recommend a cheap auto car please?

Car prices are mental currently. On that budget there'll be an element of luck involved in finding something that's not equally broken. I'd weigh up the costs of fixing. Lots of old big engined estates around with autoboxes. Saloons tend to be cheaper.

Some version of the 2012-ish VAG 2.0TDi engine in an estate? Skoda Octavia?

There's a reason every other taxi you see is a diesel Skoda.

How important is fuel economy?

Volvo V70 up to 2006year (P2 platform), go for the 2.4na non turbo 140bhp with the auto box. Fuel economy isn't great but theres nothing to break on that engine.

Forget the D5 in your price range.
Owned by old duffers so not ragged/well serviced.

We have one with 207k miles and it's been a fantastic car.

Also looking for my lad who is starting to
Learn on auto after getting disheartened in a manual.
Even smaller budget!
Autotrader is great as you can filter everything to see what is available quickly, and then you can trade off mileage against age etc.

Gumtree is the place for cars at a grand.

Old 1.9 litre Octavia Estate or Hatch would be my choice. I had one for 10 years and it barely put a foot wrong.

Quick search shows you’ll struggle with the auto bit though.

How important is fuel economy?

id guess not ever so, as i reckon this focus is a bit crap on economy anyway.  i did tell him when he went for the auto test that his options would be limited and economy is crap with autos.  but you know.....kids and their dads.... 😀

Gumtree is the place for cars at a grand.

gumtree still going?? not heard that name for a while but ill pass that on to him.  he can afford more than a grand, maybe up to £4,000?

you mention diesel octavias.  i had a couple myself and they were pretty much faultless, but i guess theres more to go wrong with a diesel, and more expensive to fix would you say?

thanks

I thought it was the law that all P&Ds had to have a massive Volvo estate?

They are small but practical- Honda jazz. Lots bought by old people who love autos. Practical with seats down for any tools, maybe a bit small.

There is a Clio estate on autotrader for 4k. Horrid vvt auto but basic petrol engine and base expression trim means there is not a lot to go wrong. Again may be a bit small for family use.

Hyundai santa fa? Or big crappy soft roader

Loads of room often auto...

I’m the forum cheerleader for the Skoda roomster, like a small berlingo so maybe ideal for a tradesman. I love my 1.6 auto - looks ugly as **** though 🙂

Also looking for my lad who is starting to
Learn on auto after getting disheartened in a manual.

Honestly, it’s not that difficult to learn to drive a manual, or ‘stick’, as our American cousins so quaintly put it. It’s really worth persevering, it’ll suddenly just click and he’ll wonder why he had a problem. There are advantages to driving a manual, in slippery conditions, like snow, where gently changing gear can slow you down without touching the brakes. Especially with a diesel, you get lots of engine braking.
Once you’ve got a license for a manual, you can drive an automatic, which might make a difference if on holiday abroad, where there might only be cars with manual ‘boxes available.

I thought it was the law that all P&Ds had to have a massive Volvo estate?

Only if it's a five pot turbo, none on that diesl rubbish. Has to be a manual gear box too...auto boxes are rubbish.

Look at a Honda civic 1.8 petrol Auto. Not the I-shift version but the auto with a traditional torque converter auto box have to look at the in car pictures to check the shifter is the traditional T bar with thumb lock  .

There are a few in budget , chain driven engine reliable and lots of space inside - also likely to have been maintained properly by the typical owner.

Old shape Vauxhall Meriva, massive load area for a small car and only old biddies bought a petrol auto so low miles. £2K tops.

Slow and horrible to drive but practical.

Or *shudder* Nissan Note

Gumtree is sill going and is really good for finding cheap motors.

Used car prices have come down a fair bit in the last year, but autos still command a hefty premium.

£4,000 should be adequate though. I'd filter by private sellers (as well as auto obvs) and look at something like a Toyota Avensis.

L322. Utterly brilliant when they're working - we put 70k on ours with very few faults. A bad one will be a nightmare, of course.

economy is crap with autos. 

Not really true anymore - many manufacturers auto's give better economy than their manuals.

Just to add, I'd be very wary of a Renault with an auto gearbox.

