Currently contemplating a new job and re-locating up to Edinburgh, but unfortunately it doesn’t come with a company car so I’ll have to shell out a few of my own pennies to buy my own.

Budget of around £4-5k and I’m looking for a 5-door hatchback, diesel, Golf/Focus size. Any reason not just to go for a 1.6l Focus tdi?

Focus Cmax with 1.6tdci (110HP) here. Great for bikes and has a towbar so can get 4 bikes, gear and 4 burly bodies and still pulls like a train.

The 1.6tdci is dog slow and not really ecconomical. One of the guys at work had one (2005 mk2) and averaged low 40’s in it, he gets mid 50’s in the 320d that replaced it over the same long A road commute.

Yeah, I sometimes wonder about smaller diesels actually being economical at 60+ speeds. My regular commute won’t be an issue (~12 miles in traffic), but I’ll be up and down like a yo-yo to the midlands mosts weekends so need something that’ll do the miles ok.

C-max sounds a good option ta, will keep my eyes peeled.

Has no one recommended the Skoda Octavia yet? 🙄

Built on a Golf platform. Estate same length as the hatch but more space, obviously. VW underpinnings, fairly reliable. Bit dull to drive though.

Toyota or Skoda with automatic gear … try it and you will be surprised why you still want clutch when you are stuck in traffic jam.

Any reason not to go for a Focus? Yes a Mondeo is just as cheap, and a much better car for the money.

Mazda 3 1.6 petrol

Yes, considered octavia, but wanting to keep away from anything too big at the moment as I’ll be doing a fair few miles (I’ve got a campervan for when we go away with bikes), so just really looking for something that’ll tide me over the next year or two.

Quite fancy the Mazda 3 but there’s not a lot around (I had a 323 years ago and it was a brilliant little car).

Love my Focus, a reet old ‘un too, and I get 50mpg.

So, a nice new one, you’ll surely better that.

And, it’s small to drive, huge to load, if you know what I mean.

Good luck in Bonny Scotland,

APF

skinnysteel – Member
Mazda 3 1.6 petrol
POSTED 59 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

If it is anything like the 2.0 petrol it will drink fuel (we struggle to return 30mpg in ours). At least it won’t have the DSC – avoid like the plague if it does – £1.2k repair and almost 50% of all reported faults on that model are for that fault but Mazda won’t accept responsibility. As I know to my cost.

Hey skinnysteel, have you got a Mazda 3, what’s it like? I was looking at those recently.

Star man – I have – feel free to email me and I will respond in full tomorrow.

I wouldn’t buy another or recommend on for several reasons.

If you’re looking for a C-Max, I’m just about to trade in the wife’s. 1.8 petrol Ghia though (not diesel). 45k miles, 54 plate, new front tyres, well serviced etc.

Chester area.

My girlfriend has had a Mazda 3 from new for 2 years now. It’s been faultless, and cheap to run. Good car.

It’s well worth looking at the older shape Ford Mondeo too

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/ford/mondeo/hatchback-2000/

Ford really got it right with this model of Mondeo and there is plenty well looked after Mondeo’s out there to suit your budget. They are a bit “sensible” maybe even old man ish.

Nothing wrong with a 1.6l Focus tdi though the Mondy is just bigger!

This did catch me eye when looking purely out of interest 🙂

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3867970.htm

C-Max

My girlfriend has had a Mazda 3 from new for 2 years now. It’s been faultless, and cheap to run. Good car.

Is that the new shape?

The old shape has many issues, mainly around the DSC and also on bad front tyre wear (a set of fronts can be eaten in around 10 to 12k even with careful driving). We have also had problems with the electrics (central locking failing and three of the four windows won’t operate from the driver’s side master controls although will from each local switch).

And cheap to run? Servicing on ours costs more than servicing on my Audi A6 diesel (and that is through an independent dealer, the main dealer is even more expensive). A set of spark plugs cost almost £50 trade price.

And we bought ours brand new and it still only has 30k miles on it over 5 years.

It does drive nicely though and the Bose sound system is great.

+1 for a C-Max, very happy with mine, done about 16000 miles this year. I’ve left the rear seats in the garrage for most of the time so it takes bikes with one wheel out, and the back is long enough to sleep in.

Given the money again I’d get a berlingo though, wipe clean interior!

My 1.6 petrol will do 42mpg on the motorway at the usual 70mph without much effort (it will do the claimed 51mpg if you really try), drive it more normaly and it drops to 39, leant it to my missus who drives like she’s possessed and it came back showing 33mpg*! Over the last 2000miles it’s averaged 39mpg which makes the diesel/petrol argument a bit of a none starter, the diesel will do 50mpg apparently, but even doing 15k miles a year the upfront costs would nullify that.

*and she didn’t even bring it back with a full tank!

Only problem I’ve had was power steering hose failed, common problem but nothing you can check for, they just fail and cost ~£150 to fix.

Berlingos are amazing ‘bike-cars’ but hard to find – only get the deisel one – the 2.0 or 1.6 HDi.

I just bought a 1.6 petrol focus, they are ten-a-penny so cheap, I paid less than 9k for one just over a year old at 19k miles – reckon on your budget a low mileage 07 plate would be easy to find. Fit a towbar, very easy to do at £160 and then a thule rack at £150 and your sorted. As the ford is very common, cheap as chips to run. Does 38mpg avg if driven lightly, berlingo HDi about 50mpg – so petrol OK if less than 12k a year miles.

Focus well built and fun to drive, paint is crap, but all else good.

berlingo not as tough as focus, but very functional and easy to drive – very cheap to run too.

Thanks all, handed my notice in today so need to shell out some cash now! It’s pretty much boiled down to a focus (2008 onwards) diesel estate…. or possibly a subaru legacy diesel which is in a local garage, though would require a small amount of finance (this might also delay shiny new bike frame plans over the summer)!

Does it have to be a hatch? I’ve a Bora 2.0 TDi 130 BHP goes like stink and returns 55mpg. get a bike in the boot if your remove the wheels. I’ve one in there now. with the seats up.

We had a old Mazda, as MF said suffered from loads of problems, drank fuel, dealer less than helpful, last straw was when we spotted the paint bubbling round all four arches!

It had low milage and we did 4-5k a year, not good tbh.

Sorry OP, did not answer you Q, if it was me I would be looking for a 5dr Golf Tdi in that price range.

jeez no one recommend the older shape Jag, you can get a lota car for your money, and yeah i know its a Ford underneath, but the engine is sweet, and looks a lot nicer.

Stay well clear of Subarus, they cost a fortune if something goes wrong and people only buy them for one of two reasons:

1. To rag them.
2. They need something that can take a bashing.

My old one was a disaster (bought for reason 2).

+1 for a Focus. We had a 1.6 Zetec that was faultless, only got rid because we were going overseas.

I drove a rental Focus about 8 months ago, and found the positioning of the steering wheel bizarre. I didn’t like the feel of the cockpit at all, and much preferred the rental Fiat Punto I had to drive a few weeks later.

Disappointed really, because the Focus is the only orange car I’ve seen on the road, and wanted to like it…