Used car 8-9k

Hiijinx

Hiijinx

Hiijinx

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11 May 2009
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1,040
Hello guys,

(Just posted this on Piston heads, in case any of you frequent there. ;) )

I am currently looking for a replacement used car up to about the 9k mark and would love some expert advice.

At the moment I have a 2009 Mazda 2 Sport 1.5 which has been a fun little car, all be it lacking some grunt.

I recently drove a 1.2(!) Seat Leon tsi and was absolutely blown away with its power for such a small engine, not only would it be cheaper to run but it felt so much more capable at mid range speeds, I am guessing because of the turbo?

I had never really considered a VAG before as I love Japanese but over the last year or so have been a bit let down with Mazda with its underpowered engine and harsh ride. Plus today it seems that most manufactorers have caught up to the famous japanese reliabilityy, some even beating it for a lower premium.
Even my mothers Skoda fabia 1.6 diesel seemed a nicer package.

I consider my driving style as very laid back, but always on the limit - no dawdling around here! I am terrible at keeping high revs and dislike the aggressive feel so believe a turbo would be a good move for me.

So in short, I am looking for :

5 years old Max
High spec trim
Something fun to drive - more B roads than motorway
Comfortable ride - so probably no sports models
Daily drive but relatively low mileage
Not so much interested in 0-60 but more of 40-60 ( overtaking)
Small/family size
4 seats
Not French - sorry but still not sold on their reliability!

What should I look into giving a test drive?

Thanks in advance. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hiijinx
 
The Leon's or Octavia sound ideal for you

Fiesta if it isn't too small for what you want now or the focus, both 1 litre ecoboost -though you might not like the ride of the fiesta either

You can buy a polo, Ibiza or Fabia with the 1.2tsi too- Fabia estate maybe worth exploring
 
Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia (look at the Skoda Rapid if budget is a little stretched), Fiesta Ecoboost

I drive a 1.2 TSI Skoda Rapid and am very impressed with the performance of the engine. Certainly not the last word in power and excitement, but it certainly holds it's own in the mid range.

I do 25k+ a year, and I had set my mind on a Diesel but was so impressed with the TSI engines and the little difference in Economy between the two I went with the TSI.
 
you say you want some more grunt that a 1.5, so why not look at a 5 door hot hatch.

if you like your existing Mazda but want more poke then a 3 MPS - give 1 a test drive, go on... That will have grunt and I think you should be able to find 1 for 8-9k ;)

being more economical - Fabia vRS or Fiesta ST? (I'm only guessing they'll be available for that price - at the end of the day, 8-9k for a 5yr old car can get a lot of car...)
 
The op was extremely happy with the performance of a 1.2 turbo, yet should look at hot hatches? Bit of perspective possibly required
 
^^ You should see the suggestions I got on Pistonheads LOL!

I drove the 1.2 tsi again today and am sold on the turbo as it just suits my driving style so much nicer- got 2 overtakes in on NSL roads and felt composed and in control rather than having to make the engine scream. I might see if I can stretch my budget for the 1.4 however just because :p
Slow to set off but certainly moves quicker once its going than my Mazda which past 40 seems to run out of puff unless you torture it.

The MPS is my dream car but have heard so many terror stories about the turbo going boom plus I am slightly sceptical of "sports" models since they all go for low profile butt pounding tyres and break your back suspension, the non sporty tsi was actually a joy to drive on bumpy roads and much less tiring because of this.
 
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come on, what's wrong with a hot hatch? you can't deny the original "spec" is a little too open ended to say they're out of the equation.

it starts by saying he's got a 1.5 and it's lacking grunt. Tried a 1.2 and likes the turbo.

So, if he wants something with a little more space in the back than a DS3 and 5 doors then to get similar poke then what's wrong with a Fiesta ST? There's no mention of VED under £200, the expected mileage or a desire of over 40mpg, so the only thing to work on is "more grunt than a 1.5 Mazda 2" ;) thus a hot, or possibly "mildly hot" hatch thoughts ;)
 
DereksDontRun said:
come on, what's wrong with a hot hatch? you can't deny the original "spec" is a little too open ended to say they're out of the equation.

it starts by saying he's got a 1.5 and it's lacking grunt. Tried a 1.2 and likes the turbo.

So, if he wants something with a little more space in the back than a DS3 and 5 doors then to get similar poke then what's wrong with a Fiesta ST? There's no mention of VED under £200, the expected mileage or a desire of over 40mpg, so the only thing to work on is "more grunt than a 1.5 Mazda 2" ;) thus a hot, or possibly "mildly hot" hatch thoughts ;)
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He wants something comfortable? Sounds to me like he wants to waft around in comfort in a low revving turbo.
 
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DereksDontRun said:
come on, what's wrong with a hot hatch? you can't deny the original "spec" is a little too open ended to say they're out of the equation.

it starts by saying he's got a 1.5 and it's lacking grunt. Tried a 1.2 and likes the turbo.