We had a 2010 Scenic which was immaculately maintained and low mileage, the box failed for no apparent reason and it was effectively scrap due to cost of repair/unavailable parts/ confusing and complicated design.

Definitely do some research on the reputation of the gearbox in whichever car he's considering.

Toyota avensis, something like this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311033623451?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&body-type=Estate&make=Toyota&model=Avensis&postcode=m333pl&price-to=4000&transmission=Automatic&fromsra

My old (gen 1) petrol auto was shipped out to afghanistan where they apparently run them for hundreds of thousands of miles after the west is done with them

well the boy seems to be taking our advice and looking at old octavias and the like.

his favourite at the minute is a laurin & Klement 2.0 diesel, 07 plate. had one myself (manual tho) and loved it.  would you be scared of 103,000 miles at £2400?

hes also asked about other octavias, 08 elegance 2.0TDi, 133,000 miles at £2595, and a 1.9TDi elegance, 102,000 at £1995.

oh and a diesel estate, 06 plate, 125,000 miles at £1995.

i dont know my cars/engines, so do any of those jump out as being better or worse than the others?

also looked at a couple of lexus IS 2.5 SE's, an 07 and 08 both for over £3000.

any recommendations?  L&K octavia best of the bunch do you think?

thanks

"i dont know my cars/engines, so do any of those jump out as being better or worse than the others?"

Me neither. In my ignorance, I'd be looking at whichever seemed to have the best service history and the most sane owners.

I am a sucker for Toyota/Lexus reliability image, but aren't those Lexuses not very big and not very efficient? I bet a well-kept one is still very nice inside tho.

1.9 tdi is VERY reliable but it all depends on how cars of that age have been looked after.Get him to look at the service records/paper work. Not just stamps in a service book. Check the basics like the tyres matching and a resonable brand - tends to show someone has cared about the car.

Basically buy on condition 🙂

 would you be scared of 103,000 miles at £2400?

The age would concern me a lot more. Miles become a bit irrelevant on a car that's nearly 20 years old and it comes down to how well it's been looked after and driven during those years. Some engines will practically go forever. Lots of parts perish over time however.

It will have multiple issues. It's inevitable. As far as miles go though, that's very low for the age. In fact I'm not sure if you're asking whether it's too low, or too high? Massive difference between a car living a life of short journeys never being properly warmed up, and a life of sedate driving down the motorway each weekend. With cars of that age I think you need to look at the car (and the owner if it's a private sale) and weigh up the condition and likely life it's lived. Miles on the clock tell you very little.

1.9 tdi is VERY reliable but it all depends on how cars of that age have been looked after

is it more reliable than 2.0TDi?

Some of the 2.0 units in the early days and the early common rail ones had a few issues if I remember rightly. Probably blown up or repaired by now though as I think they showed up in the early years.

The late 1.9TDI in 105hp form was phased out around 2006/7 (?) in cars when the 1.6 arrived.  In that lower output version the 1.9 was probably about as robust as it got.  I had a 2005 manual golf with it as a company car.  It was always adequate but not exciting even well loaded.

Avoid any VW/Skoda/Seat/Audi with a DSG auto box. If it's cheap it's probably because the DSG box needs a £3k repair.

I am also repeatedly amazed at what Skoda taxi drivers regard as "reliable". 3 clutches in 250k is not good!!

Kia c'eed autos tend to be cheap and cheerful.

hes looking at volvo's now.  thoughts on a 2008 S80 with 110,000 miles on the clock?  2.4 diesel.  £2,250.

anything to watch out for?

thanks

There's a V70 estate, P2, 2007 plate, 142k miles in Southwell - just a spit away from Lincoln - for £3250 (could be £3450).

You could ask RNP of this parish to look at the ad and give you his view - based on his in-depth knowledge and experience of (older Volvos).

It's on auto trader.

Don't want to derail the thread but why on earth do people go for an auto only licence? Understandable if there is a genuine reason such as being disabled/mobility issues but seeing as your lad is a painter/decorator I'm going to assume not (apologies in advance if I've misjudged).

At that price point you'd have a much, much better chance of finding a decent manual car than you would an auto, plus older autos can be hit or miss when it comes to reliability.

I'd recommend an old honda civic or toyota corolla but not sure if you'll get one at that price with an auto. Might be worth looking at upgrading to a manual licence then you'd have a lot more options going forwards.

Don’t want to derail the thread but why on earth do people go for an auto only licence?

Leaving aside the fact that some people struggle with the coordination/ action alongside all the other elements of being a learner.

The way the market is going this way as a whole - EVs don't have a manual option and more and more cars have auto boxes that are not the porridge stirring, fuel robbing garbage that they used to be.

Vans are increasingly available in auto form too.

So unless you plan to drive a lorry / large pcv the motivation is evaporating.

I quite enjoy driving a snappy manual but I'm in the middle of trying to change my daily driver for an auto.  For 90% of my driving it'll be a lot more pleasant.

Don’t want to derail the thread but why on earth do people go for an auto only licence?

Don't want to derail the thread but why on earth do people give a toss about what other people do that has absolutely zero impact on their own life?

My nephew passed in an electric so only has an auto licence the first person I'd heard of passing in an EV but a wave of the future.

Despite some of the myths being repeated here they not only easier to drive they are better in just about all road conditions and have similar fuel economy.

Kids today are right, if you have a choice it's madness to pick a manual except maybe to save a few quid. A manual means hours of extra time to learn how to drive worse cars!

That being said I made my two learn manual as it does bring more flexibility, I had to buy one for them to practice as we didn't own one.

There’s a V70 estate, P2, 2007 plate, 142k miles in Southwell – just a spit away from Lincoln – for £3250 (could be £3450).

thanks, ive passed this onto him but he says he still prefers the one hes found on gumtree, the '2008 S80 with 110,000 miles on the clock, 2.4 diesel for £2,250.  as thats cheaper, less miles and newer, is there any reason not to go for it do you think?

You could ask @RustyNissanPrairie of this parish to look at the ad and give you his view – based on his in-depth knowledge and experience of (older Volvos).

thanks, ive messaged him.

Don’t want to derail the thread but why on earth do people go for an auto only licence? Understandable if there is a genuine reason such as being disabled/mobility issues but seeing as your lad is a painter/decorator I’m going to assume not (apologies in advance if I’ve misjudged).

oh mate its the classic tale of not listening to your parents 😀  told him all this, less choice of vehicle when it comes to buy, less economical, more expensive if it goes tits up (maybe?), but he was just too impatient to pass his test in the easiest manner possible.  but as others have said, its probably less of an issue these days and will keep going that way i guess.

thanks

Don’t want to derail the thread but why on earth do people give a toss about what other people do that has absolutely zero impact on their own life?

Says the person that is A) giving a toss about what other people do by providing opinions on car choices and B) is doing it with absolutely zero impact on their own life?

You're on a forum, forums are for debate and opinions.

I asked a genuine question in a manner that was based on curiosity and understanding while still pertinent to the OP's question.

If that's something you are unable to grasp, then a forum probably isn't the right place for you.

Well that's me told.

Or it would be if I gave a toss about another person's opinion that has absolutely zero impact on my life.

looks like hes probably going to go to leicester for the car today.  can you just confirm a couple of things please that i think are true.....

by buying it and taxing it today, he'll lose a months tax wont he?  he'll be charged for all of march whereas if he left it til monday hed have another month?

and is bank transfer still the done method for buying private?  no safer way?  if the car conks out on the way home theres no comeback, sold as seen and moneys gone?

cheers

less economical

I think that's an old hangover from slush boxes and it has been the reverse for years. Dsg etc are clutched it, as I understand it, essentially a manual box with a computer controlled gear shift. It shifts when it should to maximise efficiency.

I'm really not convinced that the argument to not get a full manual licence is valid anymore, for a few years yet there will be loads of manuals but it's less significant than it once was.

Also my little dsg 1.4 polo is hilariously slow but my god it's relaxing to drive.

"by buying it and taxing it today, he’ll lose a months tax wont he? he’ll be charged for all of march whereas if he left it til monday hed have another month?"

Yep, he'll lose a month's tax.....or wait till next month to tax.

Private seller should legally make buyer aware of any outstanding issues but I've always been that if it doesn't blow up on the way home then any further issues are mine to deal with. If I had more expectations than that then I'd be buying from a dealer with warranty.

