I've been out visiting some private dealers today and am considering buying one of the following:
1. Ford Fiesta Ghia '97 R reg £1395
Am worried that such an old car will be a real money pit but it looks in good nick and has a nice spec for its age. Also attracted to the low purchase cost and maybe getting 2/3 years out of it.
2. Ford Fiesta 02 reg £3195
Over-priced but is has FSH from Ford garages and 44000 miles, one former owner. Am attracted by the FSH.
3. Nissan Almera 05 1.5SVE £3795
40k miles, very nice spec including the rear parking aid. Looks like one former owner. Garage had the "brain" sorted out at a Nissan dealer and they gave it a health check which was alll clear apart from the brakes which the garage say they will sort this out. Also seemed to have a pretty full service history. Bit worried this one is a bit too good to be true, seems a lot of car for the money. Would like the bigger engine for motorway driving.
Would be interested in any opinion or advice. Do any of the above sound viable? I can spend up to $4k but if I can spend less it will be a bonus. Car will mainly used by partner to ferry around our little one but will also be used for a 500 mile round trip about once every six/eight weeks.
|
|
Almera by any measure.
|
Almera by any measure.
ditto....underrated, not overly popular, normally good value for money
|
|
|
|
Neither of the Fiestas sound cheap (especially the R reg, well over-priced even if a trade sale). Agree with Mr. Pug, the Almera sounds ok but consider also things like the Toyota Corolla which is a fairly low insurance group and reliable.
|
|
|
|
The Almera has a very good reputation. And an even better one for being dirt cheap. And also for being anodyne, anonymous and bland.
Were it me, I'd look for an older, cheaper one than the one you have found.
If you can buy 2.5 4-year-old cars for one 12-year-old car, the latter looks VERY poor value. Don't get me wrong, I'm (generally) a fan of driving older cheaper cars, but at the moment they look very poor value indeed owing to the strange economic circumstances having pushed up their prices.
|
|
Am worried about the timing chain problems on the older Almera. Same dealer has a 53 Almera for £2295
|
Forget the Almera they are cheap because they rot quickly. The MK2 is much better but the MK1 is a much bigger rust pit than a Fiesta.
The R reg Fiesta is very over priced, my dad paid £850 for his 18 months ago with FSH and 62k on the clock, it looked brand new inside (still does) and it had 12 months MOT.
Out of your list I would go for the Almera but what about a Focus or Astra G? Both possible cheaper to insure than the Nissan. The Focus seems to be about the cheapest car to insure in terms of value.
Is the 02 Fiesta new or old shape? If its old shape forget it, it should be a good £1200 cheaper.
|
I like Fords, but of the three cars. I'd have the Almera, no question.
Having said that, £3,795 could get you a decent Focus - now we're talking real motoring.
|
The Almera's a 2005 model so I'd be seriously worried if it was rotting already.
I'm biased, but I've had my Almera (1.5SE 2004 - same shape, spec down from what you've seen) for 4.5 years and it's clocked up 52k in that time; a mix of short runs and 250mile round trips on motorways. Around town (well, around a place well known for its roundabouts), I get a miserly 32mpg on average. Tootle carefully on the motorway, I can get as much as 46mpg. Average is about 38-40mpg on the m-ways.
If I was in your position I would probably look for (and choose) a Focus over the Almera, for the fact that it's far less a boring motor and (sadly) for the ease of repair should anything go wrong. However you can't argue with the extras that the Almera gives - and as its your first car those parking sensors might be more valuable than you think ;-)
Edited by girlydriver on 16/03/2009 at 20:07
|
|
girlydriver, I have considered reporting my own message, comparing your car to a pork sausage, "as offensive". But I'm not a bad man; I like the Almera for its price, reliability and many extras and should be a contender. Has your almera been reliable?
|
|
FD - you wouldn't be the first to do that. I read it in the spirit it was meant and being the owner of a "Marmite" car (soon to be sold I hope) understood what you meant. If you want it pulled let me know.
|
"you wouldn't be the first to do that."
Someone complained about my post above? It was meant lightheartedly as you identified; I'm always truly amazed at what upsets people. If someone really has deemed me offensive then please sterilise this thread from my toxicity as you kindly offer Pug, thank you :)
|
"you wouldn't be the first to do that." Someone complained about my post above?
I think PU meant you wouldn't be the first to report a message one had written oneself as offensive ;-)
Edited by SpamCan61 {P} on 16/03/2009 at 21:06
|
|
|
|
FD: not at all - I bought it knowing people's reactions to it and your analogy was spot on! FWIW, I love Marmite, and sausages.
The Almera has been - touch wood - reliable in the time I've owned it. It made it through the snow this year with ease unlike many of my colleague's cars
In all honesty, its the most boring, snoozesome car I've ever driven and I am hankering after something exciting and different. It just does what it's supposed to, with extra bells and whistles that I'd have had to pay a lot more to get on a Focus. In fact my Aunt has a Focus of the same age, paid £2.5k more than me and still had to pay £500 to get reversing sensors put on it. The standard kit was astonishing and that's what drew me to the car initially.
