A new job as a business consultant is pending and my very tired 148,000 mile 1.8 Ford Mondeo needs to be replaced. I have a very loose budget (up to £15k, lower the better) to spend on a new or second hand car and fuel expenses will be claimed back from the boss.
The devil on my shoulder is telling me to go mad for once in my life and get the hot rod I never had in my twenties (I'm 33). However the better side of my nature is telling me to buy something cheap (used Vectra), reliable (Honda), image enhancing (BMW, Merc) and diesel.
Nothing boring but make sure it does'nt shout 'drug dealer' or 'ram raider'. Also nothing that has been passed through half a dozen previous hands before depreciation brings it into budget (less than 40k miles).
Thought about 2 litre Focus, 2.5 V6 Mondeo in a nice paint job but I'll open it to the floor........any ideas?
Thanks,
Mark
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If fuel is not your problem, why don't you get an XJ6 or some other gas guzzler which will have a low purchase price due to high fuel consumption?
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How about a Peugeot 406 Coupe, inparticually the V6 if fuel consumption isnt too important. Would mix the best of both worlds, as they are reasonablt sensibe and practical but at the same classy and a bit of fun. Another advantage is that they can be picked up reasonably cheaply for a young car with minimal milliage.
Let us know what you decide on.
Steve
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....or even the 406 coupe 2.2HDI diesel - even better!
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Two or three year Toyota Camry? OK, not a big seller in UK, but BIG elsewhere. With history, better than most new cars.
Ignore the stigma of being very comfortable!
Tomo
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Got to agree with Tomo on this one. A Lexus without the badge.
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Most people don\'t even seem to know these exist, but my machine is a Rover 820 Vitesse Sport 4dr saloon (just called Vitesse from 97MY onwards). Mines done 114k in 5 ½ yrs without any problem. Here\'s why I like them:
Practical: full 5 seater, three proper belts in rear, massive boot, split folding rear seats, part leather interior easy to clean after the kids have trampled all over it.
Safety & security: proper double locking door latches, engine immobiliser & rolling code remote. Twin airbags, side bars & ABS 3.
Comfort: air con designed for US market, quiet (but road noise can be excessive if wrong tyre choice made), firm but comfortable ride. Supportive Recaro seats.
Performance: 0-60 in 7.3, 30-70 in 6.8 on to 143 (Autocar figures). Overtaking is this cars forte with 180lbft from 2200rpm and close ratio \'box. Firm suspension handles well (unlike lesser 800s). 215/45R17 tyres grip very nicely thankyou and the viscous limited slip diff keeps you on the straight & narrow when the going gets rough or slippy. Fantastic headlights for night driving.
Image: or more precisely, lack of. Excellent Q-car, doesn\'t attract attention, until you put your foot down that is!
Quality: from 95 on Rover had these well sorted, though the damage to the image had been done by then.
Cheap: late 98 single owner low milers can be had for 6-8 grand depending on body style. Driven moderately I get 32mpg. Set of tyres lasted 37k (rotated).
If I didn\'t have a family I\'d have a Coupe Vitesse - not quite as practical as the saloon, but come with all the bells whistles.
If you like the pace, but prefer more refinement you could try a 620ti, though these aren\'t as much fun to drive down A & B roads as the 820VS. They\'re also slightly more expensive to buy and don\'t have the same security features.
The Omega MV6 has a similar stack of attributes, but is probably more thirsty. Chap at our place has a scooby - and a family! Friend had a Passat 1.8 turbo estate, which he liked very much, though he didn\'t think they are as robust as they\'re made out to be. Another friend has a V6 Vectra - he wishes he had my Rover!
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Moved here to benefit from the attention of the Technical Matters Forum.
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Made any decisons yet then?
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No firm decisions yet.
Rover 620ti sounded very interesting but I have concerns with availability of Rover parts and servicing (according to colleagues reports).
406 coupe is a very pretty car but very thirsty - whilst my new employer is happy to pay for fuel, eyebrows may be raised at mpg of around 28. I will have to see how the land lies.
Audi A8? Desirable but surely outside of my budget?
I would like to test drive the Camry (which I know absolutely nothing about), BMW 320D, Accord and Mondeo over the next few weeks. The Accord appeals, my father had a 1996 N plate, I was fairly impressed by it's road holding and build quality, virtues which are probably shared with the Camry.
But you never really get to hear much about the Camry in the motoring press. Why is this? Sometimes I wonder if the press (honest john excepted) are influenced by the advertising budgets at the disposal of car manufacturers. I am sorry to question other peoples' integrity in this matter but sometimes I wonder. Any views?
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The Camry seems to be built for the US market. It is heavily advertised over there (toyota run ads in just about every tv ad break). Over there it is a no-frills family workhorse saloon, thought of as a domestic applicance rather than a 'driver's car'. It comes in saloon only, which kills its family appeal over here.
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Camry also built in Australia....rhd as well, uk model is probably sourced from there. The Oz model is a very bland
boring large saloon/estate. You have to pay a lot extra to include the quality of fittings you might expect....not sure if the Toyota Vienta range is sold here...its the upper end of the Camry range.
The 4-cylinder Camry is hideously under powered...almost none sold in Oz, V6 is the way to go.
Ian L. (seriously considered Camry when in Oz for 5 years)
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......... I don't think so! There's loads of independant Rover specialists doing OE, new pattern & secondhand parts. I've never had a problem.
......like most makes, some good dealers, some not so good. But hey, go independant and save a bundle - you'll be paying remember. Personally I DIY - easy peasy & takes up two Saturdays a year!
......get yourself behind the wheel of one. I think you'll be surprised. Of course, no choice of car should be made without test drives first.
If luxury is your bag, try a 3.2 Honda Legend - but I suspect your attitude to fuel consumption will put you off.
Good Luck.
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At the risk of plugging my own car (check out the classifieds here) if you do lots of miles and fuel is paid then definitely get something from the luxury end of the market. A friend of mine bought an A8 after being in mine, he says he now looks forward to long journeys he used to hate before.
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