£6,300 to Spend on Family Car

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Wed 9 May 2007 12:19
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - Majic
Hi

My beloved MG ZR 120+ has been written off (couldn't get the parts!). I have £6,300 to spend on a new/second hand car.

I need:

1) 5 doors and room for 2 Adults and up to 2 kids

2) Could do with room for buggies, shopping etc

3) Don't really want to take out finance-but could do if push comes to shove

4) Would want and least a 1.6 or 1.8 engine

5) Finances tight so want low running costs

Have had a Ford Focus from hire company and have quite enjoyed driving this. What model/registration could I get for £6,300 and can you recommend anything else apart from a Focus?

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Wed 9 May 2007 12:27
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - local yokel
We spent £5k on a 1.6 auto Focus nearly two years ago and it was a good decision with hindsight. Rear wheel bearing had to be replaced at 50k, cost £100.
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Wed 9 May 2007 12:37
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - tyro
Use the link to Autotrader in the column to the left - it will tell you what is out there - and how much it costs.
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Wed 9 May 2007 13:32
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - ablandy
something to be aware of is the mondeo is often cheaper than the focus, as it is available second hand in higher quantities. You should be able to get a decent one for that money.

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Wed 9 May 2007 13:32
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - Soupytwist
You should be able to get yourself a decent old shape Skoda Octavia with the 1.8 petrol engine for that. Plenty of room for family kit and they're generally low maintenance.
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Soupytwist !
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Wed 9 May 2007 14:21
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - Altea Ego
Its got to be a mondeo. Best car at the price s/h by a mile, with huge choice.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Wed 9 May 2007 14:34
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - Majic
Never driven a Mondeo before-is there more room than a Focus?

Is it cheaper to run than a Focus? Insurance etc?
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Wed 9 May 2007 14:47
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - local yokel
There is certainly more room in a Mondeo - mostly in the rear seat and boot. My guess is that running costs will be slightly higher. 1.6 Focus is group 5 or 6 insurance, while 1.8 Mondeo is group 7.
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Wed 9 May 2007 17:07
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - y2k+4
If concerned about running costs, spend a little less on buying the Mondeo, it'll probably still be of similar age/condition to a Focus. You might even use the fact that it's about to be replaced and residuals will take a further hit as a bargaining tactic. It is a bit big though, and this makes parking a bit difficult. Compared to both the Focus I and II (owned/own now) I'd say the Mondeo remains the better car (parentals) - but I just wouldn't be able to park it easily around town.
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Wed 9 May 2007 17:33
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - Clk Sec
The Mazda6 is reliable, comfortable and cheap to service. I've had mine getting on 5 years now and still no sign of rust. Should be plenty around in your price range.

Clk Sec
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Wed 9 May 2007 20:22
£6,300 to Spend on Family Car - qxman {p}
How about a Nissan Primera 1.8. They are excellent value and my own experiences with Nissan have been extremely good.
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