Sensible car suggestions for £4K ish.

tomstickland

After years of owning old but fun cars and spending quite a bit on parts to make them go round corners better I've decided that I'd like to own a sensible car for a bit.
It all started when I bought the Golf Mk3 Estate 1.9 TDi for £450 and drove it for a while. I'm delighted by the 50ish mpg and have found it's alright for getting about now that I've put some decent tyres on it.

So, I'm wondering, what could I buy for £3-4K that was Diesel, ideally with over 100BHP, say 130-150BHP. I've started to rather like the estate concept - it's a van and a car.

I have been looking at proper White vans, things like the VW Caddy 1.9TDi and there are some tidy examples around for a £2K. However, it has downsides in terms of Severn bridge toll costs and occasional use of back seats.

Off the top of my head I was thinking Skoda Octavia.

I'm not a fan of interior tat, so would be quite happy with povery spec.

goldspanners

did vw do a rear seat conversion for the caddy? if they did this would be a good place to start.
vx did in the astra van.

or what about this ford_transit connect with rs turbo engine?

anewman

Crazy suggestion (based on the van and car thing) and a bit under budget. It's a pickup, a van, 2 seater or 4 with rears folded out which can be with no roof cover. Liking for yellow essential.

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/SKODA+FELICIA/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146-236,N-9-21-240-4294966290-4294966292/advert.action?R=200913331121216&distance=135&postcode=SE25+6GH&channel=CARS&make=SKODA&model=FELICIA&min_pr=1000&max_pr=7000&max_mileage=&vehicleYearOfManufacture=1999&vehicleRegLetter=V

You might decide against it when you see who else has/had one though... http://www.felicia-fun.co.uk/Newspaper.htm

Lemonade_Pockets

^^^^ You nutter

If i had that brief i'd be looking at Skoda Fabia VRS. Infact i did have almost that brief last year...... Had one for 6 months fantastic little car. Goes like a rocket, reasonably practical. 55mpg easy.

moneyoffexpert

If you were happy with the VW platform - i wouldnt stray too far away from the fold. So if your after a real estate - your choices would be either the VW Passat Vs Skodia Octavia, which are similar in many ways, but you would be better off going for the Passat as these are more popular hence easier to find locally, you will also have more choice in trim and engine, your best off with a leather trim and TDi 130 which has a good punch (although there are other engines with more power) as these are more desirable models which will hold more value when it becomes to sell on...

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/960419.htm

tomstickland

Oh, it must not be automatic.

I looked at the specs on Parkers and the Octavia is 1500 KG. I really would rather not have a car that weighed so much. Oh well. Fabia VRS, yeah could be funny. I know someone who worked for a company who did loony tune ups on these.

BillScarab

Tom, just get an Octavia estate. Basically the same as the golf you mentioned before. They are great cars and the boot is enormous. Rleiability is good too. You'll get a much better or recent Ocatvia for your budget than Passat as well. If you can go for a 2.0 litre diesel rather than the 1.9. I have a1.9 and it's a good engine but much noisier than the more modern 2.0.

As for the weigtht, all recent cars weigh a lot becuase of all the luxury and safety gubbins they stick in them. A passat is even heavier than the Octavia.

If you want something slightly more off the wall buy a Land Rover Defender. The economy will be nowhere near as good but it will hold it's value like nothing else and they're more fun to drive than you'd believe. A Tax Exempt Series Land Rover would be even better IMHO but they're a bit extreme for most drivers used to modern cars.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

4 cylinders, ugh

roswell

Vauxhall vectra sri 150?

Lavendyr

Seat Ibiza 1.9 TDi is a good, economical car, but not all that unlike a VW (being as it actually is a VW underneath the bonnet). I bought my 04 reg, 25k miles, for £4k a couple of months back.