# What Car Would You Buy For Â£1000



## pana37 (Dec 12, 2010)

im helping a good friend who has Â£1000 to spend on a car must be 4 door and roomy

what would you buy?


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

You need lots more criteria here! Are we looking at economy, comfort, reliability etc?

Mike


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## pana37 (Dec 12, 2010)

well a family car we have some ideas but looking for some fresh ones doesnt have to be that economical he does do a lot of miles


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Plenty around at that sort of money he might have to sift through a lot of over priced scrap but decent ones are out there. I picked this 323 up with 8 months test for five hundred notes and a week and a bit of use it's still going with no real faults so far, all be it a 2 door but there are plenty 4 doors about. A grand would get a nice one.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


>


Those BMWs were (are) great cars, great fun to drive! The SLK is also fine... but that thing between them... :bangin:


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## Dr.f (Jun 29, 2011)

Toyota corolla ,cheap to run and very reliable.Whatever he gets make sure it has been properly serviced,don't buy somebody elses problems.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Kutusov said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...





Dr.f said:


> Toyota corolla ,cheap to run and very reliable.Whatever he gets make sure it has been properly serviced,don't buy somebody elses problems.


And rusty !!!

Plus I've yet to see a Toyota tow a house :lol: :lol:


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

I'm in pretty much the same position, and I'm going to go for a Skoda Octavia, 1.9 td


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Seriously for a minute, the problem with these small cars is that with the price of fuel people have an over inflated value of them at the moment. I looked at loads recently. "It'll do fifty to the gallon mate" possibly but for how long :lol: :lol: I looked at some that I wouldn't even took a test drive in.

Some right old scrap out there at the moment.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> I'm in pretty much the same position, and I'm going to go for a Skoda Octavia, 1.9 td


You haven't learned your lesson with the KIA :lol: :lol:

They may well use them at your work but for how long before they get shot of them 9/12 months ?? The only good thing is the engine the rest is rubbish. The only people talking them up are sellers and those daft enough to have bought one.

I travel all over the place every weekend in taxis, nearly all Skoda Octavia and they are rough as where as the odd ones have Mondeos or Passats, imeasurably better car to ride in by a country mile.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> And rusty !!!
> 
> Plus I've yet to see a Toyota tow a house :lol: :lol:


1st, that's not a house, just a big trailer! 2nd, my house is just fine where it is! 3rd... you've noticed that that truck belongs to a circus, haven't you?...


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Kutusov said:


> 1st, that's not a house, just a big trailer! 2nd, my house is just fine where it is! 3rd... you've noticed that that truck belongs to a circus, haven't you?...


1: More square footage than some houses and possibly more comfortable

2: Once Portugal goes bust you might want to reconsider that statement

3: Yes but it was the best picture I could find at short notice to illustrate my point

:lol: :lol:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> 1: More square footage than some houses and possibly more comfortable
> 
> 2: Once Portugal goes bust you might want to reconsider that statement
> 
> ...


Good point! And I always felt my house should be in Spain anyway (home is where the heart is thingy)... I'll be getting a Ford truck first thing tomorrow! k:


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## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

BondandBigM said:


> scottishcammy said:
> 
> 
> > I'm in pretty much the same position, and I'm going to go for a Skoda Octavia, 1.9 td
> ...


my next door neighbor had a ford mondeo mark 1 diesel that did 225,000 miles, and still ran, he traded it in last year for a skoda superb diesel.....and has had nothing but trouble......all 4 wheel bearings in the first 9 months, rear bushings, gearbox linkage, and the best one was when he drove down our lane, and the engine on the skoda just revved up, the engine shedded all its oil and seized.....don't think Frank will be getting another 

me on the other hand managed to put 180,00 on my mondeo 1.9TDCi diesel in the 6 years i had it....awesome car.....


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## Odo (Mar 22, 2009)

pana37 said:


> im helping a good friend who has Â£1000 to spend on a car must be 4 door and roomy
> 
> what would you buy?


Some cars pop up over on TZ occasionally, one such was a Volvo S90 I think. Big, comfortable and powerful executive cruiser. More toys and gadgets than you could shake a stick at. Large fuel heavy engine but you have to weigh in the running cost versus depreciation or loan interest if you buy a newer car.

If I was in the market for a car around your price I'd look at an older Volvo or Audi saloon. You don't tend to pay the BM, Merc or estate premium but you do get well built reliable cars with lots of toys


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

got a nice t reg mazda 323f with only 88,000 on the clock.

if you are prepared to buy unseen I even throw in the wife.

all sales are final - no returns!


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

BondandBigM said:


> how long before they get shot of them 9/12 months ??


Have you no heard about the cutbacks?! try 186,000 miles 

I'll maybe have a look at a Mondeo. I always thought the Skodas were basically Passats anyway?


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## pana37 (Dec 12, 2010)

desmondus rotundus said:


> got a nice t reg mazda 323f with only 88,000 on the clock.
> 
> if you are prepared to buy unseen I even throw in the wife.
> 
> ...


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## pana37 (Dec 12, 2010)

skoda was on the shortlist, dont think ill bother.... a passat maybe


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > how long before they get shot of them 9/12 months ??
> ...


The may share some of the same underpinnings but they are nowhere near as nice as a Passats. I'll concede the taxis have a hard life but probably no worse than yours. It a nice marketing ploy though but why are they half the price of a Passats ??

For the op what about a Merc C/E class I've seen some older ones of those around that sort of money.I


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> For the op what about a Merc C/E class I've seen some older ones of those around that sort of money.I


Ah, now your talking! I'm not up to speed of used cars in the UK but Volvos are always a safe bet too (keep away from 440/460/480s, S40/V50).


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Right Bond, you've convinced me, I'll aim for the Passat. If the engine drops out on the driveway when I get home, you're getting raided!


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## DaveOS (May 9, 2010)

Honda Accord 1.8 V-tec. A grand should get you a cracker with full service history around a 51 plate.

The SE spec comes with AC, half leather and your pick of Auto or manual.


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Dave O said:


> Honda Accord 1.8 V-tec. A grand should get you a cracker with full service history around a 51 plate.
> 
> The SE spec comes with AC, half leather and your pick of Auto or manual.


Do they do a diesel mate? High mileage petrol engines make me nervous


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## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

scottishcammy said:


> Dave O said:
> 
> 
> > Honda Accord 1.8 V-tec. A grand should get you a cracker with full service history around a 51 plate.
> ...


seen quite a few of those around cammy as we've just bought a new c max....tbh, spend Â£1200 on a mondeo tdci with 80000 on the clock and you have fairly cheap motoring for the next few years....like i said, it wasnt until the last few months that i started having problems with mine....With milage like that, the rear bushings would have been sorted so should have no more probs!


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## DaveOS (May 9, 2010)

scottishcammy said:


> Dave O said:
> 
> 
> > Honda Accord 1.8 V-tec. A grand should get you a cracker with full service history around a 51 plate.
> ...


I think the Vtec engine is chain driven from memory so you should have no worries there. Nothing you buy for a grand will last forever but Hondas tend to top most reliability polls.

Whatever you do, make sure it's not Italian or French.


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## Davey P (Sep 9, 2010)

I'd have thought the best way to find a car for Â£1000 would be to do a search on ebay or autotrader with your max price, and distance you're prepared to travel, then fine tune the search with your wishlist of petrol/diesel, max mileage, number of doors etc and see what comes up. Not much point looking for a specific car IMHO.

Good luck anyway, and let us know how you get on mate :thumbsup:


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> Right Bond, you've convinced me, I'll aim for the Passat. If the engine drops out on the driveway when I get home, *you're getting raided!*


I'll get Big M to tidy up her knicker drawer just in case

:lol: :lol:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> scottishcammy said:
> 
> 
> > Right Bond, you've convinced me, I'll aim for the Passat. If the engine drops out on the driveway when I get home, *you're getting raided!*
> ...


Two conversions in a two page topic?? Mate, you're in the wrong line of business... it's either a car seller or a missionary post for you


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

Passats are cracking cars; the 1.8 20 valve is a good deal, younger people can't insure them.

The 2.0i, (older) is good, too.

I doubt you'll find a Diesel at that price, unless it's one of the gutless 75?hp versions... don't bother.

