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Bangernomics - SLO76
Tonight I purchased a perfectly reasonable car with 5mths Mot, 4 nearly new tyres, a recent timing belt change and barely any rust. Yes it’s a bit tatty round the edges and it’ll need a serious scrub inside but here is a perfectly viable car for £250. Can motoring get any cheaper? It’ll largely be the dogs chariot right enough, that and it’ll be used for abandoning at the pub or station in place of our other more valuable metal but the drive home in my £250 car was grin inducing. The two elderly owner Toyota Corolla 1.3 5dr (one used it for his gardening business so it’s a bit of a tip inside) is rattle free and drives spot on and all for less than the cost of a major service on our CRV. I love a cheap car challenge.

Edited by SLO76 on 02/06/2018 at 00:36

Bangernomics - gordonbennet

Corolla is the cockroach of the car world, they can't be killed, safe bet that so long as the tin worm hasn't buried itself too deep.

It's opposite Datsun number as in Stanza and Bluebirds were similarly completely reliable.

Bangernomics - retgwte

yes if you get a Japanese built one, not so true for the British built ones

in the last few model years the 3 door came in from Japan and the 5 doors were British built.

the British ones do have a number of issues which kill them, the Japanese ones on the other hand are capable of lasting forever.

Bangernomics - SLO76
“the British ones do have a number of issues which kill them, the Japanese ones on the other hand are capable of lasting forever.”

Not sure I agree. There’s loads of them still running around well into a decade or more old and well beyond 100k mileages without major failure. I’ve never had a moments bother (so far) from any Toyota I’ve owned or sold. Though I know to avoid any DPF equipped diesels and the 2.2 D4D in later models. I’ve never seen any difference between the UK and Jap built models but it was obvious between Jap built Mitsubishi’s and the Dutch built Carisma which was rather poor by comparison especially the later post facelift cars.
Bangernomics - Leif
My VW Up looked a right mess when I decided to sell it but many hours with brushes, polishes and hoovers and it looked ‘very tidy’ according to my neighbour. I was surprised how many marks disappeared or became minor. How old is the new motor?
Bangernomics - SLO76
1999 and is now sold. Old friend hoovered it off me this morning after seeing it. Small profit at mates rate and I’ll get to see how well it does as it’ll be staying local.
Bangernomics - Gateway88

I have a 52 plate Focus 1.6 that I purchased around 5 years ago for £1500. I love bangernomics but I only partly subscribe to the philosophy in so much as it's kept immaculate and I will get larger repairs done as and when they arise (within reason) at my excellent indy garage. I feel that's compensated by the fact of what the vehicles worth to me, I know what's been done to it with a near negligablel initial purchase price. Unless something absolutely fatal goes on it, I'm determined to keep going for at least the next 5 years. It gives me a bit of a warm glow as it sits in the staff car park at work surrounded by brand new diesels on PCP deals. I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac. I even had a comment from a couple of teenagers at at work who thought of it as a"classic!"

Edited by Gateway88 on 02/06/2018 at 11:59

Bangernomics - SLO76
I have the advert from when the last owner bought it - was on a notice board in Morrisons. He paid £800 for it 6yrs ago which was an absolute steal and got £250 back. His only expenses other than tyres and breaks was an exhaust and a timing belt change. Less than £100 a year in depreciation and I’m confident that the new owner will get another couple of years out of it.

Edited by SLO76 on 02/06/2018 at 12:45

Bangernomics - bazza

"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."

Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!

We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.

Bangernomics - Leif

"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."

Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!

We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.

I now buy new cars as I know that no-one has thrashed them, and they will be well maintained. Build faults tend to appear within the warranty period too. I only kept the VW Up 6 years as it’d done 130,000 miles. The Ford Ka, teapot model, was beyond economic repair at ten years old. The current Polo should last many years. For me the concern about old cars is reliability, since I have a 25 mile commute each way, and no second car. I cannot imagine blowing £40,000 or more on a car. Not even £25,000. I have the cash, but we are talking £5,000 a year on a car. Nope. Almost twenty years ago I put £6,000 in an ISA which is now worth £60,000. Had I bought a car instead, it’d be worth nowt today.

