Just got a new job and need to buy a car to get there (and hopefully back). I've got 5Kish to spend and I'll be travelling 90 miles a day, I'm 6'1" tall and quite hefty. Firm won't pay mileage allowance so I'm on my own.
Any suggestions?
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5K will get you lots of different things. Give us a few clues as to what your priorities are.
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Something comfortable, economical, fun to drive, reliable and easy to service, maybe?
I think a Focus TDCi would be high on my list.
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I think my priority has to be economy and reliability, anything else is a bonus.Could probably go up to 6K if pushed. Not overly worried about status.
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This question comes up fairly frequently and Avensis and Primera seem to be common answers along with Skodas.
Try a quick check using the Autotrader search facility on the left of your screen, you can set it to search for any car up to a given price within a certain distance of your postcode. That might throw up a few you might not think of first time round.
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For reliability, I reckon that the two best options are getting brand new, or getting a vehicle that you know the history of.
You can get some fairly decent economical little cars brand new for under £6000 from people like DrivetheDeal - Fiat Panda, Citroen C1, etc. Both will give you good mileage. You could just about stretch to the Panda diesel.
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For reliability I reckon that the two best options are getting brand new or getting a vehicle that you know the history of. You can get some fairly decent economical little cars brand new for under £6000 from people like DrivetheDeal - Fiat Panda Citroen C1 etc. Both will give you good mileage. You could just about stretch to the Panda diesel.
Ugh, 20,000 miles a year in that :-(
You want a decent-size saloon.
With the amount of mileage being put on it, it will depreciate badly. So to me getting a low-mileage example is probably not as good as a higher-mileage one, because the higher-mileage is cheaper to start with, and you'll have put on a lot of miles yourself soon enough.
If you want something mass-market (e.g., Passat, might make sense to go less than £5k).
You don't get anything much for the money compared with what you'd get for £3k, and it will be worthless in a couple of years.
Maybe an older diesel E-class, about £3k.
tinyurl.com/34csul
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Maybe an older diesel E-class about £3k. tinyurl.com/34csul
though on second thoughts, the interior of that car is *nasty*.
I'd look for one with leather....
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Jaguar S Type (no seriously) - £5k will get you an early (1999 on) one with high miles, but perfectly servicable and a lovely motorway cruiser - good for tall folk as well.
Might be a bit to thirsty but if you don't go stupid you can get MPG in the mid to late 30's quite easily.
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You need reliability and economy - a big old barge won't be ideal.
A new Ford Ka would suit you better than one might think - the deerstalker-on-wheels shape is good for tall men, and they're quite relaxed at motorway speeds.
If that's too small, then a Focus might do - there are so many of them that they lose value fast. so £5-6k should get you something 2-3 years old, preferably a TDCI for economy. Or an old-shape Honda Civic woyuld gove you a feeling of spaciousness.
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Ford Mondeo.
Example:
A 2001 Ghia model with lowish miles and in good condition can be had for under £4,000. 2.0 TDCi. Keep £1,000 back for possible repairs.
I don't understand people who say they could stretch to £xk for a car... never stretch... get one you can easily afford and keep some money back in reserve for when it goes wrong!
The new shape is just on the production lines now making what was the newest shaped Mondeos cheaper. Also there are a few more of them on the market all of a sudden because some people will be upgrading to the new shape.
Fairly reliable, parts fairly cheap, fairly easy to work on, fairly reliable, fairly cheap to insure.
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Did I mention it was fairly reliable? :)
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i would be tempted to avoid the tdci mondeo and go for the tddi. Tdci is a better engine, but more possibility of expensive repairs because of misfueling by previous owner. We have a couple of tddi (one an 51 and one of a 02) and they are good cars. Can be got for about £4k
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As the OP says it's his first job, this would suggest that youth is on his side!
Therefore old barges like an E-class or an S-type are likely to be prohibitive to insure, never mind more expensive to fix when they (will) break.
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Forget that, I mis-read. It's new, not first job.
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You may go for a Hyundai diesel (Accent/Sonata/Elantra) which will be at most 3 years old (within £4-5k) and still have 2 years manufacturer's warranty left on them.
Not many people are fond of Elantra/Sonata - so you can get a good deal.
Accent is also nice but it may be small for you.
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You could get something slightly off beat - like a Mazda Xedos - www.xedos6.co.uk/ - not your average rep-barge, and all the toys.
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How about an Audi A6 diesel or Volvo S60 (or S80) diesel? Maybe highish miles at this price point, but they'll take it.......
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Have to agree with the Mondeo recommendation. I got mine 18 months ago for a 120 mile round commute for just over £5k. Mine is the less popular 1.6 Zetec but it does the job well and averages near 40 mpg. No regrets.
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While suggestions like the Xedos and Jag S Type are for what are nice cars, the OP says he has to foot the fuel bill for a 90 mile a day commute rendering them totally unsuitable.
Consider an Octavia TDI, economical and reliable- all those taxi drivers can't be wrong!
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"Mine is the less popular 1.6 Zetec"
EDIT: Mine is the less popular 1.8 Zetec
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Fiat Panda / Citroen C1 vs Ford Ka
I thought about suggesting a Ford Ka. I own one, and regularly do 50 mile journeys in it, and find it quite comfortable - and I'm 6'1". I suspect the Panda or C1 would probably be at least as comfortable, being newer designs. The reason I didn't suggest a Ka is that the OP said "economical", and the others are moreso.
Official figures:
Fiat Panda 1.1 49.6 mpg
Fiat Panda 1.2 50.4 mpg
Fiat Panda diesel 65.7 mpg
Citroen C1 1.0 61.4 mpg
Ford Ka 45.6 mpg
Fiat Panda / Citroen C1/Ford Ka vs Ford Focus
Well, difference between a new and 2nd hand car. 5000 will get you a new Ka/Panda/C1 or a 3 year old Focus. And as for residuals, a 5 year old Ford Ka will be worth about the same as an 8 year old Focus, so there is little difference in depreciation. Nor is there much in economy. The difference is between new and 2nd hand. If you know the history of the 2nd hand vehicle, then it is a good bet for reliability. If not - well . . .
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Don't forget the OP has a 90 mile round commute, therefore KAs, Pandas or C1's with their screaming 3 cylinder engines are not the best choice.
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I'm not forgetting. I'm basing it on my experience driving a Ka on a 95 mile round commute. I find it reasonably civilised and enjoyable. I gather that the C1 is a bit noisy, but that the Panda is not too bad.
Like most things in car choice, it's a personal thing, so I guess the OP will need to test drive them to see what he thinks.
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