Motors Second Hand Car for First Time Driver.

Right then I am looking for my first car and have been mulling over some options such as the Ford Focus and the Nissan Almera. Yet I was wondering if there were any other options I should think about, the criteria are:

- Max engine 1.6.
- Max insurance group 5/6.
- Price between £4k-£5k.
- Max age 4-5 years.
- Max mileage 45k.
- No French, Italian or British cars due to reliability problems.
- No Hyundais, Daewoos or Kias due to the general crapness of said cars.
- Ideal size mid size hatch or saloon (e.g. Ford Focus).
- High MPG is good.
- Any car that only comes in green, brown, beige or gold is out.
- ABS is a must.

Any ideas?

 

there is nowt wrong with british or friench cars

my 306 lived even after a truck hit it and my rover is plodding along at 116 thousand miles with its diesel engine and not smoking whatsoever when ts running

 

I would most definately recommend a seat ibiza. Mk4 (02 on) preferably but mk3(pre 02) is much the same and probably affordable. I've had mine since last last year and it's fantastic.

-philth

 

The Ibiza is a bit small.

British cars, i.e. Rover, are completely out of date and outclassed by competition. The 25 is what based on a car from the mid 80s? Both French and British cars have a truly awful reputation for reliability, my family have owned French cars before and they were all lemons (now own super reliable Japanese mobiles). I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

 

What about the Smart ?

 

MICRA

 

Well, if you're going to narrow down your choices like that, then good luck to you. I think a lot of these sweeping opinons on euro cars are unfounded.

I've had a punto for 4 years which has been faultless and I know plenty of people with Fiats/Pugs/Renaults/Rovers who haven't had any problems either. I know just as many people who've had rakes of problems with their Fords, Nissans and Hondas.. generally you don't buy a bad manufacturer, you buy a bad car or dodgy model. (For example I'm after a 306 GTi-6 and know all about a specific problem with the cambelt that most of them suffer from, won't stop be me buying it though because it's a good car)

You could get a corking Pug or Renault for that money. Given you obviously don't want anything other than a Focus, go buy one.

 

Both too small.

They aren't though, generally European build quality is utterly awful. Frankly I would be worried about buying a Fiat, Peugeot or Renault and it falling apart the very second I tried to open the door. I just have no faith in the people of those countries to manufacture a solid reliable car. Buying your Peugeot 306 GTI is just asking for trouble because you are just going to have endless problems with it and I just don't want that.

I don't particularly want a Focus. I want a Mazda RX-8, but I can't afford one I just want a very reliable mid size hatch or saloon.

 

Oh, so it's just plain old Xenophobia stopping you getting one then?

Your choice, I just think you're limiting yourself somewhat.

 

My Punto's been going strong for almost 4 years now, and my dads Renault Scenic for over 6yrs without any real problems. I can't see how you can comment on the reliability of such a broad range of cars without even having owned ANY of them yourself.

You've just written off about 80% of the cars you could get by saying no Euro Cars...

Mitsu Colt or Honda Civic is about all else that's left really...

 

you've pretty much wiped out the selection of cars by the sweeping generalisations you've made about european cars, theres nothing wrong with french ,british, italian etc; cars, Rover have come a long way since the days of the metro, I've just sold my 1992 rover 214 petrol with 225000 miles on the clock and a new mot, if thats not reliable i dont know what is, Peugot and Citroen build perfectly good cars ,why do you think so many are used as taxis, they just go on for ever,

BTW i think the focus is a european design and the ones for the european market are built in europe does this make them bad?

And finally japanese cars are super reliable, but just wait till it goes wrong and you find out the parts are main dealer only and cost the earth

 

The tip seals on the RX8 for example

 

Don't see what is wrong with a good bit of xenophobia? If the Olympic council had used it this years Olympics wouldn't be the monumental screwup it is going to be Just having been in numerous cars over time the most solid ones are not French, Italian or British (although British produced cars can be good providing they aren't built by a British company like Rover).

My family had a Scenic, it fell apart. Now typically in the owner reviews French and Italian cars have the worst reputation of reliability. Bits falling off, electrics failing, etc... It would be like Butlins, now I've been there, but I've read enough about it to know I wouldn't want to go anywhere near one.

 

Sorry to say it, but you must treat your cars like sh*te then.

 

Not at all it was just badly made.

 

Ah, works both ways that one tho'.. I treat and drive my Punto like ****e, and it just takes everything I throw at it.

R0ar..

 

You really are a bit of a nobber, JADS.

Get a pug 306.

*n

 

Ditto, mine gets a nice amount of punishment... was owned by a boy racer for 6mths before I had it and being taken to 70mph within about 5mins of being started most mornings ain't a good thing to do really. But it takes it and still goes fine.

 

I'm sensible and from what I know buying a French car isn't a good investment

Plus the Pug 306 is truly ancient.

 

the 306 is a superior car to the 307

fiat and peugot diesels - the best diesel engines on the market

306 - best small car chassis winenr for many years

my 306 had a truck drove over the bonnet but the diesel engine still fired up and ran

my 1992 rover 218 1.9 diesel (same engine made by peaugot) has been in the family for 10 years, 116thousand on the clock starts first time, runs like new and when you **** the door it has a good solid clunk not a clang liek the focus

tbh jsut go get a 1.9 turbo diesel 306, fun relaibale and its only a group 5 so insurance is pennys