Depending on the outcome of it's next service, I may be replacing the trusty Golf that I've had for 6 years. Now, I'm not one to spend much on cars, they are essentially just transport, but I do want a reasonable level of comfort/quality/reliability.
The Golf cost me £5k with 50k miles on the clock, I've put another 65k on it with no (well, very few) problems. It's comfy, reliable and well, Golfs have that ability to never really look out of place anywhere. If I were to do the same again, what should I spend it on?
Obviously, if it comes through the service with flying colours, then we can pick this up again in another 10k miles...
If you're happy with Golfs - why not simply get another one?
That is obviously the default answer, I thought I might cast the net a bit wider though (before probably buying another Golf)
I've recently bought a 53 plate, low mileage Toyota Corolla for a smidge over £4K. They get good reviews and are meant to be ultra reliable. I'm happy with mine so far.
Celica GT4 of a Honda Integra DC2, those tegs will go for 100's of 1000's of miles without even a whimper
although haveing reread the original post, comfort in these to may not be the best, however both will fit a bike in them.
Anything Japanese would probably do the trick...something from Honda is very reliable and comfy - ideally don't get something that was part built with Rover as the Rover parts tend to fail and rust quickly...but the Japanese stuff goes on and on...
Personally for 5k I'd buy a Subaru Impreza WRX sportwagon.
If it has to be a Ford- Focus 1.8 petrol.
MK1 Skoda Octavia vRS. Better equipped (better built too imho and that of a VW mechanic that fitted cruise on mine)than a Golf out of the box v comfy on long trips, the boot is 'kin mahoosive and bloody hell they shift.
Cheers for the ideas so far. I should have added, fair bit of motorway mileage is involved, so reasonable (or better!) economy is also important (the Golf averages about 40mpg on the motorway)
what about the skoda fabia? A lot of it will be exactly the same bits as you'd find on your golf and a whole lot cheaper too.
If its a Octavia- double check with your local authority first before purchase (taxi licensing office) armed with the reg plate to double-check. If you are nice they can confirm either way if its been mini-cabbed in the area and then....wound back..
a van!!
as per monkeychild I would get a mk1 Octavia vRS.
Very happy with mine and when i do eventually need to change it I'll be getting another. The boot is big enough that with the 1/3 - 2/3 split back seat partly down you can get 3 bikes in it and still have room for all the kit and the riders themselves can still travel in comfort.
Best car I've owned in the past 20 years 😀
Golf every time. I'm on my 4th. Practical, comfortable, well built, reliable, reasonable to service/fix and hold their value well. For that sort of money you will be able to get a Mark V where they got back to previous form after a bit of a fail with the Mark IV
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my 206 was 5k with 28k miles on it (2.0L HDI)
not as "nice a place to be" inside as a golf, but an equivelent golf is a hell of a lot more expensive, and i dont reeeeally care that the back is full of pine needles from the weekend 🙂
super mini!
For £5k you'll get a lot more in a Focus than you will in a Golf, and it will be newer and have less miles on it.
We had £6k to spend this year and I'd have loved a Golf, but they are simply stupid prices. We bought a 55reg Focus Zetec estate, with 16,000 miles on it, and in truly immaculate condition, like new.
A comparable Golf was £2-4k more expensive.
I worked out the figures based on depreciation hoping to justify it that way, and whicever way you work it out, VWs as still more expensive in the long run. And they are no more reliable than anything else.
I'd buy a another volvo estate, I paid a bargain £400.00 for my very tidy 850, M reg, non turbo, 2.5ltr GLT and had the dry solder joints fixed (a common fault, car cuts out, people suddenly think, oh no its the electrics thats expensive, it cost £30.00!) now I've a motor that is safe, that can easily fit bikes without taking them apart, very comfortable and quick. The downside? fuel consumption, I get about 33mpg but fxxk it, it only cost me £400! think of the fun you could have with £4500.00 MrNettles!!!!