Yeah, you should have comeback from a dealer. Technically a private seller can't legally sell anything that isn't roadworthy. Personally, I wouldn't buy a car of that age without a proper visual inspection from somebody who at least has some understanding of cars, as that's really your only insurance. I appreciate that's just the way the market is now though. It's a risk.

 I’ve always been that if it doesn’t blow up on the way home then any further issues are mine to deal with.

fair enough.  but what if it DOES blow up on the way home 😀

"fair enough. but what if it DOES blow up on the way home"

IIRC there is legal recourse if the issue was there and the seller knew about it but I've always searched out and bought unicorn cars* and never had any immediate issues.

*Branded tyres, decent brand/factory filters and battery, genuine reason for sale, panel fitment/dents/original dealer issued numberplate still in place, lots of paperwork etc.

well it would appear he's got a wiser head on his shoulders than i thought.  3 hr round trip to leicester view it with his mate and he walked away cos it didnt feel right.  well actually the signs were probably all there to be honest.

he said his mate "pointed out a couple of bits, the bloke was dodgy, his mate was in latvia who the sale was for, he didnt know where any of them lived, then to top it off a bloke drove past who's a mechanic and said if you're buying it off that f***er walk away" 😀

so he did.  hes gutted actually as he was well set for it and he was going to drive to the forest game in it so he'll miss that too as his mate will be driving him home instead.

pleased he did the right thing tho and didnt feel pressured into buying it just cos hed travelled that far.

the search goes on.

V70 estate still available in Southwell; 1 hour round trip - and, no, I'm not the seller.

V70 estate still available in Southwell; 1 hour round trip – and, no, I’m not the seller.

just had a look, thanks.  i told him about that one yesterday when you first mentioned it, but i think as the other one had fewer miles on the clock and was cheaper he discounted it.  but...... that didnt turn out too well did it 😀

must admit, even tho volvo's seem to go on for ever, 144,000 miles would put me off at £3,450.  looks to have been well looked after tho.

ive sent him the link tho to have a proper look.

thanks mate.

They are small but practical- Honda jazz.

Would be my recommendation, too.... Tardis like on the inside. Mostly older generation driving them.

if the car conks out on the way home theres no comeback, sold as seen and moneys gone?

That would be the case if he paid cash or via PayPal... Sold as seen.

@sadexpunk

The S80? - shame it looked okay on paper, I'd have gone to look at it if I was after one.

Re V70's - they changed to the P3 ford Mondeo platform around '06 / '07 but still used Volvo engines. General quality dropped a bit so you are better looking for a late P2 platform for maximum Volvo-ness but a P3 is still a thing of Swedish beauty and purposefulness if not driving dynamics!

The V70 I referred to is described as '...special edition for 2007 P2 only'.

At this rate I'll convince myself to buy it!

The S80? – shame it looked okay on paper, I’d have gone to look at it if I was after one.

yes.  the more i hear about it the more i feel hes dodged a bullet.  says the bloke was goading him saying "youre too scared to buy it" 😀  think they exchanged a few 'pleasantries' then he decided the best thing to do was just walk away.

for some reason matey took it down when the boy had gone and then re-listed, not sure why youd do that?

Re V70’s – they changed to the P3 ford Mondeo platform around ’06 / ’07 but still used Volvo engines. General quality dropped a bit so you are better looking for a late P2 platform for maximum Volvo-ness but a P3 is still a thing of Swedish beauty and purposefulness if not driving dynamics!

The V70 I referred to is described as ‘…special edition for 2007 P2 only’.

At this rate I’ll convince myself to buy it!

interesting, thanks chaps.  and you wouldnt be put off by the mileage?  i think the combination of the 144,000 miles, plus top end of his affordability is scaring him off it.

cheers

EDIT:

They are small but practical- Honda jazz.
Would be my recommendation, too…. Tardis like on the inside. Mostly older generation driving them.

noting for myself.  will need a small petrol runaround soon, thanks.

144k on a P2 is barely run in! But as per the messages - check the upper inside of the front suspension turret's for rust and budget £400 for an oil change for the gearbox if it's never been done (Volvo = sealed for life) and pay attention/budget for the auxiliary belt and components on a D5 otherwise it will kill the engine.

