5k , Help me to decide

kidloco

kidloco

kidloco

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Joined
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Lancashire
well was all set on buying a 1.8 TDCI Focus after the missus car blew up, now iv been looking around and found a few others, should I stick to focus is or is there a better use of my 5k.

It will mainly be used for the missus 10 mile round trip to work, but I will be using it on the odd occasion for when I have to visit clients so it would be nice if it looked OK, as well as being a comftable mtorway crusier. Work pay all my milage so fuel econemy aint a problem, im over 30 so neither is insurance.

so far I have seen the following.

Alfa 147 - always wanted an alfa, but reliablity horror stories hae always put me off, 5k would buy a nice 2 litre, full leather etc around 2003 age and low milage.

VW Passat, this is another sensible choice really, they look OK, with a decent set of alloys and in the grey. my thinking here is that its a lot of car for the cash, will be well screwed togther and will never break down.

Focus, again another sensible choice, for 5k i can get a 2003 1.8TDCI with 40k on the clock.

oh, also seen a ST170 with 60k on it to throw into the mix. and a BMW 3 series, although for that money it seems only the 316 is an option, and im guessing that will be slooooooooow.



well guys, I know sod all about cars so help me out, anything else im missing, the criteria is



  • 5k to spend
  • around 40k on the clock
  • Ok to look at
  • bit of poke for motorways
 
kidloco said:
Work pay all my milage so fuel econemy aint a problem
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then deffo do NOT get a deisel!:)
Also for the small miles you are doing a petrol makes sense. If the miles are low enough then whatever you run isnt going to make THAT much difference (same with insurance due to age).
Try a look at a 1.8turbo octavia, a nice one can be had for 5k and fits everything you have specced:D
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/308853.htm
or maybe a sports spec seat leon or mondeo 2litre or v6. The skoda i have linked is much better than an ST170 focos (imo obviously) and has a good engine
BMWs are nice but you really do pay for the badge!
Hope this helps:)
 
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dont get a focus 1.8 tdci, me and my mate both had them and we both had lots of problems, he spent £3000 in 1 year on repairs (72000 miles) and i spent close to £1000 in 5 months (50,000 miles). they all have injector/pump and DMF problems. i would rather have a 307 2.0 hdi and thats saying something. if you like focus's then i'd recommend the 2.0 zetec for motorways.

edit: just seen your work pay fuel.

in that case DO NOT get a diesel!!!!!!
 
brendy said:
leon/ibiza cupra depending on needs and remap it.
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for a 10 mile round trip to work? the engine would be buggered after 6 months due to engine wear from the car not getting warmed up fully.
its 3.8 miles to where i work,i end up doign 10 just to make sure the car is fully warmed up which is why im gonna get a cheap £500 runaround for work

to op-i would buy a diesel,especially if your doing lots of short journeys
 
Leon Cupra, espically if you want a bit of poke.

Almost same power as the focus 170, but a lot more of a car for the money.
 
brendy said:
Perhaps its not a car you want then (do you not drive at weekends?), what about a moped?
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Moped! dont think she would be seen dead on one of those to be honest, she does nick my R1 from time to time, but only in nice weather.

I do drive at weekends as well, oh Octavia is a no no, shes a bit of a brand snob and wont even entertain a skoda, daft i know. haven't told her the passet is the same as an Octavia :)

Hadn't thought about a leon cupra, ill have a quick look for them later I think, see what I can get for 5k, will I get in em ok, im 6f 3" and a lanky sod, I really struggle to get in behind the wheel in comfort with most cars.

So it seems getting a diesel is not the best of ideas then? any thoughts on the alfa 147, I hate things that rattle and squeak so I want something thats well put together.


edit - just looked at the Seat Leon, 5k will get a lowish milage 2002/03 model, not overly keen on the shape or interia, whels are nice though.
 
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I have a cupra at home and drive an octavia for work,
My new vrs is coming this month
Octavia-vRS-NL.jpg


Which takes the sting of not getting to drive my cupra as much these days, in fact its turning into a school run mobile as it only does 2-4 miles per day.
Mine is a 2004 with the facelifted bumpers as standard, for 5k you will struggle to get a 2004 but there are some earlier models with the same engine/kit for less.
PICT5369Small.jpg

cupraside.jpg

cuprarear1.jpg
 
kidloco said:
Alfa 147 - always wanted an alfa, but reliablity horror stories hae always put me off, 5k would buy a nice 2 litre, full leather etc around 2003 age and low milage.

VW Passat, this is another sensible choice really, they look OK, with a decent set of alloys and in the grey. my thinking here is that its a lot of car for the cash, will be well screwed togther and will never break down.

Focus, again another sensible choice, for 5k i can get a 2003 1.8TDCI with 40k on the clock.

oh, also seen a ST170 with 60k on it to throw into the mix. and a BMW 3 series, although for that money it seems only the 316 is an option, and im guessing that will be slooooooooow.
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I think you've answered your own question pretty well. As the end of the day it's really down to your own personal choice and individual preferences, because you've picked 3 or 4 very different cars in terms of character.

