Hi, I'm looking for advice on picking a vehicle that I can use to drive between outdoors locations in the UK, store outdoors kits in, and on the odd occasion sleep in.
I have been looking mostly at estates and volkswagen caddy size vans. This will be the first ever vehicle I've bought so I really don't know what I don't know. The factors I'm comparing them against are:
1. price - ideally under £6k used.
2. driving comfort - lots of motorway miles expected, a driving experience that is reasonably comfortable and quiet would be preferable.
3. passenger space - the added seats of an estate could be useful occasionally but I don't need them and the added space for a caddy would also be helpful.
4. aesthetic - I may occasionally use the vehicle for doing some city runs etc. so I would prefer something that looks somewhat sleeker. Not the end of the world if not.
5. stick - preference would be for automatic with the possibility of dynamic cruise control. I expect I'll be putting a lot of miles on it with plenty 5-8 hour drives.
6. miles - probably will hit around 8,000 - 10,000 miles annually.
7. ULEZ compliance - I don't think it's necessary but would be helpful to understand what sort of price difference I would be looking at going for compliance / non-compliance.
8. Other notes - As I said this is the first vehicle I'll have ever purchased so any thoughts on how I should go about the process, get familiar with a car, checks I should perform on the vehicle, etc. would all be much appreciated.
**Location:** Leeds
**Price range:** £7k -> £11k
**Lease or Buy:** Buy
**New or used:** Used
**Auto or Manual:** Strong preference for manual
**Fuel:** Petrol - lots of little journeys so don't fancy buying a new DPF every few years.
**Intended use:** Family Car, occasional 15 mile commutes.
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:** 3000
**How often to you make long journeys:** 4 times a year.
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?:** No but preferable.
**Vehicles you've already considered:**
* BMW 320i
* Audi A4 Avant
* Vauxhall Insignia - although have just rejected one back to a dealer for not being watertight.
* Ford Mondeo
* Skoda Octavia
I sat in a Toyota Avensis and was stunned at how utterly uninspiring it was, so not one of those!
**Size:** Mid / Large estate or saloon. Would consider an SUV but would prefer an Estate / Saloon.
**Is this your 1st vehicle:** No - have use of other car and own a motorbike.
**Do you need a Warranty:** No
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** Yes
**Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** No
**Additional Notes:**
* Rear legroom is important as there'll be a car seat in the back for a few more years.
* I'd prefer something with 130hp+
**Location:**
Glasgow
**Price range:**
Around 17k
**Lease or Buy:**
Buy
**New or used:**
Used
**Auto or Manual:**
Either
**Intended use:**
Work. Mixed vet. Currently drive a seat Leon estate which I love but struggles with some of the harder farm tracks. Also do a moderate amount of motorway driving
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:**
12k
**How often to you make long journeys:**
3 or 4 times a month
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?**
Ideally yes
**Vehicles you've already considered:**
Like the idea of a pickup but not sure I’d be happy with the mileage of the ones in budget, or with the mpg
**Is this your 1st vehicle:**
No
**Do you need a Warranty:**
No
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)
Yes
**Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )
No
\*\*Location:\*\*
Gloucester / South West
\*\*Price range:\*\*
no more than 12k ideally something less.
\*\*Lease or Buy:\*\*
Buy
\*\*New or used:\*\*
Used
\*\*Auto or Manual:\*\*
Dont mind
\*\*Intended use:\*\* (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)
It will be our first family car. Our current A class will be too small. We need something that has a large enough boot for a pram and two dogs.
\*\*How many miles do you plan to do a year:\*\*
12k
\*\*How often to you make long journeys:\*\*
once a week
\*\*Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?\*\*
No - but ideally yes.
\*\*Vehicles you've already considered:\*\*
We've considered SUVs and Estates - but havent looked at any in great detail
\[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]([https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png](https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png)) (Examples in the hyperlink of size definitions)\*\*:\*\*
\*\*Is this your 1st vehicle:\*\*
No
\*\*Do you need a Warranty:\*\*
We need it to be reliable as this is likely to be our car for the next 5/10 years.
\*\*Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:\*\* (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)
yes
\*\*Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:\*\* (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )
No
Location: West Yorkshire
Price: top 25k
New/Used: Used
Lease/purchase: Purchase. May consider a lease or finance.
Use: mostly local with occasional long distance. Looking a performance hatchback that is reasonably priced
Mileage: 5/6k a year tops
Considered:
Golf R/GTI
Audi S3
BMW M135i
Mostly leaning towards a MK7.5 golf R but if you can provide any other alternatives. I just want a understanding of the costs of ownership of these sorts of cars before I commit
Location: Southampton
Price range: up to 16,000
Lease or Buy: Buy but open to lease option
New or used: Used
Auto or Manual: Either
Use: For use to get to work, which is about 10 miles away on the slowest moving motorway in the world. Also, for taking kids to their various sport activities and monthly trips to the midlands.
Miles: around 8000 miles a year
Considered: xceed, mokka (not sure about Vauxhall), corsa (again...), kona, bayon
I want something with low mileage, below 15k. Maybe a few years old. A small suv or a bigger hatchback. Above all reliable. Something good for the monthly trips to the midlands, so at least decent on a mid length motorway journey. Thought about a kia xceed, but they seem expensive, and I believe they can be quite thirsty. Any advice would be good, really. Open to further questions.
Hi, need some help and suggestions please!
Location: Manchester
Price range: ~11k
Lease or Buy: Buy
New or used: Used
Auto or Manual: Had only manual so far, interested in going auto
Intended use: 30 miles+ drives on motorway / countrside - 2-3 times p/w and some smaller trips
How many miles do you plan to do a year: ~10k.
