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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.
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'
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WIN!
Should be able to get a new shape Mondeo for that sort of money now, ex-fleet car.
[i]WIN![/i]
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.
[i]Estate cars are no good for the midget sized wife[/i]
Mr and Mrs Monksie, earlier:
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"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. 4x4 nutterwagon of a shooting brake! (Currently resides in a car park on Sloane St, IIRC)
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!
[url= 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 ]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[/url]
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 [img] 
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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! 🙂
Well, I kinda disagree with almost everything you want from a car and everything everyone else is telling you that you want.
Get a Merc C Class diesel, and automatic naturally. 5k still gets you a decent one and it will drive lots nicer than most cars on the road.
You could do worse than a Skoda Fabia VRs, not too big, pretty cheap to run and oodles of fun to drive.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4071924.htm
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I have to agree with hora. Go for a Honda. I've had one of these now for the last 6 years and it's been faultless.
Bloody ell thats cheap.
We had a 06plate 2.0 one at 12k/ex demo back in 2006.
The 2.0 Honda engine is known as pretty much bombproof.
I'd have one. Hmmmmm
Jag x-type not to be sniffed at,
Bigger cars are no problem at all except when parking and on narrow country roads. But to be fair it doesn't take long to get used to if you have any kind of spatial awareness. The parking thing is just a little awkward, that's all. More than made up for by the extra comfort etc.
A Honda Jazz. Very easy to drive
I don't think they're very easy to drive at all. Most only seem to have one speed: 40 mph, be it built up areas, motorways or A-roads. In fact, about the only time their speed seems to increase above 40 mph is when you find a straight bit of A-road and you want to overtake them.
Hi Steve, Get yourself back on that Ridley CX website; you'll not regret it!
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[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/warnesworld/ ]ian_warnes[/url], on Flickr
Ian
When my car dies I'm buying a Nissan Xtrail, 40mpg and 4x4!
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Get a Merc C Class diesel, and automatic naturally. 5k still gets you a decent one and it will drive lots nicer than most cars on the road.
I did this (Merc C Class estate petrol with all the added extras and sports package).
What you don't mention though, is that every time you so much as fart in the car a random warning light comes on telling you to take it to a Mercedes garage, then the Mercedes people have a quick look at it and tell you to bend over while they bum you, stealing your wallet at the same time.
I've been quite lucky so far, but unless you are very handy with DIY mechanics (which I think the OP said he was not) then pretty much anything going wrong with an older Merc costs a lot to fix (even through an independent).
I love mine, but there's always that niggle at the back of my mind that if something goes wrong it's going to cost big bucks. Buying a Merc isn't that expensive, owning one is though.
I went for the VW Passat 2006 facelift version and have not looked back, excellent in all ways althuogh a tad expensive if you need things done to it (especially if you go to VW - £195 to replace a CV boot). Wife has a 59 plate mini clubman and loves it great for two kids under 6 and a good drive if you are in on your own. Also look at SAAB good cars and very cheap seen as they no longer exist but all parts are Vauxhall so easy to get a hold of. I had the SAAB 95 2.2 TID Vector Sport Estate and this was fantastic pity it had to go back as it was a company car
Vauxhall Zafira is fun to drive; it's a joy and no longer get the dead right leg after long journeys.
peterfile, Mrs T's sounds the same as yours but its an estate (don't get anything like the fuel consumption you get though max of 38mpg hence I sugested he gets a diesel)
Anyhow I dropped out of Merc servicing after the first reaming, I just get the oil changed and do anything it needs as it needs it. Not a lot in the last 5 years, contemplated having a cambelt done last year just in case & it turns out it doesnt have one... result. 🙂
Only bad bit now is any other car Mrs T drives is just pants compared to the Merc, so I am stuck until I can afford a better one of the same or similar.
Back on topic, I see the budget is flexible Monksie, take the Mrs out and get her to drive a CLK bit sporty, nice to look at & lovely to drive.
Thanks everybody. She's bought something small. I forget what she said. It could be a mini. She's very happy.
I'm hoping to get one of these:
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Ian - Race you! 🙂
Ha ha, you really are not into cars..
Enjoy the bike. 🙂
Monksie, before picking up the Mini get under the rear and give the exhaust backbox a real good inspection- these are notorious on BMW Mini's for rotting through. Post-sale the Indie(?) will just say its wear and tear/age possibly but pre-sale you can do something..