What Car For Under £2500?

will_bankfield

Hi Guys, 1st time poster but long time reader!!!:beer:

I just have a few questions and I'd like some advice please.

**Background**
I have started the process of VT my hire purchase agreement on a 1.4i Citroen C3, its a 53 plate that I've had for 30 months and its been good to me but being a Citroen and with the horror stories I have heard I am counting my blessings and parting ways!! - I don't want to pay another £3200 over 30 months for something that is only worth about £2700 now and will further depreciate so I am walking away from the agreement.

:T

I have about £2500 - £3000 to spend on another car but I am stuck on what to choose. I would like something considerably bigger than the C3 but just as economical as I got 45mpg combined from it and I have some criteria that I want it to have

1) I want to get over 35mpg combined
2) I only do about 10-12k miles yearly , does this rule out a diesel?
3) If I did get a diesel would the servicing/repairs nullify any saving I'd make on fuel costs?
4) It has to be reliable
5) I don't really want to go older than 7 years (9 if its a bulletproof car)
6) Insurance group 10/11 is prob as far as I can go.
7) I have 2 kids and the Mrs an I plus a pram and the occasional extra passenger so would quite like the extra space - I can see real advantages in having extra seats I might occasionally use so was thinking 6-7 seater but not Kia Sedona huge!
8) I don't want an automatic because I want to save money by having a manual.
9) Its supposed to be a buyers market for bigger cars but I find prices for older high milage cars are still quite high, would I be better looking at an auction?
10) I want to drive to France soon too so the reliability, space and mpg are quite important to me.

OK, thanks for reading such a long post, I know its a big ask but if someone can point me in a general direction you will have my gratitude and a raft of moody tommy cooper jokes to keep you amused plus possible a novelty postcard or two.

cheers

hewhoisnotintheknow

why get rid of a car that has been good to you?

will_bankfield

Hi m8, thanks for ur reply.

I want more space and I have the sense that I have thus far been dodging a bullet with this car. I have googled C3's a few time and the electrics seem to have weird gremlins all the time. I cannot deactivate my child locks via the dashboard switch and there is no manual overide so the back doors will not open from the inside - this is a problem that would require £300 to fix.

Also as I posted I don't want to pay more for something that is worth about £2700 now and I would end up shelling out £3200 in total that I am tied into for anothet 30 months and will keep depreciating

goldspanners

what about something like this? its within your price range, doesnt have 7 seats but does have a large boot.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/

will_bankfield

Come on guys.....:eek:

what about

Citroen Xsara Picasso
Nissan Almera Tino
A Pug estate
Mondeo or Focus estate
Astra Estate

ta

goldspanners

will_bankfield wrote: »

Come on guys.....:eek:

what about

Citroen Xsara Picasso ugly
Nissan Almera Tino ugly and boring
A Pug estate disaster waiting to hapen.
Mondeo or Focus estate yes.
Astra Estate nope.

ta

thats my 2 pence worth anyway.

AdrianHi

Something bigger, reliable, just as economical and not too old on a £3K budget i.e. same money.
Not easy!
An 80K+ mileage 6-7 year old Skoda Octavia Estate diesel probably does it.
The mid sized MPV type cars are relatively new to the market, Renault Scenic at around 5-7 years old but they are old enough to be troublesome now.
That £3K focus estate is probably as good as it's going to get.

£4K might just about get you a Mazda 6 estate petrol (avoid the diesel), loads of space, fun, reliable, good looking and capable of 35mpg on the open road.

david69_2

plenty mondeo estates about most of them have done over 100k should be able to get one for your budget