I have no hassles in leaving it in car parks on its own or really putting it anywhere because no one will touch it. The 2004 upwards model - IIRC did not suffer from the timing chain problems. The 1.5 doesn't have a huge amount of 'grunt' but will respond if pushed. One thing I remember HJ saying was that he was surprised at the grip it had. I regularly push it on country roads to/from work and it's actually not *that* bad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seconded IIH. The Almera is packed with goodies (esp SVE) and is cheap because it's the butcher's equivalent of a budget pork sausage. It'll fill you up but you won't particularly enjoy the eating bit. The Focus I is also a bit long in the tooth now but it's great fun to drive and I still have my 9 year old one and proudly advertise my allegiance in my pseudonym as you can see. Go on, get one.
|
|
I post was probably a bit unclearer but I meant forget the MK1 Almera not the MK2 which the OP is interested in.
|
|
Thanks gd, nice to get some first hand experience. Although it will be my first car I've driven loads of hire cars since I passed my test a couple of years ago including three Focuses, not much else in the same bracket though. I love a bit of grunt but I expect I'll get murdered on the insurance if I go for anything over 1.6 but I need something with a bit of size to transport the nipper and her accoutrements. I do like the bells and whistles on the Almera and a similar age Focus would cost a lot more.
|
|
|
|
|
"the MK1 is a much bigger rust pit than a Fiesta"
Can that be true? Is anything..? :-)
|
|
|
|
|
Go for the Almera if you value reliability over everything: in this day and age the one you've seen isn't underpriced.
If you want to enjoy driving your car, have a look in Autotrader for either a Focus 1.6 or a Skoda Fabia 1.4 100 bhp.
|
|
If it's your first car have you compared the insurance cost? I would guess that might be the clincher in terms of costs, depending particularly on your age.
|
"insurance cost"
That favours the Almera. As has been commented on elsewhere, the insurance group is not the whole story, and an insurer will probably regard the Almera as appealing to safer drivers than, say, a Fiesta (no disrespect to Fiesta owners here) which is a popular first car and suffers accordingly. By the same token, avoid Corsas, Saxos etc..!
|
|
Should be some good-ish Focus 1.6 (leave the 1.4) for sub £3k. Anything at a dealer for less than £2k is mostly his profit - you don't get a lot of car. I'd wager he gave £500 tops PX for the Fiesta you saw.
|
Almeras are usually driven by older people. I think therefore it has a better chance than a Focus of having been driven and maintained to a higher standard.
My cash would go on the Almera as there will be far more used/abused Focii out there for the same money.
|
|
|
Strange choice of cars with respect to the budget (whatever the budget is).
If you are prepared to pay £3k+ for a car then why are you looking at a ragged 10 yr old Fiesta for £1400 ?
Check the insurance for the Almera and any Focus's you are looking at.
Don't forget to check that the car you are looking at does have 4 or 5 doors if you have children to take into account, it's not been unknown for people to overlook such essential details.
I'd go for something as new as possible, but with a few miles on it, say 70k+. Make sure it's got FSH and check the previous owner has owned it for a while and get in contact with them if possible to check it's history.
Are you likely to do a lot of motorway driving at all ?
this might affect your decision...
cheers,
Stu
|
Sorry, I noticed after posting that the budget is £4k.
I also noticed the bit (again, afterwards) about the long journey every 6-odd weeks.
So I'd go for the Almera personally.
Also, depending on how old the offspring(s) are, just check that if they are pushchair users, that said pushchair will fit in the boot of any car. If it doesn't fit in the boot of a Fiesta then I'd cross them off the list (or get a new pushchair...)
cheers
Stu
(couldn't edit my original post so had to post again)
|
|
And if you buy an Almera before March 31st you will get a free zimmer frame with it :).
|
"......you will get a free zimmer frame with it"
Still, better than a bus pass holder Rattle, eh?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for all the advice and opinion. In the end I bought a different car to the ones listed, a 3 1/2 year old 1.8 Almera SE. The car is in very good nick with FSH and one previous owner and it was only slightly more than the 4k budget. All in all I'm happy that we've got a fair amount of car for our money, plus it will be safe and reliable when my Partner's ferrying our little one about.
|
|
Oh, and it's an ex-motability car so it does have something of the zimmer about it!
|
Well done - you've probably got the best of both worlds there: it should be reliable, and the 1.8 engine gives it a bit of go, so less 'snoozesome' (to the use the delightful expression that someone posted above) than a 1.5.
Good luck with it.
Edited by Avant on 19/03/2009 at 23:56
|
|
|
|
|
I would have said "agree to buy subject to a satisfactory/acceptable AA inspection" but I see I'm too late!
Edited by L'escargot on 20/03/2009 at 07:23
|
|
|