How about going for something by Saab? I keep seeing ex-lease 9-3 estates with about 80k on the clock (usually about four years old) on Autotrader for about that money.
The bulk of them are diesel and are normally specced to the max. My dad had one and it was pokey as hell, comfortable and managed over 50 on a run with a lightish foot. They also have a good-sized boot.
I'd have a good poke round Mondeo Estates as well, the 130tdci is quite good fun.
Or what about a softtop Bedford Rascal?
Newer Volkswagens are not as well made IMO
i'm disappointed by the build quality of our 55 plate Golf in comparison to our Y plate Passat
I'd go Japanese
Big engined 5 series Beemers, cheap as chips and usually well looked after (as you need a FSH to sell them).
Feel very, very solid - especially the E39's.
Go diesel if you are bothered about fuel.
I'd agree with PeterPoddy that the Focus is good as well but not sure I would agree about them being cheaper in the long run. The most expensive part about car ownership is the depreciation and that is where the Golf wins hands down, although more expensive to buy initially.
For £5k anything Japanese will be expensive to maintain and anything French will fall to bits
Another vote for an Octavia vRS. I've had mine for a few years and its great. Never missed a beat. I've got the estate so it swallows a few bikes with a weekends camping gear no worries. And allows you to drive like 'kin maniac at the same time
Whats not to like 🙂
Oh.... as a refraim I'd say: Don't let your wife drive it if she drives like a 'kin maniac as well. Not unless you want it back with the front end hanging off it. They're very very low at the front
For £5k anything Japanese will be expensive to maintain and anything French will fall to bits
Not sure i agree with that to much from the japanese side, i bought a Toyota Corolla T-Sport new 5yrs ago, its as quick as a Civic type R, is better on fuel i average about 32-35mpg, its comfy comes with all the gizmo's, and in 5yrs i've done nothing other than service it, just had an MOT done on it, no probs i've done 72,000 miles obviously had tyres changed and brake pads but not even had to replace a light bulb yet...
It goes pretty well when you want it and is comfy all day long, i also have a Yaris SR thats 8 1/2yrs old and thats been amazing, ain't done anything to that either, so i can't rate japanese cars highly enough, i know they are expensive when it comes to parts but they are very very reliable.
When i picked my car up i asked when can i start expecting issue's with the car his quote "about 10-12yrs time" he then said come have a look at this they had a T reg yaris (10yrs old ish) on the workstand have a look under there its like new, and a 4yr old Ford KA that was rotten underneath, i know what i will buy again...
How about a VW Passat TDi Estate?
Bigger and more luxurious than a Golf, so you can get youself and more bikes in easier... But no more expensive to run!
Also, they're cheaper to buy, cos people see anything that's "big" as being more expensive to run, even if that isn't necessarily the case...
Though for £5k, you could get a hell of a lot of Mondeo for the money, and the last shape Mondeo's, with a TDCi engine, are pretty damned good cars actually, and will easily get a fair bit more than the 40mpg you're getting from your Golf (what engine? I'm guessing it's a petrol?) right now...
Ir if you want something sportier, those Mk1 Skoda Octavia VRs's are brilliant cars. Basically it's a Golf GTi mechanically, but with a bigger boot, more luxuries, and a chunk of money knocked off the price!
Another vote for the Focus, agree residuals aren't as good as VW but if you're buying something 4 years old then it'll be past the worst in terms of depreciation. Good solid cars, nice to drive and cheap widely available parts.
How about a T4 transporter and still have some change in your pocket? ill be selling mine shortly.
20k on new engine, clutch and suspension
R plate
Pearl white repsray
Lowered
S-line kit
19in Audi alloys,
Leather electric seats
CD player, DVD player in the back
Leather recliner seats in rear and convert into bed
Van is carpeted and linned throughout.
Great bike and board carrier.
