Best run around car for £1500
Discussion
Of course it is. I have bought many cars for less than this which I have used as my daily driver. None has ever given me any significant problems whatsoever.
Key is buying something well maintained, from a loving previous owner and a car with a decent reputation for reliability.
I am currently smoking around in a W124 Mercedes which I have had for 18 months. It is totally reliable, supremely well made and comfortable and has really got under my skin.
I love it and it cost a lot less than your budget...
Key is buying something well maintained, from a loving previous owner and a car with a decent reputation for reliability.
I am currently smoking around in a W124 Mercedes which I have had for 18 months. It is totally reliable, supremely well made and comfortable and has really got under my skin.
I love it and it cost a lot less than your budget...
Focus/Mondeo/Fiesta would be my choice. All great cars, all have spares available from everywhere, and can be fixed cheaply if needed.
Would argue you cant go wrong with something like this;
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
Had one for years and ultra reliable.
Would argue you cant go wrong with something like this;
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
Had one for years and ultra reliable.
Or some cockroach old Toyota or Honda would do nicely. Buy on mechanical condition and signs of it being looked after and give no mind to the mileage and not much to the cosmetic condition either.
You can get some cracking cars for £1500. If you're not worried about fuel economy the real bargains are large-ish petrol engines in mid sized cars. 2 litre Focus, that sort of thing. Less likely to have been run on a shoestring by a miser like a cheap diesel too.
You can get some cracking cars for £1500. If you're not worried about fuel economy the real bargains are large-ish petrol engines in mid sized cars. 2 litre Focus, that sort of thing. Less likely to have been run on a shoestring by a miser like a cheap diesel too.
1. Yes it is, easily.
2. If you know where I can get a C3 for £1500 please let me know and I'll buy it.
My £1500 goes on standard issue, boring petrol saloons and hatches. I actually fish a bit lower. My recent list is:
Mondeo 1.8, 2003, 2014-present, £600. 15k miles to date. Faultless.
Saab 9-5, 1999, 2013-14, £400. 10-12k miles. 1 breakdown, coil pack.
Vectra 1.8, 2002, 2012-13, £700. 20k miles? 1 breakdown, ECU fault.
Astra 1,4, 1994, 2010-12, £275. 12k miles? Indestructible, I took it to France for work, then sold it for a profit.
Would that be good enough for you? The weakest of these was the Vectra, then the Saab, though the Saab was by far the best drive. The best was the indestructible Astra, when I'd sold it the guy rang me back after a couple of weeks. My heart sank. He's buggered it and wants some recompense. No, it's all fine. Oh, er, good. Thought it would be, always did a job for me. So, er, how can I help? "Well, see, I'm off to Manchester (40 miles away), do you think it'll mek it?"
"No, I don't THINK that it will make it, I KNOW it will. Check your fluids, tank of fuel, tyre pressures, get it on the '62, 70 all the way. Have a good trip, that car will take you as far as you like".
I was saddened to find out it hadn't made it through the next test, I'm sure that a modest sum for maintenance would have had another year. The guy who bought it couldn't really afford any car.
So £1500? Kid's stuff.
2. If you know where I can get a C3 for £1500 please let me know and I'll buy it.
My £1500 goes on standard issue, boring petrol saloons and hatches. I actually fish a bit lower. My recent list is:
Mondeo 1.8, 2003, 2014-present, £600. 15k miles to date. Faultless.
Saab 9-5, 1999, 2013-14, £400. 10-12k miles. 1 breakdown, coil pack.
Vectra 1.8, 2002, 2012-13, £700. 20k miles? 1 breakdown, ECU fault.
Astra 1,4, 1994, 2010-12, £275. 12k miles? Indestructible, I took it to France for work, then sold it for a profit.
Would that be good enough for you? The weakest of these was the Vectra, then the Saab, though the Saab was by far the best drive. The best was the indestructible Astra, when I'd sold it the guy rang me back after a couple of weeks. My heart sank. He's buggered it and wants some recompense. No, it's all fine. Oh, er, good. Thought it would be, always did a job for me. So, er, how can I help? "Well, see, I'm off to Manchester (40 miles away), do you think it'll mek it?"
"No, I don't THINK that it will make it, I KNOW it will. Check your fluids, tank of fuel, tyre pressures, get it on the '62, 70 all the way. Have a good trip, that car will take you as far as you like".
I was saddened to find out it hadn't made it through the next test, I'm sure that a modest sum for maintenance would have had another year. The guy who bought it couldn't really afford any car.
So £1500? Kid's stuff.
dme123 said:
Or some cockroach old Toyota or Honda would do nicely. Buy on mechanical condition and signs of it being looked after and give no mind to the mileage and not much to the cosmetic condition either.
You can get some cracking cars for £1500. If you're not worried about fuel economy the real bargains are large-ish petrol engines in mid sized cars. 2 litre Focus, that sort of thing. Less likely to have been run on a shoestring by a miser like a cheap diesel too.
You can get some cracking cars for £1500. If you're not worried about fuel economy the real bargains are large-ish petrol engines in mid sized cars. 2 litre Focus, that sort of thing. Less likely to have been run on a shoestring by a miser like a cheap diesel too.
Agreed - some cracking vehicles out there at this price point, some big old motors available too if you look towards Volvo, Mercedes and Saab, if you need the space that is.danp said:
Absolutely, sold my 60k Civic Type S (2.0 160bhp, chain cam) for just over that to a PHer recently.
1 owner before me, full Honda history with bills and even the original invoice, it felt bulletproof.
We picked up a 1 owner ex lease car which did 30k miles per year and had 90k on it when we bought it.1 owner before me, full Honda history with bills and even the original invoice, it felt bulletproof.
It's cost us a fair bit over the years.
Air con - replaced virtually all of it over the year cost around £700
EGR valve - only likes the Honda originals £250 ish
Cat and exhaust -£500
Then the brakes seem weak we have had both rears and fronts all replaced twice in 30k miles.
Suppose over the years it's not too bad but parts are expensive
So they are, I'd forgotten they have been around so long. Now that I think, a colleague in France had one 10 years ago, a Pluriel. Looked good, in a Citroenesque way, I always felt it was an upspec modern 2CV. A lot of the appeal, a modern engine and brakes, able to keep up in traffic, and a folding roof in the deal.
This is my favourite price point to buy a car, because if it turns out to be a good one (which usually they are if chosen right) then brilliant, and if it turns out to be a pig then not much has been lost.
My favourite cars have been bought for under a grand, the best one being a Saab 9-3 convertible which ran for two years without a single penny being spent on it bar an oil/filter change and a gearbox mount. I did 40,000 miles in that car and it cost me £900!
My favourite cars have been bought for under a grand, the best one being a Saab 9-3 convertible which ran for two years without a single penny being spent on it bar an oil/filter change and a gearbox mount. I did 40,000 miles in that car and it cost me £900!
I don't see why not.
A year ago I bought a BMW 325ti Sport for a smidge under £2,000 and it has been a great car! Tail-out fun with RWD and an N/A straight 6, plenty of gadgets including full leather and I am getting over 30 mpg quite easily (but I don't do much rush-hour crawling).
Before I bought it I looked at an SE model that had done more miles but was for sale for £1,495 at a trader so they are around.
Good luck!
A year ago I bought a BMW 325ti Sport for a smidge under £2,000 and it has been a great car! Tail-out fun with RWD and an N/A straight 6, plenty of gadgets including full leather and I am getting over 30 mpg quite easily (but I don't do much rush-hour crawling).
Before I bought it I looked at an SE model that had done more miles but was for sale for £1,495 at a trader so they are around.
Good luck!
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