Missus needs a new car - something Polo to Golf size, petrol, reasonable on fuel and (it's not road tax actually) road tax. Below 50k preferably, 5 door, few mod cons like bluetooth phone prep would be good. She would also like something reasonably nippy and fun to drive but not hot hatch speed or a crashing through potholes ride. Tons to choose from I know, a Kia Ceed had crossed my mind as if she got a 2015 ish it would still have a few years warranty. Understand they're pretty boring though.
French cars still make me nervous, needs to be reliable (can't be guaranteed, I know)
Mazda 2 looks like it could be good, anyone got one of them?
slightly over your numbers :
or
Giuliettas seem to be quite reliable.
Mazda's are great, if boring. I've got a 3 and Mrs jet a 2.
Paid 3500 for the 3 with 45000 on it and had 60000 miles out of it so far for cost of servicing and replacing rear shocks.
For value motoring can't fault it, and would definitely buy Mazda again based on reliability of ours.
Been looking at similar myself earlier (very similar requirement, although looking at autos). Saw a few Golfs and Focuses at around that price which seems better value to me than similarly age/mileage Aygos and Smarts going for the same money.
Giuliettas seem to be quite reliable.
Well they're not too bad but especially if it's a pre-facelift one (pre 2014 IIRC), make sure it's been serviced on the dot with the right oil.
Well they’re not too bad but especially if it’s a pre-facelift one (pre 2014 IIRC), make sure it’s been serviced on the dot with the right oil.
^^that^^ and not just the right grade, the right fiat/Alfa spec if it’s a petrol with multiair. A stamp from an Alfa specialist (NOT a dealer) carries more weight in my book than anything else.
We've got a 2012 Seat Leon which I'd guess is worth about that value. It's the pre-re-design special (Copa) which has the Bluetooth and climate control. 1.2, 110bhp engine is nippy, and it's been dead reliable. Recommended.
needs to be reliable
First post, 2 Alfas. 😀
Went through the process recently and was a bit underwhelmed with the choices. Test drove a Hyundai i3 which ticked the same boxes, but a bit meh. Tried a Renault Capture, nice and good reviews but a tad small for me. Skoda Rapid Spaceback, bit basic.
Settled on a Yeti. They are no longer if not shorter than a Golf but feel loads more roomy, drive like a car and come in 1.2 turbo petrol.
golf 1.4tsi
We’ve got a 2012 Seat Leon
I looked at the Leon and Ibiza but the interiors on them are deathly dull compared to Fords.
Funnily enough just after posting I was idly looking at a Giulietta parked up. I wondered how long it would take someone to mention them, being STW and all! Interesting though....
Didn't think a Yeti would be within budget, will take a look.
I had a 2011 1.4tsi Golf (tornado red of course), one of my favourite cars and the wife loved it too. You do pay a VW premium though and I think I heard something about earlier chain cam models lunching themselves and later belt models being the ones to go for?
Very happy with my ZC32 swift Sport, you could get a good one for your budget.
My mother has a 1.4TSI Yeti. It's nice inside and drives OK but is significantly thirstier in real life than the stated figures would have you believe.
I got high 30s to low 40s out of my Golf which I thought was OK, mid 40s would be better though.
Would really have liked to lease a Kia Soul EV when they were £200 a month but missed the boat
Leon is on the radar, Swift is a good shout. My last Suzuki was a GSXR1000, I imagine a Swift is pretty similar?
I looked at the Leon and Ibiza but the interiors on them are deathly dull compared to Fords.
Neither are particularly radical.
Leon:
Focus:
I've currently got a Focus and have had test drives in a new/nearly-new Leon and Focus. The Leon felt better in pretty much every way (but that could be in part because I recognised some of the Focus switches from my 14 year old one!). The 125hp Focus 1.0 ecoboost was really disappointing too. It apparently has the same power as the 1.4tsi in the Leon, but is over 2 seconds slower 0-60. I've been served very well by my (mk2) Focus, but won't be replacing it with a newer one.
Neither are particularly radical.
That’s the latest Leon though, not the one you’ll get for £7k...
Definitely, ours is much more dull than that! must admit I wasn't keen on the dashboard in ours at first, doesn't bother me after a few years of getting used to it.
