Car to street park in East London, cheap or more expensive?

[DrFeelAverage]

I'm moving to Bow soon, and I'm planning on keeping a car. I'd be looking at a manual petrol, something practical, reliable, and good enough on a motorway, but boring and undesirable enough that could be left street parked in a residential area in London for weeks on end without too much risk of being damaged or stolen. It also needs to be max around 10 years old, and ideally without too higher RFL (and other running costs).

There's a bunch of options from a 10k 2018 1.0tsi Octavia to a 3k 2010 1.6 Megane. The budget is up to around 10k, ideally less, but I'm really asking whether it's better to go cheap and cheerful or newer and more expensive considering the situation. Also, considering how much used car prices have risen, is it wiser just to hold onto my current 2014 diesel Golf (worth about 6k trade in) and see how I feel next year?

[Johnny 89]

Unless I'm missing something, your Golf seems to fit the bill perfectly? From what I read you don't want the car to be particularly exciting or desireable (the opposite in fact) so why change? Buying a second hand car is always a bit of an unknown with respect to work that is required. At least your Golf is known quantity.

[DrFeelAverage]

Johnny 89 said:

Unless I'm missing something, your Golf seems to fit the bill perfectly? From what I read you don't want the car to be particularly exciting or desireable (the opposite in fact) so why change? Buying a second hand car is always a bit of an unknown with respect to work that is required. At least your Golf is known quantity.

It is true, it's the perfect car, the only issue is its not ULEZ compliant, but that won't affect me for another year.
It also has a door seal leak I can't fix, but I know that isn't a good enough reason to buy a new car either, I guess I'm just fidgety.

[ZX10R NIN]

To be fair you can park anything you want where you want but if you want to keep the overall costs sensible then these are what I'd be looking at:

Giulietta Sportiva 170 a nice mix of pace spec age & mileage

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011126...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012016...

Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

1.6T Astra GTC SRI

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010155...

Is your Golf ULEZ compliant? If it is keep it, if it isn't move it on now.

[robbieduncan]

I lived in Bow from 2001 to 2013. I parked an XK8, an Elise, a Boxster on the street. Never an issue. Bow is much nicer now than it was in the early 2000s...

[ZX10R NIN]

I forgot this one:

Kia Rio First Edition that comes fully spec'd & two years warranty too.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010134...

[DrFeelAverage]

ZX10R NIN said:

To be fair you can park anything you want where you want but if you want to keep the overall costs sensible then these are what I'd be looking at:

Giulietta Sportiva 170 a nice mix of pace spec age & mileage

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011126...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012016...

Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

1.6T Astra GTC SRI

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010155...

Is your Golf ULEZ compliant? If it is keep it, if it isn't move it on now.

Hiya, it's not ULEZ unfortunately, barely half a year too old annoyingly. However, it is a very good car.
I'd love to own an Alfa, but reviews of the Giulietta seem mixed, although I know that 1.4 is a strong engine, and you highly recommend them. Also, it worries me that it was re-tested by NCAP a few years back and dropped from 5 to 3 stars, 97% to 72% passenger protection. A friend of mine had a four door Astra which he rated, but always felt like an uncomfortable place to be to me.

ZX10R NIN said:

I forgot this one:

Kia Rio First Edition that comes fully spec'd & two years warranty too.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010134...

The Rio looks good, surely has 5 years warranty left? I read that there had been problems with these 1.0 Kia/Hyundai engines in the JD power results, but I could be misremembering.

[DrFeelAverage]

robbieduncan said:

I lived in Bow from 2001 to 2013. I parked an XK8, an Elise, a Boxster on the street. Never an issue. Bow is much nicer now than it was in the early 2000s...

Ahh, that's good to hear. To be fair I've walked round the area several times and seen all sorts of cars parked (including a matching pair of DB11's with parking tickets near Roman Road) so I'm sure whatever I have will be just fine. Shame the insurance/engine-size-based parking permit has put the kibosh on anything big or sporty.

[ZX10R NIN]

DrFeelAverage said:

The Rio looks good, surely has 5 years warranty left? I read that there had been problems with these 1.0 Kia/Hyundai engines in the JD power results, but I could be misremembering.

Hyundai's have a 5 year warranty but you can extend it the 1.0T has had a few niggly issues but nothing that would make me not recommend buying one & the warranty pretty much gives you peace of mind.

The engine is pretty punchy & the First Edition's come loaded:

Lane Assist
Android Auto/Apple Carplay
Heated Seats & Steering Wheel
Xenon's
Cruise Control
Leather Interior
Parking Sensors
Rear Camera etc

This one is a better deal than the one I linked too before & with your permit linked to CC's they make great sense.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010104...

[anonymous-user]

Polo or Golf tbh.

Probably the Polo/Seat Ibiza with a 6 speed gearbox because its London and there’s a negligible difference in quality if you’re not sitting in the back.

Its small enough to park easily and has everything you need.

115bhp Ibiza FR Sport (best trim) can be had for 10k and has all the kit you need. 6 speed manual. With nice long gears good for motorway probably be sitting at ~1750 rpm in 6th at 70. And it will still have warranty