Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 14:26
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - Crumpeto

Hi,

My insurance is coming to an end within the coming months and looking to buy a new car. I only have around £1000 to spend at the most. I've narrowed it down to an early 2000s Almera 1.5 or a Seat Leon 1.6 of the same era. I considered the 2nd gen focus and Mazda 3 based on the same platform but after more research wasn't so sure anymore. I'll be 21 a month after the insurance expires so insurance will still be a fairly major factor as well.

Thanks

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 15:06
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - nellyjak

For me...the better bet would be the Almera..IIRC they were always seen as a pretty decent and reliable car in their day.

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 15:07
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - bathtub tom

I had a '53 reg Almera (N16) for nine years, the best handling car I ever had, (and it replaced a Focus) although it was on the optional lower profile, wider tyres. It seemed to have virtually no body roll although the suspension was firm and seating low. Mine was a 1.5, petrol, manual. I would have liked the 1.8, petrol, manual, but couldn't find one.

They were cheap, because they had a habit of destroying cam chains (made of cheese). I think they were improved by the time I bought mine. The sump only holds 2.7L, so regular oil changes are a must.

My headlamps were replaced FOC, as the projector type on the last models would melt the reflector. Make sure it has black plastic headlamp interior, not grey. Be careful about buying ebay replacements, they're often the melty type.

The panel behind the front (plastic) valance has a tendency to rust out - very expensive to rectify.

There's an excellent Almera owners club online - worth joining to have a read.

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 15:44
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - badbusdriver

TBH, at that price point you are doing yourself no favours narrowing your choice down to two. Any £1000 car could be worth buying depending on how well it has been looked after, and equally any £1000 car could be a bag of nails. Open up your choice to include any car of the size you need which has a n/a petrol engine and manual gearbox. Use the Gov website to check MOT history (www.gov.uk/check-mot-history), this is not the be all and end all, but it can give clues as to how well the car has been looked after. Ideally a private sale from someone who has owned the car for several years, so you can meet and talk to him/her, which, again, will give you an idea about the cars treatment.

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 16:17
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - Crumpeto

Thanks for the heads up. Had a look over there and saw about installing an aftermarketradio which will be useful. I'd probably take the 1.5 as the insurance will be cheaper and more fuel friendly. I'll keep an eye out on those problems hopefully buying a later model N16 should hopefully allow me to miss out on the cheese chains.

I've narrowed down after looking around. Another cat I've seen is the Toyota Carina '95 which looks good and I'm all open to suggestions but not the biggest fan of focus and most other cats of this price range that have reasonable fuel economy. I've looked into a focus 2nd gen but they're obviously a bit north of my price range so getting a decent one will be a squeeze. My criteria is being manual, petrol, ideally 4/5 door and decent fuel economy and not a complete bore to drive.

Edited by Crumpeto on 20/02/2019 at 16:21

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 16:42
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - badbusdriver

Another cat I've seen is the Toyota Carina '95 which looks good

That is 24 years old, and while it is likely to remain reliable, how might it be underneath for rust?.

But it doesn't change the fact that being this fussy for a £1k car could well end up backfiring spectacularly. You may not like the Ford Focus, but (with petrol engine and manual gearbox) they are very reliable. Also, given you want something which is not a complete bore to drive, bear in mind the fact that the Focus, certainly the mk1, had the best ride/handling combination in its class, by some margin. Are you really willing to pass by a realy nice one of those just because, A, you don't want a Focus, and, B, it isn't an Almera or Leon?. I think a reality check on the pro's and con's of the £1k used car market might be in order. And by the way, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a MK2 Focus in that budget, simply due to the sheer numbers sold.

But i suppose at the end of the day, it is your money and your choice!

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 20:29
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - carl233

Almera is a great car and totally agree about the handling it really does put many sporty cars to shame. The only concern is the timing chain issues that seem to plague owners even with regular oil changes. Apart from the potential chain concerns a great reliable and very cheap car

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 22:56
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - Big John

You need to check any car of this age carefully for everyting, especially rust(yes it still exists!). I think the Almera whilst mechanically reasonably good has a couple of MOT issues that will cost more than the car may be worth. If the brake pipes rust I think the routing is difficult aka expensive if a garage is doing it (same issue with Primera as well). The other is the dreaded Nissan "cross member" which rots away , similar to the Micra!

With the Seat Leon - depends on the engine. If the old fashioned 1.6 8v engine - these run for ever. If it the 1.6 16v then it's not as good but OK ish (check for tapping noises and oil burning). The body is usually well protected but can rust around the front wings(some are perfect - depends on the soundproofing) and rear wheel arches. Check front sub frame (very thick metal though!) and radiator surround.

Yet again whilst the Mazda is a great car - they do seem to rust in old age.

With anything at this price - condition is all.

If I was buying a car for this sort of money myself I'd get an Octavia mkI fitted with the 1.6 8v engine. The bodies seem to last well (I have a nearly rust free bodied 2001 1.416v Octavia).

[Edit] Stage left - One car that seems to survive in great nic - Renault Clio

Edited by Big John on 20/02/2019 at 23:00

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Wed 20 Feb 2019 22:58
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - SLO76
Don’t limit your options so much on such a tight budget. You’d be mad to walk past a tidy low mileage Astra to get a tatty Almera. Keep your options open and buy on condition before anything else. The best buy may be something you never even consider.

