Thetownend.com

As my car's now gone ( :cry: ) me and the missus have decided to trade in her Fiesta whilst it's still worth something and get a new car.

Looking to spend up to £4500 possibly £5000.

What can I get for my money? I've seen a few Alfa 147 TS 1.6 with average mileage (45k) for around £4k.

Ideally want something small(ish) size wise, but still want something quite fast  8)

I think 4K for an Alfa is a bit cheap.  I bought my Seat Ibiza 53 plate with 11K 6 months ago for a cut price £5500, I seriously toyed with an Alfa til I looked at insurance - which varies hugely dependent on trim level from my research, it seems like £5-6K buys you an alright one, maybe on a 51-52 plate.  Nice cars though, and I think where my money will be going once I'm over 25.

Great if you like spending time in the company of mechanics I suppose.

Very true lumps, very true - I think they ahev deinately improved and continue to do so, and for petrolheads on a budget they represent good value - I'm sure Paul D has an alfa - ask him how reliable they are?

Anyone else got any suggestions. I pretty open to ideas at the moment. I really want to be sure I'm getting the right car before I buy one so will be doing plenty of research beforehand.

http://www.byronbaymotorcycles.com/gallery/classic_motorcycles/images/scooter.jpg

Buy mine off me...

You can buy mine if you like. £5000 to you.

Dave Blackcurrant, Sippo, Thanks but no thanks guys.

Look at this one (http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_popup.jsp?nU=0&make=ALFA%20ROMEO&model=147&min_pr=&max_pr=5000&postcode=SN2%202BX&miles=40&max_records=200&modelexact=1&photo=1&hassearched=Y&start=3&distance=38&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200712275752287) for an absolute bargain!

quick, buy it now!

I test drove an Alfa 147 1.6 just after they came onto the market, with every intention of buying one. I was also lucky enough to drive a work colleagues 2.0 selespeed, to compare the two.

Now, don't take this the wrong way, but that beast was a very nice car to drive. The build quality of the cars I drove was excellent, but then they were both new and frankly you shouldn't expect anything less. One thing stopped me though - fears over reliability. I just didn't get enough reassurance from the Alfa dealer that the company had solved all their previous problems.

Another work colleague had one which he sold just over a year ago (forced, as he was relocating to the USA) - he only had good things to say about his.

IMHO, its a gamble. But if you are seriously considering a 147, get it thoroughly checked out by a qualified mechanic in advance, as you may be setting yourself up for some expensive maintenance if something goes wrong.

it's got a Bose system - nice.

Approved used could be the call with Alfa - pay more but with more guarantees of maintenance and history.

Think I'll have to recondisder the Alfa 147. Just did and insurance quote = £2000. Ouch!

Ooohhh, thats steep. Take a look at a Seat Leon, they might be at the top end of your price range though. VW mechanicals, which is pretty sound.

I do like the Leon's, but if I got one I'd want the Cupra which is way out of my price range.

Like I said, I have the Ibiza - a polo on the underneath and thus far been spot on.  Seats until about 2004 had a 5year manufacturer warranty - provided they stay main dealer serviced - it includes breakdown cover etc - Leon insurance is pretty good - I think the TDI 110 is only a group 8 and meant to be quite speedy.

Cheers guys. Just had a little look at insurance for a 1.8 20v Leon Cupra (essentially a Golf GTI) and that's come out at £2,000 as well.

Might have to drop the big engine idea for now.  :cry:

Think I may look into getting a TDI. Seem cheaper to insure but can still get something decent like the Golf GT 1.9 TDI.

HDI D-Turbo  :mrgreen:

How long you been driving Sam? I've got 3 years no claims and the insurance on a GT TDI is only £600.

I'd have gone for the Alfa but then I adore 'em.

What about a Clio 172, Golf GTI/TDI, MG ZR, or an Astra SRi?

Sippo's car is a good 'un, I'd snap his hand off if I could

Buy a peugeot 107 like mine!

£40 a year road tax, 72 miles to the gallon and £140 a year to insure full comp!!

It looks like a glorifed golf buggy but hey!

Hairdresser's car  :wink:

On that note, get a Mazda MX5, loads about, jap reliability, can't go wrong. Comes with a pack of condoms.

The new Corsas (maybe the SRi) have 3 years insurance for £399

You can have my 206 GTi for £5k

3 years. First two I was on my mum's insurance for a 1.2 Corsa. When I got the Megane I decided to get my own insurance and only had that 18 months so only 1 years NCB.

Whatever we get will be insured in my missus name anyway with me as a named driver. She's got two years NCB.

Who was the TDI quote from SY?

My missus loves 'em, I can't stand 'em.

Ha! You'll be buying one soon then  :wink:

I quite like my hands thanks!  :o

My 3.2 V6 Audi costs me 1400 Euro (about £900 a year) to insure, mind you I am probably about 10 years older than you and have 8 years no claims bonus!

Direct Line, my NCB came as named driver on the Clio - I get discount because my parent's car is insured with Direct Line as well.

dude, if you can live with a slightly smaller car, VW polo GTIs are ace little cars. Bulletproof reliability, they look good, and go well. if i do downsize when i move out, its a toss-up between one of these and a fiesta ST atm.

Where are you moving to?

Insurance for the Polo GTI is still £1500.

I just don't understand insurance companies, my Megane was a 1.6 and cost me £800 a year. The Polo's a 1.6 as well, but stick a GTI badge on it and they charge you an extra £700. Ridiculous.

i dont rightly know, but its in the pipeline. wont be for a couple of months yet.

Just done a quote for a Pug 307 2.0 HDI = £600  8)

Might have to get one of those instead.

I'm telling you. Mine is insurance group 6! Which will be even cheaper!  :mrgreen:

insurers are silly, silly people.


i'm paying through the nose for the ST170 atm, i've just had a play with confused.com for a bit, looking at insurance prices...

a '99 mondeo ST200 2.5 v6 would set me back £1100 fc. thats quicker than my car, that makes no sense.  :-))(

and a '00 Polo GTI would cost me £763 fc. MADNESS!!!

an '03 Clio 172 would be £1300 fc

whereas an '02 Civic Type R is £1500 fc



i cant help but feel i'm being done up the pooper with the Focus :(

All about stats leggett, actuaries are paid a hell of a lot of money to tell insurance comapnies how much to fleece us by.

all of those quotes, bar the CTR one, are cheaper than what i'm paying for the focus. as the renault is a cheaper car too, i'm considering p/x-ing the focus and getting the better drivers car! :D

Anyone know the best place to get a loan from for this car purchase? Preferably don't want to have to go through shit loads of employers checks etc.

don't know if you can still do this as I haven't driven in UK for years, but last time I phoned up one insurance company for a quote (~400 quid) then phoned up another and said that they had quoted 250, they never bothered to check and their manager offered me 220 there and then.

Just taken on a 3 bed HMO (shared house ) in Joseph street near your sister, 4 rooms ranging from £300 - £375 all in each month.

As I'm going to be forced into buying two cars when I return home in the not too distant future, does anyone have any links to websites that compare insurance groupings and VED rates for all cars? Please...

moneysupermarket.com

Haven't read the thread so someone may have already passed comment but you said you were selling your old one to get on the property ladder, make your mind up!

Already bought the house Dave. Was selling to save a bit of money each month, we've now worked out we can get £4000 over 3 years, trade the missus car in and still be better off each month. Result.  :D

*Bumpety bump*

Test drove a Pug 307 HDI Turbo on Saturday. Fucking well nice car, dealer had it priced up at £5495 which is a tad expensive though considering the mileage is 84,000 and it needs a service.

The missus spoke to him today, told him we thought it was overpriced for what it is, he's dropped the price to £5100.  :mrgreen:

Add into that the 12 months MOT, pre-delivery valet and service - fucking deal!

thats alot of money for a car with that mileage imo

I'm on the look out for an Alfa 147, just found one up north, gonna get up there at the weekend and see what it's like.

ALFA ROMEO 147 JTD LUSSO 5 DOOR Finished in Stromboli Grey metallic with Red Leather. 1 owner from new with 14,000 miles and full Alfa Romeo service history. Specification including 17” alloy wheels, Colour Screen Navigation, integrated telephone, climate control, cruise control, BOSE sound, CD autochanger, electric sunroof, heated seats and remote alarm

Nice £8,900, good price too.

Parkers recommends £5,830 for a good condition 307 from a dealer.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-prices/Valuation.aspx?deriv=21181&plate=69&buysell=buy

Taking into account the high mileage, I think £5100 is a good deal considering it's the very top model of the 307.

I think sam is 40 not 20!

Haha, very funny Ash.

My missus just told me the dealer wants a £500 quid deposit, which is pretty steep and doesn't make sense. Most decent dealers will take £100.

It was the dealer's wife's car as well. Something's telling me to step away from this one, and I think I will.

If it doesn't feel right don't buy it. You obviously got doubts, and you'd kick yourself if those doubts came true.

wise move imo sam.you can get a decent motor with much lower mileage for that sort of dosh

step away sam, 307 are quite good, I think youd suit a ford K personally

I personally have some doubts about pugs- my Dad's curent one isn't half the car his old one was - both have very good diesal engines mind.  I know a guy who said his 307 estate was a reliability nightmare too!  Certainly that price is steep for the mileage IMHO, depends what kind of package they offer you with it in terms of servicing etc.

What do you reccomend then arriba? I'd prefer a diesel for the economy.

And no Ash, I don't want a KA thanks.

My sister has got a vauxall astra I think, and that seems trouble free, diesal and very good deals at the moment, if that helps.

Is that the new Astra? Or the model before that?

i'd go for a focus,corolla,astra or something like that.but i'm older than you sam and you young uns like the sporty motors.

Yeah that's the problem, I do want something sporty but not too expensive to run. That 307 would have been perfect, cheap insurance, tax aint too bad, economical. Shame is there aren't many 307 HDI Turbo's kicking about.

Oh well, might just have to pick up a 206 GTI for £4k and use the other £1k towards the insurance.

I wouldn't buy anything French.

You might not, but I love french cars.

Is it the unreliability or badly made aspect of them you like?

My Pug's been absolutely superb. Big MOT last year, new breaks etc, service which is going to cost £300 bucks but all the norm really. Reliable as anything.

I don't know where people get this piss poor impression from.

If you look after a french car then they just keep going and going. It's not like a german motor, you can't just run them into thr ground. You've got to treat it good.

 :fishing:

Well, finally bought one!

Pug 307 HDi 110bhp D Turbo  8)

http://tinyurl.com/33qobh

Did you buy that one in jobby brown?

It's Metallic Bronze  :wink:

Each to their own, will never buy a French car again, My Shitroen C2 is so poorly put together they didn't even spray the underside of the bonet or filler cap, talk about cutting costs.

The paints shocking too, a stone chip soon turns into peeling laquer.

Are you intending to drive around with your bonnet open?
No-one's going to see the underside of your bonnet - so why does it matter?
I'd rather they saved to extra £50/100 it'd add to the cost of the car....

Point is that every other car seems to have it sprayed underneath, if thats an example of their cost cutting then it is likely to be a problem elsewhere.  The engine bay in Japanese cars for example look tidy, clean and like it has been thought about, Citroens just look like the engine has been dumped in. I've got bits of tinfoil n all lurking around  :|

Jap cars are built to perfection though.

French cars are built as cheap as possible with bits hanging off and all sorts. It's all part and parcel of having a French motor  :D

Fair point, my dad swears by citroens and always has one.

I'm still planning on getting the new Civic type R in the summer, but am now also tempted by the type S 2.2 diesel due to fuel cost reasons.

Move to Luxembourg, cheapest fuel in Europe, then you can drive about in a car with a big engine and not really give a fuck!! I have sat in the driver's seat of the new Civic Type R, it looks AMAZING!!

Have test drove it for 2 days so am now hooked, which is why don't think the diesel would satisfy me now  :D

I know what you mean. My motor has 260 horses under the bonnet. One push of the accelerator and you are hooked!!

Indeed, I know I'll end up with the type R.......just gotta justify it in me head :D

My penis is adequately sized. I don't have to compensate for anything with big silly cars.

My Clio is 13 years old and it still doesn't seem to want to die yet. The only problems are annoying ones rather than real problems, such as the roof leaking and the passenger door not opening from the outside (but my mate Josh broke that).

In summary, Clio's are indestructible

Good point.

My penis is a perfect fit for my good lady.

As is my car for the boring home to work journey that I give it.

Now motorbikes..that's different. My penis must be incredibly small when it comes to them...

Quite.

** Bump **

Had a bit of fun in the rain with the new motor yesterday, found out how to turn the traction control off  :mrgreen:

All on private land of course  :wink:

My car is gathering dust in the garage until I can drive again!  :evil: