First Car Suggestions? Daewoo FTW. Nothing else Matiz. Oh, and ExigeExcel's Almera.

[ExigeEvan]

Well he has a mate who is a mechanic, and he was going in to get the otherside done anyway.

Although relatively minor, it is gutting. And even more furstrating when me and my mates realised that the one person who drives most like an idiot has yet to have an incident. Sadly, he'll probably do some serious damage to himself and others when he does.

 

[Danny]

That sucks, Evan.

Glad to hear the car's fine though.👍

 

[Danny]

Bonsoir, gentlefolk.

After 2 mechanically problem-free years, I'm moving upwards.
My insurance is now low enough for me to consider something bigger, and better on the motorway (which is what I have found I primarily use it for).

Currently I'm looking at:

A 2001 Primera 1.8 Activ in blue that's a snip at £650.

A beigey 1999 Renault Laguna 1.8 Alize practically being given away at £695.

A silver 1997 Vauxhall Vectra Arctic II for £600.

A silver 1999 Rover 416i for £549.

A 2002 Fiat Stilo 1.4, but only 3 doors for £1100.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I don't think that year of FIAT has quite made it into "reliable" status. The Primera would be bomb proof, the 400 dull (No 200?) and when I checked out older Renaults when I was shopping build quality was abit drole.

What's your budget? £1k?

 

[Famine]

Avoid Vectras like the plague.

 

[Danny]

I don't think that year of FIAT has quite made it into "reliable" status.

But...it's soooo pretty! That's probably more of a wishful thinking situation. If it were better made, then it might be more tempting than it is.

The Primera would be bomb proof

My thoughts exactly. It's probably the bookies favourites at the moment.

the 400 dull (No 200?)

In all honesty, the 200 isn't big enough to warrant the leap in tax and economy. There's also precious little difference in purchase price, insurance costs and running costs between the 200 and 400. Dullness doesn't really bother me, the Matiz is hardly Bubbles the Clown (without the Cup suspension) but I enjoyed it anyway.

when I checked out older Renaults when I was shopping build quality was abit drole.

I was worried about that. I've spent a fair whack of time in the first Laguna, and it was really quite comfortable. The reliability and quality would be issues there, however.

What's your budget? £1k?

Purchase budget is going to be roughly the going rate for an immaculate '99 Matiz plus about 500. So realistically, circa. £1300.

Avoid Vectras like the plague.

But there's loads! They can't be that bad. Surely.

 

[Famine]

Drive a Vectra. Drive a Mondeo of the same year.

Yes, they're that bad. And though they've changed the name, the Insignia follows in its predecessor's footsteps.

 

[homeforsummer]

Avoid all of the above like the plague. If you must have a repmobile, go find a nice Accord and be done with it. You can get ones like this for as little as a grand now:

And you can get the older model even cheaper, plenty of good ones around for less than £500:

Though obviously, the newer one will be much more pleasant. I suppose you could get a Laguna - they look pretty nice, and I guess that if it hasn't broken by the time it's ten-odd years old then you might be okay with it. Likewise for a Mondeo, which I see isn't on your list.

Also, how big do you actually need? If you've managed a Matiz for two years then perhaps you don't need a big jump like that and you can get away with a Civic/Almera/Corolla/Focus etc.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Big, reliable, cheap, good motorway cruiser....


Skoda Octavia?

 

[homeforsummer]

Big, reliable, cheap, good motorway cruiser....


Skoda Octavia?

Forgot about that one actually. Very good car. As long as you don't buy an ex-taxi, which makes up about 95% of all Octavias.

 

[Jim Prower]

How many Chrysler Stratuses are there over yonder? I figure we oughta cover all the Supertouring bases...

 

[Famine]

How many Chrysler Stratuses are there over yonder? I figure we oughta cover all the Supertouring bases...

None.

 

[ExigeEvan]

How many Chrysler Stratuses are there over yonder? I figure we oughta cover all the Supertouring bases...

None for sale on AutoTrader.

 

[Danny]

Also, how big do you actually need? If you've managed a Matiz for two years then perhaps you don't need a big jump like that and you can get away with a Civic/Almera/Corolla/Focus etc.

Space has long been an issue. While it's fine if there's just me, oftentimes my car is loaded with people. There's usually at least 4 of us that go shopping at the same time. It doesn't take long before the boot is filled up and there's bags in footwells, on knees, etc etc.

In addition to this, a sizable percentage of my driving has been long-haul journeys across the UK. It's just practical for me to get a bigger car, and ideally one that doesn't cause loss of hearing above 60.

