best 2500-4500 car
Author
Discussion

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
Im looking for something good on insurance, not too girly looking and not super slow, sort of 13 seconds to 60 as opposed to some of them which are 15 seconds-17.5seconds.

I want something thats reliable but if it does goes wrong to be cheap to fix, and to get 40mpg around town.

Thanks

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
shababa

B'stard Child

31,077 posts

275 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
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It appears you want a lot..... ;D

Codswallop

5,258 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
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jamie128 said:
not super slow, sort of 13 seconds to 60
confused

Smart Roadster



Although even that will not get 40mpg in town. You may need to grab a reality check wink

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
Codswallop said:
confused

Smart Roadster



Although even that will not get 40mpg in town. You may need to grab a reality check wink
what about a diesel? surely one of them will get 40mpg in town

nammynake

2,658 posts

202 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
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Fabia VRS. Should return over MPG easily and is pretty rapid.

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
nammynake said:
Fabia VRS. Should return over MPG easily and is pretty rapid.
i can only find high mileage ones for my budget and they arent good on insurance.....

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
any really lol


are the hdi engines reliable?

zb

4,164 posts

193 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
jamie128 said:
Im looking for something good on insurance, not too girly looking and not super slow, sort of 13 seconds to 60 as opposed to some of them which are 15 seconds-17.5seconds.

I want something thats reliable but if it does goes wrong to be cheap to fix, and to get 40mpg around town.

Thanks
Mazda 323F 98-2003 model (designated BJ biggrin ) have a look at the 1.3/1.5 or 1.6 models, should get into a minter within your budget, reliable, should be reasonable insurance as it is by no means a fashionable model and both performance and mpg matches what you're looking for.

CDP

8,044 posts

283 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
MX5, MG TF?

OK 40mpg round town is maybe stretching it but do you really do that much round town driving? The MG can certainly return high 30s and into the low 40's on a long run if sticking to speed limits and not red lining the thing whenever possible, which is kind of hard to avoid.




jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
CDP said:
MX5, MG TF?

OK 40mpg round town is maybe stretching it but do you really do that much round town driving? The MG can certainly return high 30s and into the low 40's on a long run if sticking to speed limits and not red lining the thing whenever possible, which is kind of hard to avoid.
i cant find a 323f near me lol, not a F one anyway and they look crap on fuel

daivdkoulakis

1,643 posts

208 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
SEAT Ibiza FR (same engine as vRS) but cheaper

or Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI + remap

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
daivdkoulakis said:
SEAT Ibiza FR (same engine as vRS) but cheaper

or Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI + remap
these only get like a 03 for 4000 pound frown and they normally have at least 70k miles on them


the main choice seems to be 1.2 renault clios hmmm

CDP

8,044 posts

283 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
My 2001 Vectra takes 12 seconds for 0..60, does 120 mph, has never dropped below 40mpg on a tank no matter how hard I've driven it (even with some of those miles on track) and that's nothing special.

Any decent 1.6 to 2 litre turbo diesel should hit 60 in under 12 seconds and return 40mpg. 50 is more like it for most.

MG ZT, Rover 75, Vectra, Mondeo, Focus, Golf, Polo, Passat and so on

There's a 150bhp Golf GTDi. Should tick all your boxes in that sort of budget.

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
CDP said:
My 2001 Vectra takes 12 seconds for 0..60, does 120 mph, has never dropped below 40mpg on a tank no matter how hard I've driven it (even with some of those miles on track) and that's nothing special.

Any decent 1.6 to 2 litre turbo diesel should hit 60 in under 12 seconds and return 40mpg. 50 is more like it for most.

MG ZT, Rover 75, Vectra, Mondeo, Focus, Golf, Polo, Passat and so on

There's a 150bhp Golf GTDi. Should tick all your boxes in that sort of budget.
is your vectra diesel or petrol, im looking to get a car that wont need to be replaced for 3 years

jack01825

1,898 posts

187 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
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One of these, own one myself and is extremely rerlible and you have an option of getting a 116bhp one or as mine is the 131bhp, comfotable, 45-50 mpg , facelift/sportier option, cheap ish insurance, anbout 4.5k for top one.

hope this helps.

CDP

8,044 posts

283 months

Saturday 3rd December 2011
quotequote all
jamie128 said:
CDP said:
My 2001 Vectra takes 12 seconds for 0..60, does 120 mph, has never dropped below 40mpg on a tank no matter how hard I've driven it (even with some of those miles on track) and that's nothing special.

Any decent 1.6 to 2 litre turbo diesel should hit 60 in under 12 seconds and return 40mpg. 50 is more like it for most.

MG ZT, Rover 75, Vectra, Mondeo, Focus, Golf, Polo, Passat and so on

There's a 150bhp Golf GTDi. Should tick all your boxes in that sort of budget.
is your vectra diesel or petrol, im looking to get a car that wont need to be replaced for 3 years
'51 plate diesel. It was bought as a business tool 9 years ago and hit 161,000 today. Apart from an intermittent fault (which I think is a vacuum pipe) where it loses some power it's only ever needed wear and tear bits. Brake parts, exhaust, bushes that sort of thing. Extremely cheap to run but it is just a tool.

I think the Mondeo is nicer and you could get an X-Type for that money too but the Vauxhall was cheaper (£8K for 8 months old and 14,000 miles). Look at the Rover/MG too as it felt better put together than the Jag. An Alfa 156 is worth a thought, a mates had three but they're not as reliable as the GM product.

The rides pretty grim but when new the Vauxhall handled quite well. Certainly through Richies sideways at 80 it was quite controllablesmile Getting a bit baggy now but has been round several airfields and tracks where it was by no means the slowest thing on that trackday. (Professional instruction is the best go-faster gadget in motoring).








jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Sunday 4th December 2011
quotequote all
more replies pleaseee

jamie128

Original Poster:

1,604 posts

199 months

Sunday 4th December 2011
quotequote all
wksa

corvus

431 posts

181 months

Sunday 4th December 2011
quotequote all
jamie128 said:
Im looking for something good on insurance, not too girly looking and not super slow, sort of 13 seconds to 60 as opposed to some of them which are 15 seconds-17.5seconds.

I want something thats reliable but if it does goes wrong to be cheap to fix, and to get 40mpg around town.

Thanks
So what happened to the 'cheap reliable diesel car' in your other thread?