The more I look the less I find...

[danlightbulb]

Ive heard this suspension refresh thing a couple times on here. I have never known of anyone who has proactively replaced suspension components. When they fail or knock, or at mot time yes, but do many people really do it any other time as a matter of routine maintenance?

[danlightbulb]

Oh ok. Well it was the term suspension refresh which implies someone has refreshed the whole suspension system.

If someone part exes a car with a small dealer, does the small dealer tend to keep all that receipt type stuff with the car? The car im interested in is at a small dealer.

[danlightbulb]

Oh ok. Well it was the term suspension refresh which implies someone has refreshed the whole suspension system.

If someone part exes a car with a small dealer, does the small dealer tend to keep all that receipt type stuff with the car? The car im interested in is at a small dealer.

[danlightbulb]

noell35 said:

Newer than the Mondeo ST you posted above
More powerful
Slightly better mpg
sub 7 sec 0-60
A more prestige badge
Newer
Cheaper
£290 road tax



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

I like that thanks.

General query. How often do cars like the above or st220s come on the market? I ask because that saab is 235 miles away in scotland, and the nice st220 is 90 odd miles away with only higher mileage cars closer and not many of those.

[danlightbulb]

Pommygranite said:

How many kids do you have?!

3. Can squeeze em in mondy but its a right faff with the boosters.

[danlightbulb]

Thanks for everyones input into this thread. I havent gone car shopping for 9 years so a bit out of touch with it all. Id have never considered a big petrol would be a viable choice either, having believed diesels were my only real option.

So St220 and saab 95 turbo. Any other similarly specc'd choices i could look at. Looks like im going 200+ bhp now lol.

There are quite a few low mileage mazda6's around in the 168bhp petrol?

Edited by danlightbulb on Saturday 5th September 10:55

[danlightbulb]

There is a lovely looking mazda6 mps in birmingham for only 4k. Its a saloon though so might be too much of a compromise. But 4 wheel drive!

[danlightbulb]

Roger Irrelevant said:

danlightbulb said:

I agree, the xtrail probably the best out the bunch looks wise. I could fit some AT tyres with the white writing on the sides, some side steps, and a bull bar at the front to enhances its mean-ness.

Right, I read this far down the thread and am now convinced the whole thing is a slow-burning wind-up.

Its not a wind up, I just don't really know what I want / can't afford what I want. You don't think this looks pretty cool?

Edited by danlightbulb on Sunday 6th September 11:05

Edited by danlightbulb on Sunday 6th September 11:07

[danlightbulb]

egor110 said:

I think ferraris look pretty cool but being i'm a postie i can't afford one so don't waste my time asking about which one i should buy.

Completely different situation. Im not talking supercars here Im talking normal cars. Normal cars that cost a few k. I know it would cost a bit to do up a 4x4 to look like that Nissan above.

Anyway, have been looking at running costs of the cars which are in the running.




think the saab is winning.

Edited by danlightbulb on Sunday 6th September 18:21

[danlightbulb]

egor110 said:

but your bouncing from 4x4 to bmw to saab to who knows what tomorrow, you need to narrow it down more otherwise your just going round and round in circles.

I accepted a few pages back that 4x4s were out. I only really wanted one for the 7 seats, because I don't like MPVs. But I can still get away with 5 seats as long as the car itself is large enough. The Nissan pic above was just to demonstrate my view that 4x4s can look really good when kitted out.

I've also accepted that a BMW, whilst the car is in my price range, the repairs won't be. So thats out, and goes for Audi's too.

I've also been warned off the diesels here. So all my choices are now fast petrol estates / hatchbacks (barring the Mazda MPS which is a saloon but probably off the table due to that).

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I actually like how they look. An estate is never going to look really good and I think the Saab pulls it off pretty well.

Is the 9-3 a smaller car than the 9-5? And what do you mean by 'it will be expensive when you want to sell it'? I plan on keeping this for at least 5 years, had my mondy 9 years.




9-3 aero very nice car and 250bhp. Alot to go wrong on a V6 turbo though?

Edited by danlightbulb on Sunday 6th September 18:58

[danlightbulb]

Here is a 9-5 aero estate, just misses the bigger tax bracket so comes in at £290.

Not bad for only £2.5k.



Just need to find one in black leather. Kids will wreck cream!

[danlightbulb]

iva cosworth said:

Is it possible for you and the OP to swap names.

Worst what car thread ever BTW.

Look, Ive come here for advice. I don't know about cars, I haven't followed cars since I was about 20 years old. I need a new one because my Mondeo is about to cost me a fair whack at MOT time and its done 190k miles. I cant just wait for it to break because I rely on my car as I'm sure we all do.

I have been on a journey here, learned alot more than I knew before I got here. Isn't that the point of a forum?

Edited by danlightbulb on Sunday 6th September 20:20

[danlightbulb]

Sorry people for the to-ing and fro-ing in this thread. I would never have considered that 200+ bhp cars would be reasonable to insure for me. That, plus the 7 seater confusion was why I wanted a 4x4. Anyway, all my pontificating all over now, and I'm just looking for the right car. An large-ish estate, 5 decent sized seats, petrol.

A few people have mentioned Volvo's. Here is one I like the look of: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

It is a 2005 V50 T5 AWD Sport. 220 bhp and 82000 miles on the clock.

Can I ask people's opinions on this please? How would it compare to a similarly powered Saab 9-3 or 9-5 aero, or to the Mondy ST220?

