Sorry. Shit question. A full grown man who can’t make a decision but I no nothing and have no interest in cars.
It needs to be 5 door and manual. No other proviso’s other than that.
Thanks for your help in advance.

A silver one.

Get something sporty like a Berlingo.

A silver one.

Some reasoning for your recommendations would be appreciated. A little more than “Silver cars are ace” would be mint 😀
I’d keep the one we have but the wife is bored of it. She likes to keep me busy.

Go for the one the car snobs hate. Kia Ceed or Skoda Octavia would be good starting point. Berlingos are quite practical for biking with their removable seats and high load height

A red one, they go faster.

If you really don’t care what it looks like or how it drives, but you want it to be reliable and cheap to run, go Japanese (Toyota) or modern Korean (Hyundai, Kia).

For £5k you should be able to pick up a well maintained Corolla that will run and run and run and run…

If it were me, i’d buy on condition. Get a well maintained low owner petrol 5-door hatch, Focus, Golf, Kia, Hyundai, i’m not sure it matters that much if its looked after.

I’m sure i’ll shouted down for this, but i’m staying away from diesel from now on. too many expensive problems like DMF’s, DPF’s turbos and EGRs. People tend to shift cars on when theres something wrong with them.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201229479298478/sort/default/usedcars/quantity-of-doors/5/price-to/6000/transmission/manual/price-from/4000/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/sk121pu/page/1/radius/10?logcode=p

No need for bike space particularly as I ride out to ride starts (although technically, that would mean ride starts are always my house). I’ve just had a thought. Estate cars are no good for the midget sized wife.
I’ll internet search Kia’s and Toyota’s. Thank you.
I’ve just had a text. She’s spotted an original Beetle convertable for £5,200. SHIT! Even I know that’s not a good idea. I better close the web page for the Ridley ‘cross bike.

A little more than “Silver cars are ace” would be mint

Silver cars stay cleaner / are easy to keep clean giving you more time to ride you bike.
Red ones do go faster mind.

What do you drive ATM OP?

Sorry, but I have no interest in sharing with you my reasoning, but it might be a car washing thing 😉

What size car are you after? Do you do lots of miles?
Do you want it sporty? Would you prefer an older posher car or a newer more basic one?

Assume you have no interest in fixing cars yourself?

Get something sporty like a Berlingo.

A silver one.
Surely beige? Sorry, ‘sahara gold’

WIN!

Should be able to get a new shape Mondeo for that sort of money now, ex-fleet car.

WIN!

WANT!

you can have my galaxy for £4995, then get yourself a pie and a pint as a reward for a good days work.

Nil diy spannering. I do about 500 miles per year if I really have to, th wife does about 8000. Is also used for her work Oncology Nurse Specialist / Hospice at Home Manager / Clinical Ward Manager (three jobs in one).
Current car is a Peugeot 206 estate. Nice car (I thought) but not to her liking anymore.
She’s not liking the Corrolla Mr. N. but thanks for the suggestion.

Estate cars are no good for the midget sized wife

Mr and Mrs Monksie, earlier:

“Estate cars are no good for the midget sized wife.”

lose

Hahaha, Mr Nettles. Mint!

is buying a new car ’cause she doesn’t like the old one’ a good enough reason to splash 5k? think of all the bike bits you could get for that?

I’m in the market myself for a new motor, budget about the same but I just cant seem to get excited enough to do some proper research.

Ignore me. Thanks for the suggestions. She’s decided she wants a new style mini.
On her way to a dealer (and ignoring my phone calls) as we speak.
They don’t do negotiation well, these saffa’s.

my other 1/2 wants one of them there minis but you’ll struggle to get one with less that 100 lightyears on the clock for 5K

I’ve got an old Mondeo you can have for £5000

alfa GT?

Get a Vauxhall zafira.You can fold the back two seats into the floor,three bikes in the boot two on the rack with room for five lads,road trip anyone?

IHN – Member
WIN!

WANT!

That’s the Sultan of Brunei’s Bentley Val D’Isere. 4×4 nutterwagon of a shooting brake! (Currently resides in a car park on Sloane St, IIRC)

8)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WESTFIELD-CATERHAM-Kit-Car-/110930197260?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19d3f47b0c

Ford Focus. Simple, cheap, reliable, well made, common, drive nice.

It needs to be 5 door and manual. No other proviso’s other than that.

Not silver mind!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201233481978847/sort/default/usedcars/quantity-of-doors/5/price-to/500/make/daewoo/onesearchad/used/radius/1500/page/1/postcode/wr12ew?logcode=p

Opps, thought you said £500 😉

have no interest in cars.

Any reliable make. Google for reliability surveys.

The budget had doubled….at least. I’m happy that I have nothing to do (not allowed actually but no point in splitting hairs) with our finances.

You want a car that ticks most boxes of being a car and is reliable. Good and good on residuals.

A Honda Jazz. Very easy to drive/place yet very spacious inside. Great packaging/layout and mpg etc etc.

Same here. Honda Civic about to bite the dust after 10 years. Looking at Ford c-max, Zafira, something like that. 2 adults, 2 growing kids. Four bikes, thinking towbar for three and one in the boot. We’ll make a total mess of it, so planning to run it til it dies rather than keep it nice and try and sell it in a few years.

What’s the best way to pay for a used car? Is there one method considerably better than the others (bank loan for instance)? I know nothing about cars, or loans. Dreading the whole process, quite frankly!

I’ve always paid by bankers draft. I’ve arranged to meet the seller at a branch of mine closest to his home and hes witnessed the draft handed over so he/she knows its kosher- same goes for when selling a car.

You can’t go wrong with a Jazz. Grey or metallic blue are timeless colours.

I would defo consider the zafira,it’s no longer than an astra as it shares the same floor plan,meaning no body roll. For such a tall car it drives nice,It has seven,five or four seat combinations. You can even fold all the seats and have a van.
I recon you’ll get a 2005 or 2006 for around £5000 if you buy private.

If money isn’t too much of an issue now..

This is what I’d have new:

FROM 8,997 NEW

Or a bigger Jazz:
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/honda/fr-v-2004/

Just out of interest why can’t your “midget wife” drive an estate? Most aren’t that much bigger than a hatchback, if at all.

If I was in your position I’d tell her to go and fill her boots and get the car she wants to get rather than asking you to get it. Although that sounds as though she’s done that anyway?

I would defo consider the zafira,it’s no longer than an astra as it shares the same floor plan,meaning no body roll. For such a tall car it drives nice,It has seven,five or four seat combinations. You can even fold all the seats and have a van.
I recon you’ll get a 2005 or 2006 for around £5000 if you buy private.

+1, although I have a C-max, but same advantages apply.

Only downside of the c-max is the seats are removable, OK this means lots of boot space while they’re out, but unlike normal rear seats where the bottom lifts up and the tops fold down into that space, there always seems to be some exposed seat material, and they’re ~8″ to 1ft more bulky when folded.

Just out of interest why can’t your “midget wife” drive an estate? Most aren’t that much bigger than a hatchback, if at all.

+1

Tell your wife that there’s some complete stranger on the internet who just passed his test a month ago and manages to park/drive his estate just as easily as the Micra he learned in. After a couple of hours of driving it I really didn’t notice the difference in size, honestly. The only time I remember I’m driving a “bigger” car is when I look over my shoulder and see three bikes in the back! 🙂