Ok, ive been asked to come up with a shortlist of cars to look at for a friend as she has a 2002 Golf GTi and after its 15th trip to the dealer for yet another problem she has given up and sold it. I shall say no more about that aspect of it to save feelings of VAG lovers.
Anyhow, she said to me ok, you said VW not so reliable anymore and you werent wrong, so what should I buy, give me a shortlist to look at.
I know I know, dangerous territory but I said ill have a look up and see what models fall within her criteria.
Her main request is something that doesnt have any common faults, which having trawled through the CBC isnt many cars - some have fewer than others but few have almost none. She is looking to buy in the £4k price range so its going to be something 2000-2003 age roughly.
Aside from almost total reliability, she wants something with a bit of pep similar to the Golf and a 5dr hatch of similar size, something a little sporty looking but not OTT.
Or she wants something similar to a Freelander ( I told her not to even go there with the real deal ).
Heres the shortlist I came up with:
Nissan Almera 1.8, Mazda 323 2.0 Sport, Honda HRV 5dr and a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0 diesel or petrol.
Now I know from my sisters experience that the Suzuki is a sound choice if not brilliant driving, but anyone vouch for the others, especially on reliability?
She said if one more engine management light comes on a sledgehammer will come into play!
My Favorite of that list is the Mazda as it seems you can get good examples for well within her budget and the CBC has no faults of note listed for it.
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Stu,
The old shape Honda Civic was just about the most reliable car on the road. Go for a facelift 2.0 Sport model as these look just about as good as the Type R without the insurance hike. Bullet proof engine with reasonable turn of speed.
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Surprised you needed to ask Stu....Hyundai coupe.
EDIT...blimey Stu quick response that was, do the coupe's really have PAS issues..;)
Edited by gordonbennet on 26/03/2009 at 20:34
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Hyundai Coupe? Not sure it comes in 5dr :-)
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>>EDIT...blimey Stu quick response that was, do the coupe's really have PAS issues..;)<<
No but apparently Civic does. Actually mums Coupe has had a new PAS pipe as there was a slight weep on one at 40k.
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. Actually mums Coupe has had a new PAS pipe asthere was a slight weep on one at 40k.
Better report that to HJ then, i haven't looked but i bet his list of faults with the coupe is a little short.
Ah sorry bout the coupe suggestion i missed the 5dr requirement.
Note to self...read the whole post...
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>>Better report that to HJ then, i haven't looked but i bet his list of faults with the coupe is a little short.<<
Well it was a weep only and it managed to pass its MOT with it so Im not sure we can email Watchdog just yet :-)
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Well I thought that but then I read in CBC that PAS issues were creeping in, which is always expensive and not something id wish on someone I knew.
Good idea though if indeed HJ is wrong about the PAS.
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2002 Golf GTi and after its 15th trip to the dealer for yet another problem she has given up and sold it >>
Is this friend the same customer you referred to previously, who has a "countryside mentality - very different from a townie" ?:
Fri 31 Oct 08 www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=68702Golf IV - GTi 2.0 ... gone wrong 4 times in 3 weeks but luckily under warranty at the moment. Its a replacement ( swap ) for an older Golf she bought recently which had a terminal gerbox issue that was uneconomic to fix according to the supplying dealer, so he supplied this car as a replacement. ... She had a MK3 GTi before this one which was a joke, it didnt go for a month in the 4 years I knew it without a mechanical or electrical issue and given that her new one has broken down already, I wonder if her new one will be any better. She is so devoted to her GTis though - I told her buy a 2.0 Impreza next time! >>
Mon 26 Jan 09 www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=71519&...fRecommend Subaru to replace troublesome Golf?
.... 52 plate Golf GTi 2.0 and it has spent 5 weeks of the last 3 months in the garage and is currently in again for an ECU issue. Its already had several sensors, 5 instances of warning lights popping on and other various electrical glitches and the short warranty it came with is soon to expire. >>
1. Does that mean she was not persuaded to buy the Impreza?
2. Why did she not reject the troublesome Golf GTi, that she bought under 6 months ago, using her rights under SOGA?
Edited by jbif on 26/03/2009 at 21:32
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Id forgotten about the Impreza. I will add it to the list.
Car rejection isnt what she asked me about and since she rejected the first car, Im sure she will if she wishes but that is irrelevant to what she replaces it with.
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"... Im sure she will if she wishes .. " >>
She can't do that anymore, can she? [ It's too late, because "she has given up and sold it". ;-0 ]
.. forgotten .. >>
Don't worry, as it was two months ago, so easily done. ;-)
It is hard enough to read a third party's mind and post here on their behalf, instantly, in response to questions and suggestions.
