What car £1500?

[iacabu]

Now my car is up for sale I am looking at my next purchase which needs to be as close to £1000 as possible but if I can get a nicer example or open a few more options up, I might stretch to £1500.

At the minute, I'm thinking along the lines of:

e36/e46/e34/e39 - any particular engine/year better at this price range?
Saab 93/95 - possibly an aero but I'm scared it will be too costly
Focus ST170
Audi A3/A4/A6 - any particular engine/year better at this price range?
306 GTI
Toyoya Celica VVTi
MX5
Vectra SRI/GSI
Volvo

There's definitely plenty to choose from and I always sway to the sportier models of cars because I'd like some poke and they tend to look better IMO. However, I'm just worried that I'll be letting myself in for some bills I can't manage at this time. Are the cars above at this price range going to be fairly decent and there's a good chance I can make it 6-12 months without too much trouble?

Realistically I'm only going to be doing about 10 miles per day and not every day on mostly straight roads 40/50/60 limits. And only until July as I'll be going to sea after that for the best part of 6 months. I'll likely let my dad use it during that time or sell it.

Any help would be appreciated as well as any other ideas...

[vtecyo]

Civic VTi.

[Engineer1]

Find the least knackered one with the best service history and condition.

[BL Fanboy]

Engineer1 said:

Find the least knackered one with the best service history and condition.

+1

The best car in that list will have the above as quoted. They all have the ability to throw a bill at you the size of which would be the best part of its purchase price.

Choose the most under stressed, simplest one and you wont go far wrong. Not very excising I know but big repair costs, especially on cheap performance cars is very boring indeed.

[iacabu]

vtecyo said:

Civic VTi.

I had a look at Civics yesterday. They're not high up the list but if I saw a good one for the money then I would consider it.

Engineer1 said:

Find the least knackered one with the best service history and condition.

I guess that's fair enough. I realise I don't have the pick of the bunch at this price range but as long as there's a decent chance of it lasting me then I don't mind it being rough around the edges.

[kiethton]

Engineer1 said:

Find the least knackered one with the best service history and condition.

This, also make sure that the consumables (brakes, tyres etc.) are fairly new and its got plenty of Tax/MOT/A recent service and you can't go too far wrong.

At this budget I would find it hard to look past a bog standard petrol (1.8 most likely) Mondeo.

Very reliable, pretty good to drive and can be run on buttons. There are also a fair few owned by elderly people, bought as a treat for themselves upon retirement, giving a great low, mileage good condition sub £1k used purchase - you'll also get a newer one in comparison to the above.

[Engineer1]

OR given how short your journey is just go daft and buy the biggest engined sheddiest car that has tax and test past July, a Mate of mine used to do this and had all sorts of daft things a 5 or 7 series can't remember which a big old RWD Volvo estate, a Micra,

[Kawasicki]

e36 318is in great condition.

[I'm Rick james]

Saab 93 Turbo! I have loved owning mine, lots of comfort and decent spec along with a relatively quick engine! (And mines for sale!
Rj

[mike-r]

Never had a problem with any of my E36/E46s. Get a chain driven 6-pot with decent consumables and you're set. I find the extra I pay in fuel I save by the car being indestructible. Just give the cooling system a look over.

[Kam B]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/2003...

little under budget, possibly more

Had a big service last few months, now its just doing 2 miles a day to he train station carpark and back

[Somnophore]

I'm looking for a reliable shed at the moment. Keep looking at interesting stuff but realistically I should be spending as little as possible and be sensible.

Anyone run a 2.0 mondeo. A ghia x from 2002/3 looks a reasonable buy in terms of comfort and a bit of poke. Just don't wanna spend loads on it.

[jimi]

Hello,

Yes my current shed is a 2000 Mondeo Ghia X. Cost me £750, everything works great spec heated electric leather seats etc etc. Positive bargain. Only downside as a 2.0 auto it's slow.

Cost over 8 months - £50 for a new battery.

Edited by jimi on Monday 24th February 11:12

[Captain Muppet]

mike-r said:

Never had a problem with any of my E36/E46s. Get a chain driven 6-pot with decent consumables and you're set. I find the extra I pay in fuel I save by the car being indestructible. Just give the cooling system a look over.

I bought a £900 E36 323 last summer.

Problems so far: pasenger window doesn't move, misfire at full throttle 3-4k rpm, road speed dependant clonking from transmission, front fog light fell out, total brake light failure (switch rebuild needed), RHS handbrake failed, front RHS suspension bushes collapsed (terrible steering), O2 sensor failure (which annoyingly did nothing to improve the misfire), exhaust pipe blowing, flat battery, constant false alarms on the alarm.

On average it has one new annoying fault every month. The last two I can blame on the aftermarket alarm.

My £50 E30 320 lasted two years with no servicing and didn't have a single fault, my £600 E34 535 managed a trip to the 'ring and a years commute with only a broken steering lock.

The E36 has shattered my faith in BMWs. It started badly by being nearly a month late after I agreed to buy it because it needed a new ABS controller and a wheel speed sensor (I only agreed to buy it if they fixed the ABS warning light).

[iacabu]

Thanks for the input so far.

I will keep the Saabs in mind when I sell mine. Kam's looks good. RJ can you send me a link/details of yours please?

The Mondeo looks like a lot of car for the money...how are the 2.5 v6 at this price? A lot of them about.

[kiethton]

iacabu said:

Thanks for the input so far.

I will keep the Saabs in mind when I sell mine. Kam's looks good. RJ can you send me a link/details of yours please?

The Mondeo looks like a lot of car for the money...how are the 2.5 v6 at this price? A lot of them about.

Nice, usually well spec'ed but from reading around (nearly got one) thirsty for the power available

[iacabu]

Another car I've been looking at which I forgot to add was the MG ZT (maybe Rover 75 too). Probably the 2.5 but I'm aware they need to have had the belts done ideally.

[Andy665]

I picked up an 02 plate Saab 9-5 Aero last November

Everything works perfectly, loaded with equipment,, full service history, long MOT - cost me £1200, absolutely love it

[Bill]

BL Fanboy said:

Engineer1 said:

Find the least knackered one with the best service history and condition.

+1

The best car in that list will have the above as quoted. They all have the ability to throw a bill at you the size of which would be the best part of its purchase price.

Choose the most under stressed, simplest one and you wont go far wrong. Not very excising I know but big repair costs, especially on cheap performance cars is very boring indeed.

Yep. In similar circumstances I spent a day traipsing round looking at the best estate car for £2k. My only criteria were fsh and a largeish petrol engine. We ended up (last thing, in the dark, having seen some right dogs) with a Mazda 6 2l petrol estate on 80k and in the last two years nothing has gone wrong with it. And as a bonus it drives pretty well and has a chain driven cam

[boobles]

Just a few to pick from.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...


http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...


http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...


http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...