Bangernomics - veloceman
It’s all horses for course I guess.

All things can be bought more cheaply whether at car boot sales, charity shops or £1 shops.
And most things apart from houses or cars are worth little or nothing after initial purchase. Ie TVs, clothing and holidays.

Chucking a few pints of beer down your neck every night or smoking 20 woodbine a day hardly make good financial sense either.

I always drive a newish car bought at 6-12 months old, keep for a couple of years and move on.
I enjoy the refinement, comfort and piece of mind of a new car.
Yes, no doubt it costs me, but I’m a car nut and that’s my fix.

I also own a nearly a 20 year old almost classic and reliable as it is, there will be a point when it fails and parts will be nonexistent and that’s the part I can’t be bothered with.
My current car has three years warranty, three years breakdown cover and I am unlikely to use either.

But ultimately you Bangernomics fans need me or you will have no supply.

We are different and it’s good we can all enjoy our own thing!



Bangernomics - John F
I also own a nearly a 20 year old almost classic and reliable as it is, there will be a point when it fails and parts will be nonexistent and that’s the part I can’t be bothered with.

If a true 'classic' with a following, you will probably always be able to source parts.

But ultimately you Bangernomics fans need me or you will have no supply. We are different and it’s good we can all enjoy our own thing!

Well said. Although since the advent of the MoT and stagnation of car design there is no such thing as an 'old banger' these days. I saw a very clean 20 year old Audi A6 the other day - to the automotively uninterested (e.g.SWMBO) it looked nearly new.

Edited by John F on 03/06/2018 at 10:24

Bangernomics - bazza

I am the same Leif, I have the money but not the desire to spend large amounts on a car, although I am fascinated by all things motoring. Buying a moderately priced car and keeping for years or high mileage is of course another way to get excellent value for money, I do almost that typically, with a lightly used buy and keep for a good few years. I don't get attached to them and treat them as white goods. That way I don't get upset or stressed if they get dinged or sctratched. My bikes though, feel different, they seem to be a more emotional involvement, probably because they offer much more fun when used!

Bangernomics - veloceman
Totally agree.
Cars are becoming bigger, heavier and generally quieter ie Dull
Aside maybe GT86, MX5 and poss M3.
Bangernomics - Steveieb
I've taken the new car route about eight years ago with a Golf Tdi 1.6 only to find it lacks all the grunt you would expect from a diesel.

Now I've enjoyed 50k miles from an A4 1.9 Tdi 130 and the pulling power ease of driving, fuel economy never ceases to amaze me.

Ok it gets regular servicing each year , which just cost £270 including reassembling the air con clutch which had fallen apart an resting in the under engine tray.

No rattles whatsoever and 55 profile tyres plus full spare.

I can understand why the local Eastern European community keep asking me to sell it. But for £550 ? Which is its trade in value.

They are far more car savvy than us Brits when it comes to car value on a budget. But seem to prefer German to Japanese.
Bangernomics - gordonbennet
They are far more car savvy than us Brits when it comes to car value on a budget. But seem to prefer German to Japanese.

Maybe because they can sell them easily for a decent profit when they go home on holiday, fly back, rinse and repeat.

Even Indians have moved away from Japanese to German cars in the course of a generation, and long may this continue to be the case, or we might be paying far more for our ultra reliable used bargains.

The Polish lads do have a bonus over us too, i know chaps who have got their petrol cars LPG converted whilst home for a week or more, circa 1/2 the cost of a conversion in the UK, very popular alternative fuel in Poland, similar cost savings for bodywork etc if they can get things done in the timeframe.

Bangernomics - ohsoslow

Even Indians have moved away from Japanese to German cars in the course of a generation, and long may this continue to be the case, or we might be paying far more for our ultra reliable used bargains.

