Pick me a car!

[Kier]

After a year of owning my BMW 528i, its time to sell it. The fuel bills are stupid, and its up on eBay and Gumtree.

So, I need a bit of help! What car do I go for? Budget is around £1,000, ideally as cheap as possible.

Only criteria it needs to meet, is for its MPG to be as high as possible. I'm getting fed up of paying £250 a month. I'm thinking of going back to a Focus (diesel most likely, 40mpg from when I had my old one).

Anything else I've overlooked?

 

[dave]

croma

 

[Kier]

Sadly none for £1,000 .

 

[Rawb]

MK1 Xsara 1.9 td - run it on chip fat

Pick one up for £400, sofa seats


What id get for £1,000 is a Renault Sport Clio 172 Phase 1

 

[homeward]

I'd get a Punto: plenty around.... 1.2 16v do 40 mpg; 8v do even better. Lots of fun; fairly easy to maintain. Just make sure you give it a thorough once over, before buying... (as with any car...).

 

[maddogmorg]

Citroen C5 HDi?

 

[Dominion]

If fuel consumption is your main concern, as it is for most people these days, biodiesel, chip fat, anything like that is a good suggestion.
You could actually set up a mini biodiesel refinery at home if you have space.
Pretty much any old diesel (i.e. NOT common rail - that would end very very badly) would do, as long as it doesn't have the famously fragile Bosch VP44 fuel pump in it like my Vectra does, as do a fair few Fords and Renaults I believe.

Orrrr, you could buy my wife's Micra 1.4. It's super nippy, good on fuel, surprisingly spacious, and I hate the loathsome plastic piece of crap and I can't wait til it dies so I never have to work on the bastard thing again.....

Offers?

 

[Kier]

I'd get a Punto: plenty around.... 1.2 16v do 40 mpg; 8v do even better. Lots of fun; fairly easy to maintain. Just make sure you give it a thorough once over, before buying... (as with any car...).

I had a Punto as my first car, nothing but problems with it (two or three head gaskets, two wiper blade motors, clutch). Would be very wary about getting another one.

If fuel consumption is your main concern, as it is for most people these days, biodiesel, chip fat, anything like that is a good suggestion.
You could actually set up a mini biodiesel refinery at home if you have space.
Pretty much any old diesel (i.e. NOT common rail - that would end very very badly) would do, as long as it doesn't have the famously fragile Bosch VP44 fuel pump in it like my Vectra does, as do a fair few Fords and Renaults I believe.

Orrrr, you could buy my wife's Micra 1.4. It's super nippy, good on fuel, surprisingly spacious, and I hate the loathsome plastic piece of crap and I can't wait til it dies so I never have to work on the bastard thing again.....

Offers?

Somehow, being 6ft4, 18 stone, I don't think a Micra would suit me .

The plan is to get a bike and use that 90% of the time, only time I wont be using it is when I need to carry something, or its too cold/icy.

 

[dave]

Sadly none for £1,000 .

probably will be soon i see a really nice red 1.9 16v go for only 1,343. this week, so wont be long before the 8v are under 1k

 

[Freebo]

The Xsara's are nice. Maybe have a look at a nice Laguna?

 

[T14086]

doblo 1.9JTD turbo

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I had a Punto as my first car, nothing but problems with it (two or three head gaskets, two wiper blade motors, clutch). Would be very wary about getting another one.

you could go for one of these

Solid engine with very few problems, and maintenance is cheap, £30 a year to tax very cheap to insure and 62mpg and what you'd save in a couple of weeks in fuel bill you could pop a new clutch in it for piece of mind, oh and no dual mass flywheels that the 1.9 diesels have or sketchy head gaskets of the petrol models

paper oil filter, timing chain rather than a belt vented brake discs (better than the petrols) are £40 a pair pads are £15 wheel bearings are £27 and can be changed in a car park in under half an hour.

to be honest any car you buy for under a £1000 is likely to have its share of problems so you really want to minimise the outlay when those problems arise

 

[sutera1996]

I know that many will disagree but for £1000 you can get yourself some good deals down the auction, especailly BCA ones, (or you can bid online istead if u want)

There are some good deals down these places to have

e.g they have a

FIAT CROMA 1.9 M/JET 120 DYNAMIC
5 Doors, Hatchback, Diesel, Manual Transmission, Grey

• RegistrationAJ06EKD
• Registration date26/04/2006
• Mileage76400 Not Warranted
• Colour Grey

and if memory serves me right i think somone said the reserve is £700-750 or similar

 

[ChrisUK]

My mate wants £300 for this:-

sweet as mechanically sound, fresh MOT and a few months tax left. 1.5D 60+mpg and runs on veg oil .

 

[NightHaunter666]

If you plan to cycle mostly, why is fuel economy such a concern? Get something thirsty and you'll definitely use that bike as often as you can!

 

[Kier]

My mate wants £300 for this:-

sweet as mechanically sound, fresh MOT and a few months tax left. 1.5D 60+mpg and runs on veg oil .

I think I might look a bit silly in it . 6ft4 and 18 stone lol.

If you plan to cycle mostly, why is fuel economy such a concern? Get something thirsty and you'll definitely use that bike as often as you can!

Pfft, sod cycling! Motorbike.

Pretty much decided that I'm going to just have a bike. Going for a test ride in a week or so on one, and hopefully buying it if I can get the deposit and finance sorted.