Leasing will give you quite a few options.
How long will you keep this car?
Out of interest, could I ask why people recommend the pre-facelift Alfa giulietta? Always thought facelifted cars had issues fixed. Always quite liked an Alfa.
Cheers.
First post, 2 Alfas. 😀
look at recent reliability charts, then do pretty well and better than some VAG models, including Audis.
Find a good specialist is the answer - I am buying another Alfa just to stay with him.
I've had 3 Alfas now and about to buy a 4th - whn I bouoght my first it was some trouble but nothing compared to the VW Passats that the dealership company also had the franchise for.
Previous shape Honda Civic?
Magic rear seats are a plus
Do you need 5 seats? If not, how about a C30. A friend has one - a due future classic imo. Not the fastest, but certainly quite fun and comfy riding if you avoid R-design.
Your budget would get you one of the last ones, 1.6 or 2.0.
If you decide to lease instead give me a shout
Even if I cant help I should be able to point you at the best deal
Clarke@vansource.co.uk
(We don’t just do vans)
The C30 looks nice but is quite compact inside - smaller than the giulietta and also the cockpit doesn't feel as nice to me.
I think, sometimes, people over think problems like this.
5 door Yaris petrol, <30k c2016/15 for the sporty one, and even less than budget if you go for the more normal one.. you can stretch up to £7.5k there are simply hundreds to choose from.
We had a 62 reg Focus (which is the model you will get for your budget) and really liked it. The 1 lt 125 is nippy and quiet plus it’s a comfortable car.
We tested the Alfa as it looks ace but were really disappointed with the drive and quality of the interior. The driving position felt odd as well.
If she wants a nice car to drive you want to be looking at a BMW 1 Series. We have had a couple and they knock spots off the others behind the wheel.
That’s the latest Leon though, not the one you’ll get for £7k…
There are plenty of the current shape about:
https://www.parkers.co.uk/seat/leon/hatchback/12-tsi-se-5d/for-sale/usedcfs-449434551508701/
I think it recently had a facelift but it was only really minor tweaks.
The 1.4 TSI Leon has 150hp, not 125hp. One thing that struck me about the VAG engines is that there is a degree of inconsistency. E.g. wehn looking at Leon's of a certain age, the engines generally had a higher output than the VW or Skoda equivalent. E.g. the 2.0 TDI Seat's were 150bhp whereas the Skoda's and VW's were 140, same with the 1.4 TSIs.
Make sure you go for the Technology Pack, otherwise they're a bit basic on the tech front.
I have a 2016 Skoda Fabia hatchback for sale with Android Auto, cruise control, speed limiter etc. It's got 16k miles on it and I'm after £4500 including a spare set of winter tyres on alloys. It's an excellent car - reliable, comfortable and just massively dependable. The build quality is better than our other car, a Peugeot 208. And it's just a cavern - we've had a tandem in our old one. This is our third Fabia.
munrobiker - any details?
I have a 2016 Skoda Fabia hatchback for sale with Android Auto, cruise control, speed limiter etc. It’s got 16k miles on it and I’m after £4500 including a spare set of winter tyres on alloys.
That seems unreasonably cheap, (in the buyers favour) have you missed a 1 off the front of the asking price??
That seems unreasonably cheap, (in the buyers favour) have you missed a 1 off the front of the asking price??
They're less than that (£14500) brand new.
Tthew- I haven't mentioned it above (so I could present how great a car it is to anyone interested before their opinion on it was unduly clouded), but the main reason for the price is that it's a very well repaired Cat C (it was rear-ended and got a new bootlid, bumper and welding on of new chassis rail extensions to support the centre of the bumper). I think the going rate for one of this age and milage is £8k.
OK, I was being slightly facetious. Surprised at the cost of these on Autotrader actually, but that's still a bargain.
munrobiker - definitely sounds interesting but aren't you in Scotland?
Also what engine is it?
The 1.4 TSI Leon has 150hp, not 125hp
The 1.4TSI has 125hp, the 1.4ecoTSI (the one that turns a cylinder off to get better economy) has 150hp.
I've been researchingbut still none the wiser. What's wrong with the post-2014 giulietta then?
I’ve grown really fond of the 105hp, 1.0 Ecoboost, base model Focus I’ve been driving.
