recommend me a car

masseyno9

Ok, here we go. I've been driving a micra for almost a year now and want something a bit bigger with a bit more power (ie can go up hills porperly!)

Basically looking for something around 1.4l, as anything more is hard to get insured on....20yr old male. Have considered all the usuals, astra, focus, almera and wouldn't have a problem with any of them. I just want to see if i'm leaving anything out.

Budget is around €2500-€3000 max, preferably at the lower end of the scale, but would stretch if it was worth it.

cheers lads.

gary the great

Get a 96-98 version of the mazda 323f


Has the whole package, super relaibility, a very nippy 1.5 DOHC engine, lots of extras as standard and they look the part as well

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=782925

confuzed

check this one...i know people don't like it...but it is g8 fun..u get 2000 model in same price u get 97-98 model cars
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=698898

masseyno9

looks nice alright, although i'm not sure about insurance on it. Can't get an online quote for anything over 1.4. Also driving a '98 car atm so don't really want to go older, unless if it had low mileage.

bazz26

gary the great wrote:

Get a 96-98 version of the mazda 323f


Has the whole package, super relaibility, a very nippy 1.5 DOHC engine, lots of extras as standard and they look the part as well

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=782925

I would second the 323f but that one above is a bit expensive.

Here is a cheaper one:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=750626

Volvoboy

OR; http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=31764&cat=2




-VB-

E92

The Focus would get my vote, its the best of them by a mile.

however they are all well above the €3k mark, even 99/00 models.(most are 4 to 5 grand).

the Almera is an(very) old persons car, and its rubbish too, well its better by a Micra I'm sure, but only because its bigger and is faster.

The Astra is a bit of an OAP car too, but I still think it is nice. There are plenty of 1998 ones around for your budget on carzone(but don't go for the old shape Astra, thats a pile of rubbish too).

The Peugeot 306 was supposed to be a great car in its day, but that day has long since passed, and I fear that it will be about as reliable as a square wheel(as it is a French car).

What about the Renault Mégane, I must say I always liked it, but that also carries the health warning of it being French and probably not the most reliable(but the original Mégane is far more reliable than the one with the big arse, and most of the post 2000 Renaults, I'm led to believe)?

A 1998 can be had for as little as €1250 on carzone.


Or the venerable Polo saloon, that has the important advantage of Power Steering(the hatchback as a rule doesn't, as most of the hatches are 1 litre, which didn't have Power Steering till 2000) and the other important advantage of it being a 1.4 as opposed to the 1 litre found in the hatch, the 1.4 means that you will actually get there faster than walking(the 1 litre version is so slow,you'd do a better job pushing it by hand).

Or the Seat Cordoba, which is the same car really.

masseyno9

Had a look on carzone, the only focus' i could find within the budget had high mileage (90K+) and i'd be wary about buying a car with that many on the clock, so i guess thats out for the moment.

Thanks for all the replies, got plenty to ponder over now.

bazz26

To be honest most late 1990s or 2000 reg cars will have at least 90k miles on them now. That is still only average mileage for the year.

To be painfully truthful, you are not really going to find a low mileage 1.4 litre car of that year on a budget of €3k max. You will either need to increase your budget or go back a year or two.

If you do I would be very suspect of why it is that cheap and would like to examin the service history.

PS. A low mileage car is not always a guarantee of a better car. Judge a car on condition and service history, not just what the odometer reads.

woop

yeh Id get a 323f but Id say the ol insurance would be fairly hefty,

maybe it might not really be youre cup of tea(seeing you had a micra), doesnt really seem in the same league as the others mentioned here, but they are nippy enough,look alright and cheap enough insurance

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=737928(might not be the best example)

masseyno9

woop, i have a mate who drives a fiesta, and inside its no roomier than the micra. I just want something more comfortable to drive. Don't care if its considered a grandad's car!