The Alfa's going to be the most interesting car there designwise but also the most expensive to maintain. NEVER buy an Alfa without a full service history and evidence of full cambelt changes every 36k. If you get one that's been looked after, it should be okay but be prepared to spend more money than average to maintain it. It will have the most equipment, leather, climate, CD, VDC, ASR, EBD etc

The Passat is hyper sensible and hyper practical, and will crunch miles no problem as well as allowing you to put half a house in the back. Tried and tested mechanicals and reliability. I just wonder if you'll get bored of it after a while. It's not exactly nimble or something you'd be hustling down country lanes.

The Focus ST170 is a good car if you like the shape. I think its a better car than the Alfa and the Passat simply it blends elements of both. The TDCI is a bit humdrum. Those Mark 1 Focuses aren't much of a looker to my eyes, but each to their own. The interiors can also end up looking quite tatty quite quickly, and mechanically they're no more than average in terms of reliability / component failure / replacement. Strangely, they're one of the few cars that look better when made to look bling bling. Compare and contrast 2 ST170s:
http://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=637702959
http://www.nextcar.com.au/i.ford.focus.st170.rear.jpg

The BMW E46 is still the best car there by a mile, even a high mileage one.....how about a 6 cylinder, creamy smooth, immaculate, full FBMWSH, 90K car that drives like a peach for £5k?
 
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MarkDavis said:
The BMW E46 is still the best car there by a mile, even a high mileage one.....how about a 6 cylinder, creamy smooth, immaculate, full FBMWSH, 90K car that drives like a peach for £5k?
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Q F T.

I had no regrets buying my 728i @ 98k & running it to 126k over 2 years, nor my previous 318i, bought @ 125k miles sold 3 years later @ 175k miles.

If you live on motorways, then the BMW would be an excellent choice imo.

£5k would buy a very nice e46 3 Series.

Look in this order imo
BMW
VW
Ford
Alfa (very much bottom!)

My Grandfather would spin in his grave to hear me say this, but, Germany for the Win! :p
 
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right guys, iv ruled out the passet, its just to lardy and dull looking, i fear I may actually fall asleep behind the wheel if I bought it, and im only 32, pipe and slippers can wait.

I have narrowed it down to the following


BMW 3 series

Seems 5k will buy an OK e46 after all

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/288270.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/316399.htm

This one looks amazing, just shame about milage, and I bet the 2.5 drinks fuel and expensive bills

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/322613.htm



Alfa 147 (this is my fave looking of the lot, someone put me off :D)

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...147&min_pr=4000&max_pr=6000&max_mileage=60000

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...147&min_pr=4000&max_pr=6000&max_mileage=60000


Ford Focus ST170


http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...CUS&min_pr=4000&max_pr=6000&max_mileage=60000


I need to try and get the thing this week, help!, kind of like the idea of owning a BMW but the umber of diferant specs is baffling, and the cost of servicing scares me also.

Love the look of the 147 but would it be braking down every 5 seconds.

Focus, sensible and quick, just a little dull.
 
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Im in a similar situation, looking to change my "daily drive" for something a bit more modern and with more toys, but again finding it very difficult to find the balance of toys/price/interest.

Ive pretty much immediately ruled out the alfa though, despite it being best looking its just too much of an unknown quantity in terms of reliability.

Otherwise it very much seems to just come down to personal preference.

There are quite a few nice 318s out there, but i cant help but feel you're just buying the badge and there are better cars out there. Hard to say though as similar priced passats/mondeos/focus dont seem to off that much more in terms of toys
 
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Those 318s are only 116bhp or so you'll have to decide whether you're prepared to dispense with the motorway 'ooomph'. With the 323i have a look at what work was done as part of that £1800 spent. Presuambly it has FBMWSH? Cost of servicing is a bit pricey but it helps if the car's had a lot of preventative maintenance done on it already (as opposed to an owner who's skimped). Also there are a lot of BMW indies about who are just as good but cheaper than dealers.

The first Alfa is completely overpriced, given that you'll need to spend £1,000 in the first year following purchase for the spark plug and cambelt services. I wouldn't pay more than £3500 for that car.

The second Alfa is more on the money. Check that the history is a full Alfa history. Some non-Alfa mechanics change the cambelt and nothing else, when in reality there are lots of other bits that need to changed at the same time. You miss one thing out from the cambelt change and its another 5 hours of labour. Incidentally, those alloys aren't 17"s.

Also listen for any knocking from the suspension - suggests bushes, transverse arms, balljoints etc are on their way out. They don't tend to last. Not a huge cost but a worth noting. Applies to the BMW as well though its usually bushes, wishbones, balljoints etc.
 
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Love the advert for the 323i.

has wanted for nothing
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Well, nothing other than..

£1800 spent inclusive of a complete brake overhaul, new battery and a major service, plus other attention
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Not that this is a problem but it just shows you cant beleive any of the BS a trader will spin you.
 
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