Can I get anything worthwhile for under 1k?

you don't get any more reliable car for £500 than the above.
I would personally look for a 2.0, that can also be had for the some money. That said if you were looking at 18 year old automatic 1.8 Peugeots the 1.8 petrol mondeo would be more than adequate anyway.
 
Cristian said:
you don't get any more reliable car for £500 than the above.
I would personally look for a 2.0, that can also be had for the some money.
Click to expand...

In £500 car land, whether its a 1.8 or a 2.0 is about priority 7 on the list.

On a £500 car, 4 decent tyres can be half the cars value, so 4 new tyres > 2 litre engine.
 
InvaderGIR said:
It's a fairly bog standard horrible Rover for very little money, highly likely it has some issues that would cost a fair bit to sort.



It's better, possibly. Not really up on Rovers/MGs so can't really help too much. If it's you and 3 kids though, the MG will not be great in terms of space for kids and associated kid paraphernalia. My brother and his wife struggled with her Rover 25 and just the one child (so more often than not used his A instead).



Again, with children that is likely to be a pain.


Something you need to decide/work out is if you need petrol or diesel. For the money you've got to spend, a modern petrol should be a lot more reliable than a modern diesel. The older diesels are more unrefined and not so nice, but are more reliable than modern ones.
Also engine sizes, how much power to you actually need/want etc. no point getting a 2.5l v6 when you just potter about town taking children to/from school. At the same time, if you're mostly using it on motorways etc. then a 1.2 will be horrible and gutless.
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Thanks for the advice :)

I should have mentioned, that this car will ONLY be used to get me to and from work. The reason the kids come into it is because I'd rather spend money on nappies than petrol (OK...I really wounldn't.. but I have to). Hence ruling out another VR6 or other super thirsty beast.

I have an 06 plate Touran for the kids but I'll be letting the Mrs use that for the school run whilst I take whatever I buy to work.

The commute to work is likely to involve going from High Wycombe to either Madenhead or Reading, so a little bit of Motorway, but I'll often take the back roads.

/edit that MG has sold too.

Used to have one of these and would defo buy another:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...stcode/hp156bs/page/4/keywords/tdi?logcode=p#

/edit2 argh that's sold too!
 
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That golf looks clean but seriously if you want a vag car have a look at toledos, you'll get a 2002 car or newer for that kind of money, nobody really wants them but they're just a bora/golf (with a massive boot).
 
rodenal said:
That golf looks clean but seriously if you want a vag car have a look at toledos, you'll get a 2002 car or newer for that kind of money, nobody really wants them but they're just a bora/golf (with a massive boot).
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I can't see them on Auto Trader... are they alled something else?
 
OK....

I went to look at a few today, looked at my mates one... don't like it, if only because it doesn't have central locking or PAS (I suffer from arthritis so PAS is a must for me).

Went to see this one:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...n/postcode/hp156bs/radius/20/page/1?logcode=p

Couldn't put my fingr on it, but it drive how I remember, despite looking in good condition. Stepping straight into it from a MK6 won't have helped, but I just didn't feel it was right.

Went to see this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...n/postcode/hp156bs/radius/20/page/1?logcode=p

Only £500, but it's had a knock in the front drivers side wing and is badly rusted at the back of the front drivers side wheel arch. I still didn't think it was too bad considering it's only £500 but haven't driven it as the guy was at work so he just tole me where it was and I went to have a walk round it.

Here is the damage:

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/2575/photo1pt.jpg
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7702/photo3el.jpg




Going to see this one now, it's late so won't get a good idea what it looks like, but I want to drive it to compare it to the one that felt odd...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...n/postcode/hp156bs/radius/20/page/1?logcode=p

I asked him how much MOT is on it and he said he thinks 9 months but if it's less that 3 or 4 he will get it a new one.
 
I cant think of a worse car for this purpose than a Golf? Seriously, what? You want the most car for your money and you pick a Golf, a car which some badge obsessed guy will buy even if all the panels are dented and its full of dog poo?

You want something nobody wants because it has no street cred, because it's too big, or because, well, because anything other than 'because its crap' or 'because it always breaks'.

Everyone wants a Golf. You could sell a Golf if it was on fire. Prices reflect this.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ue/postcode/sl85au/radius/60/page/1?logcode=p

Look, this is a Golf. But it has an Audi A3 interior, and a boot. Nobody wants it because nobody even knows what it is so nobody looks for them on Autotrader. Its a full generation newer than the drossy Mk3 Golfs you keep looking at :p
 
Have to agree really, no idea why you're looking at mk3 golfs still, the only good thing about those gtis is that the 8v is bomboroof, you're far better getting it in evem the older toledo....same car for what would practically be scrap money. You could have a 2002ish car still from vag for your budget as has been linked to from different sources above
 
Went to see the golfs, one was in great nick but drove funny, the other drive bang on but was in awful nick.

What about these?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201203442444097

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201204445168223

Both very high mileage, but full mot. If they both look ok which would be the best choice?

There are no Toledos near enough.

Thanks,

G

/edit I also really like the look of this lol:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201204443755902

But for some reason no online places will quote me for insurance on it.

/edit2 this looks ok to me too:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201204444332827
 
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I think the sub 1k MK3 is not a good buy. They are not quite as cheap and simple as the Mk2, and I would be questioning why they are cheap. Definitely not the diesel.
 
Hiya,

Excuse my ignorance but I don't know what is mk2 and what is mk3, I thought all the cars I just posted were diesels?
 
It's cheap because v5 bora's aren't that popular due to their fuel consumption, but that is the older 150bhp v5 which is even less popular because it has less poke and it's just as thirsty. don't be fooled by the listing, W reg means it's the older engine.

mk2 mondeo are the older shape ones like Fox kined for £500.
mk3's are the newer ones like you linked earlier.

I'd consider a mk3 as well - you can get one for close to £1k. high mileage diesels are extremely likely to throw massive bills at you though so steer clear.
 
The thing about Mk3 Mondeos is that being discontinued only 4 years ago they are still a reaosnably recent shape car. As a result, the sub £1k ones are more often than not the complete dogs of the market.

Mk2 Mondeos, though, are absolutely 100% old hat. Nobody wants one, its simply an old Mondeo no matter how you look at it. They are sub £1k because, well, nobody would pay more than £1k for a Mondeo GLX.

They are also cheaper to fix, more simple, cheaper tyres due to smaller sizes, etc etc.

Boras are similar - yes its a Golf with a boot so people want them less but it's still a VW, it still holds value and therefore the average sub £1k Bora is sub £1k because its crap.

You want something with zero or negative street cred.
 
panthro said:
What sort of mileage do you get out of 2.3 V5 engines? Surprised at how cheap the Toledo's are.
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About 30mpg, they sound nice but need working to feel like they're doing anything. Decent though for the money imo

A 1k bora should be fine too if you pick carefully, but it'll be an early v5 as opposed to the later revision in a toledo for the same cash. 20bhp less and same consumptiin as above. Please don't go anywhere near that shape of c class

There's nothing wrong with a 800 to 1k mk3 golf there are just lots and lots of dogs about, most are rusty and it feels like a very old car compared to the "undesireable" options you have (within about 30 miles of the op are you being a bit picky with distances?)
 
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