Runabout under £3500

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 10:54
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Must have 4/5 doors, under £200 tax, be safe, reliable and not be a ford focus (rear seatbelts are too short for rear facing car seats).

Any suggestions?

Edited by GavoTheSane on 07/06/2012 at 10:54

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 12:33
Runabout under £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

Toyota Corolla. Mazda 3. Honda Civic. All Japanese petrols. There's a Toyota and a Mazda in my household and they are very reliable and reasonably cheap to run. The Toyota seems to thrive on a diet of neglect!

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 15:14
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Thanks, that just confirms my thoughts. I'll just have to find one of those in my area at the right price and mileage, it's harder than I thought to find them.

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 18:18
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Is 78,000 miles a lot for a 2005 Mazda 3 1.6?

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 18:26
Runabout under £3500 - unthrottled

It's about average for the age. As far as wear is concerned, that will depend on what sort of miles they were. 78,000 motorway miles is barely worn in. 78,000 mainly urban miles over speed humps/pot holes=suspension will probably need attention by now.

Component failure is very difficult to predict. I'd advise going putting a fair chunk of your total car fund aside for problems that might occur. If they don't, it's a bonus. If they do, you can sort it.

Buying a second hand car is really about avoiding lemons rather trhan trying to find the perfect example of the model you want-which is frankly down to fortune.

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 19:40
Runabout under £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

I bought my Mazda6 just under two years ago with 74k on the clock (it's an 05) and it's over 104k now. Still runs perfectly; never a niggle apart from an iffy boot catch. Bought it from the seaside too and never had any issues with rust or anything like that.

78k is hardly used ;-)

Edited by Bobbin Threadbare on 07/06/2012 at 19:40

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 21:41
Runabout under £3500 - Avant

I agree. 10,000 miles a year is about average: don't be tempted by a ultra-low mileage, as the car may have been driven to shops or station and rarely got properly warmed up.

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 23:03
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Do you think £3750 is about right for a 78,000 mile 2005 Mazda 3 1.6 TS? Should I try to knock them down a bit? It's from an independant dealer.

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 23:47
Runabout under £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

Yes knock it down! You can get yourself a 2005 2.0L Sport version with slightly fewer miles on it for about £3700. Worth a try to get it down. I've found a comparable 1.6 with 53k on it for £2900 - not a one off either.

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 23:54
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Where did you find that? I'm having trouble finding them in my area. (Hertfordshire)

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Fri 8 Jun 2012 00:04
Runabout under £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

Some decent examples:

56 plate 1.6 TS2, 75k:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20122147362...p

05 plate 1.6 S, 78k:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20122147304...p

06 plate 1.6 TS, 75k:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20121846791...p

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Thu 7 Jun 2012 23:56
Runabout under £3500 - unthrottled

2.0l might not necessarily be more desirable-tax, insurance, fuel economy etc.

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Fri 8 Jun 2012 12:01
Runabout under £3500 - GavoTheSane

Well I had a look at the car, lovely, almost mint condition bar one scratch. However... It smelt like dog and had dog hair on the seats even though it'd been valeted. :( I'm a bit allergic to dog, so that's out.

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