I've bought an sold a fair number of W202 C-class. You won't get much for £2k - certainly not if its got a Diesel engine. Anything at this price will be pretty much clapped-out and a bit of a money pit. Look for rust at the sides of the boot floor, worn rear suspension links, failing electrics - not worth it really. Cheap C-class get snapped-up by the 'Ali-G' crowd, megawatt sound system shoehorned in, lowered and big star stuck on the grill. Servicing is by a man with a big hammer and vicious Alsation.
Avensis is a good buy but a little on the tight side interior-wise. Few foibles apart from wear in steering linkage.
My suggestion would be P11 series Primera 2.0i hatch ('96-'99). £2k will get you a '98 with airbags etc, no rust at all and 50k on the clock. Bullet-proof chain-cam engine and super handling - also quick yet still fairly economical.
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Aprilia,
Like the suggestion, as i'm after economy what are the Primera 1.6, 1.8 petrols and the 2.0 non turbo diesels like, I've heard the rep about handling which would be nice but its the economy and reliabilty that is paramount.
Thanks
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My wife has had an Audi 80 for 3 years and she loves it. Hers is the 2.0 SE Sport model which means you get a few more dials, alloy wheels and a spoiler. These may not be the most dynamic cars in terms of performance and handling but they are refined and the build quality is second to none. It feels like it will last forever and I know this is absurd but you think that if anything was to hit you, it would just bounce off and you would just carry on.
I find the driving position uncomfortable for long trips - surprising as it has 'sports' seats.
Get one that's been looked after with a service history (the old story)! and you'll have a good long term car that still looks classy.
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Can't help you with those engines, but I have a 97 2.0 Primera. It has got the SE engine in it, rather than the more powerful GT engine.
To be honest, economy is not great. I get about 30-35 on a run, which is disapointing. on the other other hand, a big repair bill can rub out all the savings on a more economical car, and the Nissan has been bombproof.
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plenty to think about, I've always like the look of the mondeos but there seems a lot more to look out for on the CbyC breakdown than the Primera.
Is the clutch a big job on the Mondeo, and what does HJ mean by "suspension bagging out", and what fixes it, on the Mondeo?
Thanks
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Wouldn't bother with a Diesel Primera (not a P11 anyway). Its not a very nice engine.
The 1.6 and 1.8i engines are OK, but the 2.0i is really the only game in town. Its the SR20DE engine, which is almost 'legendary'. Its been used in many Nissan's around the world, inc. the 200SX. These engines have been turbo'd and modded to 500+BHP and still proven reliable. There was a 4WD turbo Primera 2.0i sold in some markets - a great car.
The SR20DE is a chain cam engine and provided it has had regular oil changes you won't have a problem with it. Economy should never drop below 30mpg and should nudge 40mpg on the open road.
There are few problem areas with the Primera. Clutch change is fairly easy - about 4 hours max. Not a sub-frame out job like the Mondeo.
If you hear knocking from the front suspension on a Primera its the upper links. QH do these for about £25 each and its a quick and easy driveway job to change them. There are now plenty of pattern parts for the Primera at reasonable prices.
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Aprilia and others
If you had to plump for diesel to gain max mpg in the same 2k bracket what would you recommendation/opinion be?
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Aprilia and others If you had to plump for diesel to gain max mpg in the same 2k bracket what would you recommendation/opinion be?
I'd probably go for one of the older VW Diesels of some description (Golf etc.) - but that's more on the basis of servicability than what they're like to drive. The snag is you'd get much less for your money because older Diesels tend to be in demand (i.e. it would be older, have much higher mileage, be more worn etc. than something like a petrol Primera).
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plenty to think about, I've always like the look of the mondeos but there seems a lot more to look out for on the CbyC breakdown than the Primera. Is the clutch a big job on the Mondeo, and what does HJ mean by "suspension bagging out", and what fixes it, on the Mondeo?
