Buying a car for £3-£4k from Fiats/Fords/Jags to Mercs

[anonymous-user]

Hello,

I am after some advice please if possible, and hope that I have come to the right place. I am looking to buy a car for around £3000 - £4000 I do on average 6000 miles a year. I suppose I am not such what to look for, I have done some insurance quotes and they have remained the same with some being less than £100 based on the car. I am just after

Something that is nice/fun to drive
Relatively good on fuel
Tax around £300 would be my maximum if it's cheaper then that's a bonus.
Low Service Costs

Now I know that if you think pragmatically all used cars at some point will need some work doing to them. But with that said hopefully some helpful advice I can buy a decent car for work.

So some of the cars I have looked at:

Fiat Panda 100hp:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Jaguar X-Type AWD:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Mercedes-Benz E Class - 3.2 E320 Avantgarde:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Mercedes-Benz CLK320 Avantgarde:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Audi A2:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Audi A4 1.8T S Line:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Ford Fiesta ST:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Ford Mondeo ST:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Jaguar S Type:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Honda Civic Sport:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

They are some of the cars I have looked at, initially I wanted something small, which would be okay for my commute, but if I can get more bang for my buck from a larger car then I will certainly consider it, any advice from previous owners or specialists would be amazing.

Thank you.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'm bias but the CLK would be my pick they're a very nice place to while away the miles & they can have some fun when you want to press on.

If you're looking at a 320 then don't dismiss the 500 as it's around 4-5 MPG worse off to the 320 in the real world but you get a great torquey V8 £325 Tax:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

350's are out there but check to see if the balancer shaft has been done as some 350's have av issue with this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

You can get newer 280's for you budget but they tend to be £555 tax so haggle hard:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The 320 you linked to is a nice one.

[Wooda80]

Good grief! I took that X-type in part exchange from it's second owner ( it's 2 former keepers, 3 owners now ) nearly 10 years ago.

The week before we'd had another customer in looking for a cheap X-Type, much less money than we normally keep in stock, but we mentioned that we had this one coming in on the Sunday afternoon that was very low mileage and full service history and would be in their price range.

They actually came in, viewed and bought the car before the previous owners had completed the handover on their new XF and driven off! If I remember correctly they traded in £150 worth of the scruffiest Mitsubishi Carisma you ever saw but which served the staff member who bought it very well for the at least another 5 years.

Please don't take that as a recommendation!

Sorry for the thread hijack - my advice to the OP would be that all cars in this price range will be imperfect. Some cars may have common failiure points but need to judged on an individual basis . It would be misleading to say for example that one make has a better reputation than another so go out and buy any Jag in preference to any Fiat - it's all down to the condition of the individual example.

Edited by Wooda80 on Saturday 18th April 17:52

[anonymous-user]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'm bias but the CLK would be my pick they're a very nice place to while away the miles & they can have some fun when you want to press on.

If you're looking at a 320 then don't dismiss the 500 as it's around 4-5 MPG worse off to the 320 in the real world but you get a great torquey V8 £325 Tax:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

350's are out there but check to see if the balancer shaft has been done as some 350's have av issue with this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

You can get newer 280's for you budget but they tend to be £555 tax so haggle hard:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The 320 you linked to is a nice one.

I certainly do think they are very nice, and a lot of car for the money. I would probably stick to a 320 if I am honest. Not that sure on the CLK500. The 280 looks nice but as you say it's very high on the tax. But as you mentioned you could haggle hard. Are there any problem areas to look out for, and service wise I assume they are okay?

[Pericoloso]

How many people have both a Panda and a Merc E class in a potential purchase list ?....

[anonymous-user]

Wooda80 said:

Good grief! I took that X-type in part exchange from it's second owner ( it's 2 former keepers, 3 owners now ) nearly 10 years ago.

The week before we'd had another customer in looking for a cheap X-Type, much less money than we normally keep in stock, but we mentioned that we had this one coming in on the Sunday afternoon that was very low mileage and full service history and would be in their price range.