On my last visit to NW India in January Suzukis seemed to be very popular with other Japanese / Korean stuff quite numerous, Did not notice an over abundance of German metal. Sadly the old Ambassadors were very rare now.

Bangernomics - Alby Back
My mountain bike is worth more than my wife's car, which may sound mean spirited, but in defence of that, her mountain bike is also similarly valuable. Fortunately, it's still allowed to spend yer dosh on what makes you happiest. ;-)
Bangernomics - focussed
Fortunately, it's still allowed to spend yer dosh on what makes you happiest. ;-)

Hmm - I wonder how long that will allowed to continue?

Bangernomics - badbusdriver

"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."

Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!

We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.

I now buy new cars as I know that no-one has thrashed them, and they will be well maintained. Build faults tend to appear within the warranty period too. I only kept the VW Up 6 years as it’d done 130,000 miles. The Ford Ka, teapot model, was beyond economic repair at ten years old. The current Polo should last many years. For me the concern about old cars is reliability, since I have a 25 mile commute each way, and no second car. I cannot imagine blowing £40,000 or more on a car. Not even £25,000. I have the cash, but we are talking £5,000 a year on a car. Nope. Almost twenty years ago I put £6,000 in an ISA which is now worth £60,000. Had I bought a car instead, it’d be worth nowt today.

Almost 40 years ago Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) paid £35k for a Ferrari 250GTO, it is currently worth around £30 million.

Bangernomics - Steveieb
Notice the car you bought was a 99 Corolla which in my experience were from an era when Toyotas were built in Japan with their strict quality control on suppliers.

I found a 2000 year Yaris for my sons fiancée and it never fails to astound me how everything still works, no mot advisories and completely rust free.

Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.

My local Honda dealer initially refused to take any cars not built in Japan and labelled them as inferior products.

So SLO as the fountain of all knowledge is there any cred ance in my observation? And which Japanese Toyotas and Honda are still built in their home countries ?
Bangernomics - SLO76
“Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.”

Can’t say I’ve noticed this. Some of the most robust cars ever to grace our roads were Japanese designed and UK built. Ultimately It’s down to the design and not where it’s built.

Nissan Bluebird
Nissan Primera (excluding final model which was post Renault takeover and rubbish)
Nissan Micra K11/K12
Toyota Carina E/Avensis
Toyota Auris
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Honda Jazz
Honda CRV

To name a few, all built in the UK using a great deal of locally sourced parts and all just as reliable as Japanese built equivalents in my experience.
Bangernomics - Steveieb
Thanks for that SLO

Think the last of the Corollas were built here too.

But any idea where the latest Jazz and HRV are built ? Mexico and Japan ?

Understand the CHR is built in Turkey and production of the CRV is moving to Canada.
Bangernomics - retgwte

3 doors made in Japan, 5 doors Brit built

Bangernomics - groaver
“Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.” Can’t say I’ve noticed this. Some of the most robust cars ever to grace our roads were Japanese designed and UK built. Ultimately It’s down to the design and not where it’s built. Nissan Bluebird Nissan Primera (excluding final model which was post Renault takeover and rubbish) Nissan Micra K11/K12 Toyota Carina E/Avensis Toyota Auris Honda Accord Honda Civic Honda Jazz Honda CRV To name a few, all built in the UK using a great deal of locally sourced parts and all just as reliable as Japanese built equivalents in my experience.

I've noticed quite the opposite but that's just what personal experience shows.

I sold Suzuki's in the early 00s and the Spanish built SJs were appalling, Vitaras pretty bad too.

My Wife had a Hungarian built 55 plate Swift which had no end of problems.

I also remember buying a Daihatsu and the sales manager telling me that their fleet of Micras used as courtesy cars for their bodyshop were terrible for reliability. They were the first generation built under the Nissan-Renault alliance.

I only buy Japanese built cars now. They are harder to find though. Interestingly, I believe that the new Swift is sourced once again from Japan.

Edited by groaver on 03/06/2018 at 14:04

Bangernomics - dan86

I had a 06 plate swift Hungarian built never a moment's trouble and I still have a 60 plate sx4 bought from new not a single problem and it's only used for short runs.

