Car advice, please...

[cybermule]

The time has come that 0ct0pus and myself feel we should combine and buy a "proper" car i.e. one that costs more than 200 quid. This sort of thing gives me an achey head as soon as I start thinking about it, even putting aside the psychic pain of driving something that looks like I might take owning a car remotely seriously. So we were looking for suggestions based on following loose criteria:

- costs about £1000 and has a reasonable length of MOT (tax is a bonus). We could go more than this, but I'm really tight we don't want to.
- family friendly i.e. no vans :(
- we also have non-family alter egos that carry regular large heavy things, so ideally a small estate or a very roomy hatchback. I can't be lifting amplifiers and garden kit in and out of boots.
- not a FIAT or a FORD, unless you have a really compelling reason to own one.

Any suggestions gratefully received - this is not our speciality area as D has owned green car since I've known him and I just repeatedly buy large scruffy Peugeots with long MOTs and £200 price tags.

Comments

[belladonna-9.livejournal.com]

Do you have an "F" Prejudice?....

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

heh :) I actually like plenty of things beginning with F ;) But not generally cars. In support of this, Fiats are rustbuckets and Fords have the electrics from hell. If you ever see a car where the brake light is winking instead of the indicator, you can bet it's a Ford.

[belladonna-9.livejournal.com]

Well I work for a huge Automotive /Aerospace Company... we get paid to fix such things...and I can tell you off the record I would NEVER buy a FIAT or and Alfa..... ever!!

[mallt.livejournal.com]

Over here in N America they combine the brake light & indicators on some cars so a blinking brake light *is* the indicator... can be very confusing if they are pumping the brake & indicating at the same time!

[quercus.livejournal.com]

I once worked on the machine that worked out exactly why Ford rear-light clusters failed like that.

As you might be able to tell, 20 years on and they still ignored it. Ford rear lights still have crap earths, so they ghost-light the other bulbs.

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

I know bugger all about cars.
I has a Micra, it's been pretty good, and doesn't eat much petrol, but I gather the emissions could be better on them.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

0ct0pus has a Micra - it's been really ace. It's starting to become prone to repairs, though, and has a funny stalling problem. As it's a tad small for our needs, we wanted to upsize a bit.

[0ct0pus.livejournal.com]

I should clarify this. I have trashed green car (the Micra). Put about 120,000 miles (largely motorway driving) on it in about 5 years, crashed into a load of stuff and skimped on servicing. It is still going... every year I put it in for an MOT with a heavy heart and every year it passes and JUST KEEPS GOING. However, this zombie-car attribute is starting to make it come apart around the edges, and it only behaves in town traffic for me, not cybermule.

[lengths.livejournal.com]

What you want is a kangoo..
http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/kangoo/product.aspx

or a belingo ...
http://www.citroen.co.uk/new-cars/citroen-berlingo-multispace/

Firstly .. you will never ever look like you are serious about cars.

Secondly, It has all the joy of a van .. with seats (in-fact is the same chassis as the various vans just with windows...)

thirdly, we love ours to bits, and fit in it; Large tent, All the camping gear you could ever require, travel cot and in our last large trip a small motor scooter....

[ninneviane.livejournal.com]

Both my sisters have the Citroen Picasso and they both love them mightily! Also friend John has a Citroen, my Mum's X always had Citroen's and I don't recall a single mishap happening with any of them. If I was getting a car and had financial freedom to pick a make I wanted, I'd probably got for a Citroen. Alternatively, anything Japanese.

[deshni1.livejournal.com]

I've asked my German, but what's wrong with the peugeot?

[quercus.livejournal.com]

Cars are all pretty good these days (I'm old, I remember Capris and _really_ rusty Fiats) So something unfashionable costs peanuts, but still lasts tolerably well.

Best bargain IMHO is £500-£750, or £1,000 if you want comfort. Anything less isn't worth it, once you've added fuel, insurance & tax.

On one hand, Volks Golfs are too expensive (everyone wants one), but they're tough as old boots. At the other extreme, Peugeots are a bit crude, plasticky and rubbish, but they have diesel engines that burn chipfat...

In the middle, we have the wonderful Volvo estate. Get a late-model 4-cylinder 740 / 760 / 960 (the 700 series one, not the poshed-up one I have). These are huge inside, best stuff-transporters ever, and tough as anything. As they're rear-wheel drive they also have a tight turning circle and so are easy to park. OTOH my '95 entirely redesigned 960 (24 valve engine) is plush inside and a total garage queen.

Honda Civics are lovely, if the back is big enough.

Honda Accord aerodecks (the rarer, long ones) are one of the nicest small estates ever made and ridiculously good fun to drive fast.

Skodas and Seats are pretty good, but most are either too small inside or too big outside.

Anything Korean is still crap though.

[0ct0pus.livejournal.com]

Can I add Vauxhall to the "no" list please? My Dad had loads and they all fell to bits after 2 years.

Cars

[t-wiki.livejournal.com]

Check out the JD Power survey online. That's basically a survey of used cars by used car owners and will give you an idea of which cars are reliable and so on.

Then go to Autotrader. They do independent reviews of cars and you can also search for £1,000 cars for sale in your area, either through private sales or from garages.

I think a private sale would get a better car for your price range but you are guaranteed certain things if you buy from a garage.

Right, that's all my car knowledge exhausted...

[casper-garlick.livejournal.com]

We've order a new Fiat 500 and can't wait for it to arrive :) They are sooo cute!