They actually came in, viewed and bought the car before the previous owners had completed the handover on their new XF and driven off! If I remember correctly they traded in £150 worth of the scruffiest Mitsubishi Carisma you ever saw but which served the staff member who bought it very well for the at least another 5 years.

Please don't take that as a recommendation!

Sorry for the thread hijack - my advice to the OP would be that all cars in this price range will be imperfect. Some cars may have common failiure points but need to judged on an individual basis . It would be misleading to say for example that one make has a better reputation than another so go out and buy any Jag in preference to any Fiat - it's all down to the condition of the individual example.

Edited by Wooda80 on Saturday 18th April 17:52

That is amazing, it looks like a good car, full Jag service history is mentioned in the description, and it has low mileage.

[anonymous-user]

Pericoloso said:

How many people have both a Panda and a Merc E class in a potential purchase list ?....

I am just looking at options, there is no harm in that is there?

[anonymous-user]

If I may start with both the Fiat Panda 100HP and the Fiesta ST are there any problems with these cars? I assume the parts are cheap and readily available, and servicing should not be too bad. I put these on the list as I have liked both of them, both look like a lot of fun, and have a good reputation online. Also from what I have read the Panda 100HP is quite a rare car, and holding their values well. I would be interested to hear from previous owners of either the Fiesta ST and the Fiat Panda 100HP.

[ZX10R NIN]

Mr.Noboby said:

I certainly do think they are very nice, and a lot of car for the money. I would probably stick to a 320 if I am honest. Not that sure on the CLK500. The 280 looks nice but as you say it's very high on the tax. But as you mentioned you could haggle hard. Are there any problem areas to look out for, and service wise I assume they are okay?

Bodywork wise the front of the rear arch takes a beating from stones so you sometimes get some light rust but this can be sorted for around £150.

Engine wise the only issue is if it's due it's spark plug service because there are 12/16 of them but it's not to expensive.

The gearbox has to have it's fluid & filter changed every 40k if it's not been done then budget £200-250 to have it done again haggle hard if it's not been done.

They're pretty much bulletproof, if you shut the door & you hear a rattle then it means the window mech needs re riveting this will be because people have shut the door with the window rather than the door handle.

Also for the pre facelift cars if you start them & hear a clicking from behind the dash then it means the flaps need sorting it's a cheap job parts wise but a bit labour intensive

[bearman68]

Anything Ford from that list. Drive well, cheap, reliable, and relatively easy to work on.

But as someone said, individual cars vary. Check things out with your eyes open.

[Trevor555]

From your list I'd find it hard to look past that X-Type, looks a proper nice example for £2395

But it wouldn't be fun, the Fiesta ST and Mondeo ST might fit the fun bit better.

I had a 100hp Panda for a few weeks years ago.

It felt very cheap, and at only 33,000 miles it had issues, so not sure how they'd be now 10 years on.

[MorganP104]

I've got a Jag X-Type 2.5 V6 Auto, and can recommend it. Rides and cruises like a big Jag, handles like a well sorted Mondeo (that's a good thing, not to be taken as a criticism), and generally behaves itself.

I bought mine three years ago for £950, and all it's needed have been consumables at MoT time, one wheel bearing, and a replacement radiator (not the car's fault, a previous owner had done a shockingly bad liquid metal repair to a stone hole).

The only black mark against it is that the V6 engine is a bit on the thirsty side, as you might expect with an AWD auto, to be fair.

Oh, and it's no rocketship, though it can handle itself well in the outside lane of the motorway when necessary.

[anonymous-user]

Surely those Mercs are total moneypits. Can't see them being cheap to run at all let alone at this age.

[anonymous-user]

MorganP104 said:

I've got a Jag X-Type 2.5 V6 Auto, and can recommend it. Rides and cruises like a big Jag, handles like a well sorted Mondeo (that's a good thing, not to be taken as a criticism), and generally behaves itself.