Now the Focus doesn’t do any one thing brilliantly, but it’s just a really well put together car that really is a nice drive. It’s not quick, not compared to the 150hp Tiguan, but it’s got a turbo boost that comes in at just the right moment off the line.
Give one a go. The badge snobs on here will scoff at this but I never expected to like it as much as I do.
It’s actually a far nicer car to drive than our brand new 1.4 Tiguan, that the Wife drives.
What’s wrong with the post-2014 giulietta
I'd like to know that as well !
One advantage is that the radio is double din and therefore easily replaceable.
One disadvantage for me is that a lot of models are only auto, although the auto box is suppossed to be good I like the extra interaction of a gearshift.
My wife has just handed her lease Fabia back and got a 63 plate Mini Cooper Countryman 1.6 petrol auto. It has a proper torque converter 6 speed box. It’s not quick like an S but it is nippy. It’s fun to drive but the biggest surprise is the quality. It’s built like a bloody tank. It’s 6 yrs old and it looks brand new. Not a squeak or rattle. Worth a look me thinks.
Worth a look me thinks.
I try not to look at those Countrymans as they are so freakin' ugly!
well I've just bought a cloverleaf giulietta in 8C Competizione red 🙂
Not as good looking as my GT but a bit more refined.
We bought a mini clubman cooper s a few months ago.
Love it.
Cooper s seems to have a few more issues than normal cooper.....
Good residuals on minis too
Had a brand new alfa giuletta as a courtesy. Lovely to sit in, nice engine, dash was already a rattly mess!
Agree it’s a car only a mother could love, but Mrs Inbred likes it. Let’s just say they have a look that doesn’t seem to date compared to other makes. A friend has a 2005 and if you put a private reg on it you wouldn’t be able to tell the age. Residuals also very good compared to other makes.
A friend has a turbo diesel giuletta and the car hasn’t been right since he bought it. Dealers are hopeless, turbo failed replaced under warranty, still doesn’t work properly so just waiting to hand it back. Pretty car though!
Dealers are hopeless
nobody sensible relies on the Alfa dealer network.
my first 156 was a bit of trouble and the dealer poor, the 2nd very solid apart from the clutch oil failing as it hadn't been bleed (not on many service schedules), this GT has been very good for the 8 years I've had it, and the Guilietta I'm buying has had one owner for 8 years/44k miles so must be OK.
I've got no real reason to sell the GT apart from wanderlust, only thing currently wrong is the anti-roll bars creak a bit sometimes - might get that fixed before I sell it for a song !
the red is lovely - like this one but without the oprivacy glass I think (failed to notice)
TurnerGuy. Is it an early one then? How do you think the cloverleaf compares to the 1.4 170bhp petrol?
I test drove a manual 170 a couple of years back, wanted to love it but it didn’t grab me. Didn’t feel that fast, handled well but a bit numb. In dynamic the throttle was too twitchy and my leg cramped after 10 mins. Apart from that it was great. I’m still drawn to them though.
It's a 2010 cloverleaf. As I wanted manual I was stuck with a pre face lift one, but this has only 44k miles on it and one owner, so was too tempting.
I drive a sprint speciale which might have been 170 but could have been 150, I didn't notice. I felt the steering didn't have much feel, but I didn't check the tire pressures before the test drive, which I made sure I did this time.
Still doesn't have quite the steering feel of the GT but I did half the test drive in N and decided it was good enough to buy, then noticed and switched to D which was more fun and a noticeable change, whereas it wasn't much of a change on the sprint speciale.
£600 petrol hatchback ?
🙂
Honda Civic! I bought a steal of an old shape on 50k miles and have raved about it ever since. Brilliant to drive, the magic rear seats get used an awful lot and I'm now a Civic convert.
Just got a Golf 1.4 TSI. It is absolutely fantastic and pretty quick. Great roadholding and fun to drive. My only slight nag is that I find the driver's seat uncomfortable... but that is probably just me.
I got one too and just cannot make a business case to get a new one, even though mine is 8 years old now.
If she isn't image conscious then the Honda Jazz.
Plenty of toys on SE and above. Most reliable hatchback, and hold their value.
Plus a tardis boot.