Bangernomics - madf

My 2012 Jazz is UK built.. It's only 6 years old but so far it's been 100% reliable..Consumables only.

Our 2003 Toyota Yaris D4D has had an apalling reliability record in te epast three years: Heater motor regulator, driver's window actuator, glowplugs have all failed. Repairs cost a staggering £60ish...As it was built in Japan I am sadly disappointed - I thought Japanese cars lasted forever..

:-)

Bangernomics - nellyjak

Our 2003 Toyota Yaris D4D has had an apalling reliability record in te epast three years: Heater motor regulator, driver's window actuator, glowplugs have all failed. Repairs cost a staggering £60ish...As it was built in Japan I am sadly disappointed - I thought Japanese cars lasted forever..

:-)

Know what yer mean...I had a bulb blow one year...I did think of taking it up with the highest level of Toyota management..!!

Disgraceful...and I think that cost me at least a couple of quid...and for someone with Yorkshire DNA, that's painful..lol

Edited by nellyjak on 03/06/2018 at 19:21

Bangernomics - gordonbennet

Yes, a blown headlight bulb was the sum total failure on my first Landcruiser over a 5 year period, insurance write off at around 130k miles.

Bangernomics - dan86

My 2010 sx4 is still on all its original bulbs from the factory after nearly 8 years of ownership I did have to replace the original battery at the beging of last month for the very exspensive cost of £63

Bangernomics - SLO76
Only things beyond normal wear and tear (tyres, breaks, exhausts) that I’ve ever had to do on a Japanese car were a distributor on an 1988 Mazda 323, a steering rack on a 2002 Civic, a few window regulators and sticky rear calippers on MX5’s plus an electric window motor on an 89 Nissan Bluebird ZX Turbo.

I should probably include the juddering clutch I managed to get under warranty on my current Honda CRV but i’ll Give them credit for doing it at 26,000 miles for free and to be honest they’re right that it is a characteristic of CRV’s particularly the diesels, this one was particularly bad however. Considering the number of them I’ve owned and traded over the years this is real credit to Toyota, Honda, Mazda and (pre Renault) Nissan.

Though I’ve been surprised by many motors you’d normally associate with poor reliability. We ran a 1989 Citroen BX TZD Turbo as a hack and loaner at one dealer I worked at and nothing ever went wrong with it no matter how hard we tried to kill it. Comfy, fast, economical and utterly reliable unlike every other one I sold.

An early 88 Volvo 480 ES I sold to a Saab/Volvo fanatic who lived over the back door from me fully expecting to see paving stones flying over the wall at me soon after but no he had it 7yrs or so with almost nothing to report.

A Peugeot 405 1.9 GR Estate I flogged to a pal knowing they were murder for hot starting problems and it again ran flawlessly for years.

I also flogged loads of Rover 800’s and not a moments bother was had beyond the occasional wonky central locking system.

We also ran a Renault Extra Van for the family business which still ran faultlessly at 14yrs old and 100k. I needed something newer on account of the value of cigarette stock I regularly carried from Glasgow wholesalers at the time and couldn’t risk breaking down at the side of the M77 with 10k worth of stuff in the back. The Kangoo that replaced it was a dog, so was the next one. I finally accepted Renault didn’t make decent motors anymore and bought a VW Caddy instead which was brilliant.

Edited by SLO76 on 03/06/2018 at 20:12

Bangernomics - SLO76
The £250 Toyota has just aced its Mot. To be fair it cost me £250 and I sold it on for £100 profit to a friend but to date it’s only required a £50 replacement ignition switch. Can motoring get any cheaper? Current owner is rightly delighted.