I bought mine three years ago for £950, and all it's needed have been consumables at MoT time, one wheel bearing, and a replacement radiator (not the car's fault, a previous owner had done a shockingly bad liquid metal repair to a stone hole).

The only black mark against it is that the V6 engine is a bit on the thirsty side, as you might expect with an AWD auto, to be fair.

Oh, and it's no rocketship, though it can handle itself well in the outside lane of the motorway when necessary.

That sounds okay, I was pretty surprised at the one I found to be honest, with full Jag service history. I will certainly have a look at it. Are there any problem areas to look out for on them, how much did you pay for the consumables, and could you use Ford parts on them?

[anonymous-user]

Elatino1 said:

Surely those Mercs are total moneypits. Can't see them being cheap to run at all let alone at this age.

I think they are okay for the price, they are quite old, but they look well looked after, running costs are not too bad considering the engine size and the weight of the car. They are probably similar to most 2.0 - 2.5 petrol cars.

[ZX10R NIN]

Elatino1 said:

Surely those Mercs are total moneypits. Can't see them being cheap to run at all let alone at this age.

Wrong a well looked after one will cost no more than a hot hatch to run parts are sensible money & most garages can look after them & I've listed pretty much everything to look out for.

If it's due any of the things listed above then haggle.

[Lester H]

Elatino1 said:

Surely those Mercs are total moneypits. Can't see them being cheap to run at all let alone at this age.

Yep.What’s the quotation? “If it was expensive to run when new, it’s expensive to run when old.”

Others on here point out that they can be run reasonably cheaply. Quite possibly, thanks to inherent quality BUT if you’re the one who gets the big potential bill, it’s goodnight Vienna.

Edited by Lester H on Sunday 19th April 16:36

[ZX10R NIN]

Lester H said:

Yep.What’s the quotation? “If it was expensive to run when new, it’s expensive to run when old.”

Wrong they weren't expensive to run when new I think you're confusing them with the CL which is a totally different car, the CLK shares it's parts/drivetrains with the E/SLK & C Class.

As I said it'll cost roughly the same as a hot hatch to run & probably less if you're looking at something like a DSG GTI for similar money.

Feel free to tell me what's expensive on a CLK maintenance wise?

[anonymous-user]

I am still going to look at the CLK and E Class as mentioned above they won’t be much more to maintain than a hot hatch. I am also considering the Jaguar X Type. Due to it having Full Jag Service History and low mileage. The final car on my list to try is the Fiesta ST. I’ve always wanted one when younger but they were expensive to insure.

Would anyone have any other cars they would recommend?

[MorganP104]

Mr.Noboby said:

MorganP104 said:

I've got a Jag X-Type 2.5 V6 Auto, and can recommend it. Rides and cruises like a big Jag, handles like a well sorted Mondeo (that's a good thing, not to be taken as a criticism), and generally behaves itself.

I bought mine three years ago for £950, and all it's needed have been consumables at MoT time, one wheel bearing, and a replacement radiator (not the car's fault, a previous owner had done a shockingly bad liquid metal repair to a stone hole).

The only black mark against it is that the V6 engine is a bit on the thirsty side, as you might expect with an AWD auto, to be fair.

Oh, and it's no rocketship, though it can handle itself well in the outside lane of the motorway when necessary.

That sounds okay, I was pretty surprised at the one I found to be honest, with full Jag service history. I will certainly have a look at it. Are there any problem areas to look out for on them, how much did you pay for the consumables, and could you use Ford parts on them?

X-Types are pretty resistant to rust, but neglected examples can harbour issues. Check the MoT history online for what it's passed and failed on over the years, keeping an eye out for the word "corrosion"!

In terms of Ford parts, it is reputed that the X-Type shared 30% of its components with the Ford Mondeo, so most bits are Jag only. The 2.5 V6 engine is a development of the unit used in the Mondeo, but with variable valve timing in the Jag.

Nothing strikes me as being particularly fragile about the car, so it should feel like a solid bit of kit on the test drive. If it feels sketchy, walk away.