Looking for a new car, only have £3k top limit. Not sure which is better nowadays petrol or diesal, I’ll be doing mixed motorway and in and out of town driving. Usually I drive about 12k a year. Not too bothered about what size car but would have to be relatively cheapish to run but more importantly reliable engine..I’m wondering if I’d be best buying a cheaper banger and saving rest for future maintenance? All advice much appreciated. I have got a 59 plate focus too that I could possibly trade in but the engine isn’t too good (injector problems) so might only get scrap value.

If there’s noting much else wrong with the Focus, I think I’d spend the money, (I assume quite a lot less than 3k) getting the injector issue sorted. With a car of £3k age/condition, you could be exchanging one set of problems for another.

If reliability is key and budget is low then I’d be going petrol from a larger manufacturer.

Depends what size you need as well, something like a focus/golf/honda civic would be where I’m looking.

Something Japanese or Korean.

In fact, in exactly your situation 5 years ago, we bought a Mazda 2 with 35k on the clock. Still have it.

tthew – Member
If there’s noting much else wrong with the Focus, I think I’d spend the money, (I assume quite a lot less than 3k) getting the injector issue sorted. With a car of £3k age/condition, you could be exchanging one set of problems for another.

The injectors have all been sent off to the specialist who says they’re all faulty and showing metal particals in the engine also the feed pipe has split too causing slight oil leak..all in all the garage have said it’ll cost £2.2k to fix and don’t think the turbo is looking right good either with play in the bearing so that would be the next thing to go..to be fair it’s done 140k but other than that it’s in good condition..shame really and the car is actually still driving ok at the moment.

Yeah been thinking a Japanese engine maybe honda accord or civic

I got me on old petrol Mazda 5, as the general van and bike wagon. Super reliable cam chain engine, not bad to drive, other maintenance not too expensive. Fuel economy not great but I only do 5-6k miles a year.

You won’t go too far wrong with a Honda or Mazda petrol

Mazda’s rot out badly especially the 3 5 6 serious.

Rear seat belt mounts and inner arches.

Same with focus. So pay attention at the 3k point.

Buy on the individual vehicles merits not it’s brand or the engine size. Get underneath it before buying.

Clio 182 is what I’d buy with that money, however as you want reliability, can I be the first to suggest an Octavia estate?

Petrol probably represents better value at that price, and less risk, and parts are cheaper/engines simpler at the sort of age you’d get.

I would also agree with suggestions of Hondas, Toyotas etc.

The injectors have all been sent off to the specialist who says they’re all faulty and showing metal particals in the engine also the feed pipe has split too causing slight oil leak..all in all the garage have said it’ll cost £2.2k to fix and don’t think the turbo is looking right good either with play in the bearing so that would be the next thing to go..to be fair it’s done 140k but other than that it’s in good condition..shame really and the car is actually still driving ok at the moment.

How much for a lower mileage engine from a breaker?

God, don’t get a 182 if you want something reliable. My FSH religiously looked after low mileage 172 Cup was an absolute basket case. I’ve never owned such an unreliable car, and I’ve got a bloody RX7.

If you’re after large with some bike carrying/family lugging in mind, my Saab 9-5 has been really solid for the past 2 years. Despite being on 135k and solely ‘looked after’ (in the loosest sense of the term by an IT geek all it’s needed are consumables and a new breather valve for about 15 quid.
Averages around 28 around town, low 30s on the motorway, but the earlier not-quite-as-ugly ones are purportedly better.

At that sort of price the key is thing which depreciate madly. I’d say you could do a lot worse than a relatively recent Korean car for starters.
Failing that, a petrol Focus will still be a good bet and cheaper than a diesel. Or if you’re not too bothered about image and want something smaller and practical, then a Jazz is the answer. They’re bloody bombproof. That or a Micra. Neither will die!
Bigger will be more comfortable on teh motorway though.

If the focus is running, with no lights on the dash, then it has some trade in value, especially at the car super market kinda places, where they will give you above-book for your trade in in order to be able to flog you their car for also above book….

for 3k and max reliability, i’d be looking at 2.0l petrol with port injection.