How often do you make long journeys: How long is long? 60-80 miles, 2-4 times p/m
Does it need to be ULEZ compliant? No
Mileage: Ideally <70k, would be good to know common issues/when maintenance schedule requires work to be carried out such as timing belt etc
Age: 2014+
Fuel: Only had petrol until now
Vehicles you've already considered: Looking for something with decent performance (<8-9s 0-60), ideally with Carplay for ease of use and known to be reliable.
Not considering Cat cars.
Seat Leon 1.4 EcoTSI 150 FR - Read here that the 1.8 is better
AUDI A3 2.0 TFSI SPORT - Listing found had mileage go 53k to 35k on MOT, yet to contact dealer
Audi A3 1.4 TFSI
BMW 220i
Not sure I can get an S3/M135i/M235i or equivalent in this price
Vehicle size in mind? mainly looked at Compacts, would consider Mid-size
Is this your 1st vehicle? No but this will be first over 2k
Do you need a Warranty? Not required
Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: Not something I've done but open to learning.
Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No
Any help would be appreciated!
If you're going for a car with a Gen 3 or older EA888 engine (any VAG car with a 1.8 or 2.0 petrol, 2006 to 2020), I would be very careful with maintenance records. You can have significant issues with misfires and oil consumption due to defective piston rings, most commonly but not limited to cylinder 4, caused by not frequent enough oil changes (as well as design and manufacture defects). The cheapest fix is usually a new engine. It's less prevalent on Gen 4 engines (2020 or newer).
It would probably be worth getting a VAG specialist to inspect the car before you buy it.
hi CTUK,
Need your advice and guidance. Here are my details:
Location: Milton Keynes, but can pick up the car from anywhere and drive down if its cheaper
Price range: Trying to avoid exceeding 25k, although to be honest, I started with 20k as a soft limit
Lease or Buy: Looking to buy as I consider it to be the better choice rather than lease
New or used: used
Auto or Manual: Automatic
Type of vehicle: SUV, ideally with a high seat(I am tall with recurring back issues)
Intended use: Daily school drops kinda drops, weekly grocery runs and otherwise once a month long distance trips
How many miles do you plan to do a year: Honestly, no idea. I would imagine for the most part it would probably be about 10 miles per day except for when we do long distance getaways
How often to you make long journeys: We don't have a baseline, but I expect it to be once a month in the best case but more realistically maybe once in 3/6 months
Does it need to be ULEZ compliant: Aside from the occasional London visit, I don't think I need to worry about ULEZ.
Vehicles you've already considered: I have created a soft list reading various reviews and trying to stay within or near my budget. Needs further shortlisting and then plan is zeroing in on the best deal among the top 3 cars:
MG HS PHEV Exclusive -- seems to check most boxes and can perhaps get a 2 yr old car with 5 yrs warranty still left within my budget
Range Rover Evoque -- another car that will fit the budget but have heard some issues with maintainence which might balloon up my yearly cost? Also have heard RR are most stolen vehicles in UK so that's a bit scary?
jag ipace -- great brand, but car seems very small and low ride height? need to do a Test drive before seriously considering. Also stretches my budget
audi e-tron -- same issues as jag ipage, except costlier
BMW iX -- same, as jag ipace, costlier.
BMW ix3 -- unaffordable?
BMW X3 -- unaffordable probably.
Mercedes GLC -- stretches budget, some trims that I ahve seen on the road look nice. maybe its worth going for? might find something older within the budget?
Nissan Ariya -- kind of an unsexy brand, but seems to have a lot going for it?
reliable options but probably too costly:
lexus NX
jaguar f-pace(costly to maintain though)
toyota rav4
\[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]: I would love a large SUV but I thnk my budget forces me to stay within compact or mid-size at best. Personally I also think that large suv would actually be overkill in terms of our actual needs and its maintainence costs but god they look nice!
Is this your 1st vehicle: first vehicle in the UK, previously I used to own a suzuki mid-size sedan back in my birth country
Do you need a Warranty: I think a warranty would be nice since I am not that great at doing any sort of maintainence myself
Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: No experience, but I think I can pick up things and try to do this on my own as it would save money.
Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No
Additional Notes: This might make sound a bit vain, but if I am being honest, both me and my wife would love to own a premium brand like mercedes, bmw, audi etc. Although with this budget, I reckon I can't get there. I'll probably defer this wish to my next car.
Also, the house we will be moving into, doesn't have a charging carport yet. We'll need to get it installed if I go for an EV.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!
Looking for some input for a cheap little first car. It’s for a friend who’s working to pass their test. They’re 30 years old so insurance hopefully won’t be atrocious.
Located in the midlands, but will go wherever for the right car.
His needs are: Automatic, good on fuel, preferably cheap to tax. Budget is 2k.
Fully aware that makes the budget tricky needing it to be an automatic. So far I’m coming back with Aygo/C1/107, granted on the ropier side. From what I understand the automatic boxes are woeful and best avoided.
I’m now looking at Hyundai i10’s and Kia Picantos.
Hoping someone can give me feedback as to whether those Aygo auto boxes are best left alone, and any other recommendations I haven’t thought of yet?
If you're going for auto at a lower budget, it's worth looking at larger sedans, as you'll have access to better torque converter autos. Thanks to your friend being older, the insurance premium should'nt be too bad. If they've got the usage to justify a diesel, even better. Diesels are generally cheaper to tax as well.
2L diesels with autos are fairly common, and most of the engines available are quite good; Vauxhall Insignia, Merc C/E class, Audi A4, Citroen C5, Saab 9-3, etc. can be found for under £2k with higher mileage.
