If you had to buy a car for £3000...
 

...what would you buy??

My brother Dan is about to splash out on a car, and I'm struggling to think of something suitable/sensible.

Will be used daily for work commute and weekends for erm, driving around in? :lol:

Occasional 200 mile trip (to see dad).

It needs to have good build quality, good reliability and comfort.

Was thinking VW Golf??

I think he'd prefer something the size of a Golf or Focus.

I know you don't get much car for £3000 these days, but I'm not too hot on cars so thought you good folk would know.

Focus,every time.
I got me a '99 T reg.Drives very well and ultra reliable.The only thing that has gone wrong in the three and a half years Ive owned it is the wash/wipe switch.I got a new one from Ford for £35.(could have got one cheaper on ebay!)
Millions of them about so spares are plentifull.
Recommended.

I'd have said a new as possible TDi Golf in a nice colour. Buy a mid spec car. Great build quality, reliable and cheap to run.

I would guess on most items it will be similar to a Focus, but, the Golf will hold it's value better.

audi 80/coupe look at 80 tdi estate as well- probably pick up a good one for around 3 grand -- out of the same stable as the golf

As much as I love a Golf, the Focus is miles better to drive. £3k should buy a good'un with plenty of miles left it in.

I spent £900 getting my Saab, and J just bought a mint Mk2 Golf GTi for £650, so there's still plenty of bargains to be had.

Focus. Definately. More reliable than the Golf (believe it or not).

Get an Estate if you can find a good one as the boot space in the hatch is poor. Go for a TD (The early pre common rail diesel is still very good. TDCI will be out of your budget).

Enjoy throwing it around corners. The focus is the best handling car in its class.

Buy my Mitsubishi FTO GS for £2500 at the end of the month. Has on board pc with 7" screen Alpine head unit and Amp, full stainless system with C Bpass after market filter. just needs a new rear tyre and the drivers window looking at as its out of the runers and a service.

Selling as I get a van with the new job and will have no space and I cant be arsed to sort the bits out hence the price.

Do a search for Skoda Octavia on http://www.autotrader.co.uk/index.jsp and see whats available in your area. The Octavia is built on the MK4 Golf platform so your getting alot of car for your money, more room than in a focus and it beats the Golf in the JD power surveys (and most other cars in that size), only downside is the depreciation from new but that wont worry you. There are loads of VW inderpendant specialists around who can look after it for you aswell so no dealer servicing costs.
Loads of them are used as taxis (so must be good) so watch out for the ex taxi with moon and back mileage.
I'm on my second one :D

Darren

[Edited on 15-3-2006 by LesPaul]

Buy a good condition second-hand Aston Martin DB7 for that kind of money, or go for a two-year old BMW X5. This is the dilemma I've got at the moment.

Oh, you said THREE thousand, not THIRTY thousand! ;)

Damn cheap ass :lol:

You could always get a loan for the other £27000, couldnt ya?:o

something Japanese - bullet proof reliability!!!!

Hmmmmm....VW Golf

In our office there were about 8 people with assorted VW's as company cars. Sharans, Passats and various Golfs, a mixture of petrol and diesel version amongst them as well.

The term "If everything in life was as reliable as a VW" became a standing joke because ALL the VW's were the most unreliable cars in the fleet. Since our car policy allows you to have what you want up to a set lease price the 'fleet' included stuff that you would think would be trounced by VW's in the quality stakes - stuff like Alfas, but the VW's were consistently in and out of the garage for something - not just niggles either, we're talking about stuff that kept them off the road.

The dealer network didn't seem to give a stuff either and all the VW drivers were unanimous that they would never have another one. That was about a year ago with dealers in and around Bedford. Things might be better now or in other areas

Thanks for the feedback guys, I reckon the Focus is sounding favorite so far.

Personally I'd find another £1000 and buy another Celica. Best vehicle I've ever owned - but then Dan isn't a flash git like moi

:cool:

SEAT Ibiza diesel. Also based on VW technology. Good build quality, and excellent road holding. Big boot, excellent fuel economy.
Hired and drove one round the Costa Banca last year, does those twisty swirveries really well.
3k will get you a decent car too.

Ains.

Got a nice N reg Golf VR6 with a cooked engine in it, black with black leather.

Rebuilt the top and bottom end but still rattles a bit.


£1000 he can spend the other Two grand on insurance :burn:

4 years ago my car insurance company took the **** and wanted to charge me £1200 a year, I sold the £15k car and went out armed with £1200 and bought a 1993 Volvo 850. I ran it for 3 years and put 45000 more miles on it with nothing more than servicing and 4 tyres. I then sold it to go back to the expensive car.....the expensive car lasted 2 months till I sold it and went and bought a 1999 Volvo S70 for £3000.
So what I am saying in my roundabout way is buy an old Volvo I have never had such cheap comfy motoring, only downside is the 30-35 mpg but there is nearly 0 depreciation :)

Good idea Couchie, that was cheap for an S70 too :o

I quite like Volvo's - be good to rob it off him too on race weekends (can get all my gear in and comfy travel)

I see a plan forming!! :D

Eric - That the sort of thing I'd buy, and then blow up!! :lol:

Ains - Thanks for the SEAT tip.

Talking about old Volvos, funnily enough, I'm about to do the same thing.

I've got a 32,000 mile old Volvo C70 convertible, that I've owned since new, which according to Glass' guide should be worth about £13.5K retail.

Now that I work at home I've only done 2.5K miles in the last year, so it's an expensive lump of metal to have sitting around doing the best part of FA.

It's especially expensive to have a flash convertible sitting around, since I've just learned this week that Mrs Jools (who is in hospital as I write this) has definitely developed Multiple Sclerosis and may not be able to work anymore (well, not until she can walk anyhow).

It's due for it's MOT and Tax at the end of this month, so I will get that done then take Mrs Jools on a jaunt to Devon in early April, 'cos her best friend has just moved to a place near Barnstaple. Hopefully the sun will be out, we can get the top down and use the journey as the last hurrah for the car. After that I'll be selling it for about a couple of grand below Glass' valuation for a quick sale.

It's a lovely car, but being a convertible there's not enough boot space for a wheelchair :(

It'll have to go to make way for one of those big old Volvo estates - you know...the ones that bikers hate

So, watch this space in a month's time if you fancy a bargain convertible

[Edited on 15-3-2006 by Jools]

Best wishes to Mrs Jools ;)

If its any help i have owned a new Y plate TD focus, great car and the handling is good. Engine was quick enough and it cruises well and is quiet (astra TDI was quieter). it started to loosen up at 50k and was a belter.
Now own one of the last of the old shape 54 plate TDCI 100bhp focus, its a bit quicker but not that much, feels more like different gearing. this ones still good but build quality is not quite as good as the Y plate one and just doesnt feel as together as my old one.
On the TDI 90bhp diesel, it took around £40 to fill it when dry, and i managed around 350 - 400 miles per tank depending on driving. The new TDCI holds the same but manages as extra 50 per tank even if thrashin it to death.
Had a R reg golf, it was a bit quicker than the focus but didn't handle the same and wasnt as comfy or as well put together funnily enough.
Other option is the astra, good car, comfy handles well but for me the focus has a bit more of a raw edge and you can feel exactly how far to push it and what its doing if you know what i mean.
Focus every time. good luck

Dom, My ring support passat estate at 2995!! just for you:cool:

only 197,354 miles on her:D

Barely run in then ;)