Edited by SLO76 on 10/10/2018 at 14:36

Bangernomics - Alanovich

Can motoring get any cheaper? Depends on how many miles he does. If your man in the Corolla uses more than about two tanks of petrol a month, then he's spending more on motoring than me in my 3 year old 100% reliable Nissan Leaf, which I pay for on a PCP at £150 a month. I'd expect my car to last longer and incur fewer repair costs than a 19 year old car of any kind, even a Corolla, especially given that mine is under warranty, and my servicing, such as it is, is included in the PCP. He's' paying for fuel, I'm paying for depreciation. At the end of the day it's the same sort of money. I know which of the two cars I'd rather be driving.

Bangernomics - SLO76
“which I pay for on a PCP at £150 a month.”

That does sound good value but how much deposit did you put down? The Leaf is a brilliant car but due to battery life anxiety the depreciation is crippling on them, they lose value far more rapidly than any conventional rival.

I’ve just had a look at Nissan’s PCP deals and with a £5000 deposit the PCP over 3yrs and 10k p/a is £360 a month. I suspect your deal is costing a lot more than just the £150 a month figure. A £26000 base model Leaf will be lucky to fetch £8k at 3yrs old as a part exchange. Dealers outside of the Nissan network just don’t know how to value them and bid low both as a part ex and at auction which pulls values down across the board. The huge depreciation more than outweighs the fuel savings.

Buy wisely though and they can be outstanding value used however and with few moving parts reliability is great. The battery pack is likely to be on its last legs by 7-8yrs though and is cripplingly expensive to replace so buy with this in mind.

www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/94305/fastest-depr...s

Edited by SLO76 on 10/10/2018 at 18:54

Bangernomics - TheGentlemanThug

Just goes to show that the Japanese certainly know how to build reliable cars. For all the praise German marques seem to get, a lot of people also seem to forget just how good Japanese ones are.

Bangernomics - carl233

Bangernomics is great fun, I find it quite funny running my 21 year old Mondeo with 246,000 on the clock. Something that feels nice about sitting at the traffic lights alongside Mr Generic in his heavily financed BMW.

Bangernomics - Nobby Clark

I am a total advocate of bangernomics.

I've had new cars and old cars and I have to be honest, I much prefer driving older cars.

I have just got rid of a year old car which I had from new, so I could be finance free and own a nice and reliable motor that I own outright.

A big thanks to SLO for posting a link to a Honda Accord in Executive trim, with the silky smooth 2.4L Vtec engine, with the equally smooth auto box. Which has full electric heated leather, climate control, cruise control, sat nav, 6 disc changer, with full Honda history and only 51k miles on the clock with a private plate (valued at £600), for only £1800 and she is a beauty!

My friends, family and work colleagues cannot believe you can get so much motor for relatively little money.

I love that it's all mine, and that I'm not too worried where I park it as with new more expensive cars, I would panic about it getting dinked or scratched in car parks.

Bangernomics - Engineer Andy

I must admit liking having to 'properly drive' older cars - newer ones mean these days you are almost a passenger, far less feel through the steering or pedals, very little engine noise - often I find modern cars very 'sanitised' as regards the driving experience. Great for motorway driving, not so good when you want to 'go for a drive', especially on twisty roads. Great for keeping your driving skills up to scratch.

Even after owning it for 12.5 years from new, I still like driving my Mazda3 on the twisty bits. Real fun. I just have to remember not to push it too much when I have a load of grocery shopping in the boot!

Bangernomics - SLO76
“I find modern cars very 'sanitised' as regards the driving experience.“

I agree. For me It’s largely down to electric rather than hydraulic power steering which never offers the same feel but certainly refinement also plays a part. Not that it’s unwelcome in the right car but after driving many of today’s hot hatches I find them more akin to an executive than a genuine hot hatch. I find myself hankering one from the hay day of such cars in the 80’s and 90’s. Renault 19 16v, Clio 16v, Peugeot 306 XSi, 205 GTi, 106 GTi, 45 MI16 etc etc. Today’s examples are faster but lack passion and offer no feel. They bludgeon the road rather than glide round a series of bends.

