On a budget of £3k what would be my best option?

[Dave2468]

Hi

I have sold my 1 series due to it not agreeing with the snow. I am wanting something that's reliable (do I choose year of make over mileage?) family friendly (5 doors) and not a fortune to fix should something go wrong. I have noticed a few Honda Civics, 2008-2010 with around 120k+ on the clock, should I say clear?

Any help/suggestions really appreciate it

Thanks

[Thales]

Please tell me you aren't based in the UK....

[Hitch]

You can't go wrong with a Honda Civic as basic transportation.













(As long as you don't care how a car looks or drives!)

[Dave2468]

Hitch said:

You can't go wrong with a Honda Civic as basic transportation.













(As long as you don't care how a car looks or drives!)

I was just thinking of reliability. Also like the look of VW Golf but due to my daily journey (38 mile all round) and majority on a motorway a diesel would be best but there only seem to be 1.4 petrol available - unless I'm looking in the wrong place (autotrader, ebay, gumtree)

[Drew106]

I have a Hyundai i20 runaround, which performs adequately as a mode of transportation, reliable, easy to work on, very cheap to run, reasonably comfortable and practical.

If you just want reliable and reasonably practical without caring how it looks or performs, go for a small Japanese or Korean hatchback.

[Hitch]

Have you really just sold a 1 series because it snows a day or two a year?

[Dave2468]

Hitch said:

Have you really just sold a 1 series because it snows a day or two a year?

One of the reasons, the main one is that the finance was too much per month, especially with a new addition to the family.

[J4CKO]

We were looking for my son a couple of years back, a Civic 1.8S seemed like the ideal solution but to be honest the build didnt live up to the reputation, lots of rusty bits and stuff that had got manky, he got an Astra of the same vintage that seemed to have lasted a lot better, then the engine loom gave up and that was the end of that.

[Deesee]

I’ve got a Civic 2.2 (2006) still in almost daily use within my family of cars, I’ve had it since new, it’s covered 198k.

Other than tyres (Michelin Energy so 50/60£) and pads/discs, I’ve had to replace an alternator this year (after 13 yrs) and one battery, & the ball joints this year on the front, for the first time, best value motoring ever.

Covers 600+ miles to a tank (mixed driving), and will get still get 60 mpg on a run.

My local dealer has looked after it now for 11 years and we think it will do another 7/8 years and approach somewhere around 300k, with minimal additional works than a simple service every 12k/12 months.

We had our first MoT failure this year, front headlight glass not letting enough light through, so I had them cleaned!

[ericmcn]

Dave2468 said:

Hi

I have sold my 1 series due to it not agreeing with the snow. I am wanting something that's reliable (do I choose year of make over mileage?) family friendly (5 doors) and not a fortune to fix should something go wrong. I have noticed a few Honda Civics, 2008-2010 with around 120k+ on the clock, should I say clear?

Any help/suggestions really appreciate it

Thanks

My car agrees with the snow... as per vid below. Pre facelift have the 'cheap' VED band too

https://youtu.be/TAPW7IJgrUY

https://youtu.be/S7j7jHIvoPc

[Dave2468]

Deesee said:

I’ve got a Civic 2.2 (2006) still in almost daily use within my family of cars, I’ve had it since new, it’s covered 198k.

Other than tyres (Michelin Energy so 50/60£) and pads/discs, I’ve had to replace an alternator this year (after 13 yrs) and one battery, & the ball joints this year on the front, for the first time, best value motoring ever.

Covers 600+ miles to a tank (mixed driving), and will get still get 60 mpg on a run.

My local dealer has looked after it now for 11 years and we think it will do another 7/8 years and approach somewhere around 300k, with minimal additional works than a simple service every 12k/12 months.

We had our first MoT failure this year, front headlight glass not letting enough light through, so I had them cleaned!