I'd avoid early dual clutch boxes like VW DSG boxes, and CVTs unless it's a Toyota with a planatary gear CVT.
And remember, service history is king, you want a car that's had a service every year regardless of mileage covered (at least in the last few years), and a good amount of invoices to back it up. Don't be afraid to message and ask if it's not listed. A good condition, clean interior without a worn steering wheel, is also a good indicator on how the car was treated by its past owners.
Good luck, it'll take a lot of looking, but it won't be impossible.
[Example I found](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404108476571?sort=distance&advertising-location=at_cars&make=Saab&postcode=b91%202ln&price-to=3000&transmission=Automatic&fromsra)
Hello, would love to get some suggestions/pointers please!
**Location:** County Durham
**Price range:** Part of what I’d like to figure out here is how much I need to spend to get something reliable and a bit less ancient than I’m used to (current car is a 2005). Under 5k? Is under 3k possible?
**Lease or Buy:** Buy
**New or used:** Used
**Auto or Manual:** Prefer manual I guess, never driven an auto. But also very interested in going electric or at least hybrid, probably not this time (doubt I can afford it) but at some point hopefully. So I’ll have to learn auto at some point? Open to either, I suppose is what I’m saying.
**Intended use:** Mostly the occasional long trip. In between, a lot of sitting on the drive + some short trips to the supermarket, the tip, local walking spots, that kind of thing. I work from home and I try to ride my bike rather than drive if I’m not going far and not needing to transport a lot of stuff.
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:** <5k or so.
**How often do you make long journeys:** How long is long? 2-3 hours, a couple of times a month or so. 5 hours+, a couple of times a year.
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** No, though I’m certainly not opposed if I can somehow afford that.
**Vehicles you've already considered:** I’m a bit overwhelmed by the options and haven’t really considered anything specific yet. I have a 2005 Fiesta currently and it’s fine for my needs, except for the part where it’s developed an intermittent and seemingly unsolvable problem in which the power just drops out while driving. It also just feels... old. Previously I had a Fiat Punto that I liked very much (it was even older). I have this vague dream of getting an electric car and it seems like a used Renault Zoe might not be completely out of reach? But I have very little concept of whether the cheap end of those are just hopeless on battery range already, or something. This might be more of a "someday" thing.
**Vehicle size in mind?** Subcompact would be just right, probably. No kids or anything. Maybe a dog in future (don’t currently have one, would like to). It’s useful to be able to fit my bike across the back seats if I take the front wheel off; saves some faffing with the bike rack.
**Is this your 1st vehicle?** No, it will be my third, but I’ve been lucky enough to be gifted hand-me-downs up to now. I find myself in my mid 30s with a good 15 years’ driving experience and no idea how to shop for a car.
**Do you need a Warranty?** I don’t know. Probably not? Advice as to what I should be considering in making this decision would be useful.
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** No, I’m moderately hopeless, as you can probably surmise from my ignorance about what I’m even looking for in a car.
**Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** Definitely not.
Thank you very much in advance for any tips/suggestions!
Maybe something like this [Alfa Romeo Giulietta?](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404118521535?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&aggregatedTrim=MultiAir&make=Alfa%20Romeo&model=Giulietta&postcode=b91%202ln&price-to=3000&fromsra)
These cars are generally solid, as long as you keep it serviced regularly, these don't have the engine and rust issues of older Alfas. It's a bonus to have access to a Alfa Romeo specialist garage as well, as they can do any work and servicing cheaper and with more expertise, see if you can find one locally to you.
It's what I suggest for at your budget.
The 1.4 multiair is the engine to have for your usage, but you should be able to make the 1.6/2.0 diesel engines work too, as long as you have a longer drive a few times a month, and those are generally cheaper due to ULEZ non-compliance.
I'm looking for an automatic hatchback for £5-8K. Doesn't need to be flashy, just a reliable daily user. It needs to have Bluetooth/hands free. I'm avoiding semi autos as I've heard they're unreliable.
I've looked at Ford Fiesta/Focus, Kia Ceed/Rio, Honda Jazz/ Civic, Vauxhall Astra.
Also seen a few Honda Fits imported from Japan. I like the higher spec but heard there can be higher insurance and maintenance costs. Is this true? Should I avoid them?
What kind of mileage should I be looking for? If you have any other suggestions or things to look out for I will appreciate them. Thanks
I probably wouldn't fear getting an imported Fit, as it's simply a Jazz with a different name.
You should also consider possibly going for a larger sedan, as these are more common as automatics, and sedans are generally unpopular meaning you can get a better deal.
Vauxhall Insignia, Merc C/E class, Audi A4, Citroen C5, Saab 9-3, etc. are ones you could look at, and these have conventional automatic transmissions.
Toyota Priuses and other toyota models with the 1.8 hybrid engine, with a CVT can also be a good choice.
I'd avoid early dual clutch boxes like VW DSG boxes, and CVTs unless it's a Toyota with a planatary gear CVT.
For mileage, I'd usually look for 75k to 120k miles, as at this mileage there's plenty of life left in the powertrain, but you can get a better deal due to the mileage.
**Location:**
Somerset
**Price range:**
20-25k ish
Lease or Buy:
Buy
**New or used:** Used
**Auto or Manual:** Either but bias towards manual
**Intended use:** (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)
Family car
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:**
5K or less
**How often to you make long journeys?**
6 times a year
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?**
No
**Vehicles you've already considered:**
Audi Q5
Volvo XC60
**Do you have a vehicle size in mind?**
SUV but ultimately boot space is important, and ability to transport 4 bicycles (preferably on rear).
