runaround for £1500??

[dh5927]

morning all, needed some pointers on buying a cheap little runaround while the z4mc sits out the winter!!
what would you guys suggest?...i need something with upto 1600cc or less, reliable, german/japanese?
thanks for helping!

[Welshbeef]

dh5927 said:

morning all, needed some pointers on buying a cheap little runaround while the z4mc sits out the winter!!
what would you guys suggest?...i need something with upto 1600cc or less, reliable, german/japanese?
thanks for helping!

Why is there a engine size restriction?

Think about a Volvo 460 SE. These are dirt cheap - we bought ours for £600 with full MOT & FVSH electric sun roof, heater fabric seats, electric mirrors, no blemish at all on paintwork, good discs pads 7 tyres, downside - well it does look like a pig um different make tyres at each corner (but all are very new) um old man smell to start with but soon sorted that with a good clean.

Remember this is the sort of car a youngster just wouldnt buy it really looks sh&t and from what Ive seen most are very well maintained.

The engine is a 1.8ltr pushing out something like 75hp - its as sweet as a nut.

[mattpullen64]

Have been looking for a similar thing for my gf. Best i've come up with so far is the Honda Civic (mk2 i think), 1.5l or even the 1.6vtec - should be bulletproof.

Edited by mattpullen64 on Thursday 4th September 16:06

[dan101smith]

Nissan Micra

[rassi]

Why up to 1600 cc?

Would have recommended an E36 320i Touring, as it is bomb proof, practical and... a BMW.

[dh5927]

i suppose engine size really doesnt matter, just need something cheap, reliable and practicle.
have considered older 3 series but just dont need any mechanical hiccups through the winter...

[Fox-]

Just use the Z4MC, it's a BMW Z4 not a Ferrari F40. It's a car, drive it.

Driving a pile of crap so you can not get your proper car dirty is daft unless the proper car is something exotic.

[derin100]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I would agree that £1500 may 'just' be purchase-able within budget.

However...and it's a very, very big "However":

£1500 can evaporate so quickly at that end of the market. One only needs a service (even I DIY service...God forbid you let a BMW Maindealer loose at this end of the market!) and a couple of 'minor issues' to sort...and your purchase price AND that doubled again could be so, so easily gone!

If that's the true budget...I'm with Dan101 on this one...go for a Nissan Micra!

Even if it screws up badly and you end up having to cut your losses and ditch it at least you're not going to end up guilt-ridden by scrapping the thing.

And actually at that price it's probably a very decent car!

Personally, I even think they look quite nice!

[OllieBirmingham]

Fox- said:

Just use the Z4MC, it's a BMW Z4 not a Ferrari F40. It's a car, drive it.

Driving a pile of crap so you can not get your proper car dirty is daft unless the proper car is something exotic.

+1 He's right you know!

[Top pup]

OllieBirmingham said:

Fox- said:

Just use the Z4MC, it's a BMW Z4 not a Ferrari F40. It's a car, drive it.

Driving a pile of crap so you can not get your proper car dirty is daft unless the proper car is something exotic.

+1 He's right you know!

Driven an MC in the snow?

[Fox-]

Top pup said:

Driven an MC in the snow?

He lives in the Midlands not the Alps. It would be cheaper to pay for a taxi the what, 2 days a year we actually get snow?

[Top pup]

Fox- said:

Top pup said:

Driven an MC in the snow?

He lives in the Midlands not the Alps. It would be cheaper to pay for a taxi the what, 2 days a year we actually get snow?

Yes but seeing as the OP is a doctor perhaps he still needs transport on those days, on call maybe?

[Top pup]

There's nothing wrong with a micra, but what about a Seat Ibiza? Pretty much the same as a VW Polo just with different panels and cheaper to boot. £1500 will buy quite a nice one, even the GTI's fall in that budget now.

[OllieBirmingham]

Fox- said:

Top pup said:

Driven an MC in the snow?

He lives in the Midlands not the Alps. It would be cheaper to pay for a taxi the what, 2 days a year we actually get snow?

Sell the MC and get a Unimog. I live down in Hampshire and we had some frost last year and some rain. Just drive the bloody thing, thats what its for!

[istoo]

what about a B3/B4 audi coupe?
Also utterly bombproof.

You wont get an S for that money but you may get a nice five cylinder or a V6.

[Welshbeef]

Audi 80. Bomb proof too.

[dh5927]

seen v plate prelude for £1800... tempted!

[Welshbeef]

I think under £1k is hard to find but up to £2k opens up the field to so much more metal & much better quality/much longer life.

[bras0782]

Top pup said:

OllieBirmingham said:

Fox- said:

Just use the Z4MC, it's a BMW Z4 not a Ferrari F40. It's a car, drive it.

Driving a pile of crap so you can not get your proper car dirty is daft unless the proper car is something exotic.

+1 He's right you know!

Driven an MC in the snow?

How bad can it be?

Stick with the Z4MC

[okgo]

bras0782 said:

Top pup said:

OllieBirmingham said:

Fox- said:

Just use the Z4MC, it's a BMW Z4 not a Ferrari F40. It's a car, drive it.

Driving a pile of crap so you can not get your proper car dirty is daft unless the proper car is something exotic.

+1 He's right you know!

Driven an MC in the snow?

How bad can it be?

Stick with the Z4MC

So true, makes me laugh when people do this.

Your car will drop a silly amount of value over winter, might as well make the use of it