It would be the 2.2 I would be interested in also due to the amount of miles I travel to and from work, I've heard the petrol engines, despite the type R, aren't very reliable when approaching the 6 figure mile milestone. Incredible that yours has covered that amount of miles, you must have really looked after it with regular services etc. I have my eye on a 2010 with 101k miles on but its just out my price range at the moment but has a full service history so its making me think maybes disregard the mileage as it will have been well looked after? It looks very clean inside and out with no bumps or scrapes on the outside or any spills to the interior

[_Hoppers]

Dave2468 said:

It would be the 2.2 I would be interested in

The diesel version (of the MK8) has a history of clutches failing after not many miles (60-80k IIRC), otherwise they're very reliable. My wife's petrol Civic is on 105K and apart from a new AC condenser nothing else has failed.

[Prof Prolapse]

The best petrol Toyota you can afford would be my recommendation.

High quality, under stressed, white goods transport.

Just don't expect anything else.

[Deesee]

Dave2468 said:

It would be the 2.2 I would be interested in also due to the amount of miles I travel to and from work, I've heard the petrol engines, despite the type R, aren't very reliable when approaching the 6 figure mile milestone. Incredible that yours has covered that amount of miles, you must have really looked after it with regular services etc. I have my eye on a 2010 with 101k miles on but its just out my price range at the moment but has a full service history so its making me think maybes disregard the mileage as it will have been well looked after? It looks very clean inside and out with no bumps or scrapes on the outside or any spills to the interior

Mine has a bump of sorts on every panel! The leather seats are easy to clean, and you can position them (magic seats) in all sorts of ways to get stuff in.

Most of my miles were covered by a 25m each way daily commute up the M20.. used heavily for golf (all over the south east), and we have had 10/11 runs to italy over the years in this particular one (1050 miles each way).

It even got a blast down to the Spanish boarder via a Autoroute run early in the year.

Anyway back to yours yes regular servicing very important on a diesel “turbo”, I’ve had mine done every 12k or 12 months, most of the time it’s inside 12 months, if you get to see the history look for that, and also It has a 5 year service cycle, make sure this has been adhered too (well first 5 year cycle anyway).

[Dempsey1971]

I've just bought a 62 plate Ford Focus 1.6TDCi Zetec with 100k for a shade over 3k for my twice weekly 120 mile each way commute to save petrol costs and mileage on my Jag XK Convertible.
It rides great, has decent handling, genuine 55mpg+ at fast motorway speeds, fits 5 easily (a lot more easily than the Jag, as my kids will attest), is cheap to run (insurance was a pittance) and every mechanic worth their salt can maintain it. There are also loads about, so happy days.

[DrFeelAverage]

I've been looking at petrol versions of the facelifted first generation Kia Cee'd (2010-12) as a cheap car, but I have read that the 1.6 diesel is good too.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[ZX10R NIN]

There are some good options out there all reliable just take a look around & most will have less than 120+ on the clock.

Giulietta Veloce 170 (You'll have to haggle but you should get it close to your budget)

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

Astra Elite 165

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

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

Megane GT 160

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

Focus Titanium 140

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

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

Toyota Auris SR180

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

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

2.2d Mazda3 180/140 Change & flush the oil every 10k on these so as not to suffer oil contamination.

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

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

Leftfield Options:

Laguna GT

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

[ninjag]

Lexus IS250, may not be as economical as a diesel but you'll probably spend very little on it.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...

Or the GS450h for luxury and preformance and reasonable enough economy.

[Mr Tidy]

Dave2468 said:

Hitch said:

Have you really just sold a 1 series because it snows a day or two a year?

One of the reasons, the main one is that the finance was too much per month, especially with a new addition to the family.

Shame, but I suppose the finance payments were probably a bigger issue than the lack of traction in the snow!

I got a set of wheels with Michelin Alpin winter tyres fitted for my E46 3 Series for less than £200 - they make a world of difference.

[ericmcn]

ninjag said:

Lexus IS250, may not be as economical as a diesel but you'll probably spend very little on it.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...

Or the GS450h for luxury and preformance and reasonable enough economy.

Have owned a IS250, The Subaru Legacy SpecB spanks its for driver engagement and handling all over, economy is not much of a difference between both, ditto to reliability. In the snow the Lexus would not have a chance