New (old) car advice

[bmcshane09]

Evening folks,

I recently bought a 2013 Mazda 6 2.2d (175bhp) estate after some lengthy research which seemed to meet all my needs. However, I just don't like it nearly as much as my previous car so I'll probably get rid of it in the summer. I'm currently looking for some suggestions.

I do around 10 - 12,000 miles pa which is mainly motorway. Decent boot space is preferred and I would be hesitant to buy a saloon. However, I will also need to ferry my 12 week old son around in it a few times a week so good safety is also a concern.

I'm torn between outright frugality (diesel: mk4 astra, peugeot 106, mk5 fiesta, etc.), practicality (volvo 940 estate, A4 avant, octavia, etc.) and something just a bit nicer to drive in.

Budget is ideally Sub £1k but could spend more for something which meets all the requirements. Ideally: diesel, non-saloon/coupe, fwd/4x4 and manual.

Thanks in advance!

[GreatGranny]

Don't quite understand this.

You bought a 2013 Mazda 6 but don't like it so will get rid in the summer.
That's over 6 months away!

The replacement needs to be less than £1k.
Won't the money you make from the Mazda go towards the new car?
Or do you want to spend less and save money?

Also I would go for a 1.4 - 1.6 petrol for that budget and mileage.

Something like this would be ideal.

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

[Toed64]

For under £1000, you'll need to be buying on condition, so I think you might have to compromise on some of your criteria to make sure you get something reliable.

If you just want a shed, a petrol Focus would be my choice because they are better to drive than most of the others in their class.

Diesel, would have to be a 1.9tdi VAG w/o DPF. The MK4 Golf in estate form was continued for a couple of years after the hatchback was replaced with the MK5, so they are tough and vaguely un-loved, consequently cheaper than some of the other VAGs with that motor.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-1-...f:0

IMO Subarus have produced some of the best soft-roaders this century. Ours have been extraordinarily reliable, capable and still nice to own, but the diesels are outside your budget and not as tough as the petrols. My choice would be an H6 Outback, but for your budget, you probably wouldn't find a good one. So, a Forester might work for you. Petrol Subarus do use lots of fuel.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Subaru-Forester-2-...f:0

[gman88667733]

I am in a slightly similar situation. I bought a 2005 octavia 1.9tdi elegance DSG in July and have had quite a few electrical gremlins with it, coupled with the fact I don't like the gearbox a lot (after 2 DSGs, they just aren't for me). It was only £2500, but needed a new turbo, taking the total cost of the car to £3000 so far. Not sure whether to just put up with it until the 12 month mark is up as it is mechanically sound and then justify changing, or if I just cut my losses and change... Any opinions?

[TreeHouseTim]

bmcshane09 said:

I do around 10 - 12,000 miles pa which is mainly motorway.

Ok, understood.

bmcshane09 said:

I will also need to ferry my 12 week old son around in it a few times a week so good safety is also a concern.

Roger that.

bmcshane09 said:

peugeot 106

Sorry, what?

Keep the Mazda. A French shed made of tinfoil would be a horrible, horrible fit for the above requirements.

[ZX10R NIN]

Schools out?

[bmcshane09]

GreatGranny said:

Don't quite understand this.

You bought a 2013 Mazda 6 but don't like it so will get rid in the summer.
That's over 6 months away!

The replacement needs to be less than £1k.
Won't the money you make from the Mazda go towards the new car?
Or do you want to spend less and save money?

Also I would go for a 1.4 - 1.6 petrol for that budget and mileage.

Something like this would be ideal.

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

I'd be getting rid of it in the summer as I bought it from Arnold Clark and (for reasons unknown) took out a warranty and service plan so I'd like to at least get a year's worth of both before changing. Also because I know the Mazda will see my through the winter without any real issues.

I bought the Mazda with a loan so I'm really looking to save on the monthly bill. However, I'll have a good amount saved up by that point so could spend more than £1k if it met all my requirements or just put a big smile on my face. Seeing 3.0d V6 Jaguar XFs for £4 - 5,000 have certainly gotten me thinking!

Interesting you should mention the Civic - I bought my dad the 1.6 version three and a half years ago for £150. It had a blown head gasket but a £40 bottle of wonder fluid later and it's been running pretty much flawlessly ever since! I would consider them but would probably prefer the 1.7 diesel unless people are aware of any major issues.

Toed64 said:

For under £1000, you'll need to be buying on condition, so I think you might have to compromise on some of your criteria to make sure you get something reliable.

If you just want a shed, a petrol Focus would be my choice because they are better to drive than most of the others in their class.

