Help me choose my winter daily driver

[deltashad]

My vote went for the 190e. I had a 1984 car, bought from a travelling family who can only describe as each member stank and were 3 times the size of an obesely oversized person.
It was awful and refused to die, as do all the cars I drive which I don't like.

But a 1994 car will be much better. The mazda is gonna be a bit boring.

[caelite]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Fiat Panda 100HP

Fantastic fun and 4 doors.

Front wheel drive so will be fine in winter.

Will get your money back when selling

+1 to one of these, my ex had a 1.2 fwd one of these which was extremely sure footed in the snow. Sadly you cant get it in 100bhp but the 4x4 version is a wee monster too, drags its way out of anything.

[Pedal_Loud]

caelite said:

+1 to one of these, my ex had a 1.2 fwd one of these which was extremely sure footed in the snow. Sadly you cant get it in 100bhp but the 4x4 version is a wee monster too, drags its way out of anything.

I hear you. I just can't get my head around getting in and out a Panda every day.

[funkyrobot]

sorin1987 said:

I had a 2006 mazda 3 and never had a problem with it. Sold it 3 months ago to some friends at 80k. No rust, nothing wrong with it whatsoever. I voted Mazda

I had a 2007 one for six years. Sold it a week or two ago. Never let me down.

However, it was starting to go on the arches (even though I looked after it) and I sold it as I now walk to work.

[WojaWabbit]

A 1.8 190E will struggle to keep up with modern traffic. It'll sit at 70mph on the m'way all day long. It'll just take an age to get there. A 2.0 is better, a 2.6 better still if you can find one.

Bombproof though. And comfortable if the suspension is in good order, which I doubt it will be at the lower end of the market. Not expensive to sort though, all very conventional and simple.

I like a car to have functioning aircon in the winter just as much as in the summer, as it makes for easy screen-clearing. Few 190Es had A/C fitted as it was a horrendously expensive option. Even fewer will have a system free from leaks these days, and parts are not easy to come by, nor are they inexpensive.

Brilliant old cars thoug, mine was christened the Iraqi taxi!

[anonymous-user]

Volkswagen Polo GTI

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

[white_goodman]

190E is cool but I think that I would prefer a C-Class (although probably rarer in manual). The Mazda would probably be the safer bet but I prefer the 6 of that era. I can't help thinking that there are better/more fun cars than the 3 though for the money.

mk1 Focus?

Honda Civic?

Jaguar X-Type?

3-Series?

or how about this Nissan Primera GT?

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[anonymous-user]

Skoda Octavia VRS

Drove one and very impressed.

VW Build quality too.

[white_goodman]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Skoda Octavia VRS

Drove one and very impressed.

VW Build quality too.

+1 Forgot about that one!

[Pedal_Loud]

Bought the Mazda, I'm loving the dullness and old person image. It's what I needed. Kind of like a car detox.... Give it 6 months, ok maybe 4, 3. Ah heck, who am I kidding. Anyone wanna buy cool Mazda 3?!

[Fittster]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

VW Build quality too.

And that's a good thing?

[Derventio]

Fiat Sedici perhaps? Cheap to buy and run, reliable if you go for the petrol (simple chain cam 16 valve Suzuki Swift lump), decent space for the family, cheap insurance, etc.

I know because I had one. It was way better than I thought it would be, specially in the snow. Only downside was that you had to really give it some revs to get it to move with anything resembling briskness.

[ZX10R NIN]

A few different local options:

2002 Alfa 147 2.0 Lusso 77k Alfa Specialist History (it's different & a lot more reliable than they get credit for)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2005 1.6 Lusso

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2003 Manual Mercedes C240 Estate (these cars are pretty much bullet proof) but beware of rust but with a nice V6 Full Service History

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Or a 2005 version but with the supercharged four pot

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...