Need help picking a car

Chibs

i'm hoping some of you guys can help and give me some ideas.
Looking for a new motor i have 5k to spend. I was thinking no bigger that 1.6 hatchback. Just want something comfortable. I was thinking an opel astra. Any suggestions welcome.

Matthewjohn

How about a Ford Focus?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4917130

smokey20

Above Focus looks nice and clean and definitely comfortable.... However personally I would be looking for a diesel equivalent.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/5088834

Ricky Wrecked

Matthewjohn wrote: »

How about a Ford Focus?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4917130

Crazy mileage on that for a petrol. You would need your head read. It a list of problems waiting to kick off

delly

Ricky Wrecked wrote: »

Crazy mileage on that for a petrol. You would need your head read. It a list of problems waiting to kick off

Yeah, I'm surprised it didn't just stop outright once it went over the 100k, that's the number that is preprogrammed into most cars to break.

Matthewjohn

Ricky Wrecked wrote: »

Crazy mileage on that for a petrol. You would need your head read. It a list of problems waiting to kick off

Hardly crazy its only 17500 miles per year which is only a bit above average.

Ricky Wrecked

Matthewjohn wrote: »

Hardly crazy its only 17500 miles per year which is only a bit above average.

Buying a petrol with a smallish engine with 100k miles will only lead to tears and expense

mustang01

Focus defo best choice, best drivers car in class but slight problem in your situation, you say 1.6 max, you could get the 1.6 diesel but its a peugeot/citroen derived engine and to be honest its troublesome, the 1.8 diesel is fords own engine and its bulletproof but higher tax

120_Minutes

Ricky Wrecked wrote: »

Buying a petrol with a smallish engine with 100k miles will only lead to tears and expense

If that was the case nobody would buy 6-7 year old cars with average mileage. you're generalising. driven every car that age with 100k miles have you?

OP if you're looking at a focus around that money check out the ghia spec, you'll get one around 06 for less than 5k

V4

Octavia 1.4 Petrol
Lot of car for the money.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/5131461

bazz26

Ricky Wrecked wrote: »

Crazy mileage on that for a petrol. You would need your head read. It a list of problems waiting to kick off

Ricky Wrecked wrote: »

Buying a petrol with a smallish engine with 100k miles will only lead to tears and expense

Typical Irish mind set.

mustang01

vw petrol, stay clear !

mustang01

bazz26 wrote: »

Typical Irish mind set.

totally agree Bazz, see many petrol cars with 100k+ and not a bother on them, lot down to way they are looked after and of course the brand !

JustLen

This thread is dumb

mustang01

JustLen wrote: »

This thread is dumb

either make a constructive coment or just keep quiet !

Ded_Zebra

What about this?
3 door may no be what you are after but a really lovely car imo.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4876817

Ded_Zebra

Or this, no leather but 5 doors

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4808692

mustang01

oh jez italian, defo stay well clear, nothing but trouble !

Ded_Zebra

mustang01 wrote: »

either make a constructive coment or just keep quiet !

mustang01 wrote: »

oh jez italian, defo stay well clear, nothing but trouble !

You could do with a spoon of your own medicine there :rolleyes:

The only reason people think that Alfas are unreliable is that they don't respond well to not being serviced. Once they are looked after they are fine.

anthony4335

Opel astra seem to be a nice car, and going on my friends they appear to be reliable. Another option with some bargaining you should get a Kia C'eed close to 5K
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/5094142

zaph.

Chibs wrote: »

i'm hoping some of you guys can help and give me some ideas.
Looking for a new motor i have 5k to spend. I was thinking no bigger that 1.6 hatchback. Just want something comfortable. I was thinking an opel astra. Any suggestions welcome.

No matter what the german scrap fanboys and french scrap fanboys on here say if you want hassle free cheap motoring go jap or korean

And yes they may be a little dull but they wont cost you the price of the car every year to maintain


Now here comes all the bmw fanboys to tell me how wrong i am.......

mustang01

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

You could do with a spoon of your own medicine there :rolleyes:

The only reason people think that Alfas are unreliable is that they don't respond well to not being serviced. Once they are looked after they are fine.

talk sence silly man, i work day in day out on cars and know only too well about the models that do and dont give a lota trouble, alfas and fiat are unreliable coz der poor quality and badly put together !!

dgt

mustang01 wrote: »

talk sence silly man, i work day in day out on cars and know only too well about the models that do and dont give a lota trouble, alfas and fiat are unreliable coz der poor quality and badly put together !!