Diesel, would have to be a 1.9tdi VAG w/o DPF. The MK4 Golf in estate form was continued for a couple of years after the hatchback was replaced with the MK5, so they are tough and vaguely un-loved, consequently cheaper than some of the other VAGs with that motor.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-1-...f:0

IMO Subarus have produced some of the best soft-roaders this century. Ours have been extraordinarily reliable, capable and still nice to own, but the diesels are outside your budget and not as tough as the petrols. My choice would be an H6 Outback, but for your budget, you probably wouldn't find a good one. So, a Forester might work for you. Petrol Subarus do use lots of fuel.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Subaru-Forester-2-...f:0

The VAG motors are probably the way to go for something cheap. I've heard good things about the 1.9 tdi engines and there are plenty of they cars about. I hadn't considered a Subaru before and after a quick look on Autotrader I would definitely consider one. I would most likely go for a diesel for fuel economy and I could definitely justify spending a bit more for something like this:

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

£3k for all that seems pretty reasonable!

bmcshane09 said:

peugeot 106

Sorry, what?

Keep the Mazda. A French shed made of tinfoil would be a horrible, horrible fit for the above requirements.

I don't think I would mind the 106 if it was only me travelling but do concede it would be a poor fit for a child. I fancied them purely for their economy but it would probably get on my nerves due to impracticality. I would like to keep the Mazda, it's a gorgeous car and has more than enough power, but I just don't like it enough to justify the money it cost.

[Neroli]

Maybe they meant a 306? You could get one of those for under a grand but a neighbour's one had very dodgy electrics!

[bmcshane09]

gman88667733 said:

I am in a slightly similar situation. I bought a 2005 octavia 1.9tdi elegance DSG in July and have had quite a few electrical gremlins with it, coupled with the fact I don't like the gearbox a lot (after 2 DSGs, they just aren't for me). It was only £2500, but needed a new turbo, taking the total cost of the car to £3000 so far. Not sure whether to just put up with it until the 12 month mark is up as it is mechanically sound and then justify changing, or if I just cut my losses and change... Any opinions?

The problem with changing is you can never be sure of what you're buying into. Is it likely to need any more money spent on it between now and July? Unless it's going to need a major repair or you really can't stand it, I would be tempted to keep it until July.

Then again, if I wasn't moving house this month I'd probably try and sell the Mazda before Christmas so I guess it depends on whether you can justify the change (there's always a way) and if you find something you prefer. There's not much fun in spending £3k+ on something you don't even like driving.

[bmcshane09]

Neroli said:

Maybe they meant a 306? You could get one of those for under a grand but a neighbour's one had very dodgy electrics!

I did mean the 106 but that was purely on the basis they would be cheap to run. I saw a 2.0 diesel 306 estate which looked very tempting but the thing that puts me off is the lack of Isofix. I've never owned one but I haven't heard good things about French electrics either.

[kurt535]

For shed money, I'd stay Jap

[ninjag]

For £1,000 you can get a 7th Gen Honda Accord Executive 2.2 diesel. It's got all the toys, fantastically comfortable leather seats, 52mpg combined, £155 tax and it will be very reliable. They don't rust like Mazda 6's either (especially at the wheel arches).

If you start getting bored then get it remapped, it's safe to around 195bhp. The 7th and 8th Gen Accords were built in Japan and there's no sharing with other manufactures (i.e. Nissan/Renault etc) so reliability will be very high.

[InitialDave]

Avensis estate might be a good choice.

[kurt535]

ninjag said:

For £1,000 you can get a 7th Gen Honda Accord Executive 2.2 diesel. It's got all the toys, fantastically comfortable leather seats, 52mpg combined, £155 tax and it will be very reliable. They don't rust like Mazda 6's either (especially at the wheel arches).

If you start getting bored then get it remapped, it's safe to around 195bhp. The 7th and 8th Gen Accords were built in Japan and there's no sharing with other manufactures (i.e. Nissan/Renault etc) so reliability will be very high.

I had a 2.2 diesel in my CRV. I only went for stage 1 remap which transformed what is already a good engine into an even better one. It cost me £150.

[GreatGranny]

Don't get too hung up on isofix.

A correctly fitted baby seat using just a seatbelt is just as secure.

A seatbelt can take the force of an adult so a baby is no problem.

Not sure of any problems with the diesel unit in the Civic.
Looking at Atrader there are sensible mileage examples for less than a grand.
The next generation diesels can be had for £2k and less again with sensible mileage.

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

[stevekoz]

bmcshane09 said:

Evening folks,

I recently bought a 2013 Mazda 6 2.2d (175bhp) estate after some lengthy research which seemed to meet all my needs. However, I just don't like it nearly as much as my previous car so I'll probably get rid of it in the summer. I'm currently looking for some suggestions.

