I swore I'd never do a 'what car' thread.
Discussion
....but then I thought , "f
k it, the PH masses are full of good advice and enough other tossers do it, so why not."
So basically my MX5 is getting near the 100,000mile/12month limit I set for myself, so it's time to start thinking about replacement.
The car will be used for work and leisure but mostly work - I spend a lot of time driving it to, in and around Central London - so it needs to be a nice and pleasant place to be, and good to drive in all scenarios (motorways, B-roads, in town, easy to park, etc) and a pig in none.
Believe it or not the MX5 has been perfect for this all year and I am considering another younger one...but I wouldn't mind a change, a little more practicality, and even smaller bills if poss.
The criteria in no particular order:
Under 10 years old - mileage as low as possible. Definitely under 100,000k.
Comfy - I will spend a lot of time in it.
Reliable - it's going to do 20-30,000 miles in the next year, and I need to be confident that it'll start every time, which is anywhere between not at all at the weekend to ten times per day during the week.
Cheap to buy and run.
(Budget is flexible, but the MX5 will go for £3000-3500 so will be a straight swap, and running costs would ideally fit within the £800 or so my mileage generates each month, but I want this to to cover EVERYTHING: fuel, tax, insurance, servicing, breakdown cover, the works. The MX5 has done well on this front, making a tidy profit in the last year
Petrol - diesel stinks and I hate everything about it and the way dervs drive. My Saab company barge was lovely, except for the godawful 1.9TiD engine and appalling autobox. I won't even start about 2.0 diesel X3 I had foisted on me for a while....that thing was spawn of Satan.
And as a former Renault and VAG service advisor I have seen (and written) enough four-figure bills for self destructing turbos that I will never EVER own one. So no diesels.
Practical (and before anyone says "But you've got an MX5", the boot on it is fking HUGE for something so small - it's more practical and with the spare wheel swapped for a compressor and can of tyre weld has far more bootspace than for example, a bMwINI).
Budget is as low as poss....will spend £5k on something I really like, but I'm hoping to keep it around £3000...tbh, the less I spend on it the more I can dump in the house deposit fund.....or do somethingreally stupid like buy an old TVR or 'vette for the weekends to feed my inner petrolhead.
Right now I'm thinking along the lines of something like this....I had a 1.8zetec once before, it was a lovely car, £3500 is more than enough to buy one, they're cheaper to insure and lower tax than the MX5, a good drive, and have more than enough space to do the job.
Thoughts?
k it, the PH masses are full of good advice and enough other tossers do it, so why not."So basically my MX5 is getting near the 100,000mile/12month limit I set for myself, so it's time to start thinking about replacement.
The car will be used for work and leisure but mostly work - I spend a lot of time driving it to, in and around Central London - so it needs to be a nice and pleasant place to be, and good to drive in all scenarios (motorways, B-roads, in town, easy to park, etc) and a pig in none.
Believe it or not the MX5 has been perfect for this all year and I am considering another younger one...but I wouldn't mind a change, a little more practicality, and even smaller bills if poss.
The criteria in no particular order:
Under 10 years old - mileage as low as possible. Definitely under 100,000k.
Comfy - I will spend a lot of time in it.
Reliable - it's going to do 20-30,000 miles in the next year, and I need to be confident that it'll start every time, which is anywhere between not at all at the weekend to ten times per day during the week.
Cheap to buy and run.
(Budget is flexible, but the MX5 will go for £3000-3500 so will be a straight swap, and running costs would ideally fit within the £800 or so my mileage generates each month, but I want this to to cover EVERYTHING: fuel, tax, insurance, servicing, breakdown cover, the works. The MX5 has done well on this front, making a tidy profit in the last year
Petrol - diesel stinks and I hate everything about it and the way dervs drive. My Saab company barge was lovely, except for the godawful 1.9TiD engine and appalling autobox. I won't even start about 2.0 diesel X3 I had foisted on me for a while....that thing was spawn of Satan.
And as a former Renault and VAG service advisor I have seen (and written) enough four-figure bills for self destructing turbos that I will never EVER own one. So no diesels.
Practical (and before anyone says "But you've got an MX5", the boot on it is f
king HUGE for something so small - it's more practical and with the spare wheel swapped for a compressor and can of tyre weld has far more bootspace than for example, a bMwINI).Budget is as low as poss....will spend £5k on something I really like, but I'm hoping to keep it around £3000...tbh, the less I spend on it the more I can dump in the house deposit fund.....or do something
Right now I'm thinking along the lines of something like this....I had a 1.8zetec once before, it was a lovely car, £3500 is more than enough to buy one, they're cheaper to insure and lower tax than the MX5, a good drive, and have more than enough space to do the job.
Thoughts?
Edited because I really can't do a post right the first time.
