What car would you buy with £8k?

JoeyEmma

We are planning on spending about £8000 on a new car.

Here is our brief-
- 2 adults thinking of starting a family in the next year or two.
- The car will be for the next 4-5 years. It is the only car between the two of us
- We have a Clio at the moment and would like something a bit roomier and nicer
- We are looking at buying something 2-3 years old
- It needs to be 5 doors
- Insurance needs to be low (slightly dodgy area and low amount of NCB makes insurance sky high) although hoping we don't get stuck with a car that is as slow as a snail
- The car would do about 10-12k miles a year, about 2/3 will be town/ city driving, the rest on motorways

Cars we have ruled out include-
Skoda Fabia- ugly ugly ugly
Vauxhall Astra- Just not for us at all

I'd love a Nissan Qashqai but its just too pricey!

If you were in our position what would you get? Petrol or diesel? Make and model?


TIA

j4g3d

New shape golf?
Mercedes E or C class?

tdi.

Or what about the kia cee-d sw? its 10k brand new with 7 years warranty, trade your clio on with the scrappage scheme = 8k.

motorguy

I dont think you really do the mileage to justify a TDI, unless you have a strong preference for their driving style.

I found this recently and i think its hard to beat for value if your budget will stretch a little.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201004351097300/sort/priceasc/usedcars/fuel-type/petrol/quantity-of-doors/5/maximum-age/up_to_1_year_old/body-type/hatchback/engine-size-cars/1-4l_to_1-6l/model/golf/make/volkswagen/postcode/bt667gu/radius/1500/page/1?previous=/search/used/cars/volkswagen/golf/postcode/bt667gu/radius/1500/fuel-type/petrol/quantity-of-doors/5/maximum-age/up_to_1_year_old/body-type/hatchback/engine-size-cars/1-4l_to_1-6l/sort/priceasc/page/1&logcode=p

I'd say it could be bought for a little over £9K

blue_haddock

For the mileage you are doing you dont need a diesel

motorguy

A focus probably represents another great allrounder.

Though check prices as they can vary wildly even from dealer to dealer.

hothothot_3

Id go for a Toyota Prius

or Ford Focus.

JoeyEmma

Unfortunately, the Clio is a work car and can't be traded in. I'm changing jobs so have to buy a new one.

We want to avoid taking out finance/ putting it on credit cards, so £8500 is the absolute max, we would prefer to pay just under £8000.

motorguy

JoeyEmma wrote: »

Unfortunately, the Clio is a work car and can't be traded in. I'm changing jobs so have to buy a new one.

We want to avoid taking out finance/ putting it on credit cards, so £8500 is the absolute max, we would prefer to pay just under £8000.

Do a national search for a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec.

You'll be surprised how much variance there is in price. It'll be under manufacturers warranty so you can then get it serviced locally.

jaydeeuk1

Mazda6 looks a damn good car. Doubt you'll get the newer 08 model for £8k, but even the older model is a good'n. Plus being a mazda, it should be pretty reliable.

piggeh

Hyundai i30 worth a look - nice spec, long warranty, nice interior, not a bad looking car from the outside. Think some have said the driving is a bit unresponsive but worth a test drive.

Kia C'eed is basically the same car I think (and iirc both are built in a brand new state of the art factory in Slovakia), and has a 7 year warranty, though I personally prefer the look of the i30.

hethmar

VW Polo - you wont get a Golf for that price but the Polos are nice.