Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics!

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Sat 26 May 2012 20:25
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - iFocus

Hello All,

Abit of a post to sink your teeth into and suggestions a plenty! Some of you may have seen a previous post or two of mine regarding my Octavia. Its currently on a down hill spiral of needing things doing to it. Firstly it needs discs and pads all round, 2 new tyres, airbag light needs resetting and the fault in the system repairing, fuel consumption has dropped from mid 50s to early 40s too? And last but not least the turbo is whistling louder than it used to!

So I am thinking with that list of getting rid before it becomes a money pit having just spent a few hundred sorting the aircon out. However I only have £4000 to play with but the car must have the following attributes:

1)Must be as quiet as possible on the motorway at 70-80mph

2)Be cheap on insurance (it appears that insurance groups don't make any difference as C180K (Grp 13) costs less to insure than a Honda Accord (Grp 11)!)

3)Be ok on fuel and get 40mpg

4)Be infinitely reliable

5)Either diesel or petrol, although diesel is preferred I'd rather not have the complexity of a modern diesel with all its trickery.

6)Be Tax band J or lower.

So any suggestions?

Cheers

Craig

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 26 May 2012 22:39
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - Avant

I posted the following on your previous thread: as you;re still chewing over the same problem I'll repeat it:

What's coming through here is that you'd really like to change your car. Fine - most car-buying decisions involve the heart as well as the head (unless you're buying a Vauxhall, in which case neither features much).

You set us and yourself a tough problem in that you don't want to look as if you're driving Dad's car, yet you don't want a small car. I suggest you look for a Focus or a Golf, or perhaps a Kia Ceed - none of which I'd call small.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 26 May 2012 23:49
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - iFocus
Not fussed on the dads car bit now, just really wanting the above requirements for under £4000.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 26 May 2012 23:49
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - GavoTheSane

Honda Jazz?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 May 2012 01:11
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - Avant

"Not fussed on the dads car bit now...."

OK - Honda Jazz as suggested, or a Toyota Corolla. Japanee and petrol-powered the best recipe for reliability.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 27 May 2012 04:00
Looking for a new (to me) car but with specifics! - unthrottled

A well maintained octavia 1.9 PD will fulfil all your criteria-at a cost of much less than £4000. Octavias are not the most exciting cars on the road, but you'll find the trade-off between performance and running costs of the octy very tough to beat. These are decent cars. If you're disinclined to replace consumables such as discs and pads on your current car, how will you feel about spending that after you've shelled out £4000?

It is a perculiarly British disease to overspend on the initial purchase of the car and then try to save money on maintainance.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance