£3K to £4K for a non car person car

[Herman Toothrot]

A friend who isn't into cars has asked for my advice on buying his 1st car, £3K to £4K, he'd prefer closer to 3 than 4. Hes 30 years old and all he knows is that the 1 litre Corsa (that belongs to his girlfriend), he learnt to drive in and has been using the last 2 years as a named driver (so insurance maybe an issue?) is a bag of st. His main complaint is its so slow its dangerous and difficult to pull out of junctions on to busy fast roads without fear of being punted off the road.

He now needs his own car as he has a new job too far away to rely on public transport. Sounds a horrid commute to me involving the M3 and M25, about 70 miles a day of them. He also needs to fit guitar's in the boot easily and occasionally a drum kit in the car.

So I think it has to be a diesel with that sort of mileage and a medium sized hatch back, really boring car area.

What are the suggestions? I'm going to send him these links :-

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1847151.htm
Alfa 147 JTD 1.9 £3395

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1920647.htm
Audi A3 1.9tdi £3800

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1688103.htm
Focus Tdi £3990

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1874837.htm
Golf SPORT 1.9 TDI

[SystemParanoia]

Defender 90 TD5 - convert him!

[MX7]

I'd just go for the Focus. They are hard to beat for service costs, and work well.

[MiniMan64]

Something Korean with a diesel engine and a good chunk of the warranty still intact? Failing that the Focus.

[andye30m3]

I don't know anything much about diesels but a friend who's recently had 2 has has expensive problems with them both, first was a Peugeot 307 and the 2nd which is still at the garage was a focus.

I'm starting to think that the saving in fuel costs over an economical petrol engine could quickly be spent in maintenance especially on slightly older higher millage cars.

[Mr Dave]

Corolla 1.8 straight diesel. Very reliable, quick enough to keep up with traffic, no big bills looming ie injectors etc, well built, cheap to insure, not really wanted so prices low, good on fuel. Big enough inside too, handbrake round rather well.

Lexus is 200, not derv but so smooth and such a nice place to be makes it worth it, nice to drive as well. Reliable and not too too hard on the juice or insurance.


Or get him a Skoda Octavia tdi and get it remapped up, make him a car person. Most people start to like cars if they get a good introduction at some point. The real shove a remapped Tdi gives is quite good fun.

[Herman Toothrot]

Mr Dave said:

Corolla 1.8 straight diesel. Very reliable, quick enough to keep up with traffic, no big bills looming ie injectors etc, well built, cheap to insure, not really wanted so prices low, good on fuel. Big enough inside too, handbrake round rather well.

Lexus is 200, not derv but so smooth and such a nice place to be makes it worth it, nice to drive as well. Reliable and not too too hard on the juice or insurance.


Or get him a Skoda Octavia tdi and get it remapped up, make him a car person. Most people start to like cars if they get a good introduction at some point. The real shove a remapped Tdi gives is quite good fun.

Added Corolla to the List

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
Corolla d4d

[Twincam16]

As a PHer you owe it to the rest of us (and the rest of the drivers on the road, frankly) to convert him.

You need to point him in the direction of the modern equivalent of an original Mini or RWD Ford Escort - ie, an ordinary, practical, simple, cheap-to-run car that 'just happens' to drive like a rally special (but not offputtingly, burnout-at-every-traffic-light sort of a way).

I would suggest a Focus but beyond the Mk1 they lost their way. Ka perhaps? Or a Fiat of some description?

For the love of God don't put him in a Yaris. We don't need any more.

[slomax]

unless he is into cars he wont understand the Alfa.

[SystemParanoia]

TVR ?

[Herman Toothrot]

slomax said:

unless he is into cars he won't understand the Alfa.

I think he's asked for my input to try and find something on the less boring side of boring Thing is with the spec required its still very hard.

Its going to be spending most of the time in rush hour motorway so fuel efficiency will be an important issue for him, admittedly not to the extent he'd put up with something really gutless. That why i'm thinking the 1.8 - 2.0 turbo diesels, basically what they are made for.

[Killer2005]

slomax said:

unless he is into cars he wont understand the Alfa.

And might want something a tad bigger if he's to attempt a drum kit in the boot. As much as I love mine its not entirely ideal for moving large loads about

[alfabadass]

Out of that lot, I would say the Audi.

I had a 147 until a few months ago, loved it but the Audi will be better built. The Alfa will be miles more interesting and the JTD is a reliable engine.

[AMST09]

Focus TDI sport if you can get one? :thumb:

[Bugeyeandy]

Forget the Golf, it's the same sort of scam advert that Autotrader is full of.

Headline price £2995 to suck you in, actualy price £5895 ono

[flattotheboards]

MK1 Octavia vRS these can be had within budget.

[Ephraim]

What about http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1918419.htm ?
Certainly fit a drum kit in there!
And you never know, it might convert him.