I do around 10 - 12,000 miles pa which is mainly motorway. Decent boot space is preferred and I would be hesitant to buy a saloon. However, I will also need to ferry my 12 week old son around in it a few times a week so good safety is also a concern.

I'm torn between outright frugality (diesel: mk4 astra, peugeot 106, mk5 fiesta, etc.), practicality (volvo 940 estate, A4 avant, octavia, etc.) and something just a bit nicer to drive in.

Budget is ideally Sub £1k but could spend more for something which meets all the requirements. Ideally: diesel, non-saloon/coupe, fwd/4x4 and manual.

Thanks in advance!

Hi OP, sorry i am maybe a bit confused and wanted some clarity.

You said that you bought the Mazda with a loan and are looking to get rid after using it some, to then minimise payments - is that correct? Not sure how that minimises the payments?

Was the car on HP or did you buy it outright using a personal loan?

If the former, if you sold it now, i would imagine you wouldn't lose that much money and could maybe pay off the loan you took (if settling in 12 months there should be little in the way of interest/fees). Then use the £1k saved for a shed - is that the thinking?

Or are you looking to pocket the difference after you sell and then spend the £1k on a replacement and continue paying the loan off?

[Pica-Pica]

I tried a Civic 1.6 diesel on a test drive. It was awful. Poor visibility to rear, windscreen created an almost blinding outlook in low sun. Low speed vibration was awful (mind you, I was coming from an E36 straight 6 petrol).

Personally, I think come next summer, you will get used to and fall in love with the Mazda.

Whatever other enjoyment different cars give, there is nothing so boring or annoying than an unreliable car. Wait and see how you feel next summer.

[ninjag]

Pica-Pica said:

I tried a Civic 1.6 diesel on a test drive. It was awful. Poor visibility to rear, windscreen created an almost blinding outlook in low sun. Low speed vibration was awful (mind you, I was coming from an E36 straight 6 petrol).

Personally, I think come next summer, you will get used to and fall in love with the Mazda.

Whatever other enjoyment different cars give, there is nothing so boring or annoying than an unreliable car. Wait and see how you feel next summer.

Is that the new Civic? I think Honda's 1.6 diesel isn't great and the 2.2 iDTEC was much better. All this moving to tiny engines and working them harder doesn't do it for me. Besides I find the new Civic seriously ugly and the new CRV hasn't been a big enough upgrade from the 4th Gen to make it worth the extra money. It may now have a seven seat option but you'd struggle to get a toddler in them! It's got a much improved AWD system though.

My CRV will probably be the last Honda I get because as much as I like them I feel they should still give us a wider choice of engines rather than forcing the eco route on us. The Americans get the choice, but the UK doesn't

[bmcshane09]

stevekoz said:

bmcshane09 said:

Hi OP, sorry i am maybe a bit confused and wanted some clarity.

You said that you bought the Mazda with a loan and are looking to get rid after using it some, to then minimise payments - is that correct? Not sure how that minimises the payments?

Was the car on HP or did you buy it outright using a personal loan?

If the former, if you sold it now, i would imagine you wouldn't lose that much money and could maybe pay off the loan you took (if settling in 12 months there should be little in the way of interest/fees). Then use the £1k saved for a shed - is that the thinking?

Or are you looking to pocket the difference after you sell and then spend the £1k on a replacement and continue paying the loan off?

By "the monthly bill" I really meant all my outgoings as I'd have gotten rid of the £200 loan payments. The plan would just be to sell the car as I bought it outright and use the money I'll have saved by that point to buy a cheap car.

With so many recommendations I'll probably be looking at Accord estates. I tried a saloon version a few years ago before I bought my X-type but it had a knackered turbo so I left it. It did have a really nice cabin though so I'm sure I'll end up with one.

Regarding the Isofix, I know it's not a huge necessity. But for just now I'd rather have a relatively modern car for the general safety aspect as I feel getting something older (I was initially considering 80's/ 90's cars) wouldn't be ideal with a baby. But again, I could possibly be swayed if anyone can tell me otherwise. I'm 23 so don't have much experience with that era of cars. The oldest I've driven is my dad's 2001 civic!

[Toed64]

I wouldn't buy a really cheap, leggy Subaru diesel. Search completed listings on ebay for Subaru spares or repair - they are all diesels with blown engines.

Subaru petrols are tough and long-lived.

We had an Accord 2 litre petrol for 4+ years. No problems at all, no faults...but bland to the point that I decided that I would not buy another late run-of-the-mill Honda. As a bangernomics car, that would not be an issue.