Help me a choose a new "station car" please

[Ian1976]

I need to replace my current station car (1.6 Escort) as its starting to become unreliable/rusty and the road tax is annoyingly high.

Criteria/must have's..

manual gearbox
non-turbo petrol engine
air con
low road tax
decent mpg (40+)

I have 2k max to spend, Ideally less! What should I be looking at?

[Chrisw666]

If tax is an issue a 1.4 civic should do the job just fine.

[V8mate]

Hyundai Accent 1.3.

Reliable, anonymous, frugal. Nobbers wandering round car parks won't give it a second glance and you won't mind if someone dings it.

Spend the other £1200 on coke and hookers.

[Chrisw666]

Actually I would just buy anything with a small engine, long tax and test for under a grand then bin it if it fails an MOT.

[Benny Saltstein]

I'd second the Focus. Best "station car" feature by far is the heated front screen for the winter. I'm sure £2k would find you a tidy example and I think 40mpg is doable. I get 420ish miles from a tank.

There is the added bonus that you can fit a cement mixer in the back!

[V8mate]

Chrisw666 said:

Actually I would just buy anything with a small engine, long tax and test for under a grand then bin it if it fails an MOT.

Indeed. Hence my example. Jap/Far East cars are always good news in that price bracket.

[Boba Fret]

this.........
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2725420.htm


doesn't matter if it gets scratched/bumped/smacked/gangraped etc

will always start in any weather

if it breaks you can fix them with parts from most AirFix kits, or a hammer and you REALLY won't give a sh** about it

[Ian1976]

doogz said:

Focus?

If it's your station car, is MPG that important. I'm struggling to see how you'll average over 40mpg on short cold journeys in a petrol car tbh.

How low is Focus road tax though? I really want to be paying £30 or less.

I see you point on the mpg though, I might not get 40+ but if I go for a car that only does 25/30 when warmed up my commuting mpg will be even worse.

V8mate said:

Hyundai Accent 1.3.

Reliable, anonymous, frugal. Nobbers wandering round car parks won't give it a second glance and you won't mind if someone dings it.

Spend the other £1200 on coke and hookers.

Got to have air con though. Did they have it?

Chrisw666 said:

Actually I would just buy anything with a small engine, long tax and test for under a grand then bin it if it fails an MOT.

I've done that for a few years with £500 (or less) cars, but this time I want AC and cheaper road tax. I'm handy(ish) with tools so hopefully I can maintain the next car and get a few years out of it.

Boba Fret said:

this.........
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2725420.htm


doesn't matter if it gets scratched/bumped/smacked/gangraped etc

will always start in any weather

if it breaks you can fix them with parts from most AirFix kits, or a hammer and you REALLY won't give a sh** about it

I'll be happy in anything but its got to have air con

[Matt UK]

Chrisw666 said:

Actually I would just buy anything with a small engine, long tax and test for under a grand then bin it if it fails an MOT.

I agree.

Also, being lazy as I am, I would limit my AT search to 'within 5 miles' and see what sort of econoboxes filter up.

[Reedy156]

doogz said:

£30/year?

When you're talking about spending £2k on a car, is that really all that important?
Good luck finding something for £2k, that'll do 40mpg, with aircon, and cost £30/year to tax.

Post 2001, VERY small engine (as not as efficient as the new ones) http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicl...

So that leaves not a lot! Basically This!>>> http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

Ooops!!! Just noticed that this is 161g/km - so not cheap tax! Need under 120... doubt there is anything!

Gas converted?... http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

Edited by Reedy156 on Thursday 5th May 17:09

Edited by Reedy156 on Thursday 5th May 17:16

[Kiltox]

Hardly anything for £2000 will have =< £30 tax. Most cars that are £30 tax now weren't before the rates changed.

(ie, my Picanto is £30 tax, but I'm led to believe pre-facelift ones with the same engine are not because it's been tweaked to put it in the lower band)

[wombat172a]

Boba Fret said:

this.........
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2725420.htm


doesn't matter if it gets scratched/bumped/smacked/gangraped etc

???

[geeteeaye]

Don't think your criteria are actually obtainable.

Getz 1.1 CDX
Yaris 1.0 GLS

Have Air Con and RFL group E, plenty of stuff is F - small engined Clio/206/Corsa/Micra etc.

[vit4]

For under £2k you won't get anything that's under £30 a year to tax. I'd say the best bet would either be a Ford with the quickclear windscreen (Focus as suggested, or even a Fiesta?) or shed.

[aka_kerrly]

Seat Arosa TDI meets the tax criteria an costs peanuts to run.

[geeteeaye]

aka_kerrly said:

Seat Arosa TDI meets the tax criteria an costs peanuts to run.

Except the criteria that he wants a petrol?

Nor are they in budget.

Nor do the ones below even £3k seem to have Air con?

Other than that, good shout

[V8mate]

Ian1976 said:

V8mate said:

Hyundai Accent 1.3.

Reliable, anonymous, frugal. Nobbers wandering round car parks won't give it a second glance and you won't mind if someone dings it.

Spend the other £1200 on coke and hookers.

Got to have air con though. Did they have it?

Yep. CDX model certainly does. Next one down may well have too.

[Boba Fret]

just out of interest, why does it HAVE to have aircon????

[croakey]

Seat arosa.... Use one as my daily 1.4 petrol....42mpg (flat out) 20k a year....she's a beauty

[marcosgt]

My local station car park is packed with E46 BMW M3s...

M.