What do you do? A mechanic? Salesperson?

Chibs

Thanks for the replys i like the ford focus. Are they reliable? I'm doing about 180 miles a week should i go diesel?

166man

mustang01 wrote: »

oh jez italian, defo stay well clear, nothing but trouble !

mustang01 wrote: »

talk sence silly man, i work day in day out on cars and know only too well about the models that do and dont give a lota trouble, alfas and fiat are unreliable coz der poor quality and badly put together !!

Ah haven't seen one of these posts for a while! C'mon dude back up your argument with facts and numbers please otherwise I ain't buying it.

As DZ correctly pointed out they do require that bit of extra maintenance but once looked after they go just as well as any other car out there IMO. Have two Alfa's myself and love them. They both take extra care but happy to give it to them in order not to drive a dullbox Corolla/ 1.4 Golf.

I suppose you think VW/Audi are the pinnacle of reliability?

I think it is you who needs to talk ''sence'' really tbh.

mustang01

Chibs wrote: »

Thanks for the replys i like the ford focus. Are they reliable? I'm doing about 180 miles a week should i go diesel?

hi Chibs, if you go for fords own 1.8 diesel engine they are very reliable, the 1.6 peugeot/citroen derived engine gives some trouble, great drivers car !

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

hi Chibs, if you go for fords own 1.8 diesel engine they are very reliable, the 1.6 peugeot/citroen derived engine gives some trouble, great drivers car !

A 1.8/1.6 diesel is a GREAT DRIVERS CAR?

Bloody hell......

mustang01

166man wrote: »

Ah haven't seen one of these posts for a while! C'mon dude back up your argument with facts and numbers please otherwise I ain't buying it.

As DZ correctly pointed out they do require that bit of extra maintenance but once looked after they go just as well as any other car out there IMO. Have two Alfa's myself and love them. They both take extra care but happy to give it to them in order not to drive a dullbox Corolla/ 1.4 Golf.

I suppose you think VW/Audi are the pinnacle of reliability?

I think it is you who needs to talk ''sence'' really tbh.

ha ya rite, vw/audi great reliability myth is a pure joke these days with all the engine trouble they give,

defo agree da italians especially in the alfa guise produce very stylish cars but not worth their poor reliability headache

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

A 1.8/1.6 diesel is a GREAT DRIVERS CAR?

Bloody hell......

yes ba its well know rite through the industry the focus is the best drivers car out der ! the 1.4 petrol doesnt take true advantage of the great chassis but the higher powered engines show its true style !

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

yes ba its well know rite through the industry the focus is the best drivers car out der ! the 1.4 petrol doesnt take true advantage of the great chassis but the higher powered engines show its true style !

Have you learned the brochures off by heart?

notGill

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

What about this?
3 door may no be what you are after but a really lovely car imo.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4876817

I'm in love. Conveniently, I'm on the market for my first car with a similar budget. If the car I'm looking at falls through, I could be up in Beacon next week.

Chibs

mustang01 wrote: »

yes ba its well know rite through the industry the focus is the best drivers car out der ! the 1.4 petrol doesnt take true advantage of the great chassis but the higher powered engines show its true style !

Ill look into getting a 1.6 or 1.8 focus. Hoping to pick up something by the end of next week.

bazz26

180 miles per week is hardly diesel territory. That's less than 10k miles per year.

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

Have you learned the brochures off by heart?

no i dont believe anything written buy sales people, only first hand by driving them myself and of course reviewing many tests

ba_barabus

Chibs wrote: »

Ill look into getting a 1.6 or 1.8 focus. Hoping to pick up something by the end of next week.

As bazz says you don't really need a diesel. Your mileage isn't high enough and this can create issues for reliability

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

no i dont believe anything written buy sales people, only first hand by driving them myself and of course reviewing many tests

The Focus drives well but they are not a drivers car unless you get an ST.

They drive well, but they are not a drivers car. There is nothing wrong with the cars you mention but the OP will most likey have DPF issues with the 1.6D and get no economy benefit from the 1.8.

Much better off with the petrol a for low mileage, but you may not have read that in auto express

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

The Focus drives well but they are not a drivers car unless you get an ST.

They drive well, but they are not a drivers car. There is nothing wrong with the cars you mention but the OP will most likey have DPF issues with the 1.6D and get no economy benefit from the 1.8.

