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Have got a vectra at the moment and myself and hubby cannot agree on a car has anyone any suggestions. I want smaller car but big enough to fit buggy in boot, 1.4 engine and is going to last us at least 5 years. The last car was 4 years old and has cost us a small fortune on garage bills, which we don't want to happen again.
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I'd say a Focus but I can't anymore (and it's too slow).
Reliability wise, a Toyota Corolla springs to mind. blue_haddock will be of more use to you in this department but you'll fit the buggy in (I'm thinking more of the previous model) and I think they did it in a 1.4 which had a lot of vvv's and ti's after it.
I imagine 5 grand would be more than enough for something like that.
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Adam
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Not really looked at Corolla before so will have a look. Astra - this is hubbys first choice, am not so sure we do about 10,000 miles a year is it going to last and what is the engine like, has anyone got an astra that could comment. I like peugeot 307 but have been told its a "girls car" cheek!!
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I'm going to get shot down now but if you're worried about a Vauxhall not lasting 5 years, I wouldn't be putting my faith in a Peugeot.
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Adam
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Although having said that, looking on AT now, 5 grand would get you (around here) a 1.4 with 30,000 on. Within your ownership it would only have 80,000 on so maybe not such a bad thing after all.
Are you absolutely, rigidly, definitely dead set on a 1.4?
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Adam
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Very few cars are built to last these days. An Astra will likely be as good as anything else. 1.4 is a pretty small engine for anything more than a supermini these days... is there a reason you can't go any bigger?
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I'm getting too slow!
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Adam
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An Astra will likely be as good as anything else. 1.4 is a pretty small engine for anything more than a supermini these days...
I recently had use of a 1.4 Astra. Before even getting in it I thought that it's going to be underpowered. However, I was wrong. It went surprisingly well.
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Focus, Astra, Megane, 307, Corolla, Golf, Civic, Leon...endless choice! Typically 1.4 engines in these cars are considered underpowered, though this is less true of the Civic, Corolla, Astra and Megane.
For your budget a Golf would be quite old, as would a Corolla and Civic I'd imagine, though either of the last two would easily last a while...
Why 1.4? In this class there are limited benefits to running a 1.4 compared to a modern 1.6...
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I would certainly look at the Civics in your local Honda dealers.
If you are looking for reliability you cannot really beat a Honda .
Any number of 2000/2001 models for your 5K in Autotrader site on your left.
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Astras are good tough cars. We have them at work as pool cars, they get abused but seem to stand up to it well.
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Thanks for the replies - 1.4 engine was to keep running cost down. But am thinking after reading your replies this is not true. Did look at civics but were coming in around £7000, maybe a will look for an older civic.
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I'd simply look at the 1.6 versions of what you're already considering. What was underpowered now becomes a reasonable suggestion.
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Adam
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That's Adam suggesting 'Focus'...
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I was hoping it was going to be a little more subtle than 17 minutes ;-)
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Adam
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Sometimes you just have to make things more obvious :p ...
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£5k will get you a last of the line old shape corolla, probably not the nicest looking car out there but they are reliable and pretty spacious for their size.
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For the simple reason that noone else has said it yet, and it fits absolutely none of your criteria, let me suggest the Mondeo Tdci :)
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For 5 grand PG. Come on.
Oh...
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Adam
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Doesn't quite fit your brief, but if reliability is key then look at the previous-model Honda accord. They're cheap, well-equipped, and incredibly reliable by all accounts. The recent warranty direct figures indicate a failure rate of 2 in 100 cars. The next best model was 7 in 100 (another Honda - the civic). By contrast, Peugeots and Citroens were scoring 30-40 repairs per 100 cars.
Surprised that survey didn't get a mention on the backroom (or maybe I missed it?). Is there some reason that Accord number should be treated with suspicion? Seems incredible compared to the others.
BTW Here's a link to the top 10 cars: www.whatcar.com/NonCar/285511356.jpg
and the top 10 manufacturers: www.whatcar.com/NonCar/2855113351.jpg
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A 1.4 Astra would be more than quick enough for me, as I imagine it would easily surpass 100 mph.
As for a Peugeot not being good for 5 years, there are plenty of 306s out there which are way past 5 years, but then there will always be plenty of critics of French cars in this forum. There are lots of HDIs about for £5000 or less. It is a lovely car to drive, has a lovely engine and it looks good.
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Loads of sillyness removed from this thread. Apologies if anything relevant got trashed in the process. Deletetion is so much quicker than editing individual posts. DD
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I made a comment on the JD Power Survey statics for France not long ago and never had any response. I have just looked at the figures for the UK for 2005 and I will ask the same question again. How significant is (say) a 2% difference in the figures given in this table. The difference between the top score (84.8% for Lexus) and the bottome score (73.4% for Alfa Romeo) is just 11.4%. The industry average is 78.6% (Ford is just above this at 78.9%).
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boderek,
I bought a Corolla 1.4 VVTi GS 12 months ago from a Toyota dealer and have never regretted it. My sister has a 1.4 Focus and having used both I'm pleased with my decision. The Focus is a good car if overhyped and appears quite basic and not as well built. The Corolla has every option under the sun and my local Toyota dealer seemed desperate to get rid of it, cutting approximately 15 per cent off the asking price. I think it was because the old model isn't as marketable as the new one. I bought it for £4100 on a W plate. The Focus cost nearer £6500 on a T plate from a Ford dealer six months earlier. I have now moved and my new local dealer has bent over backwards to accommodate me, removing a stone caught in the wheel and serviced it with courtesy that I've never experienced at a car dealership. Moreover it only needs a full service every 20,000 and returns 48+MPG. If you want something reliable, cheap to run, for £5k you can only buy Japanese; Nissan Almera, Mazda 323, both of which have 1.5s. My money would be on the Toyota though. When I was looking for mine I missed a couple that seemed to be disposed of at the auctions, mine had been on the forecourt for two or three months.
You should have a look on their used car search at www.toyota.co.uk.
Best of Luck,
DZM
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