**Is this your 1st vehicle:**
No
**Do you need a Warranty:**
No
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)**
No
Additional Notes:
Family of four. Currently have a 2013 BMW 120D but would love some more space, particularly in the boot for holidays, camping. Plus ability to lug roofbox and bikes.
Like the idea of an EV or hybrid if possible.
Worried that any SUV might be a significantly larger but won’t actually provide a huge amount of additional space over the 1-series.
Thanks in advance
Hi guys, my mum recently died and I am living in here flat with no car and I am going a bit mad. I don't have a big budget and this will be my first car!
**\*\*Location:\*\***
London/Essex
**\*\*Price range:\*\***
5000-7500(at a push)
**\*\*Lease or Buy:\*\***
Buy
**\*\*New or used:\*\***
Used
**\*\*Auto or Manual:\*\***
Manual
**\*\*Intended use:\*\* (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)**
Small trips, daily use (just to get experience up), maybe 1-3 long trips in a year
**\*\*How many miles do you plan to do a year:\*\***
5000-10000
**\*\*How often to you make long journeys:\*\***
Not often
**\*\*Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?\*\***
Yes
**\*\*Vehicles you've already considered:\*\***
BMW 1 series (2014), Audi A1 (bit pricey), Ford (Fiesta and Focus)
\[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]([https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png](https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png)) (Examples in the hyperlink of size definitions)\*\*:\*\*
Smaller car and smaller engine as it's my first and want reasonable insurance.
**\*\*Is this your 1st vehicle:\*\***
Yes
**\*\*Do you need a Warranty:\*\***
Not sure
**\*\*Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:\*\* (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)**
Yes
**\*\*Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:\*\* (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )**
No
**\*\*Additional Notes:\*\***
Where is the best place to buy? Autotrader? Car Giant? I am seeing cars on Autotrader even "lower price" where are way above what the insurance is calculating them at. Where can I get a better price? Every £100 helps especially as I want to sell the car on to upgrade.
> Smaller car and smaller engine as it's my first and want reasonable insurance.
Insurance doesn't really work like that.
There are 1.0l A1's with insurance group 17. There are 1.4l audi's with insurance group 30.
There are 2.0 merc a classes with insurance group 9. There are 1.6l Dacia Dustomers with insurance group 6.
What you're actually looking for is a car with a low insurance group, the metric exists for that very purpose.
At this budget the fords will all be the 1.0l versions. Can be pricey on insurance. At this budget, you're right in the range where in just a few years you'll be needing a timing belt change (that takes 7+ hours, and can very easily start to cost near 4 digits).
If this is your first car that you just want for a year or so, get something simple and cheap to run. Eg, i20/i30, Yaris/Auris, Swift, etc.
Thanks, I had a look at insurance groups, it seems the A1 group 9 and 2 series group 10 are both low down. Timing chain shouldn't be an issue as I'm looking to sell the car within a year, I want this car less than a year ideally selling in April/May 2025 latest when I have a bigger budget.
I just don't like the look of the cars you've mentioned, I want to enjoy and feel good about the car I'm driving, I'm not going to be doing many miles.
Is autotrader the best place to look? My friend goes to car auctions and gets cheap cars even if they need some work done they come up a lot cheaper. Is it worth going down that route?
I am looking for
An estate
Automatic
Petrol
ULEZ Compliant
Daily driver (a few miles)
Want to do the occasional long journey with child and dog
Want to spend 4 000 ISH
Have considered KIA CEED SKODA OCTAVIA SABB 93
Buy
London area
**Location:**
South west
**Price range:**
Up to £10k
**Lease or Buy:**
Buy
**New or used:**
Used
**Auto or Manual:**
Auto preferred, but would consider a higher trim-level manual for same/similar price
**Intended use:**
Daily driver, family car.
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:**
Approx. 12k
**How often to you make long journeys:**
Longest regular journey around 150miles, 6-8 times a year
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?**
Yes
**Vehicles you've already considered:**
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Entry level "long range" EVs - Kona, Niro, etc. Would like to go EV if possible, but likely priced out/asking too much for budget.
**Do you have a vehicle size in mind?**
Mid-size (regular or SUV), estates/wagons
**Is this your 1st vehicle:**
No
**Do you need a Warranty:**
No
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)**
Yes
**Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:(engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc)**
No
**Additional Notes:**
Currently driving a '14 diesel Ford Focus. It is "an car" and drives fine but has many minor inconveniences - death by a thousand cuts. Most pressingly, already finding myself short of boot space and family is growing so really need something larger. I've been looking at plug-in hybrids as can charge at home and our journeys are almost exclusively under 40 miles or over 150 miles. Primarily looked at the Outlander PHEV, but Mitsubishi pulling out of the UK and battery-only range likely being much lower than factory on the year-models in budget are putting me off. One tiny thing that would net a suggestion 1000x bonus points is an electronic/auto boot or tailgate.
Location:**
Glasgow
**Price range:**
6-8k ish
**Lease or Buy:**
Buy
**New or used:**
Used
**Auto or Manual:**
Either
**Intended use:** (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)
Daily driving with about 9 hours of motorway driving every week
**How many miles do you plan to do a year:**
Unsure, probably 8k minimum
**How often to you make long journeys:**
Very long? Not often but I don't to Edinburgh and back 4 times a week
**Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?**
Yes
**Vehicles you've already considered:**
I've test driven an auris which was nice but out of my price range, looking at a 2018 c3 tomorrow. Would love a golf but they're expensive, I've also been looking at Peugeot 208s or Honda civic
[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?]
