First car under £3000 - spec me something?

puffinchunks said:
Seen quite a nice Focus here, is the mileage a bit high though? Seems quite average for what I'm seeing generally, with some exceptions.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606094770407

Got a weekend of test drives ahead; a Yaris, Focus and the Mazda, though it seems I could get a better Mazda for the money with enough looking.
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Check that the cambelt has been changed on that particular one, as they are due at 80,000 miles / 10 years. If not I'd be asking for 300 quid off at least to get it done asap. Waterpump not so important as the pump isn't cambelt driven but you should ask for that anyway.

Other than that, check for the obvious. Check the header tank for traces of oil, could be a sign the head gasket is on the way out, Check for leaks, the power steering fluid pipes leaking is quite a common fault and will cost around 200 quid to get replaced. If you pop the bonnet and look down through a gap on the left, you'll see what looks like a tray, if its wet then it might be the pipe leaking.

Have a little look underneath at the sides of the car for corrosion and the rear coil springs too as they like to corrode. Hopefully as its a few years newer than my mk2 those issues were fixed, but certainly common on the early mk2's I was told when suffering the same repair bill fate.

Not sure that car is worth 3,000 though.
 
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Who's telling you that? Most people do about 10k miles a year, so a 9 year old car with average use would have 90k on it :)
 
Its last mot doesn't ring any massive alarm bells but again, I wouldn't spend 3k on that particular car
Advisory notice item(s):


rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

nearside rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

offside rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

nearside front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (2.4.G.2)

offside front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (2.4.G.2)
 
grudas said:
haha tell me about the gearbox! 1st is such a pita! :o people still laugh at me when I stall but it is literally a bitch to deal with, other gears are fine but parking/car parks/traffic is a pain!
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So it wasn't just mine then, good to know!

Agree with everything else Imy said about the 2.0 Sport too. For a first car I'd really just go with the 1.6 in a decent spec; it's a bit down on kit but it'll be cheaper to insure, run (34MPG), tax (£270 a year) and maintain (tyres and brakes were pricey in my experience). You can get the Sport with a 1.6 but I'm not sure if it comes with 16" or 17" wheels.
 
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Nope! I've read reviews before and I've seen mentions of it and I thought nothing about it but tbh after driving other cars it is much harder to get off the line in this!

I can't talk about tyres.. mynon standard 18" aalloys need 18s so for midrange tyres I end up at around £80/corner which is not had IMO.
 
puffinchunks said:
Seen quite a nice Focus here, is the mileage a bit high though? Seems quite average for what I'm seeing generally, with some exceptions.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606094770407

Got a weekend of test drives ahead; a Yaris, Focus and the Mazda, though it seems I could get a better Mazda for the money with enough looking.
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Don't go to main dealerships they charge far more than private sellers do. 3k might get you a Titanium Focus and there will be plenty of Zetec's for sale with under 70k miles in your price range
 
I can't recall myself or my girlfriend having any trouble with 1st gear when we test drove a Mazda 3 2.0 a while back!
 
grudas said:
I can't talk about tyres.. mynon standard 18" aalloys need 18s so for midrange tyres I end up at around £80/corner which is not had IMO.
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It was £114 a piece for four 17" Conti Sport Contact 5s fitted in Feb last year, although I had a £45 discount applied after that. Hopefully my Leon's 18s are a more common size.

Howard said:
I can't recall myself or my girlfriend having any trouble with 1st gear when we test drove a Mazda 3 2.0 a while back!
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In mine it felt very much like an on-or-off gear, either you're putting power down or you're not. Fine for when you're trying to accelerate from a standstill but annoying for creeping forward in traffic or car parks. That said the clutch on mine was heavy as hell too so perhaps there was another issue at play.
 
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Always buy on condition/history rather than mileage would be my advice. When I was looking at Alfa GTVs I test drove one with 60k on the clock and it was a total dog. I ended up buying one with 120k on it because it had been religiously maintained and it never gave me a single problem in two years.

I've never driven a Mazda 3 but I learnt to drive in a 2007 Mk. 2 Focus with the 1.6 petrol engine and found it a very pleasant car to drive. I'd happily recommend one to a new driver and would echo what others have said about getting something a little larger/more comfortable if you're commuting more than a few miles through a city.
 
Test drives done and I'm definitely after a Focus. Yaris was fun but the Focus felt much more refined and comfortable. Dint want the Focus I test drove but nice to have narrowed it down to one car finally.

Wondered if someone could cast an eye over this titanium that popped up today?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201605153981413

There's a few Focuses about, but I'm surprised how hard it is to find one that's got the climate pack and doesn't look like it's been smashed into.
 
Was the Focus you tested the 99bhp or the 115bhp? As for the link you posted looks a fairly decent example but it's a 54 plate which is when that shape only just got released and 3k would probably get you a 2007.
I would look at buying private rather than going to traders and over paying
 
puffinchunks said:
It was a 99. Where's best to look for private sellers? I've been surprised how much of what I've seen is traders, or even traders posing as private...
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I would try and get a Zetec or Titanium with the 115bhp engine it does make a difference to the acceleration and it's the same to insure. There's plenty about with climate pack on the Zetec but the Titanium has more on it as standard.
Check for private sales on eBay motors, Autotrader and Gumtree is very good for local car ad's
 
Try and avoid 54 reg mk2's as said, it was the year of release and the early ones do suffer from corrosion. Trust me, I owned one.

As for the climate pack, if it isn't listed as climate, but has air con and heated front windscreen, it has the climate pack.

Everyone always says about getting the 115bhp version, which would be great yes, but it hugely narrows your choice down, there simply aren't loads about like the 99bhp.

Where abouts are you and how far are you willing to travel?
 
Jamesyboyjim said:
Try and avoid 54 reg mk2's as said, it was the year of release and the early ones do suffer from corrosion. Trust me, I owned one.

As for the climate pack, if it isn't listed as climate, but has air con and heated front windscreen, it has the climate pack.

Everyone always says about getting the 115bhp version, which would be great yes, but it hugely narrows your choice down, there simply aren't loads about like the 99bhp.

Where abouts are you and how far are you willing to travel?
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I'm in Brecon, willing to travel 60ish miles - depending on where/what the car is I could go further. Most of my searching has been in the Bristol/Somerset area purely because it's easy to get there with no car :)

Seen a few 115bhp cars around but you're right, they're nowhere near as common.
 
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