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Unfortunately the time has come to move on my awesome Pug 307 estate to the scrappy after almost 3 years loyal and comfortable service.
I have an absolute max budget of £1500, which is probably outside the realm of a true banger.
Have time at the mo to go look at cars, but being without a car means getting to auctions etc is proving trickier. From experience I don't rate the auctions in London compared with those in say Newcastle or Glasgow.
I spent a few hours surfing last night and found the following contenders. What would you pick and why?
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-2-0-Estate-Newer-Shape-2005-55reg-Zetec-Climate-/331806957990?hash=item4d413c61a6:g:l1sAAOSwr7ZW6DwD ]Focus Estate[/url]
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-Peugeot-407-SW-2-0-SE-/261864612750?hash=item3cf858e38e:g:sKsAAOSwezVWzck9 ]Pug 407 with lots of luxury toys (which probably won't work!)[/url]
[url= https://www.gumtree.com/p/volvo/2004-volvo-v50-2.4i-estate-new-shape-drives-great/1161189177 ]Volvo V50 because it should be tough as nails[/url]
Also found a Honda Accord Type S and Audi A4 estates in London that are in budget and look reasonably tidy...
I opened the thread to say petrol Focus.
I'd get the Focus, because cheap to run and surprisingly big inside with the seats down.
The loadspace in an A4 is compromised by the relatively high floor / low ceiling, it's easy enough with one bike but getting two in plus luggage is more of a faff. (I know because I've got one!)
Of those the Focus. Any Passats in budget around?
Mazda 6 Estate in petrol form?
I bought my 05 plate 3 years ago and for £1300. In that time it's only needed a bush for an MOT and today it's having rear discs & pads (which are consumables anyway).
Chain driven so no cam belt to worry about.
Thanks all.
The Passats in budget are all really old, and I haven't seen many/any Mazda's - but that's a good idea - I will go look.
Rover 75 diesel estate
The Ford would be cheaper to insure by a mile! Interesting...
Definite no to a Rover 75!
I'd start by looking further afield and getting a train ticket to go view
I reckon the Mazda is a good shout but how about a Corolla estate ? rare but the Corolla was/is a brilliant reliable boring 2nd hand buy
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601190211562?body-type=estate&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&page=1&searchcontext=default&model=corolla&postcode=bd229ql&make=toyota&price-to=1500&radius=1500&sort=default&logcode=p
But for my £1500 I'd go with the Honda Accord, swiss watch reliability...will go to 250k miles easily.
Happy to travel the length and breadth of the country for the right one 🙂
Honestly, although it's not really banger territory as you say, I would look more at the individual car than the type at that price.
Probably best avoiding too many toys, as you've alluded to, they'll only not work now or later and either be an annoyance or a cost.
Last models of the Nissan Almera in petrol form?? Dull, dull, dull to look at, but quite nice to drive.
Wife had one for about 7 years, and it was almost comically reliable. One bulb and a section of exhaust in all that time.
Surprised you can get that much focus for the price tbh, is that typical now? It's not as miraculously good as the mk1 for load, driver space etc but then again mk1s are all a bit old now.
Just be wary of checking out a Focus, it'll make you judgemental of other cars' boot space.
2003 esque Passat should be within budget
Saab 95 estate all day long.
my 2003 golf estate is still pulling like a train.
216000 miles and about to put in another timing belt and.
That Honda's only £1,500??!!!
Edit: it doesn't say if it's got service history or not, it's also got a towbar fitted which could point to a hard life.
anagallis_arvensis - Member
Rover 75 diesel estate
Yes.
reluctantlondoner - Member
The Ford would be cheaper to insure by a mile! Interesting...Definite no to a Rover 75!
Why?
A 75 Estate can be had for less than £1,000 and £1,500 would get you a good example. Yes, the petrol ones have head gasket issues, but the diesels, as every 75 owner will tell you, is a BMW engine and runs on a chain, not a belt, plus it has less power (115bhp) and had the turbo issue removed which plagued BMWs of that era.
I have run a 2003 saloon for the past 15 months. Now on 120,000 miles i've done 20,000 in it. 90% of it's life is spent on motorways where it is fantastic, a true long distance crusier, including a 900 mile trip to Glasgow over the Easter Weekend, and it'll be off to the Alps in the summer.
Over the past 20,000 miles i've replaced 4 tyres and the front shocks & discs.
I've just bought myself a dirt cheap Citroen Xsara estate for well below your budget (£500). Although it looks crap it's got heaps of space for bikes, drives nicely and is economical. The Peugeot/Citroen 2.0 110 Hdi is supposedly a decent engine for reliability so I'm hoping that I'll get a couple of years out of it (on 166k now). I've actually been pleasantly surprised by how good it is for the price.
Although some of the electrics are a little odd, the brake pedal also activates the rear wiper (but only with the lights off!!). That would explain why the previous owner had removed the wiper arm..
[i]But for my £1500 I'd go with the Honda Accord, swiss watch reliability...will go to 250k miles easily.[/i]
I'd question the 'swiss watch reliability. I've had an accord tourer for over 10 years, bought new in 2005.
auto boot opening packed up
ABS fault light on and unit needs reprogrammed to 'fix', it's just a faulty sensor and there's nothing wrong with the abs
Rear calipers have seized and needed replaced at least twice
Eats rear discs
Exhaust manifold cracked
None of the above are major issues but it's not been as reliable as I expected. Never broken down though.