I'd all but given up on getting the passat I wanted as I figured I'm stuck in London now.. no point getting 2 cars.

 

Long story short there's a good chance I won't be working in London any more and so I'm looking for a car for the mrs (at least that's what I tell myself).

 

Requirements as below:

Must be:

1. N/A Petrol (not a fan of direct injection engines and turbo won't be ideal for this use case.)

2. 5 door

3. Fairly reliable

4. insurance not too bad (the octavia cost me about a grand to insure last year :( )

5. completely stock

6. cost me under 2k inc repairs

 

would like:

a bit of oomph to it - like a corolla t-sport.

a reasonable boot

Air conditioning

 

Bear in the mind the Mrs will be the owner and primary driver and she's only had her a licence a bit over a year now.

 

I quite fancy the corolla t-sport 5 door (but not the compressor version). I hear the handling isn't great, but honestly not too bothered about ragging it around, but would be nice.

Thoughts?.. am I being unreasonable?

 

edit: apparently a number of golfs fall in this range.. might do it, pick up seems reasonable on the golf with just 100bhp

Edited 18 March, 201610 yr by bspman

Hi,

When you have a car in mind please feel free to give us a try for insurance if you like. We#d be only too pleased to try and help.

Regards,

Dan.

1.4 civics?

 

1.4 was a pretty decent engine in them as I recall.

Boot in a corolla hatch back aint very big in the age range youd be talking imo.. smaller than you think it should be - we had a look at a couple of aurises last yr for swmbo and boot space was crap.

1.4 civic is a good reliable lump.

Mazda3 hatch? Decent boot and good build quality, though ive not driven petrol versions.

2k would probably only get a fairly crap golf,a3, focus?

Boot in a corolla hatch back aint very big in the age range youd be talking imo.. smaller than you think it should be - we had a look at a couple of aurises last yr for swmbo and boot space was crap.

1.4 civic is a good reliable lump.

Mazda3 hatch? Decent boot and good build quality, though ive not driven petrol versions.

2k would probably only get a fairly crap golf,a3, focus?

Early Mazda 1.6 petrol is adequate, I've driven one for 120,000 miles now. 2.0 is obviously faster in the Sport but more stuff to go wrong.

Thanks for the responses so far all. Food for thought. I'm going to hold off on the actual purchase until I know where my next assignment is (or if they're going to make me redundant). I figure it might be best to consider a handful of option for the time of purchasing so I can get something fairly quickly. Still looking for recommendations and suggestions.

 

Boot in a corolla hatch back aint very big in the age range youd be talking imo.. smaller than you think it should be - we had a look at a couple of aurises last yr for swmbo and boot space was crap.
1.4 civic is a good reliable lump.
Mazda3 hatch? Decent boot and good build quality, though ive not driven petrol versions.
2k would probably only get a fairly crap golf,a3, focus?

I was honestly looking at golfs from about 2002/2003 (mk4?) they're fairly reliable and I found them to just keep running though road tax is a PITA. Good point on the boot size. Contemplating an older primera now

Cheap as chips and fairly simple cars that keep running.

 

Early Mazda 1.6 petrol is adequate, I've driven one for 120,000 miles now. 2.0 is obviously faster in the Sport but more stuff to go wrong.

 

Noted on the engine size.

Primera was an underrated motor.

We've a 1.6 Mazda 3 - bulletproof, but 'adequate' is a good description of it's performance by daiking.  It's nice to drive.

 

1.4 Civic engine is very willing - I've had two.

 

Don't forget the Almera if contemplating a Primera.  Won't set the world alight, but decent cars.

 

Gaz

I tested an almera a few yrs back. Felt solid enough, but it was a 1.3/1.4 and seemed utterly gutless.

always liked the primera shape until the last spaceship style pile of crap look...

Primera GT

 

Unloved but a good motor really

http://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-features-sheds/shed-of-the-week-nissan-primera-gt/29227

 

You'd maybe even get that on classic insurance now.

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603031618500

 

^ touch of rust on the sills but other wise looks pretty tidy for a 17yr old motor.

 

Primera and Almeria would (probably?) predate Renault's involvement in Nissan so the stuff was pretty solid.

Mate of mine's dad had a fairly boggo 1.6 and it was much more rapid than it had any right to be (it liked a drink that was the one issue with it).

Edited 20 March, 201610 yr by Aspman

Primera GT

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603031618500

 

^ touch of rust on the sills but other wise looks pretty tidy for a 17yr old motor.

Cracking find! I was honestly a bit partial to getting a GT

 

On the downside.. I just realised it needs isofix to accomodate the child seat we bought .

 

I think the P11s did have isofix after the facelift, but not before... though not technically a hatch any more :(

 

Edit: turns out the P11 facelifts came in hatch and saloon????

Edited 20 March, 201610 yr by bspman

Cracking find! I was honestly a bit partial to getting a GT

On the downside.. I just realised it needs isofix to accomodate the child seat we bought .

I think the P11s did have isofix after the facelift, but not before... though not technically a hatch any more :(

Edit: turns out the P11 facelifts came in hatch and saloon????

might be able to get an isofut kit? Mk2 focus didnt have them as standard but a kit was available to be bolted in?

Found a internet post that someone said their V reg Almera had isofix points. you might be lucky yet.

 

[edit]

 

Looks like that one is away already.

Found a internet post that someone said their V reg Almera had isofix points. you might be lucky yet.

 

[edit]

 

Looks like that one is away already.

 

Honestly.. I think I'd rather get a primera or a golf now (preference for the former).

No joy on the isofix kits for the primera, but might be able to pull one out of one getting scrapped.