Challenge: £1250 budget

GAZ237

fivetide wrote: »

C-Class Merc.

Turning circle likea taxi. Comfy, auto, not great on juice but chain driven engines capable of 200,000 + no problem.

This on is sold but they keep popping up. Worth £300 as scrap.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sale/158734-mercedes-c220d-low-miles-%A3795.html

Mercs in the £1250 budget 1998-2003 have major issues with bodywork rust.

Tigerprint

I can advise NOT to buy an Astra 1.8 Auto, water radiator gearbox issues, In fact I'm not sure if this is a Vauxhall thing?, Beware

fivetide

GAZ237 wrote: »

Mercs in the £1250 budget 1998-2003 have major issues with bodywork rust.

Some not all.

I had one. C200. No rust whatsoever. Had been replaced under warranty. One owner, FSH, 75k on the clock.

Cost £1000

GAZ237

fivetide wrote: »

Some not all.

I had one. C200. No rust whatsoever. Had been replaced under warranty. One owner, FSH, 75k on the clock.

Cost £1000

Fair enough yours has been repaired under warranty, but the majority haven't.

I agree you can buy a lot of big car for £1000. Plus they will do big miles.

I'm currently looking for a tourer 2000-2002 and cannot find a Merc without rust, so am looking for a BMW 528i SE, expect to pay £900-£1250. Lot of car for silly money.

fivetide

Have a look at the one I linked to though.

I wouldn't call that rusty, certainly not dangerous rust and you'd be hard pressed to find a 20 year old car - that isn't a classic stored in aheated garage, that is in better nick.

Top tip for the OP - look at owners club's forums like that. You can check a poster's history, see what issues they might have had and generally, you know they are enthusiasts about the car so should know how to loook after them (or ask for the right help!)

GAZ237

fivetide wrote: »

Have a look at the one I linked to though.

I wouldn't call that rusty, certainly not dangerous rust and you'd be hard pressed to find a 20 year old car - that isn't a classic stored in aheated garage, that is in better nick.

Top tip for the OP - look at owners club's forums like that. You can check a poster's history, see what issues they might have had and generally, you know they are enthusiasts about the car so should know how to loook after them (or ask for the right help!)

Yes that quite a tidy example.

I just did a quick search on Gumtree and this was the first, which is a typical example.
http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/mercedes-c220-cdi-estate/1032657214#photo-content

fivetide

GAZ237 wrote: »

Yes that quite a tidy example.

I just did a quick search on Gumtree and this was the first, which is a typical example.
http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/mercedes-c220-cdi-estate/1032657214#photo-content

Respectfully disagree about it being totally typical. Perhaps five years ago...
. Again, most cars getting on for 20 years old will be full of rust by now, including Mondeos, Mazda 323 and others.

The thing with the big barges still on the road (MB or BMW et al) is you tend to find enthusiast owners and/or a low number of owners. They also tend to have a lot of history because while people will get a dealer service on a Mondeo to keep the warranty, after that, they just don't care. Owners of the higher end stuff keep paying becuase they can afford to. Of course that isn't hard and fast but it is the reason cars like all the ones i have linked to exist.

2nd option on pistonheads

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/mercedes-c180-elegance/1711120

only reason i didn't post the first is they want 2k for it

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/mercedes-c-class-c-180-1994-beautiful-original-cond-fsh-60k-miles/1557232

System

My choice would be a Honda Accord.

Automatic transmission will be very easy to find among this model and they are very reliable.

westwood68

Volvo V40 or S40

Loads with full leather, heated seats and auto boxes below that price.

Don't get the diesel; the petrol is much more reliable.

Look on here:-
http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/

between 2000 and 2013 numbers of petrol S40s still left on the orad dropped by 35% while numbers of diesel S40s dropped by 75%.

That's the Renault diesel engine for you