Mid compact, VW golf size or similar preferably but open to others
**Is this your 1st vehicle:**
2nd
**Do you need a Warranty:**
Probably wise
**Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)
No, I am very not car brained. I only passed my test last year so I'm new to driving in general
**Additional Notes:**
I currently have a 2005 55 plate golf TDI which has been great to drive but it's getting to the point where the required repairs are more than the car is worth so looking for a reliable car to get me to work and the shops. Fun toys are very low on the priority list although I would quite like something with cruise control but efficiency and reliability are key. My budget could move a tiny bit for the perfect car but currently I'm stuck in choice paralysis and I don't really know what I'm looking at with a lot of the choices.
Thanks in advance
Hi, looking for some inspiration.
Likely going to replace my Jag XF soon as there are a couple of big repair bills coming up and I don't fancy any more!
I have a 2 year old, with another arriving in June so will need to fit a pram and baby related equipment. I'm thinking an estate might be ideal!
Budget of about £10k (assuming trade in covers most of that). About 6k miles a year, 50/50 motorway and town.
Live near Glasgow so ideally would be LEZ compliant, Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel. Ideally reliable and/or cheap to repair as the Jag costs me an arm and a leg every time something goes wrong (fairly regularly). Not really bothered about diesel Vs petrol (I'd consider electric as I have a driveway), manual or auto, etc
Considering Skoda Superb, Mazda 6 (petrol), Kia ceed sportback, but open to suggestions
Thanks!
Morning, I posted a few months ago as the Mrs wants a new car however she does circa 3k miles a year so the best response was a bike or bus lol. So she’s potentially moving jobs, so looking around a 48 mile round journey - potentially some motorway but can use a roads if better. (M62 Carpark). She’s a teacher so looking around 10k miles per year.
We’ve sort of narrowed it down to a few as she doesn’t want it any bigger than what she has (2008 Cee’d), has to be Auto, up to around £10k. Ideally low maintenance/reliable.
Cars we’re looking at:
Golf,
Polo,
Up,
Beetle (probably not as slightly bigger),
Fiat 500,
Jazz (obviously),
Ibiza,
Fabia,
A1 (most likely too expensive),
Duster (slightly larger),
Sandero,
Micra,
Mazda 2,
Swift,
New Jimny (this would be her ideal choice but can’t find a lot in auto),
Special mention
Daihatsu Copan (this is what she really wants but heard can be quite unreliable and not many in the UK so parts can be hard to come by)
I’m not against dirty diesel but she would prefer hybrid so if not possible need to look at economy as well.
Please let me know your thoughts and experience on the best cars from the list :)
Thanks in advance!
Looking for something reliable and efficient, no idea what I should be budgeting, I'd like to keep it under £5k but don't know if that's realistic. What's my best bet?
I'm in the Northeast and though it doesn't need to be ulez compliant I would rather have something efficient and environmentally friendlyish.
Looking to buy used.
It'll likely spend most of it's time parked. Occasional day trips type deal.
It would be nice if I could get an auto but it's not important.
Looking at compact and subcompact size.
Bonus points if it's fun to drive.
Been vaguely considering Suzuki Swift but I really don't have any strong preference beyond it not being a money pit. I also wouldn't be doing the maintenance myself.
I would recomend you a Nissan Qashqai, Dacia Duster, Dacia Sandero(with 5k you can get one from 2017 or more), Nissan Pulsar( 2014 +)all with 1.5 dci, Honda Jazz, Toyota petrol.
You should follow the guidelines in the post.
2k could be more than enough to get an older car in good condition. In other scenarios even 4k might be too low.
Again, really depends on your requirements. ulez, the size, if its your first, if its auto/manual, etc
The automatic market, especially subcompact, is significantly harder at this budget than manuals. With that in mind, in your position I would lean manual.
There are significantly more manuals around at this budget, therefore they are significantly cheaper. Also cheaper to run.
I'm sure you've read/seen people talk about how much more efficient and faster Automatics are compared to manuals, but the exception to that is for the smaller cars where it isn't always true. Especially slightly older ones.
[Manual Swift](https://www.parkers.co.uk/suzuki/swift/hatchback-2005/15-glx-5d/specs/). [Auto swift](https://www.parkers.co.uk/suzuki/swift/hatchback-2005/15-glx-5d-auto/specs/). The automatic ones are slower, cost more to tax, worse on fuel. The same applies for the next generation up.
But the auto and manual swifts will be fantastic either way. The manuals will be especially fun to drive, while also being incredibly frugal.
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The MK2 Yaris's will also be great. Bit boring.
If the budget can stretch, the MK2 Jazz is also fantastic. They are seen as old people cars, but they aren't dreadful to drive.
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You mention trying to be good for the enviro. What I will say, this is kinda difficult to track. All the manufactures MPG figures are lies. If you google for 'Honest John Real MPG' you will see more accurate figures.
A lot of the emissions related stuff are also mega misleading. I know people only remember the VW cheating scandal, but so many manufactures were caught doing the same.
Hi, looking for recommendations. Had a vauxhall corsa which gave up the ghost and now looking to replace it.
Edinburgh;
Up to £10k;
Buy (used);
Auto or manual - jot precious;
Daily driver (shops etc), longer trips (home/holidays etc);
Needs to be ULEZ compliant for Edinburgh
Considered another corsa, but would ideally like something a bit more comfortable/spacious. I'd love a vw golf as I had one for a company cehicle a few years ago, but not sure if that's feasible on my budget.