Nice drive, cheap bits and reasonable insurance. I wish I'd kept my last one.

Also consider automatics, which go cheaper than the equivalent manual. I recently bought an Audi 80 2.0 auto, 12 months T&T for Â£395.

Stuck it in the garage for emergencies, as I need a car daily. Lovely drive... smooooth....


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

Not sure what the situation in Portugal is, but ever since the UK government introduced the scrapage scheme, and the price of scrap went through the roof, its been a lot harder to find a cheap banger. But fear not, apparently Jordan is now free again :bad:

A Peugeot 406 diesel is worth considering, but don't touch the 90 bhp version. The 110 bhp version can be remapped to 136bhp, giving decent performance and mpg. A million taxi drivers can't all be wrong


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

[quote name='Big Bad Boris' date='25 August 2011 - 06:19 PM' timestamp='1314292767' post='688329'

A Peugeot 406 diesel is worth considering, but don't touch the 90 bhp version. The 110 bhp version can be remapped to 136bhp, giving decent performance and mpg. A million taxi drivers can't all be wrong


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Big Bad Boris said:


> Not sure what the situation in Portugal is


This


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

Bond, stop putting words in my mouth :rofl:

I don't know if anyone else is seeing what I'm seeing (I hope not, cos I aint got any kacks on :cry2: )

But where you've quoted me - it actually shows your own words repeated .............. but if I click on the quote reply icon, I see my original words and Bonds reply :dontgetit:

I'm seeing it as below

Big Bad Boris, on 25 August 2011 - 06:19 PM, said:

I've had a few Pugs over the years, a bit tinnie but not bad cars. The diesels do great miles to the gallon. A 206 I had ran on fresh air even when thrashed it would still do 50+ mpg. 406 Coupe is a really nice look

I've had a few Pugs over the years, a bit tinnie but not bad cars. The diesels do great miles to the gallon. A 206 I had ran on fresh air even when thrashed it would still do 50+ mpg. 406 Coupe is a really nice looking car.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

:lol: :lol:

I'm on my phone which has a screen smaller than the palm of my hand, smaller keyboard, big fingers and no glasses plus it has a mind of its own that I can't figure out.


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> :lol: :lol:
> 
> big fingers and no glasses plus it has a mind of its own that I can't figure out.


Sounds just like my 710 :black eye:


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## Dr.f (Jun 29, 2011)

Odo said:


> pana37 said:
> 
> 
> > im helping a good friend who has Â£1000 to spend on a car must be 4 door and roomy
> ...


Just got myself Volvo 850 (t5-r) lovely car ,solid .There are plenty about in good condition


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

Dr.f said:


> Odo said:
> 
> 
> > pana37 said:
> ...


Aye, they're great cars.

I recently had an 850 estate, and I really miss it. I do a fair amount of mileage and the fuel costs were eye watering, so reluctantly it had to go.

If I could find a 850/V70 estate with an LPG conversion I'd be a happy bunny.


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Well, thanks to you guys (banking on you're recommendations Teatime!) I'm going to have a look at this and reckon I'll probably buy it. It's the 130ps model 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/2002-ford-mondeo-zetec-2lt-tdci/85882758#gallery-item-full-4


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> Well, thanks to you guys (banking on you're recommendations Teatime!) I'm going to have a look at this and reckon I'll probably buy it. It's the 130ps model
> 
> http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/2002-ford-mondeo-zetec-2lt-tdci/85882758#gallery-item-full-4


So Big M's knicker drawer is safe for the moment :lol: :lol:


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Unless you want me to have a look! 

Looks like it's quite a quick motor too, loads of torque.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> Unless you want me to have a look!


You wouldn't be the first :lol: :lol:

To be fair if you look past all the guff in this thread  you can't fall off with a Mondeo. Cheap to run & cheap to fix if they do go wrong.


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

BondandBigM said:


> & cheap to fix if they do go wrong.


My mother in law would disagree with that.

She bought one identical to that one last year. Turbo blew (Circa Â£900.00 to fix) and now one of the fuel pumps is on its way out gone (quoted around a grand to get that fixed).


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Who. Me? said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > & cheap to fix if they do go wrong.
> ...


