hey just wondering weather its possible to purchase a good standard vrs for around £3000?

paid 2300 for mine 04 plate 85k

Yes

Speters, you got a BARGAIN.

But yes, I've just done that. Granted I've just spent another £500 on service maintenance and mods but the car was in great condition for the mileage (125K) and drove superbly.

It depends on your definition of good.

I think the probability of getting what I would consider a good one for that money is not likely. The only way you would get a good one is by luck or where somebody is selling without knowing the true market value.

The above poster paid £2,300 for an 04 plate with 85k - I recently paid £5800 (more than double) for an 56 plate with 55k

I would consider mine good and has a list from the last 18 months of £3000 worth of work at dealerships - i.e. more than he paid for the whole car.

New turbo, flywheel, clucth, egr valve, cambelt etc etc

All these things are common issues and cost a lot of money even when not going to the dealer.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say the above £2300 car is due a cambelt and all these bits are very worn and it has cheap tyres etc. With that in mind would that be considered a 'good' car?

Not in my eyes.

So unless you luck one, I would say you cannot get a GOOD one for £3,000.

Edited 20 March, 201313 yr by Fred44

i just want a vrs for that money with as low mileage as possable for my own peace of mind even if i have to spend on service items etc for the future just as low mileage as i can get for my money, currantly using a 1.4 mpi but..

I paid £2500 for my 2005 54 plate one. Got it on 93k,sure it had the cambelt done about 85ish. Needed 4 tyres which I did straight away (£200) and brakes all round which I've ordered and am doing tomorrow (£90). Mines in good condition inside and out so I'd say yes you can easily buy one for £3k

Mine had a new clutch and flywheel with the timing belt and water pump done at its last service with skids at 75k since I've owned it I've serviced it myself, only bad points are crappy badgless grill and the interior was dirty

The fact that the above poster who paid 5800 for his, what would worry me is why the turbo, clutch and flywheel needed changing at such a low mileage.

Kind of have to agree with the above, paid 26 for mine, 100k fsh recent Cambelt, rear bush,disks and pads,dirty seats,dink in front wing on a 55

Bought mine 2 weeks ago for £3300. 04 plate, 96,000, 1 lady owner and full service history (Campbelt and water pump change at 77,00).

All very well and good, but I didn't receive any receipts with the car so not sure wether any money has been spent on it apart from the services! Although the tyres have lots of life in them yet.

Exactly mines now on 108k and on the original clutch and turbo I'd of thought. Think I'd sooner have a 100k car that's been looked after than a 50k that's not warmed up and cooled down and had the clutch rode etc. Paying mega money doesn't guarantee you a better car. I sold my focus st170 that was pretty decent for £1200 just to get rid, had I held out I might of got nearer £2000 for it

my main reason is cause iv got a 1.4mpi now but compared insurances and there pretty much simaler.. road tax is winning it for me though like £120 for the year?

my main reason is cause iv got a 1.4mpi now but compared insurances and there pretty much simaler.. road tax is winning it for me though like £120 for the year?

Look on auto trader and go view some in your price range. If its generally in good condition with some service history chances are it will be ok. End of the day it doesn't matter if you spend £3k or £30k on one you could still have stuff go wrong

Look on auto trader and go view some in your price range. If its generally in good condition with some service history chances are it will be ok. End of the day it doesn't matter if you spend £3k or £30k on one you could still have stuff go wrong

yeah thats true its more pot luck than anything.. there ment to be pretty sturdy engines though arnt they?

Mines never gone wrong to be honest! They only things that have gone wrong on mine are stone chips - because I fitted spacers (currently in body shop being sorted) coilovers failed because I fitted cheap **** ones (APs on the way). Rear doors leaking - because I had to remove the door carrier because I made a mistake when changing the door handles.

Would have been trouble free had I left it alone! Haha

my minds set.. its just a case of selling my fabia 1.4 iv got now..

yeah thats true its more pot luck than anything.. there ment to be pretty sturdy engines though arnt they?

It's pot luck with any car, I've done 15k in mine with no problems but could of had anything go wrong. Touch wood it will keep on going for another 15 with no problems. They are good engines just the turbo is abit fragile but keep on top of oil changes and warm it up and cool it down and it should be ok

Save! Save more money and get one that is really a good car. If i was you, back when i bought mine. Id try getting one with leathers. Honest truth. The standard ones are appalling and definitely need changing unless you can cope with your seats looking like someones Pee'd on them! Check the clutch, if its done over 100k and still on original clutch make sure its got good health, as once again these clutches are expensive to pay for from them been "dual mass".

You could easily get a lower mileage car for 4k-5k. Gotta be worth thinking about.

Save! Save more money and get one that is really a good car. If i was you, back when i bought mine. Id try getting one with leathers. Honest truth. The standard ones are appalling and definitely need changing unless you can cope with your seats looking like someones Pee'd on them! Check the clutch, if its done over 100k and still on original clutch make sure its got good health, as once again these clutches are expensive to pay for from them been "dual mass".

