Which car - 1k budget or 6k?

monkeysmith · 30 Sep 2009 at 20:37

Hi,

I know people must be sick of the spec me threads in all the forums, but need some real advise.

Used to have a Chevorlet Kalos 1.2 SE. That was until a woman shunted me and wrote the car off. Still owe about 2400 on the finance, and insurance company have offered 3385. At a push I could add some to this.

Basically I do about 100 miles a day for work, so thinking about a diesel. All I want is something very reliable. I'm a teacher, live in Hampshire, work in Bucks, so rely on the car to get to work.

Is it possible to get a ultra reliable car for 1k, or do I need to get a newer car on finance?

Saving for our wedding in Feb, so trying to pump money into that and not a new car!

Current finance is £117 a month.

Quite like the newer Seat Ibiza and Polo/Golf, but bit of a hefty price tag.

Help!!

Thanks

Ricochet J · 30 Sep 2009 at 20:48

You can get lots of second hand cars that are reliable. My Focus for example, cost me 1800 and just keeps going. The same is said for the vast majority of Focii. With £1k however, I think you'll struggle to find a reliable and non-shagged car.

monkeysmith · 30 Sep 2009 at 20:56

Cheers, am not too fussed with the size of the car though, fiesta size will be ok.

For a 2nd hand diesel, what is considered Low/OK/High - mileage/year?

snowdog · 30 Sep 2009 at 21:09

Most Honda's, Toyota's keep going even when heavily abused and not maintained at all...

You have to ignore the fact that otherwise, the cars are usually very boring and many complain about interiors... But as you are coming from a Chevorlet Kalos, I doubt that'd be a problem.

Something like an Accord, Avensis, Corolla or Civic should do...

EDIT, just checked a few ads in the UK, 1999-2001 models Toyota's avensis available for 1k with fresh MOT, I'd just grab one of those for such a price, the price here on them is double or more :eek:

.
Should easily last another 5 years and to 300k miles with next to no maintenance/fixes required.

Something like this : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-TOYOTA-A...s_UK?hash=item25568b7710&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

If toyota made that car anywhere near like they made their cars in the 90's, it'll keep going and going for ever with no regular servicing or any other expenses.

iaind · 30 Sep 2009 at 21:15

Why is the budget 1k or 6k - why dont you spend 2 or 3? For 100 miles a day I would want something bigger than a fiesta, Focus or Mondeo would be better suited - or as snowdog says the jap equivalents for reliability (although budget may need increasing)

monkeysmith · 1 Oct 2009 at 19:06

Thanks.

I said 1k or 6k because I was thinking of getting a car that would last a year, and not wanting to spend more than a grand on that to be honest. If I spent more, I'd want a car to last many years, and would go up to about 6k using finance.

Dunno if that makes sense!!

Will check out the jap cars. Reason i'm looking at a small car is purely cheap to insure/maintain and mpg.

iaind · 1 Oct 2009 at 19:08

I'd broaden your horizons a little bit, even if just to investigate.

I run a Mondeo - costs me £300 a year to insure, I can get 50mpg out of it on motorways and servicing costs exactly the same as a Ka:

http://www.swanson-ford.co.uk/f_aftersales.html

Big doesnt mean expensive

Biohazard · 1 Oct 2009 at 19:11

how old are you iaind?

iaind · 1 Oct 2009 at 19:14

24

Edit - just for giggles, I did a quote on a 2004 Fiesta Zetec-S and Focus 2.0 Zetec from my current insurer (my car being a 2004 Mondeo Zetec-S)

My car - £300
Focus - £298
Fiesta - £262

A 40 quid a year difference in insurance isnt really worth not considering a car for IMO although YMMV obviously

Dogbreath · 1 Oct 2009 at 20:15

monkeysmith said:
Used to have a Chevorlet Kalos 1.2 SE.
Basically I do about 100 miles a day for work

Are you into self-flagellation? I can think of nothing closer to the above experience

You should definitely be aiming higher than a supermini with that kind of mileage, you'll be amazed at just how much more relaxed and comfortable that kind of journey will be in a larger car.

monkeysmith · 1 Oct 2009 at 20:41

Dogbreath said:
Are you into self-flagellation? I can think of nothing closer to the above experience

You should definitely be aiming higher than a supermini with that kind of mileage, you'll be amazed at just how much more relaxed and comfortable that kind of journey will be in a larger car.

"self-flagellation" - I had to google that!! Will certainly be looking at more cars now. Never been car mad, used to have a fiesta before the kalos, and garage back in Wales is pretty small, so used to limit the car based on that!! Never used to do anything near the mileage i do now.

Thanks for the advice, going to have a look round the car supermarkets on the weekend, then compare with papers/autotrader to see whats out there for the money.

Thanks again all.

I get around · 1 Oct 2009 at 22:19

Mondeo tdci i reckon.

aproctor · 1 Oct 2009 at 22:23

Any car that is used as a mini cab will be cheap and keep going.

Toyota Avensis, Corolla etc.

iaind · 2 Oct 2009 at 08:13

Corolla minicab? Cabs are normally Avensis, Vectra (dont buy one of those), Mondeo and sometime C class in my experience

Matt82 · 2 Oct 2009 at 08:42

what about that mk3 golf gti someone posted up the other day for a grand. its bearly run in and begging for starship mileage