Discussion
Morning All,
I'm looking into the purchase of a new car.
Budget is tight @ £3.5k
I currently have an X Reg punto that is far too small, to fit a baby seat in the back + any sort of passengers bigger than a 5 year old.
I'm looking for ideas more than anything, i was looking at an A-Class or possibly an A2, but there does'nt seem to be many cars about atm.
It would ideally also be 5 door & able to last for a couple of years.
Insurance would also need to be reasonable as i've only got 1 years NCB.
Any ideas on what to be looking for?
I was looking at a Scenic, but my dad has had 2 of them as company cars & they've been asbolutley terrible.
I'm looking into the purchase of a new car.
Budget is tight @ £3.5k
I currently have an X Reg punto that is far too small, to fit a baby seat in the back + any sort of passengers bigger than a 5 year old.
I'm looking for ideas more than anything, i was looking at an A-Class or possibly an A2, but there does'nt seem to be many cars about atm.
It would ideally also be 5 door & able to last for a couple of years.
Insurance would also need to be reasonable as i've only got 1 years NCB.
Any ideas on what to be looking for?
I was looking at a Scenic, but my dad has had 2 of them as company cars & they've been asbolutley terrible.
Stu R said:
Thank me later http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1914076.htm
Stu,Can't seem me getting insurance on that matey!
Stu R said:
Thank me later http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1914076.htm
Insurance?Surely something like a 1.4/1.6 focus, golf etc is going to be far better. Not just insurance but running costs as well
kiethton said:
Insurance?
Surely something like a 1.4/1.6 focus, golf etc is going to be far better. Not just insurance but running costs as well
Currently paying £975 for the Punto i have at the moment. FC.Surely something like a 1.4/1.6 focus, golf etc is going to be far better. Not just insurance but running costs as well
(For some odd reason when i took out the policy it was cheaper to go FC than TP)!
lawrence567 said:
Stu,
Can't seem me getting insurance on that matey!
Try, they're waaay cheaper than imprezas I found. Edit - if you're paying a grand on a punto I take your point, still... never know until you try Can't seem me getting insurance on that matey!
You should *totally* avoid anything normally found parked outside a school though, particularly Picassos and dross of that ilk. Estate cars will be just as, if not more practical (and you won't look like every other miserable bastid I see driving them
) and there's plenty of saucy ones that afford you a bit of fun, or perhaps you'd be interested in a nice 4x4 and a new hobby ? £3-5k buys you a lot of Landy Discovery - comfy, safe as house, uber practical, not ruinous to run... yadda yadda yadda.Please don't buy an MPV
You may hate this, but I'd heartily recommend something with sliding rear doors!
We bought, somewhat reluctantly on my part I may add, Berlingo when our daughter arrived into our lives some years back.
We've never looked back. It's fun to drive (well, up to a point - not fast of course but it handles pretty well), gives good mpg, cheap to run (insurance, fuel, servicing), been pretty reliable. Get one with some fun bits and in a fun colour - ours is metallic gold, full-length sunroof (make sure that it's well oiled and its just FAB!), a/c, leather, alloys etc etc.
But best of all, you can fit all the family crap you can in to the car (and you won't believe how much space that all consumes - my sister bought a Picasso with that in mind and didn't want to be seen dead in a Berlingo, but her swanky pram instantly filled up the boot! Only takes up half the space in the 'lingo), loads of space all over the place. And the tall sliding doors mean you can load / unload kids in/out really easily, so much better than leaning over cramming them into the back seats - kiddie seats seem to become ever larger!
I realise everyone will think a Berlingo (or Peugeot Partner, same car) is crap and 'uncool' but you're all wrong!!!
We bought, somewhat reluctantly on my part I may add, Berlingo when our daughter arrived into our lives some years back.
We've never looked back. It's fun to drive (well, up to a point - not fast of course but it handles pretty well), gives good mpg, cheap to run (insurance, fuel, servicing), been pretty reliable. Get one with some fun bits and in a fun colour - ours is metallic gold, full-length sunroof (make sure that it's well oiled and its just FAB!), a/c, leather, alloys etc etc.