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She said she has sold it, although it was still parked outside her house the other day so I presume it hasnt gone as yet.
Im not sure reading a third partys mind has anything to do with feedback on different models of cars.
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Nissan Almera 1.8:
I could only find autos with that engine, although manual spec was available. They still have the cam chain problem.
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Im not sure reading a third partys mind has anything to do with feedback on different models of cars. >>
How else can you give feedback to a third party on different models of cars?
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=71519&...fShe does like Subarus and living in the countryside, cliche as it is, many of her neighbours own them and rave about them ...
... Her priorities are a nice drive and total reliability, or atleast as near as you can get, plus something on a par with her GTi in terms of performance. She also wanted a local dealer >>
So you see, without the benefit reading the previous thread, which even you had forgotten about, backroomers would have to read her mind to know that she wants a local dealership.
Good job that friend's don't read what people say on their behalf [reminds me of Rattle who has had to have some of his posts deleted after reconsidering what he had said about his female friend whose car was in an accident recently!].
.. Aside from almost total reliability, she wants something with a bit of pep ... >>
It will be interesting to see which 2003-04 car [5 to 6 years old] you finally choose that meets that requirement. I cannot name any 2nd hand car that old, costing under £4000, that will be totally reliable, so I will refrain from further comment and watch with interest what suggestions others put forward to meet that criterion.
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The easiest way to lose a friend is to recommend a car to them! If the car turns out to not be to their liking you can forget any previous friendship.
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I have a Nissan Almera 1.8 Sport.
As far as mechanical reliability is concerned - excellent. Got it at 50k, just passed 90k, one seized brake calliper, that is it. No cam chain problem with mine at least. The cd autochanger has eaten Cast All Change and the Best of James, so its musical taste is at least good. It gets serviced regularly, I check the levels every so often and you're off. It has been a pleasure to own.
I drive a mix of urban pottering and long motorway jaunts. Easily at its best on the motorway. I load it with surf gear (got 9 boards in and on it once, short trip only - honest), people, I've slept in it, it goes fully loaded to the dump, I work it hard and it's never let me down.
The OP mentions a request for a bit of pep. Coming from a Golf GTI, a 1.8 Almera will feel not that fast. Easily capable and good grunt in 5th but it won't blow your mind.
But I don't care. The other thing is, if you get a Sport (or, on the facelift versions, an SXE or something) the "tasteful" alloys and spoilers garnish the Almera quite nicely and make them quite distinctive. As a fan of these cars, I admit a base model in a light green/ blue metallic can look a bit dull
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Thanks chap, that was just the info I was after - her GTi is only the 115 bhp 2.0 which isnt a ball of fire anyway, so perhaps quite close to the Almera!
I think the Sport model is a good idea, just to lift it above the mundane.
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With a budget of £4k she could get a very nice late model (2004 or so) I think the Sport name was dropped with the facelift (late 2002?) so an SXE or something would be the one to go for. Newer shape ones look more modern and get that sat nav, side airbags etc.
Or get a an older one and use the change for a holiday
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The easiest way to lose a friend is to recommend a car to them! If the car turns out to not be to their liking you can forget any previous friendship.
It looks as though jbif is hoping to recommend to stu an unreliable Imprezza. Funnily enough, as I read the thread, I was going to suggest an Imprezza, and lo and behold there it was.
Are there really people in this world who change their expensive (to them) cars as often as they change their socks.
Rattle. Stu. Stu's friend. Munchausen. Proxy.
Anyway, I'm sure this is another punter that Bellboy will be avoiding.
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Hey MM, ive had my car 11 months now - my socks have been changed for more often thanks :-) Rattle has taken over the torch from me regarding frequent car changing sagas, Im keeping mine thanks.
I am going to ask her if she has indeed sold the Golf yet and if not, why she hasnt rejected it as she rejected the car that this Golf was supplied in the place of.
Im just off there now so hopefully will get some clarification - Its over 6 months since she did her initial transaction changing her original car, but she had another Golf for less than two months which was rejected and her current one supplied in lieu.
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It looks as though jbif is hoping to recommend to stu an unreliable Imprezza. Funnily enough, as I read the thread, I was going to suggest an Imprezza, and lo and behold there it was. >>
Mapmaker -
1. you already beat me to it in another thread by Stu about yet another "country-estate" customer who had changed her Fiesta for a Terios:
Not as good as a Terios? - Mapmaker Tue 13 Jan 09 15:33
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=71072&...e
Should have thought that an Imprezza would have done the job better.
2. I see you and Altea Ego have mentioned the proxy German chappie before. ;-)
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>>you already beat me to it
I hadn't realised it was a competition or a race... :----------)--------------
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