£15k to buy a new car

cypher007

audi A5, if I was doing regular mileage. think the 2 door is gorgeous. I had a deposit on a sportback 2.0 tdi 2012 60k on the clock.


but alas it had been updated and I was told with the short miles I do it would most likely break down due to dpf/egr problems.

no1catman

How about a Citroen C3 - looks like a BMW Mini in styling, if anything a better shape.

daveyjp

harz99 wrote: »

A one year old Smart for Four, not the fastest of cars but certainly individual and very cheap to run.


Should be able to get a 0.9 turbo with good trim and pack level, maybe even a Brabus for that money.


Or new model at a lower level trim etc.

+1.

Only downsides with the Brabus are cost and they are auto only.

An ex demo Brabus will be about the whole budget. A 0.9t 90bhp can be had for half the budget of an ex demo Brabus and spec will be very similar.

The auto box is an automated manual - they were always fitted to original smarts and weren't very good, new one should be better.

Or the alternative to the smart is a Renault Twingo GT which should be cheaper.

SuzieSue

Honda Jazz. It is built in the UK and is the best small car:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/honda/honda-jazz-review/

It is also much bigger inside than it looks on the outside.

Alice_Holt

New Seat Ibiza is worth a look -
https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/review/

But with a new generation of small cars just coming to market, I'd be inclined to keep your current Fiesta and wait 18 months when you can get a nearly new bargain on the 2017 Fiesta, Ibiza, or 2018 Polo.

But if you want to stand out and get a different type of car - then I'd second the MX5 suggestion.
https://www.motorpoint.co.uk/vehicleadvert/mazda/mx-5%20convertible/714601
Now that would be a truly enjoyable car to own.

Hannah_Barnes

Woah, I didn't expect so many suggestions! Thank you so much. I'll certainly be looking into all of the above.
Maybe it would have been good to also ask which new models to avoid. Is there anything that fits the bill that really isn't value for money?
In terms of Ford, Renault, Nissan and Citroen - should I stick with Ford or are they all pretty much the same in what they offer at the moment? Thanks!

SuzieSue

Hannah_Barnes wrote: »

In terms of Ford, Renault, Nissan and Citroen - should I stick with Ford or are they all pretty much the same in what they offer at the moment? Thanks!

Go for Honda, much more reliable. I wouldn't buy any of the above unless it was all I could afford. Nissan used to be ok, but it is now tied up with Renault.

agrinnall

SuzieSue wrote: »

Go for Honda, much more reliable. I wouldn't buy any of the above unless it was all I could afford.

This might be true, although I have my doubts, but any £15K brand new Honda will be dull as ditchwater to drive compared to some of the other cars mentioned (particularly the Fiesta, although I may be biased as I'm on my second one :cool:).

SuzieSue

agrinnall wrote: »

This might be true, although I have my doubts, but any £15K brand new Honda will be dull as ditchwater to drive compared to some of the other cars mentioned (particularly the Fiesta, although I may be biased as I'm on my second one :cool:).

It depends what is important to you. For me, reliability and safety are the most important factors when choosing a car.

If you want the excitement of breaking down and paying for repairs, then yes, go for one of those.

Senseicads

To be fair fiestas areabout as reliable as you can get. If you are buying new them there aren't many that are unreliable nowadays and they all come with a load of warranty too. It is literally about how you feel inthem all. Go out, test drive a load. Have fun doing it and see what appeals.