Edited by Doniger on Thursday 2nd December 00:26
Edited by Doniger on Thursday 2nd December 00:59
I don't think an MR2 has enough luggage space...good shout though, it's on the Want One list for the future.
MX5 has to go - I set a limit of 12 months ownership or 100,000miles on the clock....if I keep it another year it'll then be a 12/13 yr old 130,000mile car and I don't want that.
MX5 has to go - I set a limit of 12 months ownership or 100,000miles on the clock....if I keep it another year it'll then be a 12/13 yr old 130,000mile car and I don't want that.
Doniger said:
I don't think an MR2 has enough luggage space...good shout though, it's on the Want One list for the future.
MX5 has to go - I set a limit of 12 months ownership or 100,000miles on the clock....if I keep it another year it'll then be a 12/13 yr old 130,000mile car and I don't want that.
Ah yes, forgot the space bit. The Mk2 '2 has a really decent sized boot - full width and deep. The Mk3 not so much... MX5 has to go - I set a limit of 12 months ownership or 100,000miles on the clock....if I keep it another year it'll then be a 12/13 yr old 130,000mile car and I don't want that.
I was going to say a Porsche 944 but they're a bit old now; a Mazda RX-8 isn't too far from your budget, but running costs may be an issue!
So, how about Mazda 6 estate? Or Honda Accord (03-), maybe Audi A4 (01-). Their build quality seems all right, they have enough space and seem to be reliable.
I comfort is the most important, I'd say a french car, but reliable, well...
I comfort is the most important, I'd say a french car, but reliable, well...
Edited by Vic Cooper on Thursday 2nd December 01:03
I'm looking at 6's and Accords...they make sense. Audi's out on general principle. Ask the bear in my previous post what I think about French cars.
Mind you, stretching the budget a bit am I insane to be thinking about sub £5k, 100,000mile E46 318/320s?
....actually nevermind, the fact that I asked that shows that I'm fked and it's time for bed. 
Mind you, stretching the budget a bit am I insane to be thinking about sub £5k, 100,000mile E46 318/320s?
....actually nevermind, the fact that I asked that shows that I'm f
ked and it's time for bed. Edited by Doniger on Thursday 2nd December 01:18
jonesy000 said:
Seat ibiza Tdi? There pretty fun, and not to thirsty..
Op wont consider it becuase he has ruled out any VW or Audi because he has seen big bills for those in the past. A strange mindset if you ask me becuase I have seen 1-3 year old Mercedes having £2-5k bills and on the other hand one of my work collegues has a mk4 golf TDI 150, the ones that supposedly expload every second that is on 200k with no problems.OP- You can get a sub 100k year 2000/2002 era Honda S2000 for aroudn £5-6k, you may get lucky and find one with a hardtop to which would be great when using the car all year round.
Doniger said:
....but then I thought , "fk it, the PH masses are full of good advice and enough other tossers do it, so why not."
So basically my MX5 is getting near the 100,000mile/12month limit I set for myself, so it's time to start thinking about replacement.
The car will be used for work and leisure but mostly work - I spend a lot of time driving it to, in and around Central London - so it needs to be a nice and pleasant place to be, and good to drive in all scenarios (motorways, B-roads, in town, easy to park, etc) and a pig in none.
Believe it or not the MX5 has been perfect for this all year and I am considering another younger one...but I wouldn't mind a change, a little more practicality, and even smaller bills if poss.
The criteria in no particular order:
Under 10 years old - mileage as low as possible. Definitely under 100,000k.
Comfy - I will spend a lot of time in it.
Reliable - it's going to do 20-30,000 miles in the next year, and I need to be confident that it'll start every time, which is anywhere between not at all at the weekend to ten times per day during the week.
Cheap to buy and run.
(Budget is flexible, but the MX5 will go for £3000-3500 so will be a straight swap, and running costs would ideally fit within the £800 or so my mileage generates each month, but I want this to to cover EVERYTHING: fuel, tax, insurance, servicing, breakdown cover, the works. The MX5 has done well on this front, making a tidy profit in the last year
Petrol - diesel stinks and I hate everything about it and the way dervs drive. My Saab company barge was lovely, except for the godawful 1.9TiD engine and appalling autobox. I won't even start about 2.0 diesel X3 I had foisted on me for a while....that thing was spawn of Satan.
And as a former Renault and VAG service advisor I have seen (and written) enough four-figure bills for self destructing turbos that I will never EVER own one. So no diesels.
Practical (and before anyone says "But you've got an MX5", the boot on it is fking HUGE for something so small - it's more practical and with the spare wheel swapped for a compressor and can of tyre weld has far more bootspace than for example, a bMwINI).
Budget is as low as poss....will spend £5k on something I really like, but I'm hoping to keep it around £3000...tbh, the less I spend on it the more I can dump in the house deposit fund.....or do somethingreally stupid like buy an old TVR or 'vette for the weekends to feed my inner petrolhead.