I have looked at the subaru outback, but there aren't many around and all fairly high miles. So it looks like the only contenders are saab 9-3 or 9-5, volvo v50, mazda6 or ford mondy. Should have alot of choice considering all those models maybe less so in the higher powered versions.

Stupid question but 220bhp? Is it really necessary? In the same way as I don't need 4 wheel drive but its a nice to have?

[danlightbulb]

Can I just have some opinions on the car please? Why the sarcasm?

danlightbulb said:

A few people have mentioned Volvo's. Here is one I like the look of: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

It is a 2005 V50 T5 AWD Sport. 220 bhp and 82000 miles on the clock.

Can I ask people's opinions on this please? How would it compare to a similarly powered Saab 9-3 or 9-5 aero, or to the Mondy ST220?

[danlightbulb]

Oh right. The saab 95 is only 100mm longer and 200mm wider than the v50 so it didnt seem a significant difference. How do you know what class a car is in?

[danlightbulb]

Right thanks. So the saab 93 is based on the vauxhall vectra platform, does that make it bigger than a focus?

[danlightbulb]

swisstoni said:

Or a Mondeo that only needs a few bob spent on it to last a few more years. Oh ....

Mot is tomorrow so ill know then how much it will cost to keep it going. Natural to want a change after 9 years in the same car isnt it.

[danlightbulb]

Gargamel said:

I only read it to try to help me understand indecisive people ..... not sure it has helped me.

I have another car, a Nissan Pathfinder, I know the OP looked at these earlier. Mine is a 2005, now has 130,000 on it, cost 500 in VED a year (ouch) doesn't have a DPF... rock solid engine, on it's second clutch (may shortly need a third) and averages 35mpg for a huge 2.5 TDi. Personally I don't think you can fault it, I paid £9000 for it at auction six years ago. In that time it has cost about £1200 in repairs, and servicing, tyres and a set of brakes. probably worth about £2k now. If you really need seven seats and 4x4 regularly it is well worth it.

If you don't really need 4 wheel drive and seven seats, DON'T BUY ONE they cost more to run than a Mondeo

I can see this thread is frustrating people now. I have asked alot of stupid questions. Its not that Im trying to be indecisive on purpose, but rather that I am keen to examine all the options before making a decision. £6k is alot of cash for me, have to raise finance for it, so I just wanted to make sure I cover the bases. And yes I was dreaming a little on what I could get for the money I see that.

I don't really need 4 wheel drive. 7 seats would be nice to have but I can make do without for a while yet at least. However, I don't really need 200+ bhp either do I, for driving at 30mph/40mph/50mph around the roads of the west midlands. So what's the difference? How many of us here could get away with a 1.0l micra for 99% of the time? I bet lots of us could. I think everything I look at that isn't a mondeo is going to cost me more to run than my mondeo. But I would like something different after 9 years of farts and kids sweets trod into the carpet, and it would be nice to treat myself to something with a bit of power for once, as I've never owned a fast car (due to insurance costs).

Ghost91 said:

I completely agree with both of the above posts, and condition is very important.

To be honest, if it were me - and it has been in the past, I would buy a cheap car that's fast and/or fun, and keep the rest in the bank for fuel and fixing it/buying next cheap car if it breaks instead of hoping the advice on a forum will get him into an unbreakable, fast, economical, newish, cheap to fix, good looking and practical 4x4 or big saloon or what about an estate, or maybe The VED is too much on this car that's 2k under budget so I'm writing it off entirely.

When I was 19 and equally as skint as the OP must be, I had 3k to spend on a car. At that price though It would of had to never really go wrong or Id be unable to pay the rent. I bought a 950 quid saab 9-3 convertible (on condition, no service history but it was immaculate, obviously garaged), and kept the other 2k for fuel and tax and repairs, luckily it only cost me an oil change in 2 years of hard abuse, was stylish enough and didn't financially ruin me - this is surely the best option with some sort of 4x4 or whatever for the OP. Cheap cool 4x4, money left in the just incase find is better than a 6k car that's in the awkward in between zone and could go bang just like anything - I'd rather a 1500 quid car go bang with a just incase fund than a 6k one without a backup plan. Who cares about the road tax and fuel if it's cheap enough, and it'll open up a lot more options.

This thread is doing my head in a bit but for some reason I keep coming back to look!

I am not skint as such, but not well off either. I can afford to run a car but I can't really afford any expensive repairs (credit cards had to be used in the past on the Mondy repairs). I think your point about the just in case fund is very valid. Maybe I should look older and keep cash in the bank to do as you suggest. However reliability is important to me and I'm concerned I wouldn't get that with an older car. Its not repairs that I mind (as such) but breaking down somewhere.

At the risk of extending the thread even further, what £1500 options would be good to look at, assuming I've settled on a decent sized estate and would like a bit of power to go with it?

[danlightbulb]

I did always used to like the accord's. Something like this one? 188bhp 7.9s to 60. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...


I can see the appeal of not having money tied up in a car, and having another £1500 in the bank to chop and change it at a minutes notice if needed.


Just checked how much to insure. £1 cheaper than my diesel mondy lol. Bloody amazing, a 188 bhp car.

Edited by danlightbulb on Monday 7th September 20:41

Edited by danlightbulb on Monday 7th September 20:49

[danlightbulb]

Good news. MOT cost £85 all in. Rear anti roll bar links replaced. Advisory on tyres and front wishbones. Gives me time to plan for what i really want to do now.