Used car suggestions?

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Mon 20 Mar 2017 16:44
Used car suggestions? - user111
Hi i am in the market for a used car in the UK but could do with some suggestions.My budget is £5k-£6k.Ideally it needs to be no more than insurance group 20.Critea would be something petrol,reliable,economical,manual, chain driven not belt driven,small to medium size car with some boot space.It needs to be good round town and capable and fairly comfortable at undertaking a few hour trip every now and again on a motorway or country roads.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks
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Mon 20 Mar 2017 18:34
Used car suggestions? - SLO76
Honda Civic 1.8
Kia Cee'd 1.6
Hyundai i30 1.6
Toyota Auris 1.6
Mazda 3 1.6

I'd favour the Mazda which is an absolute hoot to drive and pretty much unburstible mechanically. The Civic is much more powerful and actually slightly more economical but handling and steering feel aren't quite up to the Mazda.

Despite saying you wanted a chain driven engine I wouldn't rule out the Ford Focus, particularly the Yamaha designed 1.6 petrol. The belt interval is every 8yrs and isn't that costly unlike VAG products of the era and their daft 4yr recommendation. The Focus is great fun to drive, has plenty of room, a good record for reliability and parts are a little cheaper than most of the above. The Mazda does share the same floorpan and suspension but uses their own chain driven petrol engines and both are very similar to drive.

Buy only with proof of annual servicing, this is especially important on chain driven engines.


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