Help me find a new car

Tombles

Tombles

Tombles

Associate
Joined
10 Jun 2005
Posts
765
Hi all,

First post in the motors forum so hello :p

I am after a new car as i sold my old one (Mini Cooper S).

I am 22 and have about 13k to spend on a car. I would like to get a diesel as i want to keep costs down now im trying to save for a house :o

I wouldnt want a large car. For example the car i have been most tempted by and looking for is a Golf 2.0 GT TDI. This would be my ideal car really for size and the figures are good on it also but as im not a huge car fan i was hoping some of you could shed some light on some other possibilities for me.

I would like the car to only be a couple years old ideally without mileage too high.

Thanks in advanced :)
 
If you wish to keep costs down becuase you are saving for a house, then do not spend £13k on a car. Get a nice diesel for 5 grand or so and that'll do nicely. Golf TDI, Mondeo TDCi, that sort of thing.

£13k run of the mill diesel hatchbacks when you are saving for a house = a stupid idea.

Buy one for less than half that, use the rest as your deposit.
 
[TW]Fox said:
If you wish to keep costs down becuase you are saving for a house, then do not spend £13k on a car. Get a nice diesel for 5 grand or so and that'll do nicely. Golf TDI, Mondeo TDCi, that sort of thing.

£13k run of the mill diesel hatchbacks when you are saving for a house = a stupid idea.

Buy one for less than half that, use the rest as your deposit.
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couldnt of said it better myself.
 
I know it might sound stupid to some and it has crossed my mind to get a cheaper car but as im not moving out right now (not for a couple years at least) i would like save on running costs for future saving but before i commit to such saving i want to buy a decent car that i can keep for many years and wont have to worry about.
 
Your logic is flawed. Your saving on running costs is cancelled out by the huge amount of money you will spend on the car.

By all means spend £13k if you want a nice car (But please buy one, not a Golf diesel), but if you are serious about saving money, do so by spending less on the car. Spending £5k instead means an instant £8k saving.

How many miles do you do a year? Unless you do more than 15k you probably even notice much of a saving.
 
Tombles said:
I know it might sound stupid to some and it has crossed my mind to get a cheaper car but as im not moving out right now (not for a couple years at least) i would like save on running costs for future saving but before i commit to such saving i want to buy a decent car that i can keep for many years and wont have to worry about.
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My 7 Series cost me £5k, two years ago - Its pretty decent by any standard I think :).

When I sell it, it'll probably fetch a minimum £3k.

Whilst its running costs are high, its nothing compared to what you'd lose keeping a £13k car for a few years. You'll save on fuel compared to me, in every other respect, I'm quids in running a money pit!

£5k car (a 1.6 focus returns 40+ mpg!) and £8k towards a deposit is indeed a no brainer.
 
...and if the deposit isnt a big deal to you and you want to spend £13k becuase you love cars, there are loads of great cars out there.

Or there are Golf diesels.
 
[TW]Fox said:
...and if the deposit isnt a big deal to you and you want to spend £13k becuase you love cars, there are loads of great cars out there.

Or there are Golf diesels.
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heh,

what cars would you suggest then?
 
What do you want from a car? What sort of cars do you like? You win the lottery - what car would you buy? What do you like about cars? How many miles a year do you drive?

Answer some of these and I'll make a few suggestions as to the sort of thing £13k or less can buy you.
 
£13k will buy anything from a Golf Diesel to a BMW M5 - You have one hell of a choice in between! :D
 
[TW]Fox said:
What do you want from a car? What sort of cars do you like? You win the lottery - what car would you buy? What do you like about cars? How many miles a year do you drive?

Answer some of these and I'll make a few suggestions as to the sort of thing £13k or less can buy you.
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What do you want from a car? A car that will safely and reliably get me to and from places (work, girlfriends etc.) but will do this in comfort whilst also offering a bit of power if needed. I live near some twisty B roads so handling would be nice but without sacrificing too much of a firm ride. I also want it to be reliable and fairly cheap to run/tax/insure etc. but without costing an arm and a leg to service and/or repair if need to (i know VW arent cheap but for example my mini needed new clutch bearings and BMW wanted 1k to repair, heh). Also it must be practical, i would like to comfortably fit 4 adults in the car and with a decent sized boot without having a huge saloon.

What sort of cars do you like? Realistically i like the look of the MK5 Golfs (bar the rear), i also like Audi A3's and also a bit of a fan of the 3 series.

You win the lottery - what car would you buy? Aston Martin V8 Vantage

What do you like about cars? I like cars with a presence, cars that will make you look twice when driving past, the sound you get from a nice engine whilst not being overly excessive. I like a car that gives good handling and is responsive and a pleasure to drive. Not something you have to rag to get anything out of it. Something you can enjoy and be comfy on a long cruise or when needed give you the power and handling.

How many miles a year do you drive? At the moment around 12k but could be increasing in future due to house move and/or job change.

Thats all i can think of right now, getting bit tired so forgive me if it doesnt all make sense
 
Tombles said:
i know VW arent cheap but for example my mini needed new clutch bearings and BMW wanted 1k to repair,
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No dealers are cheap, which makes me wonder why you did'nt take the Mini to an independent specialist?

£1k for clutch bearings??? :eek: - There having a laugh.
 
R124/LA420 said:
No dealers are cheap, which makes me wonder why you did'nt take the Mini to an independent specialist?

£1k for clutch bearings??? :eek: - There having a laugh.
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Oh i didnt take it there, cheapest quote i got for a specialist company was £600 but it got sold on before the problem was fixed.
 
So much choice.

BMW 320d Sport?

media


Ford Mondeo ST TDCi?

media


Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport?

media


Or perhaps spend £5-7k...

Ford Focus ST170?

media


Peugeot 406 2.2 HDi Coupe?

media


etc etc.
 
Thanks for that, i do like the 320d sport but i just have a feeling it might be too big for me, especially going from what i had to that but i will look into them further and possibly test drive one.

I also like the A3 you listed there and will most likely be popping down to the local dealers tomorrow to look more.

Also can i ask one more question before i go to bed. Whats the gripe with VW Golfs :o

Thanks again.
 
[TW]Fox said:
Nothing wrong with Golfs at all. Good cars.

Just VERY ordinary. And when youve got £13k, dont you want something a bit nice?
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I know, thats my only problem with them is that you spend the money and they dont really stand out, but they do the job well in everything i want it to do. I could argue that the A3 doesnt really stand out from the crowd but the front end i just love :o

Will check out all possibilities though and see what i feel most comfortable with. Again thanks for the help, im off to bed.
 
It depends what you want. If you want a bit of flash, sure, spend the £13k. But if you just want a decent car to do a job, there is no need to spend £13k.

£5-7k buys a nice Focus, Golf, etc.
 
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