You could easily get a lower mileage car for 4k-5k. Gotta be worth thinking about.

i hear what your saying just im anxious about my car iv got now read what people are writing about the 1.4mpi 16v and just worries me.. even though its such a lovely car lowerd but not to much kept nice and standerd like.. want a vrs though so baaaaad!!

Sorry I should have pointed out £5,800 was from a dealer, so knock say £800 off if it was te same private. I went to a dealer for the 12 months warranty.

Not to put you off, but my experiance of these cars is they are not relaible at all. I had previously owned lots of Honda's though so its all relative I guess.

My fear is buying a cheap one is going to cost thousands to get it spot on - If thats what you want. Acceptable and spot on are very subjective of course and I have borderline OCD.

I had a strange looseness in the front suspension. Somebody on here drove it and said it was perfect. I could feel something though so changed the entire front suspension excluding springs and rack. Its now fine and how I expect the car to be.

I just dont see how anything over say 70k is is not going to have pretty much all of its components worn. Sure they could go on for another 50k before failure, but there will be play etc.

A lot of people find these cars fine and have no problems. I know this is now well off topic, but I would never recommend one to a friend :(

don't just dive in though mate! I was jumping the gun aswell. Was looking and saw one i liked straight away, went to try and put a deposit down. Due to some circumstances i ended up not going the weekend planned and had to wait, i ended up finding another one "the car i own now) with less mileage and FSH for a few hundred quid more!

don't just dive in though mate! I was jumping the gun aswell. Was looking and saw one i liked straight away, went to try and put a deposit down. Due to some circumstances i ended up not going the weekend planned and had to wait, i ended up finding another one "the car i own now) with less mileage and FSH for a few hundred quid more!

i wont its going tot take me well how ever long it takes me to sell my fabia iv got now thats all got MoT next week so hopfully once its got 12months test and 6months tax then itll just a matter of time, my minds set though its the car i want, theres one on gumtree now in sheffield.. waterpump changed etc.. £3k hes only owned since january though hmm, iv only heard good about the PD engines though..

There will be all manor of conditions of cars at all different prices.

I totally disagree with what Fred says above.

I would have sold mine recently (56 plate, now 100K) for about £4k if someone had offered. I know its not worth trying for much more than that TBH

However I'm now continuing to run the car until my dad changes his Octy as its a far cheaper way for me to go newer (his is 2011) than me buying a newer one. I like the Rapid though but no engine choice for me

I've looked after mine but the timing belt and regular servicing is all I have had to do, under single ownership. Not modded. The standard car CAN be fine if you treat it with respect and I guess thats why my standard cars clutch, turbo etc are still going.

- Miles ALONE means nothing. As said why has Fred's already had those fail at 85k whilst my car is still going? Shows AGE must be equally as important than miles, or maybe its the driver. Who knows.

You could have turbo done - clutch and flywheel for less than £1000 for a 56 plate and STILL have at least £800 cash spare from what Fred paid for his pristine 2004 lol. I'd personally have been looking for an 07 SE for that money !

With no disrespect Fred, I would take a different view that there are plenty of good cars out there if you bide your time, there are private sellers that just want to move something newer or whatever reason so long as its genuine and been looked after and even if it does need work in future doesn't mean you should rule it out automatically - unless you want to.

in my experience what you pay for it doesnt mean squat. if you think you are going to get a better car because its more expensive, think again it doesnt work like that.

you have to judge each car on its merits and sniff out the owner as much as you can, they often give out more clues than the car.

as for buying off a stealer, sorry i meant dealer, ppl think they are safe, how wrong can they be. they are in the game to make as much money as possible end of. i could tell you a story about network q but i think i`ll get done for slander or libel which ever one it is.

and true a 100k plus miler can often be in better health than a 50k one because of the life its lead

Edited 20 March, 201313 yr by stedee

I've looked after mine but the timing belt and regular servicing is all I have had to do, under single ownership. Not modded. The standard car CAN be fine if you treat it with respect and I guess thats why my standard cars clutch, turbo etc are still going.

- Miles ALONE means nothing. As said why has Fred's already had those fail at 85k whilst my car is still going? Shows AGE must be equally as important than miles, or maybe its the driver. Who knows.

Thing is (IMO) the standard car can also NOT be fine, even if it is treated well. Although I can't vouch for 55k of the 60k miles mine has done my turbo exploded at 60k (dead on near enough funnily).

I reckon it's not if, it's when the standard KKK fails, so many varied stories on life span on here. I would rather wait a bit longer and pay that bit more and get an approved used one from a main dealer. Gives you a year to not have to worry about paying for the turbo when it goes, although my opinion is probably coloured by experience .

In relation to post above, buying from a dealer doesn't guarantee anything, just like paying more, it's the warranty that's the saviour (and heated leathers if you target an SE ).