Astra is favourite now, but maybe thats only because i've been in one and its comfy. Polo saloon and Cordoba look nice, but worried they're just polo h/b and ibiza with a bit of a boot tagged on. 323f looks a little cramped, maybe i'm wrong though. Just have to get money finalised then i can go do some serious looking and test driving.

gary the great

If you get into and drive a 323f you'll buy it.
The insurance aint to bad, im 23 with a provisional (full licence since a few weeks ago) and the insurance is only 1200 with Quinn. You said you had up to 3k to buy a car, so buy an F for 2k and then theres loads for insurance to!

Wisesmurf

+1 for the 323f my girlfriend and 2 of my friends have them. Not a minutes bother between the 3 of them. Good bit of poke in them and they look ok too.

youll get this peticular one for a tad cheaper than the sticker price too looks a nice one 323f

barryfitz

E92 wrote:

the Almera is an(very) old persons car, and its rubbish too,

Just wondering what you are basing this on? OP I am in a similar position and have considered the Almera aswell. According to honestjohn they are supposed to be decent enough. reliable, safe, and handle fairly well as well, maybe not the best performers, but still. The only thing is though the almera's are nearly all 1.5 litre, arent they?

JohnCleary

Won't go wrong with a 1.3 Colt or a 1.4 Corolla (2dr looks much nicer)

I know plenty of people with both car's and never had any bother (From what I can recall)... TBH if I was getting a runabout car it'd be one of those

colm_mcm

I'd recommend a 323f too. certainly has more charater than anything else mentioned here, and they're quite a nice drive too.

masseyno9

gary the great wrote:

If you get into and drive a 323f you'll buy it.
The insurance aint to bad, im 23 with a provisional (full licence since a few weeks ago) and the insurance is only 1200 with Quinn. You said you had up to 3k to buy a car, so buy an F for 2k and then theres loads for insurance to!

Now you're making me curious! i must admit the look is growing on me. Can't get a quote online for a 1.5 though. Maybe if i ring around i might get something. I'll be 21 with a full licence and 1yr ncb, so shouldn't be a major problem i imagine. Are all the 323F's 1.5?

It appears as though all almeras are 1.5, and again, insurance quotes cant be got yet so i'm not sure of the situation there either.

Volvoboy

barryfitz wrote:

Just wondering what you are basing this on? OP I am in a similar position and have considered the Almera aswell. According to honestjohn they are supposed to be decent enough. reliable, safe, and handle fairly well as well, maybe not the best performers, but still. The only thing is though the almera's are nearly all 1.5 litre, arent they?

My 1st car was a Almera '99 1.4 and they are a great car, never gave me any trouble, was very tidy and well equiped, would recomend them to anyone, great little cars. Hmm i bet E92 is a drugdealer, cos he drives a BMW, there, ya see that - an unfair generalisation(sp), just as E92 made with the VERY old persons car remark, dont listen to what other peoples views of cars on here are, the right car is the one you like not what everybody thinks is right for a 20 y.o male!



E92 no offence intended!



-VB-

Im_No_Superman

barryfitz wrote:

Just wondering what you are basing this on? OP I am in a similar position and have considered the Almera aswell. According to honestjohn they are supposed to be decent enough. reliable, safe, and handle fairly well as well, maybe not the best performers, but still. The only thing is though the almera's are nearly all 1.5 litre, arent they?

Ive got an 99 1.4 Almera Hatchback, have it about 2 months now and Ive no complaints whatsoever about it. Its comfortable and econmical, perfect for a starter car imo.

Volvoboy

masseyno9 wrote:

It appears as though all almeras are 1.5, and again, insurance quotes cant be got yet so i'm not sure of the situation there either.

Pulsars (the Jap import Almera) is a 1.5 the domestic model Almera is a 1.4 (95-00) then the new models (00-06) were a 1.5.




-VB-

E92

barryfitz wrote:

Just wondering what you are basing this on? OP I am in a similar position and have considered the Almera aswell. According to honestjohn they are supposed to be decent enough. reliable, safe, and handle fairly well as well, maybe not the best performers, but still. The only thing is though the almera's are nearly all 1.5 litre, arent they?

