Anyone got a spare car?

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Wigsie

Nincompoop
Location
Kent
For what its worth and if you live in london probably not the best choice, but I just bought an Audi A6 Avant 2.5 Quattro 2001 with just under 100k on the clock, full VAG service history and warranty for 2 years for £3.5k and she is a beauty!

OK it's 8/9 years old but was a 40 grand car then as it has all the trimmings. Not exactly frugal with petrol either but I only do 5-7,000 miles a year so not too worried.
 

Jane Smart

The Queen
Location
Dunfermline Fife
Do you want my card, we have about 50 cars for sale :smile:

:biggrin:
 

Norm

Guest
If we're playing that game, I'd recommend a 20 year old Land Rover. Available far enough under your budget that you'll have enough cash to keep it on the road for years, it'll never depreciate, prove itself unbelievably useful and make every journey into an adventure. :biggrin:
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
I have a Ford Focus Estate, and would definitely buy another one. Plenty of space in the back, and a nice drive. Quite a common car so parts and repairs are easy to come by and reasonable. The other day I had a glass TV stand fully assembled, a buggy pram, a few bags, three 20kg bags of coal and my dads dog in the boot with the seats down, plenty of space left too. You can also get a full sized bike in the back without talking any wheels off.
Peugeot 406 estates seem to be quite popular with a couple of my friends as well. I had a 306 hatchback several years ago which I really liked so I'd not dismiss a 406 estate from my search either.
 

MichaelM

Guru
Location
Tayside
As it happens.........

I want rid of my 99 Mk4 Golf. I keep getting it MOT'd as I I've got it, and it just keeps running and running....... not that I need it. But I doubt being in Jockland is of any use to you.

Edit.... it would have been a lot less than £3000!
 

dudi

Senior Member
Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
Pick up a Volvo V70 - loads in Autotrader . Forget about it.

I am waiting for the day my Astra hatch breaks so I can buy a Volvo again.

My old volvo lasted a full 240,000 miles (in the family from new). beautiful quiet and ugly enough not to worry about it in a car park!
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Don't buy - just hire when you need one.

Do the calculations on how much your car will cost. Don't ignore depreciation, as this will probably be the biggest cost, then servicing and repairs. Insurance will come a bit further down. Don't include fuel, as you will have to pay for this whether you drive or hire.

I did this a couple of years ago - hired rather than bought. Also joined a car club for short trips out. After less than a year I need to buy as my car usage was about to go up dramatically, wiping out any savings. First tip about hiring is don't book a car from Hertz until a few days before you need it. Then you will generally get an upgrade.
 

yashicamat

New Member
+1 for the Octavia, but make sure it's the old shape (pre '05 I think) although at that budget it shouldn't be an issue (the old shape one scored better in reliability than the new shape).

If you only use it occasionally then get a petrol. One thing to remember with any car with a cambelt (as opposed to a camchain which is probably what your Sunny had) is they have a life expectancy based on age as well as mileage - if the cambelt hasn't been changed for 60,000 miles or 4 years, then either be prepared to fork out for a belt change (looking at about £250 at an independant garage, close to double that at the main dealers) or risk the engine destroying itself. Cambelts are worth checking on any used car, there's no way of determining what condition they are in without a LOT of bother (and an expert on hand), so it's best to make sure they're within their service schedules.

Might seem a bit of a fuss, but I've known several people who have had their cars written off by cambelts snapping due to age when they've done low miles (engine rebuilds can cost over a thousand pounds).
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
yashicamat said:
+1 for the Octavia, but make sure it's the old shape (pre '05 I think) although at that budget it shouldn't be an issue (the old shape one scored better in reliability than the new shape).

If you only use it occasionally then get a petrol. One thing to remember with any car with a cambelt (as opposed to a camchain which is probably what your Sunny had) is they have a life expectancy based on age as well as mileage - if the cambelt hasn't been changed for 60,000 miles or 4 years, then either be prepared to fork out for a belt change (looking at about £250 at an independant garage, close to double that at the main dealers) or risk the engine destroying itself. Cambelts are worth checking on any used car, there's no way of determining what condition they are in without a LOT of bother (and an expert on hand), so it's best to make sure they're within their service schedules.

Might seem a bit of a fuss, but I've known several people who have had their cars written off by cambelts snapping due to age when they've done low miles (engine rebuilds can cost over a thousand pounds).

I speak from experience after my belt snapped on my Corsa on the way to the airport. Needless to say I was a bit pissed off at the timing of it. We missed out holiday and had to fork out for repairs (Thankfully just a few pistons had been damaged so the whole engine didn't need replacing). I now spare myself the trouble and get the belt changed ahead of time, and always if I get a new car and I'm not sure of the last time it was changed.
 

skudupnorth

Cycling Skoda lover
+3 on the Octavia choice.Worked for Skoda for many years and the Octavia up to 05 excelled in many,many ways from reliablity,durability and of course cost..far cheaper than it's VW brothers and as well if not better built !
If fuel is not an issue then try the vRS version with the Audi TT 180bhp lump up front or is you fancy a bit of leather then go for an L&k version with all the trimmings ! The diesel is a good option if you are doing miles but not available in the RS version....oops sorry vRS
Boot on both hatch and estate are the same length but you obviously get more height on the estate.
Right feel a lot better for that information service,now back to these damned expensive Porsche things with no boot space !
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Cambets are evil!.. have them changed when you buy a car & anything which is done easily when the belt is off; water pump, tensioner, aux/PAS pump belt (I've know aux belts to fail which then jam or take the cam belt with them), etc. Basically have them changed early especially if it's a low cc engine that you need to rev. as that puts more stress on the belt.

My old fiat used to munch them in 30'000 miles & 3 years with ease (5 year or 56'000 miles by the book), the main reason was it spend a lot of its life in the 5000-8500 rpm range (the factory red line was 6000 :smile:). First time it failed was at WOT on over-boost at around 8000rpm... a rather strange bang & it did a rather good impression of an idling jet engine, thankfully the engine was safe so a new belt & tensioner & I was out again for round 3.
 

Greedo

Guest
User1314 said:
Well I just bought one in Hanwell and drove it home this afternoon.

As ever, I read all the posts and did the absolute opposite :wahhey: I searched for estates within a 10 mile radius with my budget constraints and there were surprisingly few available. Wife didn't want anything older then 03.

Peugeot 307LX, 1.6, Petrol, 74,000 miles, MOT and Tax until May. Smooth, quiet, comfortable, full of light, roomy, not a 4x4 but a highish driving position, feels solid, massive boot, get bike-racks on the back I reckon, roof rails, couple of very minor dents, full service history.

Cost? £2.5k on the nose. Garage took the sunny off our hands. Plus an additional £120 insurance costs for me and the wife, transferring the cover from the Sunny to this one.

Very pleased with it. Should last a few years.

Nice one mate. Will see you right for a few years. Pity it's the middle of winter and freezing and not the type of night for a family drive. When we used to get a new car my Dad would bung us all in the back and we'd go for a run somewhere and always get a fish supper and glass bottles of Irn Bru, limeade and orangeade. Only time we were given shoot food and fizzy juice. Still do it to this day with Mrs greedo. Not really the same though!
 
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