I will however, look into the Octavia. It does look tempting...

 

[ExigeEvan]

If you can get a diesel even better as fuel prices are basically equal, however, you will pay a premium for the car.

 

[homeforsummer]

If you can get a diesel even better as fuel prices are basically equal, however, you will pay a premium for the car.

And it raises the taxi total to 100% too

 

[Jondot]

Oi! Mondeo!

You know you want it...



The Stilo will ruin you, the Primera will turn you into Eeyore, the Rover will force you to smoke a pipe, and the Vectra... is a Vectra.

I'd also avoid the Octavia. Any within your budget will have been driven into the ground, been vomited on, etceteras.

I was about to warn you that a 1.8 Mondeo/Laguna/Eeyoremobile will drink considerably more than your 0.8 Korean Wheelie bin, but I just went and looked it up... Yeesh that Matiz drinks a lot for its size!

 

[Danny]

In a strange twist of events, a pristine Rover 25 has made itself available.

It's tempting me on many levels.

 

[Famine]

The only level on which I can imagine being tempted by any Rover 25 is if I were a tank commander and I was running out of targets.

 

[eiriksmil]

Or owned a scrap yard and could crush it.. That applies to all the cars in here..

Damn I envy you brits' low car prices..
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...icleYearOfManufacture=1988&vehicleRegLetter=E

 

[Danny]

The Golf would cost gazillions to maintain, and I'm not sure if insurers would qualify that as a classic or not.

 

[dancardesigner]

There is an imprezza 1.6 that puts out 150hp, is 4WD and it's only group 8. Looking at it myself, seems the highest performance for that group you can get.

 

[TopHat]

Oi! Mondeo!

It does actually look like it's yelling OI! At you.

I second the Accord suggestion, they don't look half bad either.

 

[homeforsummer]

There is an imprezza 1.6 that puts out 150hp, is 4WD and it's only group 8. Looking at it myself, seems the highest performance for that group you can get.

I want proof of a standard 150bhp Impreza, because I do not believe such a thing exists. Even the non-turbo 2.0 doesn't make 150bhp...

 

[eiriksmil]

The Golf would cost gazillions to maintain, and I'm not sure if insurers would qualify that as a classic or not.

Not really sure why you'd say that.. I know what I would do, enjoy every mile or feel like a rep. Only reason people drive those cars is because their work is paying for them..
Although I just went through the photos, dunno why he'd say it's a valver (16v) when it's got 8..

 

[mafia_boy]

The only level on which I can imagine being tempted by any Rover 25 is if I were a tank commander and I was running out of targets.

That literally brought a tear to my eye Famine. Aboslute gold there. So harsh but so true though.

 

[YSSMAN]

Something tells me a panel van would be right up Danny's alley, but I don't know if its as inconspicuous as they are here when parked outside of the local playground.

Otherwise, get something French. Really French.

406? C5? I dig all of them.

 

[ExigeEvan]

The only level on which I can imagine being tempted by any Rover 25 is if I were a tank commander and I was running out of targets.

This.

I did suggest it as an alternative to the 400... But that was only in comparison to the 400 My dad drove a 25 for a year, he hated it, and this is coming from a guy that loved his 1.4D Citroen AX!

 

[niky]

I want proof of a standard 150bhp Impreza, because I do not believe such a thing exists. Even the non-turbo 2.0 doesn't make 150bhp...

Maybe it's somebody's frankenstein backyard project? Either way, I wouldn't get it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Something tells me a panel van would be right up Danny's alley, but I don't know if its as inconspicuous as they are here when parked outside of the local playground.

Considering Danny has fewer years under his belt than I do and considering the quotes I was getting when I looked at VW T4s and the like, I can confirm that insurance isn't pretty for the average van, unless you're getting one of the car-derived ones, and then you lose out on space anyway and may as well just get a car.

406? C5? I dig all of them.

I've always liked 406s. We used to have one similar to the one below. For repmobiles they're very pretty, and something like the 2.1 turbodiesel should have plenty of shove and last fairly well. They suffer from lots of little electrical problems though.

And I'm surprised Casio (where has he been lately?) hasn't popped into the thread to suggest something like this:

A 900 or a 9-3. Pretty much as comfy as you'll get from that class, safe, you can get diesel ones for good economy or swooshy turbo petrol ones for bombing along. They're safe too and again apart from the odd electrical problem, reasonably reliable.

Or hell, even why not one of these?:

I can't believe a basic 316i or 318i would be too much more to insure than your average repmobile and you can pick them up for pennies now.