Edited by SLO76 on 10/10/2018 at 22:58

Bangernomics - Engineer Andy
“I find modern cars very 'sanitised' as regards the driving experience.“ I agree. For me It’s largely down to electric rather than hydraulic power steering which never offers the same feel but certainly refinement also plays a part. Not that it’s unwelcome in the right car but after driving many of today’s hot hatches I find them more akin to an executive than a genuine hot hatch. I find myself hankering one from the hay day of such cars in the 80’s and 90’s. Renault 19 16v, Clio 16v, Peugeot 306 XSi, 205 GTi, 106 GTi, 45 MI16 etc etc. Today’s examples are faster but lack passion and offer no feel. They bludgeon the road rather than glide round a series of bends.

I've noticed a lot of comments about the relative numbness of modern electrically-assisted power steering when compared to the hydraulically-assisted versions like in my Mazda3. More reliable and cheaper to repair, far less feedback and feel.

My cousin owned a 205 GTi 1.9 back in the day (I distinctly remember him reversing at speed through a car park) - I learned to drive in the diesel 1.9 - great little cars for handling (not so good in a crash though), though my cousin totalled his by driving WAY too fast, ending up upside-down in a ditch. A old work colleague owned a sporty motorbike but actually preferred to drive his Renault Clio Williams to work. Went like the proverbial s*** off a shovel.

I always had a hankering for the last of the Escort RS Cosworths, in blue, of course (not that I could ever afford one). I nearly bought a 2006 (the first one - from 2001 - 2006) Honda Civic Type R when I was looking for my current car - it was only £2.5-£3k more than the 1.6 Sport 3dr (new cost) but I thought that the insurance was rather steep, so I chickened out and bought my standard Mazda3 1.6 petrol, which admitedly was an absolute bargain as I've explained in the forum before.

Still, I would've liked the Type R of its raw driving experience. I saw a few of its Japanese import cousin the Integra (mk2 'DC5' version) Type R on my travels, which looked even better (same engine but amped up to 220hp).

Bangernomics - Andrew-T

<< I've noticed a lot of comments about the relative numbness of modern electrically-assisted power steering when compared to the hydraulically-assisted versions like in my Mazda3. More reliable and cheaper to repair, far less feedback and feel. >>

When I traded my 306 HDi for a 207SW HDi ten years ago, my immediate impressions were that the steering was slightly less precise, and less could be seen over the bonnet. One gets accustomed of course. I think the upside is that the PAS is 'on demand' rather than having a pump running all the time, so less fuel is used overall.

Bangernomics - Engineer Andy

<< I've noticed a lot of comments about the relative numbness of modern electrically-assisted power steering when compared to the hydraulically-assisted versions like in my Mazda3. More reliable and cheaper to repair, far less feedback and feel. >>

When I traded my 306 HDi for a 207SW HDi ten years ago, my immediate impressions were that the steering was slightly less precise, and less could be seen over the bonnet. One gets accustomed of course. I think the upside is that the PAS is 'on demand' rather than having a pump running all the time, so less fuel is used overall.

I forgot about that - modern cars (apart from the very smallest) have very poor lines of sight - mine is bad enough with a pointed front end and a high bootline, but at least the windows are large - the latest models are far worse, many with tiny rear windows, including those for the rear passengers, making the driver rely very heavily on the parking sensors and (where fitted) cameras, almost as if they were designed in to make more money.

In some ways, I miss my old 90s Micra - so easy to visualise parking as well as to actually do, all without the need for power steering. I also had a Haynes manual for that car, which made looking after it easy. My Mazda3 isn't bad (no Haynes manual for that - only on the larger engined US versions and only available Stateside), but its noticeable that the number of new Haynes manuals is gradually decreasing by the year as cars get more complex.

My hydraulic power steering is both speed sensitive and to the amount of turn required, which means its only on full power for slow speed tight turns, otherwise the assistance is relatively small (and is presumably a safety feature).

Bangernomics - Andrew-T

<< modern cars (apart from the very smallest) have very poor lines of sight - >>

Yes, it's silly, isn't it, when there are more things to be looked out for. Not content with that, there is more darkened window glass in many cars too.