2007 special edition = piqued my interest!

"his mate was in latvia who the sale was for..."

It's surprising how many mates in Eastern Europe eBay sellers are selling cars for: "Selling for a friend as he has no Ebay and English is not his first language, he has owned this vehicle since 2013 and was used to drive to and from Romania in the earlier years of him owning it, hance the mileage..." That seller is also selling another car at the same time but apparently there's no friend involved...

You maybe lucky to find a Subaru with a good history.  Some nice Outbacks around.

The reliability should/may overcome the low mpg and thus running costs are not (quite ) as bad as you think.

well first he said he hated the look of that volvo, backed up my mrs ex-p who also said it was ugly.  but after reading your comments hes considering it again.  amongst others, octavias, mondeos and.... saabs.

havent seen those mentioned yet.  always used to be sound cars, that still the case?

Touran 1T2 go for far less cash than they should imo - looks like there's a few autos available for <£4k. We've a manual that just refuses to die, very solid car.

Touran 1T2 go for far less cash than they should imo – looks like there’s a few autos available for <£4k.

hes looking for those as well but nothing local.  at the minute hes narrowed it down to 2.....  THAT volvo (144,000 miles, £3,400) and a vw golf estate (1.9TDi, 2009, 89,000 miles).

we know you seem to like the volvo, any love for the golf too?

thanks

ok which of you was it? 😀

we were going to look at the volvo today but it sold yesterday.  think we'll go look at the golf estate and maybe a mondeo he mentioned.

Not guilty.

Try RNP.

😉

😉

haha was it you mate?

poor old lads tearing his hair out trying to find something now.  got to say im impressed with his research, hes not just jumping in.  looking at traders reviews, advisories on past MOTs, whether cambelts have been done etc but i think he's close to info overload now and just needs to step back and look again when refreshed.

doesnt help that by putting in '40 miles from lincoln' into the filter, it still brings up cars in bedford and milton keynes 🤬

I may know of (ahem) a well maintained BMW E92 330i auto for sale very soon, not a van but the back seats drop flat to provide a lot of room in the boot (swallows a bike easily)... South London though...

yeah bit too far thanks mate.

any expert info on a Volvo S60 2.4D SE Geartronic?  same price as the one that he was after ^^^ (£3,400) and 90,000 miles?

cheers

No sorry it wasn't me - I would have been tempted as my trusty old Berlingo's clutch shat itself last night.

Advice for S60 is as per any other P2 Volvo of that era - they are all the same underneath. Obviously not as practical as the estate and won't come with a free Labrador

whether cambelts have been done etc

one thing to bear in mind for VAG cars-  the UK has recently upped the cambelt service life form c50,000 miles to 80-100,000 miles in line with what VAG in the rest of Europe/World have been recommending for years. So a car that may need it done soon based on previous schedule can go a bit longer.

I may know of (ahem) a well maintained BMW E92 330i auto for sale very soon, not a van but the back seats drop flat to provide a lot of room in the boot

I've not seen it come up as a significant factor but I'd have thought the cost of insuring that for a relative youngster's business use would have been horrifying!

any advice on saabs these days?  hes seen a 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0 Aero SportWagon with 90,000 on the clock that he quite likes.  they always used to have a solid reputation.

and are mondeos decent workhorses?  think they always used to be rep cars didnt they, so must be a reason for that.

missed the boat on going to see anything today sadly, so he may not get sorted for a few days now.  shame as he was set on that P2 volvo.

thanks

@johnners Fair point... It was just a thought.

We've just cleaned the interior, it's a lot nicer inside than it's likely replacement....

hmmmm....... spidey senses time so need some advice before the boy goes and maybe buys a volvo tonight from doncaster.

S60 2.4 D5 SE Lux Saloon 4dr Diesel Geartronic up for £2600.  the boys been yapping to him, sounds like an elderly bloke, private sale, bought a merc and doesnt have space for this now.  for some reason he's willing to drop to either £2000 or £1800 (not sure which) as hes had his 'time wasted by a few foreigners and you sound like youre english'.

seems like a lot of money to drop with no hard bargaining, so bottom line, whats the worst that can happen?  if the boy does an HPI check, and all paperwork seems present and correct, and he does a bank transfer, is there any way he can still be conned?  obviously something may be seriously wrong with the car that we wouldnt pick up, but am i worrying unnecessarily?

thanks

EDIT: hes given the boy his address which would appear to be a decent road in a nice area.