After 2000 yes they are 1.5, before that 1.4.

I don't like the Almera because its incredibly boring inside and out, its far from perfect over the bumps, the quality of the interior is appaling, it has a poor image, its poorly equipped, its not that fast, its not particularly spacious especially if you have the hatchback version. It is also a very unsafe vehicle(pre 2001 models), it got a strike though one of the 2 stars in EURO NCAP test(out of a possible 5), because there is a serious design flaw with the drivers airbag/steering wheel.

For more see here

EURO NCAP wrote:

Adult occupant protection

Frontal impact driver
Frontal impact passenger
Side impact driver

Child restraints
18 month old ChildNo information available3 year old ChildNo information available
Pedestrian protection
No image car front available

Safety equipment
Front seatbelt pretensionersFront seatbelt load limitersDriver frontal airbagFront passenger frontal airbagSide body airbagsSide head airbagsDriver knee airbag
Car details
Tested modelNissan Almera 1.4 GXBody type5-door hatchbackYear of publication1999Kerb weight1140VIN from which rating appliesJN1FAAN15U020001

Comments
The Almera suffered a major seat belt failure during the frontal impact when it was first tested a year ago. There was insufficient time available to investigate why this had happened before the deadline for the previous tests, so publication of the car’s results were postponed until now. In the meantime, the fault was traced and Nissan identified and recalled affected cars. The results given here are for the updated restraint system. The Almera earned two stars but the second is flagged with a red bar to indicate an unacceptably high risk of driver chest injury in the frontal impact. Its cabin became unstable during the test and exposed the driver to a high risk of severe chest injury. Protection for child passengers in the front and side impacts came in for criticism, too, while pedestrians risked needless injury because of the bumper’s and bonnet’s leading edges.

Front impact
Even though the airbag deployed, the driver’s chest struck the lower section of the steering wheel with enough force to pose a high risk of life-threatening injury. His legs and knees were also ill- protected against injury from structures behind the facia. Also, the pedals were driven back far enough to cause disabling injuries.

Side impact
No side airbags were fitted but chest protection was good, although all three of the test dummy’s 'ribs' contacted the door. Padding blocks and pushers in the seat deflected impact forces away from the driver.

Child-protection
The Almera has adult belts that can be locked to hold a child seat in position. But one of the Nissan-recommended child restraints was incompatible with the belt buckle and instructions for use were not clear: some could be seen only from the car’s right-hand side. Both seats restrained their occupants well during the frontal impact although the younger child’s neck was a little at risk. In the side impact, the restraint exposed the three-year-old to significant risk of head injury.

Pedestrian protection
Protection was generally poor. The parts of the bonnet that an adult’s head might strike gave better results than its leading edge, while the bumper lacked protective padding to diffuse an impact.

If you don't like/not interested in cars, then I'm sure its fine, but for those of us who do like cars, then there is absolutely nothing to like about it, especially when there is so much better to be had out there for the money like the Focus and Astra I've already mentioned(and cars that both got 4 out of 5 stars in the EURO NCAP test)(in the Astra's case the model introduced in 1998).

barryfitz

E92 wrote:

It is also a very unsafe vehicle(pre 2002 models),

Sorry should have said I would only be interested in 2000+ models

E92 wrote:

If you don't like/not interested in cars, then I'm sure its fine, but for those of us who do like cars,.

Hang on there dude, I do like cars and I do like Almeras, 2000+ models.

Sorry OP, none of this is helping you.

E92

barryfitz wrote:

Sorry should have said I would only be interested in 2000+ models

Yes but the OP says he has 3k to spend, and the 2001 onwards Almera is not available for under 3k, and also is a 1.5(OP wants a 1.4). So I think I am trying to help the OP. The cheapest Almera which might actually protect the OP in a crash is €3.8k minimum.

Actually it was introduced late in 2000, sorry.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=668429

But it has 170,000 miles.

Ok, I apologise re it not being a car for those who like cars, just a personal opinion, thats all.