New MOT last month
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No longer has silly bra thingy
[b]£4500[/b]
Only reason im selling is Mrs Phil getting company car and i can then use my Splitscreen as a daily 🙂
Basically it's a Golf GTi mechanically
Different turbo 😀 vRS =180bhp GTI =150bhp unless Anniversary which is 180bhp they may have gone 180bhpm in the latter mivs too. Anyhoo I chose a vRS (on my 2nd one after foolishly getting rid of my first) over a GTI as I felt the gti was errr how should I put it.... crap 😆
What about an Octavia Tdi then? I've recently bought an 03 elegance (climate, 16" alloys etc) with 74k for under £4k, happily sits on a private road 😉 at 90 and has averaged 52mpg over the 6000 miles I've done in it. Overtakes nicely being a TDi and is easily chippable to 150ish bhp.
Righthand drive German Transporter? 😕
binners- drive carefully please. That VRS will fall into my hands one day.
Agree on the newer Golfs. My MKV TDI was appalling paintwise. Older Golfs are average IMO- I'd still go for a Focus 1.8 petrol (binners, you had a AustinPowers Goldmember one??)
You people, call yourselves men, bah...
5k
330ci
S3
Saab 95 Aero Hot
I'd add a few more and buy a 147 GTA, but i don't drive very far.
Skills Guiding - what engine's in that van?
As for Focus's, I know they're a good buy, but I just don't like 'em.
Decent BMW with LPG conversion?
I think my next car will be an estate from travelling on the motorway to visit folks and with my bike and gear for sportives etc.
Thing is -it's not the image I want to convey!
If you fancy something Golf sized, how about a Seat Leon FR TDI?
I'd agree with PeterPoddy that the Focus is good as well but not sure I would agree about them being cheaper in the long run. The most expensive part about car ownership is the depreciation and that is where the Golf wins hands down, although more expensive to buy initially.
It doesn't work like that. Loosing 30% on a £8k car is more money than 35% on a £6k car, for instance.
I can't remember the actual figures, but I sat and worked it out from Parkers and the like, using real figures, and you loose more on the more expensive car simply because there's more to loose! 🙂
An S3 for 5k? Err shed springs to mind 😉
What about this: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/audi-a4-avant-s-line
it does 35mpg on a run & includes Thule aero roof bars & 2 x Thule bike carriers. 😉
oxnop great car- pros very similar. cons sameish mileage/age as his current though?
I am with mboy on this, in fact I did buy a Passat TDi estate and have been very pleased with it.
I recently got a Ford 2.0 130bhp diesel mondeo 54 plate, full service history, 36k miles for £4,000.
One of the best cars I've owned in years, and thats having just had a sports car and driven newer Audi A4's etc recently
doh! every time i forget somthing! 2.4 diesel, about 80mph cruising (on private roads officer...) and goes round the world on a fiver 🙂
Why chip in with "performance" models when the OP clearly is after something sensible?! Tsk, tsk. Bunch of frickin hoons 🙂
We've had a 2.0 MKiv for 5yrs. Beyond servicing, it's needed nothing and has literally never broken down. Top motor. Everyone recommending the the 1.8t Octavia needs to bear in mind that engine needs keeping up to and there are a lot about that have been caned.
Passat estate TDi. Possibly the V6 4motion?
Have to say that a 115k mile Golf isn't exactly on its last legs now is it.Why not bank the cash, keep the Golf & just run it till its totally ****ed. Then chuck it away if something expensive goes wrong ?
We've just bought a 140k TDCi Mondeo to drag our caravan around. It drives superb, like a car half its miles / age & is doing 40+mpg no problem.
[i]Have to say that a 115k mile Golf isn't exactly on its last legs now is it.Why not bank the cash, keep the Golf & just run it till its totally ****ed. Then chuck it away if something expensive goes wrong ?[/i]
Is exactly my plan, however it's in for a service next week so I might be told that something expensive has gone (or is about to go) pop. Plus, you know, I was bored.
yawn
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or similar
you might lose out a bit on the mpg tho