Choices

Bartonprince

Hi i just need a couple of comments.

I'm gonna buy a car, i have 4500 quid to spend.

I have the choice of...

Skoda Fabia 70k miles. 1.4L 00'
Alfa Romeo 156 - 1.8L 16V - 75K miles. 99'
Seat Toledo 1.8 TDI - 80K Miles 99'
Mazda 323F - 1.5L 85K miles 98'
Toyota Corolla 85K miles 1.4L - 99'

What do you think? I'm leaning towards the Skoda that my friend is selling, as it's newer and it's made by VW.

thanks

colm_mcm

The Toledo's gona be the most economical.
The Alfa's the looker
The Fabia is the one with "low" mileage
The 323F gives you reliability and looks
The Corolla does the same as the Mazda, only without the looks.

Fabia has no street cred
Alfa will most likely break
323f is older design than the others
Corolla is probably poorly specced

Depends on what you want from a car. I'd go for the 323f (presuming it's not the new type 98)

crosstownk

I'd go with the Corolla. Best all rounder - reliable in any uncanny way. Not a chance would I even consider the Alfa - unreliable and fall apart and rattle with age. I might risk a look at the Toledo mind.

colm_mcm

I (contraversially) reckon the Mazda would be as reliable as the Corolla

crosstownk

colm_mcm wrote:

I (contraversially) reckon the Mazda would be as reliable as the Corolla

I couldn't agree more. But, the cost of Mazda parts is ridiculous. And while I haven't driven the Mazda 3, I have driven the 6 and they are not that well built inside. The dash is very 'plasticy' and seems loose and rattles somewhat. The steering on the 6 is a bit to light IMO. I would imagine the 3 has similar traits. Anyway a large portion of the car is Ford.

ninty9er

the Mazda will be reliable but is more likely to go wrong than the Corolla. however I would not worry about the interior quality of the 323F which is muc better than the newer Mazda 6 which has 1970s Fiesta type dash plastic

crosstownk

ninty9er wrote:

the newer Mazda 6 which has 1970s Fiesta type dash plastic

Ain't that the truth!

phoenix_nights

take the corolla. trouble free motoring, economical, cheap service. then with the money saved you can go for a nicer motor in a couple of years.

Bartonprince

The Fabia it is then....

Look at the ad in the indipendant. Says they are the best car at the moment used.

gyppo

All good choices (although I'd reserve judgement on the Alfa - heard too many stories regarding reliability).

Looking at the way fuel prices are, I'd go for the Toledo. Bulletproof VAG TDi engine, 50mpg plus is normal, well screwed together, and a nice drive. If its the 110 model, all the better. Just make sure the cambelt has been done - if not its expensive to do, but not a patch on the future expense you might have, if it isnt.

Id go with colm on the mazda for a 2nd choice. Very reliable, and you will probably have a better spec than the corolla (also an excellent car).

Dilbert75

I'm currently driving a 00 Fabia 1.4 while I'm looking for a car for myself. I've a 20 mile run to work every day, 19 miles of it open roads, and the car is returning around 46mpg. I find it a grand car, steering is a bit light but its torquey enough to be a comfortable drive. And my mother's owned it for over two years and its been faultless, so I'd have no question about reliability.

I would be interested, however, in a 99 Toledo diesel for less than €5k - that should be a good car too, though the extra tax & insurance will eat up your fuel savings.

Finally, had a 180 mile round trip to Mondello on Sunday in a 156 2.0l. A well cared-for car but impressively free of rattles, squeaks and foibles.

Conar

Hello there.
I have a 00 Fabia with less mileage going for 4250 ono.
See thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054923857&highlight=fabia

As mentioned in the thread it has some electrical fault but other than that its a great car.

Bartonprince

Conar wrote:

Hello there.
I have a 00 Fabia with less mileage going for 4250 ono.
See thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054923857&highlight=fabia

As mentioned in the thread it has some electrical fault but other than that its a great car.

I may have managed to secure a 00 Fabia with only 28k miles on it for 4700. lovely car.

Bartonprince

Dilbert75 wrote:

I'm currently driving a 00 Fabia 1.4 while I'm looking for a car for myself. I've a 20 mile run to work every day, 19 miles of it open roads, and the car is returning around 46mpg. I find it a grand car, steering is a bit light but its torquey enough to be a comfortable drive. And my mother's owned it for over two years and its been faultless, so I'd have no question about reliability.

I would be interested, however, in a 99 Toledo diesel for less than €5k - that should be a good car too, though the extra tax & insurance will eat up your fuel savings.

Finally, had a 180 mile round trip to Mondello on Sunday in a 156 2.0l. A well cared-for car but impressively free of rattles, squeaks and foibles.

Is the one you have the 8v or the 16v engine?

Dilbert75

8V - see my response on the other thread

colm_mcm

Bartonprince wrote:

The Fabia it is then....

Look at the ad in the indipendant. Says they are the best car at the moment used.

Is this Skoda saying that the Fabia is the best used car at the moment........

junkyard

I'd buy the Mazda, even though parts are expensive you don't need to replace them very often and most of the parts are available spurious for a car of this age. The Corolla would be my second choice but I wouldn't touch the Skoda tbh. Anything made by VW at the moment of recent past is rubbish and too complex in my opinion. VW seem to have taken simple parts i.e. door lock and electrics and made them too complicated for their own good and the result is unreliability.

colm_mcm

junkyard wrote:

I'd buy the Mazda, even though parts are expensive you don't need to replace them very often and most of the parts are available spurious for a car of this age. The Corolla would be my second choice but I wouldn't touch the Skoda tbh. Anything made by VW at the moment of recent past is rubbish and too complex in my opinion. VW seem to have taken simple parts i.e. door lock and electrics and made them too complicated for their own good and the result is unreliability.

Agreed 100%

Conar

Superb, Fabia, and Octavia in that order were the only non-jap cars to feature in the top 10 in the Top Gear user survey.

Just so ya know!