We’ve just cleaned the interior, it’s a lot nicer inside than it’s likely replacement….

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of the e series 3s (e91 owner for some years) but a 330i e92 would be a fair way down my list for a tradesman's transport!

Start by checking MOT history online.

The fact the seller is offering a chunky %-age discount without any negotiation would cause me to re-think.

It's entirely possible the old boy is being 100% honest, just wants rid and prefers brits to other nationalities.

Who knows?

Entirely plausible that he wants it out of the way after getting a new car - trade in price would have been derisory- selling privately can be a wind up if you get a couple of chancers hassling you .  I have bought a couple of cars in those circumstances with good outcomes -  key is service history- if it has that and long term ownership with the seller then it’s a good bet . Auto box oil change a must on those

  if the boy does an HPI check

There’s also vcheck that picks up insurance write offs to use

If seller has a new car likely tax and insurance will have lapsed expired it’s end of month so he can only keep it on drive -that got me a cheap Saab estate once

Not all private sellers are grifters. Last one I bought, the seller dropped the car off for me - they offered, I never asked. They lived nearly an hour's drive away. The car was less than 2k.

well we're just back, and im pleased to say it looks like hes got himself a bargain.  bloke seemed genuine, bought a merc on a whim and will be sad to see the volvo go.  had all receipts, photos of him changing suspension bits, photos of all the filters and oil lined up when he serviced it himself the last couple of years, everything dated.

seemed like a couple of 'foreigners' had turned up, parked on his neighbours grass, had a row with neighbour, tried dissing the car by putting fingers in exhaust and saying "look, soot" or somethings and then werent even bothered about getting in to have a look, they just went away.  so he was pleased to sell to "an english person thats not going to muck me around".

he actually knocked around £800 off, was up for £2600 and let my lad have it for £1800.  lad said he felt guilty taking it for that so gave him £50 back.  hes got a lot to learn (or has he) 🙂

of course it wasnt without drama with the boy, hes a donut and couldnt pay for it, new payee, needed his card reader, er....... 😀  good job daddy was there to bale him out.  dread to think what he would have done if hed decided to buy that other one in leicester with his mate 😀

test drive was a dream he said and hes so chuffed with it.  makes me happy to see him so happy.  he'd better look after it!

so....... hopefully thats the end of this thread, and no follow up story.  cant thank you all enough for your help and advice on the way, much appreciated.

cheers

Good result, happy Volvo-ing!

Given the current state of the car market, finding a reliable auto within a tight budget might feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It's true that prices are soaring, but there are still gems to be found if you're willing to put in the legwork.

For your budget, consider looking into older big-engined estates with automatic transmissions. They tend to offer decent value for money and can be surprisingly reliable if properly maintained. While saloons might be cheaper upfront, estates often provide more practicality and space, making them worth the consideration.

As for specific recommendations, the Toyota Avensis mentioned by another user could be a solid option. Toyotas are renowned for their longevity, and with proper care, they can run for hundreds of thousands of miles. The link provided seems to offer a reasonable deal within your price range, so it's definitely worth checking out.........

Regarding the issue of vehicle tax, it's essential to consider the timing of your purchase. While you might lose a month's tax by buying and taxing the car immediately, waiting until the beginning of the next month could save you some money in the long run. However, if you find a good deal on a vehicle that meets your needs, the extra month's tax might be a worthwhile trade-off.

Remember to thoroughly inspect any potential purchases and, if possible, have a trusted mechanic look over the vehicle before making a final decision. And for those hunting for great deals this April, be sure to check out the latest car lease offers at Car Lease Deals Near Me.

"S60 2.4 D5 SE Lux Saloon 4dr Diesel Geartronic up for £2600."

Don't know if this has the electronic dipstick or not but if it has make sure he learns how to read it. Otherwise those 5 cylinder diesels are great, top purchase 👍