So, if he wants something with a little more space in the back than a DS3 and 5 doors then to get similar poke then what's wrong with a Fiesta ST? There's no mention of VED under £200, the expected mileage or a desire of over 40mpg, so the only thing to work on is "more grunt than a 1.5 Mazda 2" ;) thus a hot, or possibly "mildly hot" hatch thoughts ;)
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He said comfortable and in no way can you describe a fiesta st as that. Far too firm a ride. Also just to be pedantic a fiesta st hasn't got 5 doors either. When he says small/family size I automatically assume he has little ones or carries passengers often so a 3 door hot hatch probably really isn't what he wants, sounds like he wants the size up from a fiesta anyway.

To be honest a focus eco boost, the leon, golf or astra all seem like good shouts as all are available with small turbo engines. Also might be worth checking for the 1.4tsi variants of the golf/leon too as it might give you a little more poke should you want it.
 
Hiijinx said:
...I can stretch my budget for the 1.4 however just because :p
Slow to set off but certainly moves quicker once its going than my Mazda which past 40 seems to run out of puff unless you torture it.
Click to expand...

I've driven the 1.4 TSI with a DSG box on and it's a fantastic setup and the engine has a lot more noticeable pull off the line. I wish I had more funds available to do the same but I am still pleased with mine. Would buy again.
 
Should be able to get a 2010 or 2011 Skoda Octavia vRS for your money. Maybe not quite as small as you would like but you soon get used to it (I used to drive ford Ka before the Octavia) and they drive much nicer than the 1.4s you have been looking at.
 
i hired seat ibiza 1.2tsi (85bhp) in spain for a week,. i drove it like i stolen it. 35mpg :) very impressed with the engine, plenty of power at 1,500rpm. it felt more lively than my old car ford focus 1.6 100bhp petrol. now i have a fabia vrs with dsg gearbox.

if i didnt get the vrs, id get the ibiza 1.2tsi 105bhp with dsg gearbox

i personally prefer the look of ibiza estate. you'll get a year old for 8k now
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, is really helping. :)

However - to now throw a spanner in the works and add DSG paddle shift to the requirements!

I test drove the Ibiza 1.4 TSI FR (didnt have the Leon in) and absolutely loved it - BUT .... the girlfriend could not reach the clutch :eek: and did not feel confident in it which is a deal breaker as we share the car and although I drive the majority of the time, refuse to buy something that is just for myself.

We then looked at the Fabias/Octavias up the road and had the same issue - until she sat in an auto and the problem was solved.

I have always stayed clear of autoboxes just because I like to select my gears but think I could get on with a paddle shift just fine.

They have a 2013 Fabia Vrs DSG coming in soon which they will phone me about to try - whether or not the ride will be too harsh remains to be seen.

I have been sticking to VAG because of the TSI but if there are any other turbo powered hatches out there with a DSG option, would love to hear about them! Thanks for the Ford suggestions too - I have not ignored these:D

@wesley - how is the ride in your Vrs and what sort of MPG you get from it? I had deliberately steered clear of "hot hatches" due to the running cost but the salesman (as they do) said it was actually pretty frugal.
 
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after a month with dsg gearbox, you wont bother to change gears via paddle shift. like i did :)

fabia vrs is a twin charged engine, supercharge and turbo, they are known for heavy on oil.

before the new oil jets fitted, it burn 1.3 litre per 1000km but now it much less but still burn a little too much. skoda is having my car for 2 weeks next week to rebuild or new engine hopefully.

if you buy fabia vrs, make sure it has full skoda service history and phone skoda HQ and ask if there were any warranty works carried out on this car.

ride is wonderful, very smooth at mid range speed, 40 to 100mph :D but its very firm and harsh over bump at 30mph road. you'll get used to the ride very quickly.

you'll love the car. i did 600 miles trip last week, 52mpg average, you wont get much more on diesel

if you drive slow, you'll get diesel mpg
if you drive fast, you'll get V8 mpg :D
 
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wesley said:
after a month with dsg gearbox, you wont bother to change gears via paddle shift. like i did :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for that very helpful insight wesley, is great to hear this sort of stuff from an actual owner.

Re: not using the paddles anymore, don't you find yourself constantly fighting the gearbox with it wanting to shift up mid corners and down hills? If not, I would imagine a normal auto would be just as good and offer plenty more choices out there.

And good god that thing burns more oil than petrol(!) - I had heard this but thought it an exaggeration. Forget fuel stations, I might have to carry a bottle of Castrol with me if I go for it.
 
dsg gearbox always spot on with selecting the right gear all the time for me.

i dont think about which gears anymore, all i think is gas and brake pedals that it :)

dsg gearbox is totally different from auto box. they change gears much smoother and quicker than slushbox

up and down shifts on my vrs sounds sounds really good
not my video

 
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