13 plate astra or 11 plate focus

Lubo27

Hi


Looking for some advice, my 55 Renault Scenic has just failed it's MOT & after financing a few costly repairs I have decided to part company & buy a newish car.


I have been looking at either an Astra 1.4i 16V Exclusiv 5dr 13 plate 19,000 miles for £8,300 or a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec 5dr 11 plate 16,000 miles £8,300.


There is also a Ford Zetec 1.6 5dr 11 plate 5,000 miles £8,000.


The Astra appeals because it comes with a 3 year warranty but having done a bit of research I think Ford is the more reliable & rated car.


I really want as reliable a car as possible especially after experiencing the Scenic in the last 2 years or so.


I would be grateful for any advice/thoughts in helping me make my decision.

DUTR

They are both similar, and probably will both fair better than the current car, only thing I'd be wary of is a small engine in a medium size car, low ved is all well and good, put if the vehicle cannot over take a pushbike that saving means nothing in driving pleasure.

jaydeeuk1

'Astra' and 'appeals' are two words i've never seen together before. Get the focus imo. Ford aren't too bad for reliability, if you want that get an auris, just prepared to be bored to death when driving.

Lubo27

Thanks Toyotas/Honda's are a bit out of my price range.
Also looked at an 11 plate Peugeot 308 1.6 19,000 Diesel for £7,000.
The car would only be used mostly for short journeys with occasional longer trips, probably won't even do 8,000 miles a year so would be worried about dpf problems. Also don't know if Peugeot are any better than Renault & think I should steer clear of French cars!

xyz123

Personally I would buy a 2008/2009 Honda with slightly more miles than ones u found. Should be able to find for about 8500.

motorguy

Lubo27 wrote: »

Hi


Looking for some advice, my 55 Renault Scenic has just failed it's MOT & after financing a few costly repairs I have decided to part company & buy a newish car.


I have been looking at either an Astra 1.4i 16V Exclusiv 5dr 13 plate 19,000 miles for £8,300 or a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec 5dr 11 plate 16,000 miles £8,300.


There is also a Ford Zetec 1.6 5dr 11 plate 5,000 miles £8,000.


The Astra appeals because it comes with a 3 year warranty but having done a bit of research I think Ford is the more reliable & rated car.


I really want as reliable a car as possible especially after experiencing the Scenic in the last 2 years or so.


I would be grateful for any advice/thoughts in helping me make my decision.

The Focus IS the better car, and to me the 1.4 in the Astra is going to be rather asthmatic.

motorguy

Lubo27 wrote: »

Thanks Toyotas/Honda's are a bit out of my price range.
Also looked at an 11 plate Peugeot 308 1.6 19,000 Diesel for £7,000.
The car would only be used mostly for short journeys with occasional longer trips, probably won't even do 8,000 miles a year so would be worried about dpf problems. Also don't know if Peugeot are any better than Renault & think I should steer clear of French cars!

1.6 diesel Pug is a horror story. Avoid like the plague.

You're right not to be considering diesel at those miles.

Lubo27

I had just discounted Honda as I thought they would be out my price range but I have just had a look & there might be a few to look at 11 plate Civic 1.3 31,000 miles £8,200 or a 1.2 Jazz 13 plate 14,000 miles £8,250. They both have smaller engines so I would assume would be a bit like the 1.4 Astra?

clayton16749

I think the 1.4 Civic is supposed to be sluggish from what I've heard, but I've never driven it. The 1.8 petrol is good. A quick search also reveals plenty of Toyota Auris' around 3-4 years old for less than 8k with reasonable miles.


There's also the Mazda 3...


All should be reliable.

OddballJamie

Honda Civic 1.8 or a Nissan Note if you want something cheaper.

Also shouldn't depreciate as fast as an Astra or Focus.

If you're wanting an Astra then the 1.4t or 1.8vvt are more suited for the car's weight than the 1.4.

Whatever you decide on, make sure the service history is correct with mileage and timings, especially if there's warranty remaining.

Don't forget the i30 or C'eed as they should still have a decent amount of warranty for your price range.

xyz123

OP- just something to keep in mind. Some manufacturers may insist that car is serviced at their dealerships throughout warranty period to keep the warranty valid. so double check this when buying a used card with warranty still left.