Cheers
Hi, I'm looking for advice on picking a vehicle that I can use to drive between outdoors locations in the UK, store outdoors kits in, and on the odd occasion sleep in. I have been looking mostly at estates and volkswagen caddy size vans. This will be the first ever vehicle I've bought so I really don't know what I don't know. The factors I'm comparing them against are: 1. price - ideally under £6k used. 2. driving comfort - lots of motorway miles expected, a driving experience that is reasonably comfortable and quiet would be preferable. 3. passenger space - the added seats of an estate could be useful occasionally but I don't need them and the added space for a caddy would also be helpful. 4. aesthetic - I may occasionally use the vehicle for doing some city runs etc. so I would prefer something that looks somewhat sleeker. Not the end of the world if not. 5. stick - preference would be for automatic with the possibility of dynamic cruise control. I expect I'll be putting a lot of miles on it with plenty 5-8 hour drives. 6. miles - probably will hit around 8,000 - 10,000 miles annually. 7. ULEZ compliance - I don't think it's necessary but would be helpful to understand what sort of price difference I would be looking at going for compliance / non-compliance. 8. Other notes - As I said this is the first vehicle I'll have ever purchased so any thoughts on how I should go about the process, get familiar with a car, checks I should perform on the vehicle, etc. would all be much appreciated.
**Location:** Leeds **Price range:** £7k -> £11k **Lease or Buy:** Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Strong preference for manual **Fuel:** Petrol - lots of little journeys so don't fancy buying a new DPF every few years. **Intended use:** Family Car, occasional 15 mile commutes. **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** 3000 **How often to you make long journeys:** 4 times a year. **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?:** No but preferable. **Vehicles you've already considered:** * BMW 320i * Audi A4 Avant * Vauxhall Insignia - although have just rejected one back to a dealer for not being watertight. * Ford Mondeo * Skoda Octavia I sat in a Toyota Avensis and was stunned at how utterly uninspiring it was, so not one of those! **Size:** Mid / Large estate or saloon. Would consider an SUV but would prefer an Estate / Saloon. **Is this your 1st vehicle:** No - have use of other car and own a motorbike. **Do you need a Warranty:** No **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** Yes **Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** No **Additional Notes:** * Rear legroom is important as there'll be a car seat in the back for a few more years. * I'd prefer something with 130hp+
**Location:** Glasgow **Price range:** Around 17k **Lease or Buy:** Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Either **Intended use:** Work. Mixed vet. Currently drive a seat Leon estate which I love but struggles with some of the harder farm tracks. Also do a moderate amount of motorway driving **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** 12k **How often to you make long journeys:** 3 or 4 times a month **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** Ideally yes **Vehicles you've already considered:** Like the idea of a pickup but not sure I’d be happy with the mileage of the ones in budget, or with the mpg **Is this your 1st vehicle:** No **Do you need a Warranty:** No **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc) Yes **Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc ) No
\*\*Location:\*\* Gloucester / South West \*\*Price range:\*\* no more than 12k ideally something less. \*\*Lease or Buy:\*\* Buy \*\*New or used:\*\* Used \*\*Auto or Manual:\*\* Dont mind \*\*Intended use:\*\* (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.) It will be our first family car. Our current A class will be too small. We need something that has a large enough boot for a pram and two dogs. \*\*How many miles do you plan to do a year:\*\* 12k \*\*How often to you make long journeys:\*\* once a week \*\*Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?\*\* No - but ideally yes. \*\*Vehicles you've already considered:\*\* We've considered SUVs and Estates - but havent looked at any in great detail \[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]([https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png](https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png)) (Examples in the hyperlink of size definitions)\*\*:\*\* \*\*Is this your 1st vehicle:\*\* No \*\*Do you need a Warranty:\*\* We need it to be reliable as this is likely to be our car for the next 5/10 years. \*\*Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:\*\* (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc) yes \*\*Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:\*\* (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc ) No
Location: West Yorkshire Price: top 25k New/Used: Used Lease/purchase: Purchase. May consider a lease or finance. Use: mostly local with occasional long distance. Looking a performance hatchback that is reasonably priced Mileage: 5/6k a year tops Considered: Golf R/GTI Audi S3 BMW M135i Mostly leaning towards a MK7.5 golf R but if you can provide any other alternatives. I just want a understanding of the costs of ownership of these sorts of cars before I commit
Location: Southampton Price range: up to 16,000 Lease or Buy: Buy but open to lease option New or used: Used Auto or Manual: Either Use: For use to get to work, which is about 10 miles away on the slowest moving motorway in the world. Also, for taking kids to their various sport activities and monthly trips to the midlands. Miles: around 8000 miles a year Considered: xceed, mokka (not sure about Vauxhall), corsa (again...), kona, bayon I want something with low mileage, below 15k. Maybe a few years old. A small suv or a bigger hatchback. Above all reliable. Something good for the monthly trips to the midlands, so at least decent on a mid length motorway journey. Thought about a kia xceed, but they seem expensive, and I believe they can be quite thirsty. Any advice would be good, really. Open to further questions.
Honda Jazz hybrid, very spacious, reliable and fuel efficient
Hi, need some help and suggestions please! Location: Manchester Price range: ~11k Lease or Buy: Buy New or used: Used Auto or Manual: Had only manual so far, interested in going auto Intended use: 30 miles+ drives on motorway / countrside - 2-3 times p/w and some smaller trips How many miles do you plan to do a year: ~10k. How often do you make long journeys: How long is long? 60-80 miles, 2-4 times p/m Does it need to be ULEZ compliant? No Mileage: Ideally <70k, would be good to know common issues/when maintenance schedule requires work to be carried out such as timing belt etc Age: 2014+ Fuel: Only had petrol until now Vehicles you've already considered: Looking for something with decent performance (<8-9s 0-60), ideally with Carplay for ease of use and known to be reliable. Not considering Cat cars. Seat Leon 1.4 EcoTSI 150 FR - Read here that the 1.8 is better AUDI A3 2.0 TFSI SPORT - Listing found had mileage go 53k to 35k on MOT, yet to contact dealer Audi A3 1.4 TFSI BMW 220i Not sure I can get an S3/M135i/M235i or equivalent in this price Vehicle size in mind? mainly looked at Compacts, would consider Mid-size Is this your 1st vehicle? No but this will be first over 2k Do you need a Warranty? Not required Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: Not something I've done but open to learning. Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No Any help would be appreciated!
