€4200 budget for a decent car. help me find!

RoyalMarine

hi guys, i bought a bmw 316i 4 weeks ago, and it broke down. took it to a bmw garage, and they gave me a full evaluation of damages and problems, estimating total repair cost to just under €2000. So i rang the garage i bought it in, and i think were settling on a full refund.

so, can someone suggest a decent reliable good looking car for €4200 ish.
i could maybe add a bit to my budget, but hopefully i can keep it around that.

any help would be great!


**************

right, big update!

ive a 1996 nissan micra sitting on the drive rusting away, could use the €4200 cash for deposit, the mirca for scrappage, and go finance on something new.

any suggestions on something under say €20k?

**************

Henry Ford III

What are your needs? Petrol or diesel? Annual mileage?

JJJJNR

Accord herelow mileage, low tax.

RoyalMarine

annual mileage would be about 12 - 14k.

not bothered about petrol or diesel. just not a huge juice guzzler.

the bmw i had was a 1.9, so insurance wont matter either. would prefer to keep it at 1.9 or under. i use to drive 1.2, 1.4 etc and found them too slow, so something 1.6 - 1.9 in mind.

RoyalMarine

JJJJNR wrote: »

Accord herelow mileage, low tax.

nice find, but doesnt tickle my fancy, not keen on the front of the car.

EPM

Mondeo? There's loads about so finding a good one should be easy

freighter

Passat Highline either 04/05 will be in your price range.

JJJJNR

Might get a cash deal of 3500 onthis.

x in the city

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

hi guys, i bought a bmw 316i 4 weeks ago, and it broke down. took it to a bmw garage, and they gave me a full evaluation of damages and problems, estimating total repair cost to just under €2000. So i rang the garage i bought it in, and i think were settling on a full refund.

so, can someone suggest a decent reliable good looking car for €4200 ish.
i could maybe add a bit to my budget, but hopefully i can keep it around that.

any help would be great!

buying a used (90s in particular) bmw 316 is a bad bad bad bad bad... idea, apart from the weedy engine struggling to put up with its hefty body is loves nothing more than an endless supply of parts.

prepare for endless problems

an accord would be a superior buy.

x in the city

a mondeo 03/04 zetec is a super car, forget the business rep image, the engine is bomb proof. and its fairly nippy, so you will have no problems passing out 316i's :rolleyes:

RoyalMarine

x in the city wrote: »

buying a used (90s in particular) bmw 316 is a bad bad bad bad bad... idea, apart from the weedy engine struggling to put up with its hefty body is loves nothing more than an endless supply of parts.

prepare for endless problems

an accord would be a superior buy.

it was a 2002.

right, big update!

ive a 1996 nissan micra sitting on the drive rusting away, could use the €4200 cash for deposit, the mirca for scrappage, and go finance on something new.

any suggestions on something under say €20k?

RoyalMarine

JJJJNR wrote: »

Might get a cash deal of 3500 onthis.

er its a 4.4 petrol...

x in the city

JJJJNR wrote: »

Might get a cash deal of 3500 onthis.

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

check out a mondeo, at least take one for a drive.

also, your laptop, youd want to lower the price man, i sold one for 500e.. just a tip!

freighter

Ok let me be the first to say:::::




SKODA OCTAVIA..

x in the city

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

it was a 2002.

right, big update!

ive a 1996 nissan micra sitting on the drive rusting away, could use the €4200 cash for deposit, the mirca for scrappage, and go finance on something new.

any suggestions on something under say €20k?

yes, save your money and buy a mondeo for 4 or 5 grand.

smokie2008

**************

right, big update!

ive a 1996 nissan micra sitting on the drive rusting away, could use the €4200 cash for deposit, the mirca for scrappage, and go finance on something new.

any suggestions on something under say €20k?

**************[/QUOTE]
The Micra will need to have a current NCT certificate!!! ****e I know and pretty ****in pointless as its getting crushed anyways but this is Ireland!!!!!

smokie2008

[Ok let me be the first to say:::::




SKODA OCTAVIA..[/QUOTE]


Good man, I work for the AA out on the road and they are actually not a bad car at all. As for the comment the guy put up aobut the BMW being so bad, he speaks the truth

RoyalMarine

smokie2008 wrote: »

**************

right, big update!

ive a 1996 nissan micra sitting on the drive rusting away, could use the €4200 cash for deposit, the mirca for scrappage, and go finance on something new.

any suggestions on something under say €20k?

**************

The Micra will need to have a current NCT certificate!!! ****e I know and pretty ****in pointless as its getting crushed anyways but this is Ireland!!!!![/QUOTE]

the micra can fail an nct and still be used for scrapping, however, lucky me, the nct is due in 4 months time.

smokie2008

Anything Japanese is a good buy, Honda and Toyota are by far the most reliable, Ford Mondeo aren't a bad car either they are pretty comfortable and ford parts are alot cheaper than most. Just dont by a renault, Fiat or alfa romeo, trust me if you do, you'll regret it!!