Ford main dealer prices ??????


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

BondandBigM said:


> Who. Me? said:
> 
> 
> > BondandBigM said:
> ...


Nope, and the turbo was a reconditioned unit. She wasn't happy.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Sounds expensive. I don't know how difficult they are to get at but not withstanding that only a few bolts. I found this for a genuine Ford part ok not cheap but I would expect recon's to be cheaper.



> NEW Turbo with Electronic Actuator
> 
> Fitted to: Ford Mondeo 2.0TDCi
> 
> ...


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## Big Bad Boris (Dec 3, 2010)

When bangers go wrong, the local scrappy is your friend.......... admittedly some parts have to be "coded" to the car, but many parts don't.

I recently had an ABS pump go, the stealers wanted a fortune to replace it. I obtained a replacement for Â£15 at my local breakers (its one of the old fashioned yards where you have to take it off yourself, so the prices are very reasonable). An hours work and a bottle of brake fluid, and the job was a good un.

2 months have passed, and the wife has finally stopped crossing herself whenever we come to a junction


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## DaveOS (May 9, 2010)

Diesel pump on a mondeo is quite common and a fortune to fix, around Â£650.

Buy.An.Accord.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Dave O said:


> Diesel pump on a mondeo is quite common and a fortune to fix, around Â£650.
> 
> Buy.An.Accord.


Sure but the silly money people ask for Honda's makes the much cheaper Mondeo worth a look even if you do have to repair it and Accord's aren't with out faults, my sister is on her second one. Servicing & parts aren't cheap and unlike Fords there isn't a fixer upper on every industrial estate and street corner


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Hee hee, this illustrates the problem with these discussions, everyone has a different answer!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> Hee hee, this illustrates the problem with these discussions, everyone has a different answer!


Think yourself lucky you frequent this forum, over on the darkside the argument is between Porsche & Aston Martin then your head would be spinning

:lol: :lol:


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

I was going to get a DB9, but I couldn't get Reuben in :angel_not:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

scottishcammy said:


> I was going to get a DB9, but I couldn't get Reuben in :angel_not:


Everybody knows the new Italia is the way to go


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## jaslfc5 (Jan 2, 2007)

I just got a lovely Mondeo for my brother a 2.0 tdci ghia x estate fsh 2002 for 1300 bucks. Makes me wonder why I spent so much for my accord.

You won't get much passant for a grand I don't think, skodas could be a good buy if you can live with the badge.

My choice would be a mondeo loads out there and cheap as cut potatoes.


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

scottishcammy said:


> Hee hee, this illustrates the problem with these discussions, everyone has a different answer!


  A. Go with the Skoda. Anything golf-derived, or bigger, from the VAG group is a good bet and they're not as expensive as you'd think to run.

Just had a 4 yr service (the big one), timing belt and water pump (it's in the timing belt kit) on my 1.9tdi Leon for Â£500.00 at a Seat main dealer and MOTd it for Â£39.00 at a VW main dealer.

Touch wood, the only problem I've had was a failed relay (interior lights).

It's also the first car I've run past 3yrs, without needing at least new tyres or pads. Don't know what they make their parts out of, but they don't seem to wear out :blink:


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## pana37 (Dec 12, 2010)

well thanks for your opinons guys, we got a very clean 1.8 SE Passat 2000 X reg 81k


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

The new motor, love it, drives fantastic and pulls like a train 

Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec 130


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

scottishcammy said:


> The new motor, love it, drives fantastic and pulls like a train
> 
> Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec 130


Nice! And that's not much power from a 2.0l block, should be cheap and save to remap to 150bhp!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Good choice, way better car than a Skoda :lol: :lol:

Can't go wrong with a FORD


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

never let another vauxhall darken your drive again!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

scottswatches said:


> never let another vauxhall darken your drive again!


And avoid puddles !!!!

:lol: :lol:


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## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

Kutusov said:


> scottishcammy said:
> 
> 
> > The new motor, love it, drives fantastic and pulls like a train
> ...


mine was the 150bhp....was pretty good on fuel too....backwards and forwards on nice straight rd to work at 3am and i would average 58-60mpg a week....


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