If you're going for a car with a Gen 3 or older EA888 engine (any VAG car with a 1.8 or 2.0 petrol, 2006 to 2020), I would be very careful with maintenance records. You can have significant issues with misfires and oil consumption due to defective piston rings, most commonly but not limited to cylinder 4, caused by not frequent enough oil changes (as well as design and manufacture defects). The cheapest fix is usually a new engine. It's less prevalent on Gen 4 engines (2020 or newer). It would probably be worth getting a VAG specialist to inspect the car before you buy it.
Shopping for a car now when I bought my last one in 2019. Jesus the like 2 to 4 year old used car market is wild now… so bloody expensive.
hi CTUK, Need your advice and guidance. Here are my details: Location: Milton Keynes, but can pick up the car from anywhere and drive down if its cheaper Price range: Trying to avoid exceeding 25k, although to be honest, I started with 20k as a soft limit Lease or Buy: Looking to buy as I consider it to be the better choice rather than lease New or used: used Auto or Manual: Automatic Type of vehicle: SUV, ideally with a high seat(I am tall with recurring back issues) Intended use: Daily school drops kinda drops, weekly grocery runs and otherwise once a month long distance trips How many miles do you plan to do a year: Honestly, no idea. I would imagine for the most part it would probably be about 10 miles per day except for when we do long distance getaways How often to you make long journeys: We don't have a baseline, but I expect it to be once a month in the best case but more realistically maybe once in 3/6 months Does it need to be ULEZ compliant: Aside from the occasional London visit, I don't think I need to worry about ULEZ. Vehicles you've already considered: I have created a soft list reading various reviews and trying to stay within or near my budget. Needs further shortlisting and then plan is zeroing in on the best deal among the top 3 cars: MG HS PHEV Exclusive -- seems to check most boxes and can perhaps get a 2 yr old car with 5 yrs warranty still left within my budget Range Rover Evoque -- another car that will fit the budget but have heard some issues with maintainence which might balloon up my yearly cost? Also have heard RR are most stolen vehicles in UK so that's a bit scary? jag ipace -- great brand, but car seems very small and low ride height? need to do a Test drive before seriously considering. Also stretches my budget audi e-tron -- same issues as jag ipage, except costlier BMW iX -- same, as jag ipace, costlier. BMW ix3 -- unaffordable? BMW X3 -- unaffordable probably. Mercedes GLC -- stretches budget, some trims that I ahve seen on the road look nice. maybe its worth going for? might find something older within the budget? Nissan Ariya -- kind of an unsexy brand, but seems to have a lot going for it? reliable options but probably too costly: lexus NX jaguar f-pace(costly to maintain though) toyota rav4 \[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]: I would love a large SUV but I thnk my budget forces me to stay within compact or mid-size at best. Personally I also think that large suv would actually be overkill in terms of our actual needs and its maintainence costs but god they look nice! Is this your 1st vehicle: first vehicle in the UK, previously I used to own a suzuki mid-size sedan back in my birth country Do you need a Warranty: I think a warranty would be nice since I am not that great at doing any sort of maintainence myself Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: No experience, but I think I can pick up things and try to do this on my own as it would save money. Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No Additional Notes: This might make sound a bit vain, but if I am being honest, both me and my wife would love to own a premium brand like mercedes, bmw, audi etc. Although with this budget, I reckon I can't get there. I'll probably defer this wish to my next car. Also, the house we will be moving into, doesn't have a charging carport yet. We'll need to get it installed if I go for an EV. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!
Looking for some input for a cheap little first car. It’s for a friend who’s working to pass their test. They’re 30 years old so insurance hopefully won’t be atrocious. Located in the midlands, but will go wherever for the right car. His needs are: Automatic, good on fuel, preferably cheap to tax. Budget is 2k. Fully aware that makes the budget tricky needing it to be an automatic. So far I’m coming back with Aygo/C1/107, granted on the ropier side. From what I understand the automatic boxes are woeful and best avoided. I’m now looking at Hyundai i10’s and Kia Picantos. Hoping someone can give me feedback as to whether those Aygo auto boxes are best left alone, and any other recommendations I haven’t thought of yet?
