old banger needed, advice on which to buy please

fridgeracer

hi all,

i am on the edge of losing my low paid courier job and looking for something else and in the meantime i still need a cheap run around car but i really dont want to end up with something that always breaks, is very unreliable and costs too much in the long run to be worth having.

from my past experience, my parents have had a honda civic since 1989 and its been in my life nearly for a long as ive lived, 23 years and its done 160K miles and is still going brilliantly.

so would a cheap civic for 600 quid thats done 100K miles (i found 1 like this online) be worth it? it says its had full service history, and tonnes of stuff done to it to keep it going, and i know my parents have over the years had a few parts replaced and services done but apart from this the car just refuses to die. would this car be worth getting?

i am trying to sell my C3 that i bought recently for 3K, on credit (idiot, i know). and ive seen online that privately they are selling within 100 miles from me between 2500-4500 quid. so i think for 54K miles and only 1 previous real owner and full history and new MOT and new tax it could easily go for 3K which would put my debt back to square 1, and hopefully i could get this cheap car for peanuts and focus on a proper job without suffocating in debt.

am i on the right decision / path here or have i missed something, and if you can, please correct me in choice of car to drive if you feel and know from your experience that theres something more reliable and cheaper than an old honda. thanks.

Dukesy

I drove an R reg Honda Civic for a few years - I'm not going to lie, it was boring as hell, but it was also the most reliable car I have ever owned. The only money I ever had to spend on it was on new tyres and a weld to the exhaust. I used it to commute from Herefordshire to London a couple of days a week for a couple of years and it never once let me down. Cheap but with all the mod cons - central locking, air con, electric windows and mirrors etc.

I currently drive a 1989 Mark 2 Golf, which is, to me, a million times better, as it's actually fun to drive, super easy to fix, and super reliable too.

The cars I've had in between though... I regretted selling that Honda for a long time.

colino

You seem to have forgotten that you have a car on finance and have an unrealistic view of off loading it at dealer rates.

mattyprice4004

My vote goes to any Rover with the good old L series diesel engine in - the 200 is built a bit **** but a 400 and 45 are based on the Civic so are pretty solid. The 600 is based on the Accord and also comes in diesel flavour with this engine.

Honda actually used Rover's L series engine in the Civic / Accord 2.0 diesels they liked it that much.

They don't suffer from HGF, have a long service interval and are amazingly frugal with over 50MPG being achievable.

The later engine (as fitted to the 25/45 and MG ZR/ZS is a little more refined however the Bosch fuel pump is a little weak, and needs replacing at around 100-150k.

My ZS with the same engine is on 138k and runs lovely - I've had 5 other cars with this engine and all have been brilliant.

TrickyWicky

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a ford Ka. They are rustbuckets with paint so avoid like the plague.

fridgeracer

colino wrote: »

You seem to have forgotten that you have a car on finance and have an unrealistic view of off loading it at dealer rates.

the car is not on finance, i bought it using my credit cards. im allowed to sell it. dealer rates... i checked and the dealer rates around this area 100 miles radius are £4500 or £4000 for around the same age and same mileage and 1 owner status. so, £3000 for mine when you compare to those dealer rates, i believe is a fair private seller rate.

not offloading it either. that word to me means something is broken and im trying a quick sale to ditch it and leave the problems to someone else. nothings wrong with it, im simply selling it because i am poor and in debt and realise i can not afford to drive anything that costs more than 600 quid to buy and costs anymore than new tyres and fuel and 1 service per year. if a honda or a rover as stated here is what i need to do that, then thats what i have to do.

C_Mababejive

Civics and Mk3 Golfs...or indeed MK2s

atrixblue.-MFR-.

honda concerto boring but more room than a civic if you need space.

look familliar .

cheaper than a civic honda bullet proof engine and gearbox and rover/honda interior.

oliverr

Golfs are very reliable, generally speaking... I'd avoide anything French at that age.

scaredofdebt

I'd avoid anything French at any age, car wise anyway.

Rolandtheroadie

Recent car's I've had (free-£550) are corsa B 1.7d, Astra F 1.7d and now an Audi 80 tdi.

All bought on length of MOT, all mot'd at least once more.