Plenty of newer japanese stuff at sub £3k, or older german stuff with bigger petrol engines. (a E46 330i tourer would be a nice car, although expensive to run (big tires, low mpg etc)

submarined – Member
God, don’t get a 182 if you want something reliable.

I absolutely agree – but the title asked what I’d get if I had 3k. It would not be reliable.

I’d take your 3k, ignore your requirements and buy a E38 740is.

Now it might be thirsty and expensive to tax but it’ll run forever and probably wont need fixing. + german V8. 8)

Depending on where you cover the mileage I guess.
I do similar mileage, but it’s 90% country roads, and 10% A/M roads.

If it was me I’d go for a petrol Jazz, Fiesta, Note or Rio.

If you do mainly motorway miles I’d go bigger- focus, Ceed or similar.

I opted for an Octavia 1.8t 4×4 estate and a Transition Patrol.

If I needed another car again, with £3k it would be a BMW with at least 6 cylinders and a 29er to go with it.

I got a Civic Type-S 2.0 for that a few years back.

Cat not included.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201704054075938?advertising-location=at_cars&fuel-type=Petrol&price-from=3000&sort=sponsored&price-to=3000&radius=1500&postcode=b139sb&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&page=5

OK, maybe it’s not the cheapest thing to run…….

Really difficult to say in your case. It’s often better to think about what you want to pay per year than what you have in cash now.

3k is around 250 a month. For that you could lease a new, high efficiency petrol hatch like an an i20 or Seat Ibiza, often no deposit required and 20 quid tax + 50+ to the gallon.

When I was doing 12k that was around 2 hours a day in the car so I’d want new, reliable and comfy.

If you have 3k and that’s it and you want an OK car for that many miles a year petrol Honda Accord – Comfy, reliable, cheap. Diesel is an option but in my experience if they go wrong they cost much more to fix.

This http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201703283768370?advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=3500&model=ACCORD&postcode=kt89lg&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&sort=price-desc&make=HONDA&radius=1500&page=1

Will go to 120k no worries and be a good place to be.

I bought a 54 plate focus for that much 2.5years ago. 67k on the clock. It had been well looked after by its previous owner by the looks of the service history.

Careful with e46 330i s on higher mileages. The cooling system can become a bit fragile, and need replacing. Ours was on 140k and the cost of renewing the rad, header tank, pump, hoses and associated bits was enough in parts to make it not economical to keep it much longer. Let alone if you paid a garage to do it.
They can also rust quite badly, and many have been neglected

Plus run a mile from the autoboxes, it’s not so much a case of if the torque converter will fail, but more when.

They’re good cars and ours was very solid, however, imho for the prices they command, you could do a lot better.

Going the other way to most, I found the pre 2005 VAG group 1.9tdi PD engines as found in the golfs, passats, A3s, A4s, A6s, Ibizas, Leons, Octavias, Fabias to be very reliable and very economic. That gives you the whole range to choose from from sporty (Ibiza, Fabia) to load lugging (A6, Passat). The only thing you’ll want to do is blank the EGR which will cost a couple of quid from eBay. Best I got out of my Fabia VRS was 68mpg indicated from Loughborough to Leeds when they had the 50mph speed check the whole journey a few years ago. I struggled to get it to do less than 45mpg (and I did try a few times, out of curiosity of course).

As has been said above, whatever you buy, get it on the condition of the car and if possible the condition of the person you’re buying it from. I try to buy privately now as I’ve found that the condition of a car is often reflected in how the owner presents themselves and there knowledge of the car and dealers don’t really care whether they are selling a dud.

2 MX5s

We bought a 54 plate Mazda 6 estate, 2.0l petrol, last year. I can’t fault it. It drives like a new car, not a single squeak or rattle, everything works perfectly, it’s got cruise and climate, and a cavernous boot. It’s not the most inspiring car but it shifts if you rev it and it’s comfy long distance. We only do 6k miles a year so I avoid diesels like the plague (I can’t stand em anyway) and as we don’t do many short journeys cruise and a comfy seat is more important than fuel economy.
I’d have another like a shot.