But best of all, you can fit all the family crap you can in to the car (and you won't believe how much space that all consumes - my sister bought a Picasso with that in mind and didn't want to be seen dead in a Berlingo, but her swanky pram instantly filled up the boot! Only takes up half the space in the 'lingo), loads of space all over the place. And the tall sliding doors mean you can load / unload kids in/out really easily, so much better than leaning over cramming them into the back seats - kiddie seats seem to become ever larger!
I realise everyone will think a Berlingo (or Peugeot Partner, same car) is crap and 'uncool' but you're all wrong!!!
HebdenHedgehog said:
I realise everyone will think a Berlingo (or Peugeot Partner, same car) is crap and 'uncool' but you're all wrong!!!
They are great as tools for doing the job of shopping, camping, ferrying people, carrying loads of stuff etc etc. They also have a surprising way of making driving amusing because you really have to work to keep speed up in them. I'd have another and for your purpose OP it would make a lot of sense, b
ks to image just feel smug that your life is a bit easier than mr I bought a VAG TDI to fit in. I thought i'd be a smart arse & buy a Punto, cheap to run & relatively cheap to insure for a first car.
It's a massive wker of a car.
I've spent about £750 on it since i've had it!
Speed i'm not THAT bothered about as i have a motorbike for that sort of thing, i like the VRS, i saw one as a taxi at a petrol station the other day.
You can get them surprisingly cheap aswell @ £3.5K but the insurance reckons i have to pay £2000 to insure on!
It's a massive w
ker of a car.I've spent about £750 on it since i've had it!
Speed i'm not THAT bothered about as i have a motorbike for that sort of thing, i like the VRS, i saw one as a taxi at a petrol station the other day.
You can get them surprisingly cheap aswell @ £3.5K but the insurance reckons i have to pay £2000 to insure on!
lawrence567 said:
Morning All,
I'm looking into the purchase of a new car.
Budget is tight @ £3.5k
I currently have an X Reg punto that is far too small, to fit a baby seat in the back + any sort of passengers bigger than a 5 year old.
I'm looking for ideas more than anything, i was looking at an A-Class or possibly an A2, but there does'nt seem to be many cars about atm.
It would ideally also be 5 door & able to last for a couple of years.
Insurance would also need to be reasonable as i've only got 1 years NCB.
Any ideas on what to be looking for?
I was looking at a Scenic, but my dad has had 2 of them as company cars & they've been asbolutley terrible.
PT Cruiser!I'm looking into the purchase of a new car.
Budget is tight @ £3.5k
I currently have an X Reg punto that is far too small, to fit a baby seat in the back + any sort of passengers bigger than a 5 year old.
I'm looking for ideas more than anything, i was looking at an A-Class or possibly an A2, but there does'nt seem to be many cars about atm.
It would ideally also be 5 door & able to last for a couple of years.
Insurance would also need to be reasonable as i've only got 1 years NCB.
Any ideas on what to be looking for?
I was looking at a Scenic, but my dad has had 2 of them as company cars & they've been asbolutley terrible.
lawrence567 said:
What're they like?
One of the teachers at our school had one of them about 8 years ago & he got no end of st for it..
If you mean the PT Cruiser then I think they are quite good. Saldy too many self proclaimed idiots Brits with chips on their shoulda have to hate it because they don't understand it or have never been in one. One of the teachers at our school had one of them about 8 years ago & he got no end of s
t for it..I do admit we got a slightly raw deal in the UK with the engine and options line up. But I think they look great inside and out, are certainly a lot more individual and fun than 99% of the other normal cars available and seem to have a good reputation for reliability.
I saw one yesterday parked up next to a new 5 door Corsa. The Corsa was almost as tall and had about the same size foot print. But boy did the vauxhall look dull and boring by comparison.
Loads of space, practical yet still fairly compact too.
In the US there was upto a 2 waiting list for them at one point. Which sort of says something about their desirability to me. In the US you could get a 180 and 220hp turbo one and their was optional Koni developed sports suspension. UK models I'd look for a 2.4 petrol or a diesel and look to a remap. The 2.0 is probably a bit low on power.
If your interested try searching "PT Cruiser review" on YouTube and have a look at what they say.
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