car suggestions

w123kid

hi guys
looking at getting anew car in the weeks to follow

have to return a focus 1,4 petrol 99 which i had loaned to me for a year - i will prob covering 10k yearly and would like something reasoniably cheap to run with good fuel efficency - also with baby due next month space is important

budget about 1-2k possible streaching if worth in the long run

with the recent focus experience while having it i had to replace timing belt and clutch which cost nearly as much as the initail price that was paid for the car -
trying to read as much as i can best model - fuel efficent models - currentl use about 40-50 quid a week in petrol.
any suggestion welcome thanks

skivenov

What sort of driving are you doing? Round town or long runs?

w123kid

town mainly - i commute 50m weekly and then weekend trips

forgotmyname

A basic standard service costing more than the car is something you need to get used to.
The only other option is neglect it and drive it until it collapses in a heap and hope it doesnt do it in the middle of nowhere.

Budget around £1000 go for something older than 1999/2000. Maybe a petrol focus?
Fiesta?

After that date cars started having dual mass flywheels which can cost £1000 for a full clutch change. £1200 at fords.

So buy an older car thats in great condition. Rather than a newer one that maybe a burden at repair time.

w123kid

cheers
i curerntly using a focus 1.4 petrol but been told fule comsumption is not great on it - and i probably would agree

thanks for the heads up on newwr model

skivenov

The 1.4's bad on fuel, because it's based on an old engine that's not seen any real improvement for a lot of years.

You've got a trade off here if you're thinking newer stuff.

Petrol. Crap on fuel in stop start traffic.

Diesel. Constantly good on fuel. BUT, if it's a newer one with a DPF, it'll get poorly from all the short runs. Older stuff, if you're unlocky, might decide it's fuel pump's dead one day, which is pretty much a write off.

If you're not particularly looking for a brand, and just want transport, I'd go Volvo S40/V40 petrol. Not the best on fuel, but comfy, spacious and dirt cheap to buy, don't spend more than £1000. What it costs in fuel, you'll more than save in purchase price.

Downside to them is they rust a bit sometimes. But this end of the market's called bangernomics and it works well

jase1

forgotmyname wrote: »

After that date cars started having dual mass flywheels which can cost £1000 for a full clutch change. £1200 at fords.

Depends on the vehicle. Still plenty of cars being built that don't have DMFs.

And I don't agree that buying an older car is a good idea. They may be simpler, but IME they go wrong more as they get older -- and there will come a time when rust becomes a problem.

Fact is, clutches are not something that generally needs to be replaced for at least 100,000 miles, unless the car is badly designed.

Likewise with timing belts, newer cars have been increasingly moving back to timing chains, which usually don't need replacing over the lifetime of the car. In any case, once a car hits a certain age, you don't bother with it -- if it goes, it goes, bin it and move on. It's not exactly an onerous expense anyway -- £200-250 for most cars every 60-80,000 miles.

Ultimately I still advocate a simple, basic 1.6 Japanese petrol car for the kind of budget and work you're after. Corolla, older model Civic, 323, Almera, Lancer, also Focus, Astra or Hyundai Elantra/Kia Cerato (which is the same car as the Elantra under the skin). Somewhere around the 2004-2006 age range. Not doing enough miles for an older diesel to be worth the potential hassle.

w123kid

thanks guys
for all the info - sticking to petrol then and yes hoping for a 1006-2008 model withing the 2000 range


what are vectra like?

wba31

might get a 1.4 honda civic? if you get a post 2000 model they are massive inside, and great reliable cars

andygb

forgotmyname wrote: »

A basic standard service costing more than the car is something you need to get used to.
The only other option is neglect it and drive it until it collapses in a heap and hope it doesnt do it in the middle of nowhere.

Budget around £1000 go for something older than 1999/2000. Maybe a petrol focus?
Fiesta?

After that date cars started having dual mass flywheels which can cost £1000 for a full clutch change. £1200 at fords.

So buy an older car thats in great condition. Rather than a newer one that maybe a burden at repair time.

£500 for a kit (Single flywheel, clutch, release bearing) and fitting to change the DMF back to a single flywheel on a Skoda Octavia.

andygb

jase1 wrote: »

Depends on the vehicle. Still plenty of cars being built that don't have DMFs.

And I don't agree that buying an older car is a good idea. They may be simpler, but IME they go wrong more as they get older -- and there will come a time when rust becomes a problem.

Fact is, clutches are not something that generally needs to be replaced for at least 100,000 miles, unless the car is badly designed.

Likewise with timing belts, newer cars have been increasingly moving back to timing chains, which usually don't need replacing over the lifetime of the car. In any case, once a car hits a certain age, you don't bother with it -- if it goes, it goes, bin it and move on. It's not exactly an onerous expense anyway -- £200-250 for most cars every 60-80,000 miles.

Ultimately I still advocate a simple, basic 1.6 Japanese petrol car for the kind of budget and work you're after. Corolla, older model Civic, 323, Almera, Lancer, also Focus, Astra or Hyundai Elantra/Kia Cerato (which is the same car as the Elantra under the skin). Somewhere around the 2004-2006 age range. Not doing enough miles for an older diesel to be worth the potential hassle.

Firstly, all manufacturers are having problems with DMF's, some at ridiculously low mileages and within warranty.
Not many makes still use timing chains, because they are noisy in comparison to belts. Most cars with belts need them changing every 3 years or 36K miles, due to many belts snapping inside of the manufacturers advised schedule.
If somone is doing 10K miles a year, and running a petrol car which does 35MPG, then the savings in fuel costs alone on a 55MPG diesel (and tax and insurance) make a diesel a worthwhile choice.