1.6 Petrol C-max?

My C-max has an issue with the charging circuit*, but TBH it’s done almost 100,000 miles and I’ve not even changed the brake disks so is doing well. Service it on the driveway as the local Ford dealer sells the oil (fully synthetic) + filter for £22!

Not fashionable, and not diesel, so they sell for peanuts on ebay.

*It’s either the temperature sensing bit, or the battery voltage sensing bit, because it comes on once the car has warmed up (or I suppose the battery is probably fully charged at about the same time). The light comes on, but it’s only once failed to start and that was a one off on a properly cold morning so it’s obviously charging. So unless I come across something obviously wrong like chaffed wires I’m ignoring it.

A3 – 71K

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201704044040092?onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&radius=1500&model=A3&make=AUDI&postcode=cf991na&sort=price-desc&advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=3000&page=1

3k is around 250 a month. For that you could lease a new, high efficiency petrol hatch like an an i20 or Seat Ibiza, often no deposit required and 20 quid tax + 50+ to the gallon.

When I was doing 12k that was around 2 hours a day in the car so I’d want new, reliable and comfy.

I’m not doing that much mileage now but I used to do twice that in another Civic Type S 2.0. And the current one, though older now, is still reliable, comfy, pretty fast and economical enough (40 mpg if I’m sensible). I’d need to make a spreadsheet to work out the true cost comparison of older and faster but less economical vs new and slow and seemingly thrifty.

Honda or skoda Fabia
Cheap tax on both 3k could get you 4 years driving if you pick right and don’t mind looking like a granny

Avensis d4d hatchback, 2 bikes with wheels on fit easy and our local Toyota dealer had an ex taxi in its showroom with one million and three miles on it, original engine and box.

What car would you buy if you only had £3k?

Toyota or Honda of course.

Maxda MX-5. Spend the change on fine Champagne.

FK (8th gen) Honda Civic 1.8 petrol

We’ve had ours for 2 years now and it’s been faultless. Loads of room inside, cabin instruments look current-gen, nice to drive, over the two years we’ve averaged a smidge over 40mpg with a mix of granny driving (her) and spirited driving (me).

Any Honda Civic, mine was so good I sold it to the next door neighbor. Not many of my old cars I would have done that with!

3k is around 250 a month.

Assuming you only want to get a year out of your 3k car.

Probably a Honda Jazz.

I sold my 2005 Saab estate for scrap when it became unrepairable(I’d had it nearly 3 years after buying it for £1500) and bought a 2004 Volvo V40 estate with 156000 miles. (Paid £1450) It’s now run flawlessly for a year and passed it’s MOT with one minor advisory. If it broke tomorrow I’d try to get it fixed. If repair was cost ineffective, I would still feel I’ve had my moneys worth. It’s a 1.9 diesel.

Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 – bike hauling capability and good on our pot hole filled roads

If i had 3k for a car I’d try to get one for about 1k and hope for the best!!

As above Honda / Toyota. Tons of older Jazz available at that price and many with low milage as retired bods/biddies local run arounds. Good bike cars with seats folded flat, find a 1.4 Ditto older Rav4’s with the removable seats (2000-2005 ?) /. £300 ved but not so economical though 🙁 Yaris sell for decent prices but Aurius a bit unloved. Can get bikes in both (Yaris with passenger seat forward). I am looking for a cheap 4dr run around / bike friendly car as am fed up with riding from the door and don’t want to sell the sports car to fund something. Jazz/crv/Rav all on the list.

Note for £3k you’ll probably get an older car than your Focus but almost certainly more reliable.

When I was looking for my last couple I had a budget of £2500.

I wanted a reliable big estate.

A Honda Accord Tourer came up reasonably local and it fit the bill perfectly. Ran it for 3 years and sold it on for £900 less than what I paid.