Advice Please.

digitalwolf · 1 Dec 2006 at 19:57

Well, i'm starting to scratch my head on what my new car will be. I was dead cert on a focus, but the economy issue is worrying. I'll have about £4-£4.5k to spend hopefully and I want a 3 door thats Golf/Focus/Astra size not 106 size etc. It must have A/C and be reasonably economical, 40mpg if possible.

So, what cars should I be looking at?

Puzzled · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:00

Were you looking at the 1.6 focus, or the larger engine versions. As the 1.6 is pretty economical.

I haven't looked at Autotrader for ages, but a Seat Leon might be coming into that price range now.

digitalwolf · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:05

I was looking at the Focus 1.8 Collection

paradigm · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:06

MonkeyMan said:
I haven't looked at Autotrader for ages, but a Seat Leon might be coming into that price range now.

Easily now for the majority of older models (TDI's, Cupra's, 1.4,1.6,1.8 etc), they will be quite miley, but are good cars

Can get a 1.9TDi in budget, they aren't slow and get decent MPG

digitalwolf · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:18

I was looking at the 1.9 FR Ibiza. 130bhp i think.

MagicBoy · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:27

digitalwolf said:
I was looking at the 1.9 FR Ibiza. 130bhp i think.

The early TDI 130s were called the TDI Sport. Changed to the FR in 2004, with the sport re-classified as a TDI 100 and the toys removed.

For £5k? Little chance of that. You might just get an early TDI 100 SE with high miles on it.

digitalwolf · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:32

MagicBoy said:
The early TDI 130s were called the TDI Sport. Changed to the FR in 2004, with the sport re-classified as a TDI 100 and the toys removed.

For £5k? Little chance of that. You might just get an early TDI 100 SE with high miles on it.

Is the 1.9 Sport any good? Just seen 55mpg an 0-60 in 9.1 is rather nice lol.

MagicBoy · 1 Dec 2006 at 20:39

0-60 in 9.1 would be a 130bhp version then. They are quick but try before you buy as the suspension is ROCK HARD. I preferred the Skoda Fabia vRS - they're the same car underneath. Little realistic chance of finding a decent Skoda for under £7k BTW.

They're cheap to run Insurance is about group 8 and you'll get 55mpg+ on a motorway run. I average 47mpg with a lot of urban mileage.