used car under 7k

Would you consider a Hyundai i30 petrol. There's a 2012 blue one for sale on Done Deal with just 53k miles, (miles seems a bit on the low side for a 2012 ? !) condition seems v. good, asking price €7,990 Worth checking out if you're in that neck of the woods. Other petrol models to consider are Toyota Corolla, VW Golf & Ford Focus

It seems to be a good bit cheaper than other 2012 examples for sale as well as having low mileage. Seems too good to be true in today's used car market so could be some sort of scam. Would definitely err on the side of caution.

Mazda petrol good reliability

Mazda diesel not so good on reliability

The 1.6 diesel in the Mazda 3 is the same 1.6 HDi engine found in Peugeot/Citroen/Volvo and Ford that you said you had troublesome experiences of in the past. If you want to stick with diesel then a Renault Megane or Fluence would be a better bet. 1.5dci would be a decent engine.

For example:

Not the best example to be honest. It has 50 shades of silver on it with each panel looking to have been painted a different shade. Most of the panels line up very poorly too. I'd say that car got a few fair smack and was poorly/cheaply repaired. For that sort of money I'd be wanting something a lot more straight.

Good point, I had wondered if the back bumper was a different shade of silver.

Toyota Prius or Auris hybrids might suit your driving and budget.

Mate I have an Astra 1.6cdti with a new clutch and flywheel 2014. Very nippy little car for sale just today. Just picking up something bigger for sale at 5750. Full leather.

I just bought a Honda CRV 2007 with one owner and 100,000kms. Full service history and all NCT certs for €4,400. A lot of car for the money. If you wait and watch the ads everyday you’ll find the right car. Don’t rush into it.

Crazy money. You must have really liked it

Mitsbishi colt is a good reliable car. A friend of mine bought one about 6 years ago for 4k. He has a total commute of 400 kilometers a week for work alone.

Crazy is right, but that's how the current market is.

Just added a 07 reg from the same honda model and inputted 100km into carzone valuation check

Price €6350

That's the high end of course but expect pvt sellers to look for 4-5k

As the cost of living, including oil with all it's tariffs, levies, taxes etc. is constantly rising - the good people of Ireland are slowly but surely waking up to who the Greens really are and what they represent. Their ideology is so far from reality it beggars belief. Within the last week it came to light that we are importing wood chips from Brazil to fuel a power station in Offaly ...the station was previously fueled by locally produced turf but the Greens stopped all that. You just could not make it up. This is a long winded way of saying that the Greens future is Ireland is a bright as the PD party. So buy your SUV if it suits your needs, the real future is bright, full of hope and possibilities, including new fuels not yet imagined (not to be confused with the future predicted by the Green prophets of doom)

If your still on the market for a car, I owe a 2010 Megane 1.5 DCI bought in 2012 with 30k on the clock. In the first 2 years I averaged 45k a year with no issues. From around 2017/2018 it dropped back to 20k a year and since covid I only put it maybe 5k a year. In 11 years of ownership and now with 225k on the clock I have had the following done.

Front tires replaced every 30k, rear lasts around 45k. 15inch and just replaced all 4 for Bridgestone cost me 360 for a set.

Service every 30k or 12 months, costs about 200 but I do it myself now so it's a lot cheaper.

Timing belt every 150k or 6 years. Costs around 450 euro.

Rear coils. About 200

Wishbone NCT failure 130 euro

Track rode NCT failure 60euro

One battery about 100.

My overall ownership of the car has been pretty fautless, fuel use on a motorway is around 5.7L per 100km with easier driving about 4.8L per 100km. It's not very fast, mine is the 86bhp version but cheap and cheerful. If your looking at one get the GTI line, same engine just much better spec.