The only big annoying job on a Mondeo is the clutch, its about £250-£300 but it'll need doing only once in the cars life probably, I'm nearing 130k and still on the original clutch. Unless you want to take it much further than 180k miles it will probably only ever need one cambelt change in its life as well.
None of the stuff on the Car by Car breakdown is THAT serious - except the stuff about the Autbox, dont buy an Auto Mondeo.
They are very reliable cars IME and in the rare event of a problem, they are cheap and easy to fix. No idea about suspension bottoming out, mine is still fine. They are excellent, under-rated cars - nearly as reliable as the Primera, but without the dull interior so many Jap cars of this age are inflicted with.
To put it in perspective, I run my 2.0 16v Ghia X on a uni student budget, have no issues, and have had it for approaching 2 years now. I just get in, drive it, enjoy it, and it passes MOT's without advisories. It's a fantastic car :)
All the expenditure I've made on the car has been stuff I've wanted to do, not stuff that needed doing (4 Eagle F1's, uprated stereo, Ford bodykit etc).
I get the impression the V6's have more potential for issues than the 2.0's though.
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Michael,
Appreciate the review, you may not spend much time on the m'ways but what mpg do you get for your typical driving.
Cheers
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I spend much of my time using the car to get between home and Uni, this is a 5 mile drive through Plymouth city centre and takes in a glorious 1 mile long single track road with economy-crippling speed humps. As a result, I get between 25-28mpg depending on temperature, aircon usage, etc. I'm sure its those speed humps, if I fill up at the filling station on the bottom of the road and then complete the remaining 9 mile round trip it's often just over 30...
Interestingly, when I had a Xantia TD, this was about 33mpg for the same trip :(
I also use the car to travel to see family in Southampton and for meets on another forum on a fairly regular basis - the Southampton run is a mix of A roads, 20ish miles of Motorway, single carriageway A roads, plenty of overtaking, hills etc and I can usually get 37-40mpg on this route.
On the Motorway the economy is fantastic - I have yet to complete a predominately motorway journey and get less than 40mpg, it's usually 42-43. I did once manage 44mpg from Swansea to Exeter but have been unable to repeat that :)
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Why not an old shape Primera? My 160 quid ebay 1.6 Primera was bloomin' amazing. 42mpg on the motorway, and handling that would outwit many more modern cars. Should be able to get one of the last 1.6 models in your budget.
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1.6 litre engine in a car of that size, you must be mad. Got to have at least a 2.0.
2.0 Primera a great car, reliable, but let down by the truely horrible, drab interior. It's a shame that its only recently the Japs have sorted interiors out - I'd jump at an Impreza Turbo if the interior wasn't so horrible.
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2.0 Primera a great car, reliable, but let down by the truely horrible, drab interior.
V. similar to a Mk II Mondeo interior, IIRC...?
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Asthetics are something which are purely subjective, but not IMO, no :) I like the interior of my Mk2 Mondeo. It feels like a nice place to be. The subtle changes on the 99S onwards models make a difference (Chrome doorhandles and the ridding of that really rather odd blue colour for the dash), but I like it :)
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1.6 litre engine in a car of that size, you must be mad. Got to have at least a 2.0. 2.0 Primera a great car, reliable, but let down by the truely horrible, drab interior. It's a shame that its only recently the Japs have sorted interiors out - I'd jump at an Impreza Turbo if the interior wasn't so horrible.
To be honest, the Primera did not "feel" that slow as a 1.6 might suggest, because it revved so freely, the quiet engine, the clutch, gearbox and brakes all operated with little effort, and made the driving experience "fun". Fair enough, the interiors are classed by the majority as boring, but I value functional interiors over exciting interiors any day of the week.
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Funny isn't it, but a dude at work has a 10 year old Polo, swearing never to buy a Japanese car again, as they were "bland" and "lacked character" and "so boring on the inside". Perhaps he's right, but I wonder if those owner satisfaction surveys such as top gear and j.d power weight the final result on "character of car" or how easy is it to live with the car?
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