Squall19

Octavia Vrs here looks in great condition.They are fairly fast and dont give trouble once looked after, smart buy imo.Great base if your into tuning etc.

You could get this one for your budget with a bit of bargaining.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1335994

Matt Simis

smokie2008 wrote: »

Anything Japanese is a good buy, Honda and Toyota are by far the most reliable, Ford Mondeo aren't a bad car either they are pretty comfortable and ford parts are alot cheaper than most. Just dont by a renault, Fiat or alfa romeo, trust me if you do, you'll regret it!!

The new model (159) Alfas look great and are meant to be quite reliable. Around the 12k mark for a 2006. I have just bought a 2001 Alfa 156 myself, so far a buch of bits to do, but no worse than a similar VAG car of its age and engine type.

Henry Ford III

Squall19 wrote: »

Octavia Vrs here looks in great condition.They are fairly fast and dont give trouble once looked after, smart buy imo.Great base if your into tuning etc.

You could get this one for your budget with a bit of bargaining.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1335994

Looks ok, but crucially the ad doesn't mention it's mileage. Bet it's high.

squod

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Looks ok, but crucially the ad doesn't mention it's mileage. Bet it's high.

Eh, why? It's five grand they want for a 02 Skoda. Ppffttttttt

Alanstrainor

squod wrote: »

Eh, why? It's five grand they want for a 02 Skoda. Ppffttttttt

110000 miles according to the pictures.

stepbar

I'm serious when I say this...

A new car is the biggest waste of money ever. Mind you the same could be said about any newish car as well, especially if you take out a loan to purchase same. forget about ever having any money. My "modest" 2004 VW Golf is costing me -

325 loan repayments
333 road tax
c800 insurance
c100 eur a month in petrol (and that would be optimistic)
c250 - 300 maintenance (service, car wash, tyres etc)

To have a car it costs me over c6.5k a year. When I think about it, it makes me slightly ill....

I love my car but I don't love the cost of it. It's not getting any better either.

johnos1984

Matt Simis wrote: »

The new model (159) Alfas look great and are meant to be quite reliable. Around the 12k mark for a 2006. I have just bought a 2001 Alfa 156 myself, so far a buch of bits to do, but no worse than a similar VAG car of its age and engine type.

I've driven a second hand 159 and loved it however I'd take the petrol over the diesel.

I know I'm going to be shot with **** for saying this but that diesel engine hasn't got a great reliability record when fitted to other cars such as Opels and SAABs.

RoyalMarine

ok, forget the new car idea. not gonna enterain finance at the moment.

so, ive found 2 decent cars i really like, seem pretty decent too.

opel vectra

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Vectra/GTS-SPOR/201018197918113/advert?channel=CARS

mazda 6

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/Mazda/Mazda6/201024198397954/advert?channel=CARS

i like both, but the vectra comes from a garage, so it might have a warranty to it.

smokie2008

Yeah they both look like nice cars, Mazda are generally a more reliable car but they've both got the same milage an stuff and both look really clean, If I were you I'd take the day and go and view em both, I know ones in waterford so go have a look at the astra in Dublin then shoot down south, if you like it take it home. They are very similar in reliability so it just comes down to personal preference now.

RoyalMarine

smokie2008 wrote: »

Yeah they both look like nice cars, Mazda are generally a more reliable car but they've both got the same milage an stuff and both look really clean, If I were you I'd take the day and go and view em both, I know ones in waterford so go have a look at the astra in Dublin then shoot down south, if you like it take it home. They are very similar in reliability so it just comes down to personal preference now.

i live like 30 mins away from the one in waterford.

not really keen on the mazda now since its not a dealer selling it. dont wanna get stung if something goes wrong down the line.

jaffa20

Audi a3?

JJJJNR

Seriously, neither of those two cars esp the opel would even come close to the drive and reliability of the Accord posted earlier.. Do yourself a favour and drive the honda, you will not regret it. I've driven the Mazda 6 and owned an accord for a number of years, the mazda 6 is very good esp the 1.8 but against the accord theres just no contest. Don't dismiss it based on a photo from a website.

SpannerMonkey

JJJJNR wrote: »

Might get a cash deal of 3500 onthis.