Not that the Nissan should be ignored, they’re good cheap runabouts but I’m surprised to hear anyone say they enjoyed the handling. This model was dull as dishwater to drive and nowhere near the standards set by the Ford Focus or even a Vauxhall Astra of the time. Numb steering, bouncy ride and half hearted handling they were nothing like the drivers car the previous Almera had been. A sad retrograde step and one Nissan got panned for by the motoring press in 2001. In fact the only interesting thing they could find to say about it was the curry hook in the footwell to hold your shopping bags upright... Snore

I’ve flogged a fair number and not had any bother so they’re definitely worthy cheap motors but don’t expect fun to feature at all. Don’t be blinded by Nissan’s previous reputation for quality this is where it all started to go wrong. They didn’t develop the car to its full potential and quality wasn’t a match for older Nissan’s. Look for rattling timing chains on neglected cars, worn clutches (popular with pensioners) and rot especially in the front crossmember. Avoid the 2.2 diesel if you should happen on one that’s still running, they’re prone to plenty of problems.

At this money and size I’d also be looking at...

Mk II Ford Focus 1.6
Toyota Corolla 1.4/1.6
Volvo S40 1.6/1.8
Mazda 3 1.6
Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6
Mitsubishi Carisma 1.6
Vauxhall Astra 1.4/1.6

If you want an entertaining drive then the Focus and Mazda 3 will generate a far far bigger smile than this gen of Almera.
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Thu 21 Feb 2019 00:23
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - SLO76
Forgot to add Honda Civic 1.4/1.6
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Thu 21 Feb 2019 11:47
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - carl233

Having driven over the years hundreds of cars the Almera certainly an 02 and 55 reg 1.5 petrols both did have outstanding handling. Plus handling much better than a Focus or heavy Mondeo. The Almera is a good car despite some issues already covered and they can make a great buy. In my opinion and it may suprise people I think it handles much better than a Focus of the same vintage.

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Thu 21 Feb 2019 17:20
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - badbusdriver

I have also driven quite a few cars over the years, including the MK1 Focus and the Almera while working at a car hire company. Yes the Almera handled OK, but no way was it better than the Focus, or indeed the Mondeo (yes, we had quite a few of those aswell). We used to use quite a twisty back road as a short cut from the depot to Aberdeen airport, so i know what i am talking about!. Worst handling car of that era that i did that route with, was the MK4 Golf, man that was hard work!.

As for the comment about the Mondeo being heavy?. Well it is a much bigger car, so obviously it is going to be heavier than a Focus or an Almera, but it wasn't an especially heavy car in its class.

But again, all this is getting away from the essential point, which is focussing on just a couple of different cars at that price level is going to severely restrict your chances of buying anything other than a bag of nails. And as for handling, the chances are that anything you buy for a grand is going to need its suspension and tyres renewed if you want it to handle as good as your memory tells you it should!.

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Thu 21 Feb 2019 18:06
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - carl233

Yes that is your opinion but in my opinion no way the Focus handled as good as an Almera. Having driven every mk of Mondeo from a 1992 K plate to a 67 registered vehicle again the Almera handled far better. To give praise to what is a maligned car in general might seem odd but the handling was superb.

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Thu 21 Feb 2019 18:41
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - badbusdriver

The 1.4 MK1 Focus could get along that road i mentioned quicker than the 1.5 Almera, despite being 15bhp down on power. That isn't an opinion.

But hey, if you are happy to waste your time arguing about something completely irrelevant to pretty much any £1000 car, be my guest.

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Thu 21 Feb 2019 19:46
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - bathtub tom

I went directly from MK1 Focus to an Almera and I definitely think the Almera handled better. OK the Almera was on the larger wheel/lower profile optional ally wheels.

The reason I changed was because the Focus back seat was one piece that needed folding to fit MILs wheelchair, meaning the car then became a 2-seater. The Almera had a 1/3 2/3 split.

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Thu 21 Feb 2019 22:51
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - SLO76

Having driven over the years hundreds of cars the Almera certainly an 02 and 55 reg 1.5 petrols both did have outstanding handling. Plus handling much better than a Focus or heavy Mondeo. The Almera is a good car despite some issues already covered and they can make a great buy. In my opinion and it may suprise people I think it handles much better than a Focus of the same vintage.

Surprising but then we don’t all have the same tastes I guess. I’ve driven, bought and sold countless cars in my time in the trade and I couldn’t put an Almera of this generation in the same ballpark as a Mk I Focus when it comes to driver enjoyment. Ford were by far the best and creating excellent handling front wheel drive cars at the time, from Ka to Mondeo they were far superior to rivals certainly Nissan at the time. Step back a generation or two though and you’ll find the early Primera and Almera were both at the top end of the class for dynamics. It’s a shame Nissan stopped injecting fun into their cars.

Edited by SLO76 on 21/02/2019 at 23:09

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Fri 22 Feb 2019 10:50
Nissan Almera - Deciding on a new car. Almera or Seat Leon - badbusdriver

Ford were by far the best and creating excellent handling front wheel drive cars at the time, from Ka to Mondeo they were far superior to rivals certainly Nissan at the time.

This was thanks to the genius of Richard Parry-Jones. It was very, very unusual for a major manufacturer like Fod to put so much emphasis or ride/handling, that was down to him. At around the same time, maybe a bit earlier, Vauxhall were going in the opposite direction with their 'sneeze test'(!). Where a driver at 70mph could sneeze without deflecting the car's course!. Made sense in a way, but didn't make for great drivers cars with the dullness of their reactions.

Edited by badbusdriver on 22/02/2019 at 10:50

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