Right now I'm thinking along the lines of something like this....I had a 1.8zetec once before, it was a lovely car, £3500 is more than enough to buy one, they're cheaper to insure and lower tax than the MX5, a good drive, and have more than enough space to do the job.
Thoughts?
Reckon that's a bit of a challenge tbh. Not sure a 1.6 Focus is really going to deliver on the driving front though.k it, the PH masses are full of good advice and enough other tossers do it, so why not."So basically my MX5 is getting near the 100,000mile/12month limit I set for myself, so it's time to start thinking about replacement.
The car will be used for work and leisure but mostly work - I spend a lot of time driving it to, in and around Central London - so it needs to be a nice and pleasant place to be, and good to drive in all scenarios (motorways, B-roads, in town, easy to park, etc) and a pig in none.
Believe it or not the MX5 has been perfect for this all year and I am considering another younger one...but I wouldn't mind a change, a little more practicality, and even smaller bills if poss.
The criteria in no particular order:
Under 10 years old - mileage as low as possible. Definitely under 100,000k.
Comfy - I will spend a lot of time in it.
Reliable - it's going to do 20-30,000 miles in the next year, and I need to be confident that it'll start every time, which is anywhere between not at all at the weekend to ten times per day during the week.
Cheap to buy and run.
(Budget is flexible, but the MX5 will go for £3000-3500 so will be a straight swap, and running costs would ideally fit within the £800 or so my mileage generates each month, but I want this to to cover EVERYTHING: fuel, tax, insurance, servicing, breakdown cover, the works. The MX5 has done well on this front, making a tidy profit in the last year
Petrol - diesel stinks and I hate everything about it and the way dervs drive. My Saab company barge was lovely, except for the godawful 1.9TiD engine and appalling autobox. I won't even start about 2.0 diesel X3 I had foisted on me for a while....that thing was spawn of Satan.
And as a former Renault and VAG service advisor I have seen (and written) enough four-figure bills for self destructing turbos that I will never EVER own one. So no diesels.
Practical (and before anyone says "But you've got an MX5", the boot on it is f
king HUGE for something so small - it's more practical and with the spare wheel swapped for a compressor and can of tyre weld has far more bootspace than for example, a bMwINI).Budget is as low as poss....will spend £5k on something I really like, but I'm hoping to keep it around £3000...tbh, the less I spend on it the more I can dump in the house deposit fund.....or do something
Right now I'm thinking along the lines of something like this....I had a 1.8zetec once before, it was a lovely car, £3500 is more than enough to buy one, they're cheaper to insure and lower tax than the MX5, a good drive, and have more than enough space to do the job.
Thoughts?
Edited because I really can't do a post right the first time.
Edited by Doniger on Thursday 2nd December 00:26
Edited by Doniger on Thursday 2nd December 00:59
I suppose it's just take your pick, there are loads of cars at this money and pretty much every major car maker will have something affordable and within spec.
For me personally, I'd want something a little bit more special than a Focus, even more so if coming from an MX-5. I think it'd feel like a massive backwards step and 5-6 weeks after the change you'll wish you didn't.
Think I might be tempted to look at something like this. Fun (more fun than a Focus at least), cheap tax and good on fuel. Easily under 10 years and way below 100k miles.
Practicality is probably the only downer.
COPEN 659CC (2006)
49,467 miles £4,995
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2089433.htm
Just over budget, but again IMO more fun than a Focus.
2004 04 Reg ALFA ROMEO GT 2.0 JTS 2 DR (2004)
59,900 miles £5,250
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1852456.htm
Or
BMW 3 SERIES 325 CI SE SPORT PACK 2DR AUTO SAT NAV SUNROOF (2001/Y)
60,000 miles £3,989
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2210664.htm
Doniger said:
Yep, 944 is on the Want One But It's No Good For Work list just ahead of the MR2 - I like the way you think 
On what grounds? If it's space you might be surprised. You can get a mahoosive amount in them.The Focus is a very sound suggestion from the sensible end of the spectrum. I've got a similar spec example to the one you've posted and it's a superb runaround. It's a touch thirsty for what it is and it's not the most exciting car to drive in outright terms, but it's a good enough steer for a sensible car, as well as being extremely comfortable, nicely refined for a mid-size hatch and very practical.
MR2 was a great suggestion. A little less boot space than the MX5, but otherwise it has many of the same advantages in a rather different package.
What about a 306 of some description? A mate has just picked up a mint 50,000 mile XSi for about £2k and I think he's actually physically in love with it. Only a little more would get a GTi-6 or Rallye within the 100k mileage limit and it'd combine the practicality of the Focus with a bit more verve.
DC2 Integra is hard to fault in general, but maybe a little uncomfortable if you do lots of motorway miles?
Is an Octavia vRS too 'white goods'? Good warm-ish Focus alternative...
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