[Closed] New (old) car advice - £1,000 ceiling

MX5.

[url= http://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-318ti-compact/1121745227 ]BMW 318 Compact?[/url]

Honda Accord. They're plenty big enough, okay-ish on fuel. Loads around the £1000 mark, and they're bombproof.

you'll get an astra g for that money easy - not pretty or exotic, but will do the job

the above vehicles are likely to cost much more if/when repairs are required

Didn't this come up the other day, and the answer was a late-model, lead-out Mk1 Focus?

late-model, lead-out Mk1 Focus

My thoughts exactly.

late-model, lead-out Mk1 Focus?

Thanks guys. Heart says the MX5. Head says maybe not!

MK1 Focus certainly an option. I guess late model would be 03 or 04? Forgive my ignorance but what do we mean by lead-out?

Also, are there any issues with the MK1 that I should be looking out for? Any inside bits of info that will warn me if it's a potential lemon?

Thanks again

EDIT - Just re-read my original post and spotted a typo that may, or may not, prove to be incredibly prophetic..

we have come to the conclusion that we need to buy her a car for a tear or so until she is established as a driver

Lead out is when everyone knows the new version is just around the corner so they load the old one with goodies to keep it selling.

There aren't really, by 2004 they'd sorted most issues out. Look for a non-rusty 1.6 or 1.8 petrol.

eg:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-1.8-ghia-long-mot-exceptional-condition/1122698446

FSH or as close as poss, check for arch rust, and go with condition.

Or:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-1.6-petrol-2004-silver/1120368558

£1000 or so will get you a good one. Look good (IMHO), reliable, comfortable, and drive really well.

I know some one selling a rover 214 for 500 quid,it's a x regarding I think and has a fair few dings usage but runs fine and mechanicalrunns sweet it has got around 130000 miles on it though and it's based in Preston. Sure he'd take lass as he's moving to Germany pretty soon.

Focus is a good shout.watch out for rust on the sills and rear arches though.Similar age Astras seem to last well too and are cheap to fix.Not as nice to drive as the Focus but seem to be less affected by rust.

Focus is a good shout.watch out for rust on the sills and rear arches though.Similar age Astras seem to last well too and are cheap to fix.Not as nice to drive as the Focus but seem to be less affected by rust.

How about letting her choose her own car?

Somebody round my way was selling an X Plate Skoda Octavia the other day for £750... Wow you might say saracstically, but... It had ha 1 owner from new and only 26,000 miles on the clock! It was a basic 1.8 petrol model, but had got to be worth a punt at that price for what was effectively a Mk4 Golf in drag...

Berlingo, no need to fold the pushchair, it just goes in to the boot....

Fiesta?

Sorry just realised boot might be a bit small.

being based on a mk4 golf is not a good thing
Berlingo with a slow dw8 engine depending on your expected mileage

Depends on where abouts in the world you are, but I have an 02 skoda fabia estate, been used as a biking mobile so plenty of scuffs on roof lining, 4 brand new tyres and mot til Feb, yours for the huge sum of 300 finest sterling

twinw4ll - Member
How about letting her choose her own car?

You've obviously not met my missus 🙂

In all seriousness though, I'd happily let her get on with it, but on this matter she says (and I quote) - "I haven't got a clue, but I don't want leather seats". So there you go and given she's reading over my shoulder as I type this, I don't think anyone needs to get their knickers/boxers in a twist..

Thanks for all the advice guys. Fabia may be of interest Stu170. Whereabouts are you, I'm currently in very sunny Manchester..