Which Cars again !! €30K to spend

whippet

With the impending new job on the scene and a nice car allowance I need to change cars.

I will have a budget of about 30K and need something max 18months old. Preferably a saloon with 4 doors. I want the best mix of luxury, poke and toys.

So far what I have been looking at is either a Golf Gti or an S40 T5. MPG isn't that much of a factor, but servicing costs etc would be a concern.

Anyone got any advice or suggestions, please no one suggest the Octavia RS, i just don't like it and no matter what suggestions people look for on these boards someone always suggests a Skoda!!

Kimbot

Lexus IS200/Toyota Alteza, if you could find one a a good price!!! So many to choose from really!!!

whippet

that would be an option alright, but again I wouldn't be overly mad on them. I had a lend of one for a week last year and didn't inspire me all that much. Might take one for a test drive and see if I could grow to like it !

Kersh

Here it is..... you only said 'preferably' 4 doors, forget about 18 months old, its german.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=422934

Kimbot

Or go for an Integra Type R (DC5)!!!!

Henry Ford III

Volvo S60 isn't a bad yoke and should tick all your boxes.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=466998

Here's low mileage 2004 SE. Try and buy it for maybe €25 large.

bazz26

Mazda RX-8,

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=458146

I know it's more than 18 months old but technically it has 4 doors and looks great. :cool:

whippet

The porkie would be tempting, but I need something a little more practical !!!

I would prefer the T5 to the S60, much of a muchness, it would be the engine that would do it for me. 220bhp in a normal looking saloon!

ITR .. not my cup of tea or image i'm afraid, I don't really want an exhaust pipe that can double up as a laundry shute.

TheBazman

The S40 T5 is a lovely motor esp with the aluminium floating panel - and very torquey (if thats even a word). The two exhausts sticking out at the rear are a little dodgy.

I have driven the GTI - I would go for this and possibly stretch to the DSG gearbox - I think it ticks all the boxes

gyppo

What about this one - would tick all the boxes for me:D
Its a bit different too.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=405212

zod

Quote from www.honestjohn.co.uk

"The W211 E500 is probably the finest car you can buy in the real world in 2002. Truly "engineered like no other car in the World" and marks MB getting back to its core values. As Mercedes says, "Everything we know in one car". Incredibly strong. Incredibly safe. Incredibly advanced. And stunningly good to drive"

this one looks like a bargain :


http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=396473

Henry Ford III

whippet wrote:

The porkie would be tempting, but I need something a little more practical !!!

I would prefer the T5 to the S60, much of a muchness, it would be the engine that would do it for me. 220bhp in a normal looking saloon!

T5 is nice, but the ordinary S60 2.OT is still a 5 pot engine with 180 bhp. Is the S60 bigger? I reckon it is.

declanoneill

bazz26 wrote:

Mazda RX-8,

Seconded, but there ones here:
http://www.cargiant.co.uk

Only 10,000 miles and with VRT and whatnot shouldn't cost (much) more then 30k. Actual don't buy it, I check the website every day in the hope it's still there. I love my pipe dream.

HungryJoey

Zod, IIRC the E220CDI is one of the worst engines within the Eclass. Want a bit of performance go for an E240 ( 2.6L V6 ) AvantgardeTiptronic. Very well spec'd car but I'm not sure its quite the car he may be after.

A little bit expensive compared to what else Is on the market, IMO i'd buy one but Its quite understandable how people don't want them. : http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=431763


Hj

whippet

cheers for the suggestions lads, I love the RX-8 but I am trying to pursuade the missus to get one of these in january instead of a MX-5 !! so I kinda have to have something more practical.

I know I would like the drive of the Golf GTI but don't know if I could live with another hatchback. The merc E-Type again isn't what I am looking for, I want something more sporty, when I buy a merc it will be a S-Class (give me a few more years)

Has anyone any idea what price the Seat Leon Cupra will come in at ? probably a bit too much and I don't want to take the hit on a new car.

I don't like the look of the old cupra, and they are very thin on the ground.

I still keep coming back to the T5 !! the whole package is nice, Canavans have one instock coming in at about €36K but I reckon that is way over priced for a car that doesn't sell too much, I will see if I can have it for a day or two and see what it is like to live with.

green-blood

the s40 is basically a ford focus II, its pretty darned small in the back and the boots not huge. same engine as the focus ST in the T5 so it'll shift. its that Skoda/Audi thing again, your paying for the volvo badge and getting the superb engineering of the Focus

We just couldn't stretch to an S60 last winter, I keep promising it willbe our next family car, the 2.0T with the 180 5pot and leather is much larger than the S40 and shifts nicely too.

DublinWriter

Bought myself an O3 BWM 320d a few months back for €27K.

One of the fastest diesels in it's class - 150BHP - and so thrifty I forget what a filling station looks like.

You may not be worried about MPG now, but with petrol/diesel almost going up by the day, you need to think about where prices will be in 6 months time.