Bangernomics - corax

<< modern cars (apart from the very smallest) have very poor lines of sight - >>

Yes, it's silly, isn't it, when there are more things to be looked out for. Not content with that, there is more darkened window glass in many cars too.

The price you pay for aerodynamics and increased safety, although I'm sure that manufacturers could provide a decent glass area combined with a strong bodyshell.

A few years back I was getting lifts in my friends Peugeot 205 1.9's and Renault 5 turbo's, both pocket rockets and enormous fun with pin sharp handling. I'll always remember the Peugeot 306 for it's combination of sublime ride and handling, ditto the Citroen BX GTi.

The weight of cars these days kills any handling fun. I couldn't believe how different my car felt when I drove around without the passenger seat for a while, I was considering leaving it out.

Bangernomics - Engineer Andy

Plus most now come with low profile tyres as standard - my OEM 205/55 R16s would've been considered quite 'sporty' in the early-mid 90s, now they come on bog standard Fiestas & Co, and little or likely no options for more 'standard' profile tyres and smaller wheels.

All of which earn the dealerships and tyre fitters/manufacturers loads of money in replacements (which are required at far smaller intervals, as discussed on other threads). I needed to replace my OEM alloys due to corrosion, and as my tyres were nearly 6yo and about 1/2 - 2/3rds worn at 25k miles, I decided to downsize from 16in to 15in (possible, fortunately) and go for 195/65 R15 tyres, still quality ones (CC+), and the price all in was £40 less than just replacing the OEM alloys on a like-for-like basis.

Very little difference (if any [newer, hopefully better tyre design to compensate for the higher profile/less wide tyres]) in handling ability, but better comfort due to more cushioning effect from the deeper profile tyres. Just like on 1990s - early 2000s cars. Any replacement tyres from now on will be about £10 - £20 cheaper (today's prices, about 20%) and will last a bit longer too.

I can see why more people hang on to cars from the late 90s - mid 2000s than previously. Just look out for corrosion.

Bangernomics - SLO76

Bumped into the old friend I sold this Corolla (for £360) to back in June 2018 today and it is still going. She is after an upgrade but according to her neighbour mechanic the old Toyota is likely to ace yet another Mot. £360 for nearly two years of reliable motoring and I’ll wager I could get £300 for it today. Bangernomics at its best.

Bangernomics - Big John

I sold my previous 2003 1.9 pd Superb mkI back in 2015 for about £800 to a friend with about 160k ish miles on it after I'd had it for 10 years (Original battery, exhaust and clutch) - still going strong 5 years later with another stack of miles on it and still has the original battery, exhaust and clutch!

Agree with the comment re tyres above. My previous and current Superb both have 205 55 R 16 tyres - generally pretty cheap and seem to last a long time (over 35 k miles a good set). I do (er did unti Covid!!) over 15k miles a year so a set that only lasts 10k miles and costs nearly £1,000 a set simply wouldn't do - well I do live in Yorkshire!

Edited by Big John on 15/04/2020 at 21:40

Bangernomics - barney100

We all know the Japanese cars are a great Bangernomics choice but maybe we are ignoring Renaults, Peugeots Citroens. There are loads and loads of old ones around doing stirling work so why do we give them such a wide berth? Maybe the lockdown has addled me brain but have a look around and see how many there are around your way.

Bangernomics - Andrew-T

Maybe the lockdown has addled me brain but have a look around and see how many there are around your way.

The earliest Peugeots you will see more than very occasionally round here (Cheshire) are 206s. 205s and 306s have vanished (except when mine goes out) and there are more Moggies to be seen now.

Bangernomics - SLO76
Some French cars make excellent bangers. Citroen’s with the old TU series or XUD or HDI motors can’t be robust. I wouldn’t walk past a tidy Mk I Picasso to get to a tatty Toyota.
Bangernomics - SLO76

Don't you mean 'can' be robust?

Yes indeed I do. Weird how sometimes the site allows you to edit a post for a while but other times it stops you almost instantly.