

Fuzz · 29 Oct 2013 at 20:22

As much as I love gloating about my "supermini" ok ok... "****box 106" doing 74mpg and it's cheap cheap cheap to maintain etc etc.

By god it's tiring driving it a long way.
So for that reason NO, don't buy the £500 fiesta, either stick with what you have got in the hope it is a little easier on the arse to drive the distance or flog it for something completely different that will crunch miles with relative ease.