What Bargain Barge - Up to £1500

[RatLad]

Evening Chaps,

After several years of reading PH, I've yet to pop my 'What Car Thread' cherry, so here goes;

Currently my daily hack is this:



However, as the winter draws in I'm thinking that i'm going to need something a little more commuter friendly, plus I'm having some difficulty securing surf boards to an Elise...
I'll be garaging my current car and thinking of ways make it quicker but that leaves me with a budget of £1,500 for another car to pick up the duties for the next 6 months.

The requirements are, in order of importance;

1- Sporty and a bit different (not a boggo model)
2- Up to £1,500
3- Practical (quite fancy an estate)
4- Reasonably economical, at least 30 MPG if wafting.

I want to keep it quite broad, so I am open to suggestions.

As a guide, at the top of my ever-changing list are the following;

Alfa 156 Sportwagon
BMW E36 Touring

For some reason, I really like this but it's overpriced;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Mondeo-Estate-2-0-Petro...

This 'What Car' thread will end up with me buying one of the suggested in the coming weeks so I'm hoping the PH massive can help me out!

Cheers

[Mr E]

RatLad said:

Alfa 156 Sportwagon

Oddly, we have an Elise and a 156 wagon.

The wagon is fine, be aware that they're really not very big at all.

[Somnophore]

Volvo 850 T5

[anonymous-user]

Subaru Legacy GTB....

Although you'll be doing well to get 30mpg...



(i am not biased in any way, shape or form)

[R60EST]

As the Mondeo is already on your radar , you'd be able to get the newer shape one within budget. I bought a 2001 (y) 1.8 zetec estate a few months back for £1050 . I'd never really driven it much until the last week or so when I sold the Range Rover. Now it's the daily drive it's really growing on me . It's functional rather than exiting but given the purchase price is what some pay for an annual service I really can't complain. It's got a decent chassis , engine is a bit lacklustre off the mark but once it's up to speed on the motorway it can hold it's own. I took a 2001 BMW 316 in px against another car I sold earlier this year and it was no where near as good as the Mondeo in terms of road manners , noise levels and general build quality feel. I don't doubt the BMW may have felt more premium when new but it hadn't aged well. Both cars were 2001 and very similar mileage

[Ian Geary]

I've got a £2k budget, but have the same sort of criteria. Just got rid of my MR2 turbo, so fancy a bit less frantic pace, and more comfort and practicality.

I've also been checking out the offerings from VAG, which with your criteria would be a 1.8T or TDi Octavias. Decent Passats and/or Audi's won't be in your price range I reckon, although every now and then a 2.8 quattro will pop up for sub £1k. I just wonder, the only reason I'd shift one for that price would be if it needed double that in service bills.


Same with the 3 series - £1,500 will get you something with either a 1.8 and cassette player, or a starship mileage one.

I did look at the Pug 406, but they're too big for what I need, and I just can't get over the airport taxi image.


Vectra SRis also seem quite a lot of spec for not much money, as would the ST24 mondeo, but no estates on that one.

Ian

[RatLad]

Somnophore said:

Volvo 850 T5

Thanks for the replies so far, and a Volvo is a good call. I think it's Volvo and Mondeo heading the list as I really dont fancy shelling on on BMW or VAG repair bills when it takes cash away from improving the Elise.

I ran a Volvo 960 for a few last 2 years ago, but it felt knackered. What are the running costs like on an 850 T5?

For some reason a Legacy isn't for me.

[kprm77]

Plenty Saab 9-5 Estates in that price range. You'll get over 30mpg on a run if you're gentle. I managed 36mpg for the 72 mile trip back from work in my 04 reg 9-5 Aero (auto), though that was doing 60mph most of the way... Putting my foot down that drops to 27

[DemonDesign]

Volvo S40 T4 are good, Bias lol. do 30 to 35 mpg unless really pushed, get sports version and you will get every luxury, heated seats etc ..... good for winter