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The cambelts are coming…

Some years ago you were very helpful with a cambelt failure on my Vauxhall Astra. As the car is now 12 years old and is expensive to tax at £190 per annum I am looking for a replacement, preferably not another Vauxhall. I need something with as much 'get up and go' as the 1.6 16v Astra for holidaying abroad and with a decent boot size for 'luggage' etc. Air-conditioning and the other usual refinements. 3 or 5 door Hatch preferably made in the UK. If possible I would like to keep my total cash outlay under £10,000. Can you please suggest where I should start looking?

Asked on 26 September 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
If you don't want another Astra, this confines you to a Nissan Note,
Toyota Auris or a Honda Civic. Or wait for the Jazz to be built in the UK. But what I'd do is take your old Astra and £8,000 and swap them for a Hyundai i30 1.4 Comfort, which comes with a/c and alloys and a 5 year warranty as standard.

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