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Thread: Need a sensible, practical and economical car, but still fun.....What do?

  1. #21
    Guest Sibbers's Avatar
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    70 mile round trip for me. Sound proofing and stereo helps - bung on a podcast and bobs yer mothers brother. It’s not so bad except the journey always ends up with me selling juicy motors (which I then buy again and suddenly remember how expensive it all is). Can’t do 35 miles without there being some degree of fun, so I think any motor that’s not heavy is the way to go.

  2. #22
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    I always found the minis's to have quite hard suspension. a lot of the diesels are the 1.4 Toyota engine. the 1.6 is the lower powered PSA engine fitted to pretty much everything with a 1.6 diesel. Peugeot/citroen/ford/mazda/Volvo. something like a Volvo estate would be decent but they all seem to have 150k+ the little C30 is basically a focus but smaller inside. the PSA unit is notorious for turning the oil into gunge.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by sideways14a View Post
    If i was doing a heavy commute, ie more than the 2 miles i do at the moment.. say 3 or 4... i would want something comfy and soothing above all else.
    Sod the back road game when your plugging it to work every day.
    For anything over say 5 miles, which would be an enormous commute i would want a chopper.
    If it was something really silly like 10 then i would get work elsewhere, next door would do.
    Ah see this is where the devil is in the detail. She need a commute car; I need something that's decent in the backroads and my needs are more needy than hers

    Cheers for the suggestions so far. I'll look into them.

  4. #24
    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
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    A 3k diesel is a false economy as it will be fooked You will be buying DMFs and injectors and turbos etc etc

    Just get a petrol Focus of some description, they handle well are well equipped and get you from A-B, job done. Or if you want to be posh a V50/C30
    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

  5. #25
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    Economical petrol engine says small, new-tech turbo engine.
    Cheap to run says small to medium size and fairly new.
    Reliable says German or Japanese.
    Hatch says something Fiesta/Focus sized.
    Comfortable says high-spec interior.

    Fun says now you are just making it hard.
    Budget says 3k ? You're having a larf !

    What about this for a bit of a compromise of all the above...

    https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...01809170590017

    I'm going to start a thread that says...

    So, what I'd like for my next car is something jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with at least 400 bhp, convertible, comfortable, free to insurance, practical, that won't attract thieves or key-wielding scrotes and you must be willing to pay me to take it away lol

  6. #26
    Guest arry's Avatar
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    I did say 'ideally' I want that, not that it MUST have the ability to return 50mpg, just that the economy is important , and I did say that I'd like it to be fun rather than it had to be....

    Tbh the focus is probably the right answer.

  7. #27
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    Hyundai i30 and kia ceed are the same car underneath. you could probably get a good 2011 plate kia for 3k. 2012 is newer shape so cost way more.

    I think the trick is to look at everything and not just narrow it down to one model when it comes to finding an old diesel/banger type cars

    if you get a ford you want zetec onwards trim levels to get heated front screen. although zetec focus seats have some disgusting plastic back burning stripes sewn on. but cloth recaro interiours can be picked up for less than £100.. the ghia is the only one with cruise control but it can be retrofitted pretty easy.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    A 3k diesel is a false economy as it will be fooked You will be buying DMFs and injectors and turbos etc etc

    Just get a petrol Focus of some description, they handle well are well equipped and get you from A-B, job done. Or if you want to be posh a V50/C30
    What a load of shite! In the last 10 years I've never spent more than £1800 on a high-mileage diesel car for work and so far I've never had to put my hand in my pocket for anything other than routine maintenance. No clutches, DMFs, DPFs, turbos, injectors, barely even a timing belt. And I've generally been lucky and sold them for more than I paid for them.

    If you're careful with what you're buying, stick to full service history where possible, and something that's been looked after you'll rarely go wrong. With any diesel regular servicing and sensible use is the key to hassle-free motoring. They respond well to being driven quickly but not given death on a daily basis.

  9. #29
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    Do people call you Lucky Jim ?

  10. #30
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    Suzuki swift sport?

    Mazda 3..... unloved but should find a decent spec for 3k

    Mini cooper

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by green_rs13 View Post
    Hyundai i30 and kia ceed are the same car underneath. you could probably get a good 2011 plate kia for 3k. 2012 is newer shape so cost way more.

    I think the trick is to look at everything and not just narrow it down to one model when it comes to finding an old diesel/banger type cars

    if you get a ford you want zetec onwards trim levels to get heated front screen. although zetec focus seats have some disgusting plastic back burning stripes sewn on. but cloth recaro interiours can be picked up for less than £100.. the ghia is the only one with cruise control but it can be retrofitted pretty easy.
    I had a diseasel i40 and despite my korean car snobbery i found it a remarkably good car for what it is/was. Wasnt as refined as a merc but was still quiet and comfortable. Chassis was supple enough to be mildly entertaining on the B-roads. Returned 50+ on a run but wasnt great in town. Good eqpt lvls, good build quality. Comfy above other things also. Quite a handsome car all round tbh

    https://used.hyundai.co.uk/model-sea...6rgs?view=list

    https://used.hyundai.co.uk/model-sea...7k9b?view=list

  12. #32
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    Can Arry's needy needs be satisfied with a 1600 Diesel packing a mighty 115 horses though?

  13. #33
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    Its for Arrys mrs though R3k, arry has a broken porker and various old motorbikes that are slower than a slow thing that also like to breakdown for satisfaction purposes

  14. #34
    Member GrahamB's Avatar
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    we used to witch hunt people for half the suggestions in this thread



    SXOC Member #62SXOCCar Gone & ZX-12RPS4 - AFKAN
    Pessimists are people without dreams. dhún an doras ar do bhealach amach...Wii - 2031 7909 3288 5367
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  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamB View Post
    we used to witch hunt people for half the suggestions in this thread
    Scrabble!

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  16. #36
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    Only half ?!

    Almost every suggestion is FWD, diseasal or fcuk-me boring or some combination of those three.

    @MEL - The i40 looks like a warmed-over old Astra

  17. #37
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    What about this ? Easy to park, economical, reliable and only just over budget...

    https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...01809140501963

  18. #38
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    What about a Fabia vRS, Ibiza FR or Cupra?

  19. #39
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    vRS and Cupra are going to be relatively juicy and the Fabia is not a nice car to drive IMO.

    Ibiza FR seems pretty similar to the Polo I was putting forward. Econo engine with nice spec interior.

  20. #40
    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamB View Post
    we used to witch hunt people for half the suggestions in this thread




    And what are you driving at the moment?
    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

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