Having sold my Defender prior to my extended backpacking holiday in sunny California, I am now looking for a car. During my 5 months of ownership, the 12 year old Defender was faultless,but totally unsuitable for all intended purposes, but I had an itch to own one since my teens and it proved a pain free experience.
My criteria is a hatch/estate, 35mpg , and a decent blend of performance, handling and comfort. HJ seems to rate the Type S, and on a recent auction report one went under the hammer for £3850. If I use the services of an auction buyer, plus the auction house fees, I would hope to secure a good example for circa £5k which is my maximum budget.
In a perfect world I would have a new model Legacy SportTourer, Forester or Impreza (any would do!!) but being realistic, these, even if I could find one at auction, are not going to be within budget.The old 2.0 Subaru engines do not have enough oomph, although they have proved incredibly reliable during my 10 years of ownership.
I have also considered a Mondeo 2.0 petrol, but the Honda has the edge on performance (and probably reliability)and I do not need a Mondeo sized vehicle, although my previous Legacy estates were of a similar size. For the next 10 days I am borrowing a lovely Lexus IS SportCross, but it is thirsty and has to be revved hard to perform...only its build quality stands out...performance is lacklustre and spares costly, and I bet I could'nt get one for £5k anyway!
Any feedback or alternative suggestions would be appreciated.
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lots of questions so i have one,can i have first refusal on the sportcross at 5g? +wages
with regards the purchasing at auction of a type s, well its a brave man that bids and buys for a 3rd party one of these thrashed trashed and usually bashed cars
dont get me wrong nice cars,just might end in tears all round
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bell boy
My friends SportCross is NOT for sale....even if i liked it I doubt i could find one within my budget of £5k. She would not sell it for double that!
As for 'a brave man that bids'...when using the services of a professional auction buyer..I would seriously hope that they can differentiate between a 'thrashed trashed' example and one which has been cared for. I am not in the trade, they are, which is why I am happy to pay their fee.
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i know the prices of the sportcross it was a joke for £5g + wages :-(
as regards the professional buyer i am one of those and wouldnt want to source one of these cars for £200 wages,that was my point,sorry if i wasnt clear
good luck by the way
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I'd go for an Accord 5-door rather than the Civic (unless you really need the van-like space in the rear) - it's a nicer car to drive and to look at. You can pick up 2001 examples for under £5k from dealers with around 50,000 miles.
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Not sure exactly what info you are looking for, but we have a 2003 Type S, with 40,000 miles from new. NFS though! Gets around 35mpg and is quite brisk when taken above 4000, ideal as a discreet warm-hatch. Seems to handle well, and feels sure footed in the wet. Have never driven a current Accord, so cannot comment on the earlier comparison. So far, reliable (touch wood) although I expect the exhaust will need to be replaced as its nearly 5 years old.
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nortones 2
Just the info I was looking for! I do not know anyone who owns a Civic, but this particular model seems to suit my current requirements exactly. A reasonable blend of performance and mpg, with hopefully good reliability and a decent load area with rear seats down.
The old model Accord offers more space, (I need a hatch/estate)but the 2.0 engine is less powerful than that in the Civic S, so will presumably offer less performance, and only the same mpg....and being fewer in number the Civic Type S should offer better residuals.
Low purchase/running costs are my priority, albeit with a modicum of performance, handling and practicality...at least until my Premium Bonds come up!
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Glad to be of some help, Legacylad. The older Civic design seems to be fairly popular with "conservative" owners drivers, as the new Civic is an acquired taste it seems. Wouldn't say no to one (2.2 diesel) if the Bonds come up though!
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Autotrader has one 2.0 Type S Civic for sale for £4000 - not exactly common then....
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Be very careful who you choose to go buying on your behalf from an auction.
You might end up with a car that previously had its driver's door ripped off by a passing van or something.
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