Decent car for £1500 ?

[pixieporsche]

How about an XJ40? OH and I ran one for a year (which was free and on it's last legs, didn't cost us a penny but £40 for a PAS hose this was for 18 months motoring!)You'd get a lovely example for £1500 too.

I'd certainly have one again.

[John.]

nw28840 said:

Well we took a bit of a chance......

but plumped for a '51' plate Rover 25. one owner , FSH and 34,000 miles.

Here's hoping it doesn't suffer from the head-gasket problems which seem to be a common occurrence
on these (from what i've read).

It will need a head gasket fairly soon if it aint already had one. When it does go get the uprated multi-layered gasket. This seems to cure the problem.

[hornetrider]

Good grief. For some people there really is no hope whatsoever!

[spaceship]

AdeTuono said:

OP actually said...

nw28840 said:

Thanks for all your sensible advice, and for taking time out to help me with my request.

In the end, I decided to ignore everything you so generously advised me, and bought the biggest piece of st the UK car industry has produced for the last 20 years. I forgot to mention that I hate my sister with a passion bordering on psychotic, and that this should get her off my back. It should also cripple her financially when, not if, it goes tits up. Serves her right for making me wear a dress when I was younger.

fk the lot of you.

Must admit, i'm genuinely surprised at the final choice. Of all the sensible, safe, cheap and reliable (not prone to HG failures) cars to go for. The OP picked a K-series Rover 25.

[ClaphamGT3]

Given your criteria, Why are you thinking of anything except a Corolla or an Avensis?

[Scootersp]

What this reinforces for me is the average person view point that, newer and lower mileage is king and that an older and/or higher mileage car simply cannot be a better long term proposition than the sort of car the op chose.

When looking for a cheap a to b car you can benefit from years and years of experience of others that have owned and either generally loved or loathed them or somewhere inbetween. Basically it should make you exclude some makes or models and focus in on others that have more favourable long term benefits.

But this could easily do the job fine it's just not the % choice really.......

[Chrisw666]

When looking at snotters I viewed several 25 and 45s, they were all either ste, had no history, and were more expensive to insure than hot-hatches or thundering barges would have been.

[nottyash]

nw28840 said:

Well we took a bit of a chance......

but plumped for a '51' plate Rover 25. one owner , FSH and 34,000 miles.

Here's hoping it doesn't suffer from the head-gasket problems which seem to be a common occurrence
on these (from what i've read).

Your criteria said "decent car" I could of recommended loads of fking st ones for you.

[Jayho]

• Sigh... This gunna turn into another K series thread? If so we need 300BHP on...

Good buy OP, when I was on a similar budget two years ago I went for a R25 and it got the job done, no issues what so ever, just need to get into the routine of checking all levels.

The low millage is a little bit worrying though, common problem with HGF is on insuficient warm up and cool down time, and short shopping trips.

Just ignore the people who have said you've bought the "wrong car", for the budget you had set aside, the condition of the R25 would be much better than the Focus, golf ect... which you can buy for the same money.

[christofmccracke]

Scootersp said:

What this reinforces for me is the average person view point that, newer and lower mileage is king and that an older and/or higher mileage car simply cannot be a better long term proposition than the sort of car the op chose.

When looking for a cheap a to b car you can benefit from years and years of experience of others that have owned and either generally loved or loathed them or somewhere inbetween. Basically it should make you exclude some makes or models and focus in on others that have more favourable long term benefits.

But this could easily do the job fine it's just not the % choice really.......

I used to be in that camp but now that i have cars with high mileage on them im a convert

[Welshbeef]

Have to say I bought my wife the seat leon cupra 1.8 20v turbo for £1100. Yes it had 150k miles was a 51 reg but was one owner with 18 main dealer stamps just had it's belts and tensioners changed plus just had a major service.

Amazing really really nice car apart from the miles you'd never know.
Anyway we were lucky to snap it up at that low price and it's mint condition not a scratch anywhere - plus the original owner replaced all the suspension shocks bushes etc at 130k miles so it handles like a new version.

Exhaust is original and yes 10 years old but it's totally fine like new.

Good performance and lots of kit very pleased with it - the mrs especially after the Volvo 460i 65bhp 1.8ltr heavy beast.

I'm sure you'll find similar don't worry about miles infact higher miles is probably a better option with fewer owners as the maintence will have been carried out.

From my understanding the other owner had it as a comp car for 4 years then bought it and took the cash for car instead running it a further 6 years only reason he had to sell was cash 4 car rules had to be under 10 years old and he didn't want to run two cars