What car should we buy?
- Thread starter flimsier
- Start date
pseudonarcissus
fluttering and dancing
Fuzzy said:
ahhhhh.....well, that's different.....I need a car for all sorts of reasons....
Poi E said:
Good one
Also if it's a manual check that you can pull away in 2nd on the flat without the clutch slipping.
When pootling along check that there's little or no play in the steering, i.e. you can't turn the wheel without the wheels moving. If there is then you could have a serious and expensive problem on the way.
Stobart Stopper
Well-Known Member
I would probably choose a 1-2 year old Mazda, they are very reliable and good sturdy cars. Don't bother with brand new, you lose money on it as soon as you drive it away.
Stobart Stopper
Well-Known Member
And the parts are easy to get, the bloke who runs the local garage said he breaths a sigh of relief if people bring in a Mazda to get fixed, but they very rarely go wrong according to him.
Poi E said:some of those new Mazda 6s are pretty damn good looking for family cars, and they do a 5 door, too. Excellent reliability so far, too.
Still a bit dear though. Old style Primeras have all the same virtues bar the flashy looks at a fraction of the cost. A mate who used to service my car ran a freelance rescue service and used to sub for AA, RAC, Green Flag, etc. He said he couldn't remember being called out to a Nissan in over 10 years.
ICB said:
True true.
Yes my mechanic breaths a sigh of relief when I bring my old Nissan for a service. His bread and butter is Range Rovers. Horrible to work on he reckons, the parts are often well dodgy, and more than once he's reported safety issues with them, including petrol tank leaks from bad moulding!
Edit: but of course he makes a fortune out of the owners.
_angel_
.
Not a red car
Forget the make and model just go on the COLOUR!
What they say about red cars... till all true!!
My sisters ex red car was reversed into twice in the first fortnight of ownership and had another accident soon after (None her fault).
Funnily enough it was bought by the person who reversed into it just last week. (Guilt???)
What has been said about depreciation of old cars. Sadly not true. Bought for £500 2 years ago, sold for £300 With a full years MOT too....
Forget the make and model just go on the COLOUR!
What they say about red cars... till all true!!
My sisters ex red car was reversed into twice in the first fortnight of ownership and had another accident soon after (None her fault).
Funnily enough it was bought by the person who reversed into it just last week. (Guilt???)
What has been said about depreciation of old cars. Sadly not true. Bought for £500 2 years ago, sold for £300
With a full years MOT too....Maddalene said:What has been said about depreciation of old cars. Sadly not true. Bought for £500 2 years ago, sold for £300
Well in relative terms I guess you're right. But I'd rather lose £200 over two years than £2000. £100 yr capital cost is not bad.
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
J77 said:
i took a corsa on atest drive once. it was so bad that i turned round after 100 yds and took it straight back to the garage
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
J77 said:
Not if you buy from German, Swedish and French they're not, plus german cars are shite loads more reliable and keep their value better than Vauxies ime.
Don't know much about japanese cars though Nissan are meant to be very good.
Also, there is no point in deciding what you are going to buy until you've sat in, and driven the thing. Test drive everything you might want to buy(and even some you can't afford if you have time)
I remember thinking about getting a Nova(years ago), I went to test drive one
Was the worst seating I've ever sat in, hated it instantly.I bought a german car, I find their seats very comfortable and coz I'm a shortarse there's plenty of head room. VW or Audi would be my choice.
Flimsier, 5 doors are good, because no-one has to wait to get in or out, it makes it easier for (un)packing/loading the car if you're going away or done a big shopping, it's better should you ever be in an accident(hopefully not) and you can fold down the back seat for getting biger things home. That's my main reasons anyway.
Griff said:Flimsier, out of interest what are you and your missus driving at the moment? Just trying to see how it compares to the suggestion of an 8-10 year old Civic.
A five door, 20 year old Volvo. I'm not driving it, but the in-laws drop it round when we need it and the missus is the main driver on it (from when she lived there).
She also drives a newer car (begins with an M - I think it's a Ford, but it's quite rare) which is much newer, when she drives her in-laws anywhere (that's there main car).
But I've only ever driven the car I learned (and passed first time in) - the Focus.
I guess everyone has there own opinions and experiences, and no-one on here can be an expert.geminisnake said:
Mine come from parents having to take Renaults to Renault only garages for repairs/parts, and friends having to fork out more for VW Golf parts compared with others.
Just thought - even though they went bust, the guys on top Gear recommended the Rover 25 - something along the lines of them being cheap but the parts being made by BMW, therefore still available.
Nissans, Toyotas and Hondas? - you do see a lot of them on the road - lots look pretty old so may last a long time.
Buy British (even though they're probably German owned
)Best engines for your buck
I have currently bought a 99 Acura 1.6 EL. The car has a Honda VTEC engine in it and these engines go forever with proper matenince, try 350,000km +
I would highly recomend the VTEC 1.6 Because it is very economical to run, with the price of fuel these days, and because repair costs arent as high, plus they are just nice overall cars.
I dont know if you have Acura's in the UK, but here in Canada, a used 1.6 goes for about $10g,
I have currently bought a 99 Acura 1.6 EL.
The car has a Honda VTEC engine in it and these engines go forever with proper matenince, try 350,000km +I would highly recomend the VTEC 1.6 Because it is very economical to run, with the price of fuel these days, and because repair costs arent as high, plus they are just nice overall cars.
I dont know if you have Acura's in the UK, but here in Canada, a used 1.6 goes for about $10g,
stendec04 said:I have currently bought a 99 Acura 1.6 EL.
I would highly recomend the VTEC 1.6 Because it is very economical to run, with the price of fuel these days, and because repair costs arent as high, plus they are just nice overall cars.
I dont know if you have Acura's in the UK, but here in Canada, a used 1.6 goes for about $10g,
Got to remember that North American motorway miles are a lot kinder than traffic miles. Good engines though, but God help you when they start to show temperature issues.
Looks like prices of second hand cars in the UK are a bit less than in Canada. Acura=Honda for markets that were unreasonably devoted to Yank steel.