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

er its a 4.4 petrol...

haha i drive a bmw 645 4.4 petrol and its not that bad on fuel around 25 mpg , :rolleyes:


but for you i would highly recommend a new shape ford mondeo they came out in 2007 and they are a truely excellent car, massive inside good on fuel and very nice to drive and comfortable my parents have one and i very nearly bought one myself , i personally think for the money they cant be beaten

also the honda accord 2.2 diesel is excellent and the Skoda superb is really superb;) but id still go with the mondeo

SpannerMonkey

Matt Simis wrote: »

The new model (159) Alfas look great and are meant to be quite reliable. Around the 12k mark for a 2006. I have just bought a 2001 Alfa 156 myself, so far a buch of bits to do, but no worse than a similar VAG car of its age and engine type.

i agree they are gorgeous , but the diesels are failing in the dozens numerous serious faults and many failed engines, the petrols are supposed to be reliable though, and they are so damn pretty :cool:

bazz26

This might be worth a look at:

http://www.adverts.ie/240551/cars/2004-ford-mondeo-18-sci-ghia-58k/

Fairly rare high spec 1.8 Ghia with the SCi 130bhp engine, a bit expensive though.

argosy2006

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mercedes-Benz/C-Class/C180-CLA/201022198248276/advert?channel=CARS buy a rear wheel drive , this is nice :rolleyes:

BigEejit

JJJJNR wrote: »

Accord herelow mileage, low tax.

My sister has one of these, 180k miles on Kerry roads with no problems...

MrAbc

2004 Seat Toledo is worth a look. Very reliable, ultra durable diesel engines. 130 hp 1.9 TDi with 6 speed box would be preferred version.

Not certain if this one is the 6 speed, worth checking. 2 owners, reasonable miles, NCT 2012.


Personally, I'd be wary of the bigger alloys on the Mondeo/Mazda6/etc, reviews always say these models have quite firm ride even with regular alloys. Lower profile tyres are only going to make your experience on any bumpy, potholed roads unpleasant.

Matt Simis

davy_b wrote: »

i agree they are gorgeous , but the diesels are failing in the dozens numerous serious faults and many failed engines, the petrols are supposed to be reliable though, and they are so damn pretty :cool:

Really? Thats totally the opposite to what I read on the 156 generation then. My Diesel Alfa has 130k miles and seems to be going strong, even though the last owner was driving around with ripped Turbo piping for a while.

johnos1984

Matt Simis wrote: »

Really? Thats totally the opposite to what I read on the 156 generation then. My Diesel Alfa has 130k miles and seems to be going strong, even though the last owner was driving around with ripped Turbo piping for a while.

Pretty much anything can fail at any mileage without warning with alarming regularity. It's not heard of as much with the Alfa's as their isn't as many on the road but if you search for the same engine as fitted to Opels and SAABs you will see how it really fares.

samsemtex

If you could get this for €2500 you couldnt go that far wrong. Really, really lovely car and that one is pretty high spec and looks to be in good condition.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1352938

tinofapples

JJJJNR wrote: »

Accord herelow mileage, low tax.

Low miles yes ..... low tax NO !!

nellocono

Hi OP,

Ive recently been in the same position as yourself..Ive just gone and purchased a Ford Mondeo 1.8.

I must say I am very pleased about it. Its a great car to drive and there are some good deals about. i would recommend a test drive at the least.

johnos1984

samsemtex wrote: »

If you could get this for €2500 you couldnt go that far wrong. Really, really lovely car and that one is pretty high spec and looks to be in good condition.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1352938

I was looking at that last night and dreaming

JJJJNR

tinofapples wrote: »

Low miles yes ..... low tax NO !!

For an executive saloon, its is low tax, thanks for your contribution.

RoyalMarine

samsemtex wrote: »

If you could get this for €2500 you couldnt go that far wrong. Really, really lovely car and that one is pretty high spec and looks to be in good condition.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1352938

i doubt id get it to €2,500, but i do love the car. just not taken on the color!
i might call them and go have a look!

cheers samsentex!

nellocono wrote: »

Hi OP,

Ive recently been in the same position as yourself..Ive just gone and purchased a Ford Mondeo 1.8.

I must say I am very pleased about it. Its a great car to drive and there are some good deals about. i would recommend a test drive at the least.

test drove 2 mondeo's today. i was impressed, but honestly, the car is not for me. not too keen on the general feel of them.
i also drove a 2009 mondeo, and i loved it. didnt like the old ones though.

samsemtex

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

i doubt id get it to €2,500, but i do love the car. just not taken on the color!
i might call them and go have a look!

cheers samsentex!



test drove 2 mondeo's today. i was impressed, but honestly, the car is not for me. not too keen on the general feel of them.
i also drove a 2009 mondeo, and i loved it. didnt like the old ones though.

No problem, I'd say you would be surprised how low you could get that 156 for. I got a 2004 facelifted one with less miles for €4500. Even €3000 would be a great price for it. It's definitely worth having a look.

Those new mondeos are a hideous looking yoke. Way too big and everything looks out of proportion. the back wheels look absolutely tiny on them. I think they are one of the worst looking cars on the road.