Much better off with the petrol a for low mileage, but you may not have read that in auto express

the 1.6d give lot more trouble than that ba, i should know since i have to fix dem day n day out, when u actually know wha ur talkn about come back for a chat !

dgt

mustang01 wrote: »

talk sence silly man, i work day in day out on cars and know only too well about the models that do and dont give a lota trouble, alfas and fiat are unreliable coz der poor quality and badly put together !!

For the second time, what do you do?

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

the 1.6d give lot more trouble than that ba, i should know since i have to fix dem day n day out, when u actually know wha ur talkn about come back for a chat !

I never said it didn't. I said with low mileage the OP will have DPF issues. Most other issues are down to poor maintenance or mechanics using poor quality oil.

What is it you do again? And why do the HDIs you work with give so much trouble after you've worked with them?

bazz26

A nice Ghia spec 2007 Focus here:


http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/5060836

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

I never said it didn't. I said with low mileage the OP will have DPF issues. M

yes with a lot more problems, diesels are only really suited for higher mileage, they choke up with stop start town and short journeys creating all sorts of problems so best stick with petrol if only doing low mileage

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

yes with a lot more problems, diesels are only really suited for higher mileage, they choke up with stop start town and short journeys creating all sorts of problems so best stick with petrol if only doing low mileage

So two minutes ago you said I should go away and come back when I know what I'm talking about and now you completely agree with the point I've been making all along.............

As I'm on the phone can someone post a face palm for me

Chibs

Would the Focus be more reliable than an Opel Astra?

ba_barabus

Chibs wrote: »

Would the Focus be more reliable than an Opel Astra?

I'd rate both the same in petrol form. Astra is probably better value for what you are getting.

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

So two minutes ago you said I should go away and come back when I know what I'm talking about and now you completely agree with the point I've been making all along.............

As I'm on the phone can someone post a face palm for me

yes you said focus not a drivers car, in any engine guise they are well know to be best in class for driving dynamics and many thousands of delighted customers will bear that out so yes come back to me when you stop talking waffle !

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

yes you said focus not a drivers car, in any engine guise they are well know to be best in class for driving dynamics and many thousands of delighted customers will bear that out so yes come back to me when you stop talking waffle !

Best at what?

They are a nice car and much more engaging than a Corolla but a drivers car they are not, and certainly not the diesels. Please stop posting hyperbole and Clarksonesk phrases you don't understand. In fairness the only one talking waffle is you, from posting meaningless phrases to back tracking over what you said regarding diesels to revealing that your vast wealth of knowledge comes from car reviews you really come across as being clueless.

You still haven't said how you are involved in the trade btw.

mustang01

Chibs wrote: »

Would the Focus be more reliable than an Opel Astra?

they are both good cars, best advise is to drive both and you get a feel for which suits you best, as for reliability has lot down to how they are looked after but also quality of design and manufacture and thats where ford seem to have come on leaps and bounds over the last number of years so id put the focus ahead there

mustang01

ba_barabus wrote: »

Best at what?

They are a nice car and much more engaging than a Corolla but a drivers car they are not, and certainly not the duesels. Please stop posting hyperbole and Clarksonesk phrases you don't understand.

You still haven't said how you are involved in the trade btw.

the day you have driven every single model of all the mainstreem car manufacturers like i have over the years come back and ull be able to talk some sence

Ded_Zebra

Chibs wrote: »

Would the Focus be more reliable than an Opel Astra?

Bpmull (a user on here) will tell you that the astra is much better in his experience than the focus.
Can't comment myself on either but we do have an Opel Insignia that has had it's fair share of problems.

Mustang, I posted the 147 as an interesting and different option to the run of the mill Golf, Focus, Corolla etc. I would hazzard a guess that it would be much more of a drivers car than the Focus. The fact that the focus (afaik) only had drum brakes on the back up until 2010. This would leave a lot to be desired in terms of the driving experience.

ba_barabus

mustang01 wrote: »

the day you have driven every single model of all the mainstreem car manufacturers like i have over the years come back and ull be able to talk some sence

If only you could post some legible sense it would be a help.

So you've now driven every single model of all the mainstream manufacturers, you're knowledge comes from car mags and every HDI you service gives lots of issues. You make some very big assumptions about me btw.

You still haven't said what you do in the motor trade.

Ded_Zebra

mustang01 wrote: »

they are both good cars, best advise is to drive both and you get a feel for which suits you best, as for reliability has lot down to how they are looked after but also quality of design and manufacture and thats where ford seem to have come on leaps and bounds over the last number of years so id put the focus ahead there

The first sensible comment you have made in this thread.