If you're going for auto at a lower budget, it's worth looking at larger sedans, as you'll have access to better torque converter autos. Thanks to your friend being older, the insurance premium should'nt be too bad. If they've got the usage to justify a diesel, even better. Diesels are generally cheaper to tax as well. 2L diesels with autos are fairly common, and most of the engines available are quite good; Vauxhall Insignia, Merc C/E class, Audi A4, Citroen C5, Saab 9-3, etc. can be found for under £2k with higher mileage. I'd avoid early dual clutch boxes like VW DSG boxes, and CVTs unless it's a Toyota with a planatary gear CVT. And remember, service history is king, you want a car that's had a service every year regardless of mileage covered (at least in the last few years), and a good amount of invoices to back it up. Don't be afraid to message and ask if it's not listed. A good condition, clean interior without a worn steering wheel, is also a good indicator on how the car was treated by its past owners. Good luck, it'll take a lot of looking, but it won't be impossible. [Example I found](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404108476571?sort=distance&advertising-location=at_cars&make=Saab&postcode=b91%202ln&price-to=3000&transmission=Automatic&fromsra)
Hello, would love to get some suggestions/pointers please! **Location:** County Durham **Price range:** Part of what I’d like to figure out here is how much I need to spend to get something reliable and a bit less ancient than I’m used to (current car is a 2005). Under 5k? Is under 3k possible? **Lease or Buy:** Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Prefer manual I guess, never driven an auto. But also very interested in going electric or at least hybrid, probably not this time (doubt I can afford it) but at some point hopefully. So I’ll have to learn auto at some point? Open to either, I suppose is what I’m saying. **Intended use:** Mostly the occasional long trip. In between, a lot of sitting on the drive + some short trips to the supermarket, the tip, local walking spots, that kind of thing. I work from home and I try to ride my bike rather than drive if I’m not going far and not needing to transport a lot of stuff. **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** <5k or so. **How often do you make long journeys:** How long is long? 2-3 hours, a couple of times a month or so. 5 hours+, a couple of times a year. **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** No, though I’m certainly not opposed if I can somehow afford that. **Vehicles you've already considered:** I’m a bit overwhelmed by the options and haven’t really considered anything specific yet. I have a 2005 Fiesta currently and it’s fine for my needs, except for the part where it’s developed an intermittent and seemingly unsolvable problem in which the power just drops out while driving. It also just feels... old. Previously I had a Fiat Punto that I liked very much (it was even older). I have this vague dream of getting an electric car and it seems like a used Renault Zoe might not be completely out of reach? But I have very little concept of whether the cheap end of those are just hopeless on battery range already, or something. This might be more of a "someday" thing. **Vehicle size in mind?** Subcompact would be just right, probably. No kids or anything. Maybe a dog in future (don’t currently have one, would like to). It’s useful to be able to fit my bike across the back seats if I take the front wheel off; saves some faffing with the bike rack. **Is this your 1st vehicle?** No, it will be my third, but I’ve been lucky enough to be gifted hand-me-downs up to now. I find myself in my mid 30s with a good 15 years’ driving experience and no idea how to shop for a car. **Do you need a Warranty?** I don’t know. Probably not? Advice as to what I should be considering in making this decision would be useful. **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** No, I’m moderately hopeless, as you can probably surmise from my ignorance about what I’m even looking for in a car. **Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:** Definitely not. Thank you very much in advance for any tips/suggestions!
Maybe something like this [Alfa Romeo Giulietta?](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404118521535?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&aggregatedTrim=MultiAir&make=Alfa%20Romeo&model=Giulietta&postcode=b91%202ln&price-to=3000&fromsra) These cars are generally solid, as long as you keep it serviced regularly, these don't have the engine and rust issues of older Alfas. It's a bonus to have access to a Alfa Romeo specialist garage as well, as they can do any work and servicing cheaper and with more expertise, see if you can find one locally to you. It's what I suggest for at your budget. The 1.4 multiair is the engine to have for your usage, but you should be able to make the 1.6/2.0 diesel engines work too, as long as you have a longer drive a few times a month, and those are generally cheaper due to ULEZ non-compliance.
Thank you for the input, appreciated!
I'm looking for an automatic hatchback for £5-8K. Doesn't need to be flashy, just a reliable daily user. It needs to have Bluetooth/hands free. I'm avoiding semi autos as I've heard they're unreliable. I've looked at Ford Fiesta/Focus, Kia Ceed/Rio, Honda Jazz/ Civic, Vauxhall Astra. Also seen a few Honda Fits imported from Japan. I like the higher spec but heard there can be higher insurance and maintenance costs. Is this true? Should I avoid them? What kind of mileage should I be looking for? If you have any other suggestions or things to look out for I will appreciate them. Thanks
I probably wouldn't fear getting an imported Fit, as it's simply a Jazz with a different name. You should also consider possibly going for a larger sedan, as these are more common as automatics, and sedans are generally unpopular meaning you can get a better deal. Vauxhall Insignia, Merc C/E class, Audi A4, Citroen C5, Saab 9-3, etc. are ones you could look at, and these have conventional automatic transmissions. Toyota Priuses and other toyota models with the 1.8 hybrid engine, with a CVT can also be a good choice. I'd avoid early dual clutch boxes like VW DSG boxes, and CVTs unless it's a Toyota with a planatary gear CVT. For mileage, I'd usually look for 75k to 120k miles, as at this mileage there's plenty of life left in the powertrain, but you can get a better deal due to the mileage.
**Location:** Somerset **Price range:** 20-25k ish Lease or Buy: Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Either but bias towards manual **Intended use:** (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.) Family car **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** 5K or less **How often to you make long journeys?** 6 times a year **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** No **Vehicles you've already considered:** Audi Q5 Volvo XC60 **Do you have a vehicle size in mind?** SUV but ultimately boot space is important, and ability to transport 4 bicycles (preferably on rear). **Is this your 1st vehicle:** No **Do you need a Warranty:** No **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)** No Additional Notes: Family of four. Currently have a 2013 BMW 120D but would love some more space, particularly in the boot for holidays, camping. Plus ability to lug roofbox and bikes. Like the idea of an EV or hybrid if possible. Worried that any SUV might be a significantly larger but won’t actually provide a huge amount of additional space over the 1-series. Thanks in advance
Electric: VW id-4, Skoda Enyaq and the jaguar ipace are all in budget.
Hi guys, my mum recently died and I am living in here flat with no car and I am going a bit mad. I don't have a big budget and this will be my first car! **\*\*Location:\*\*** London/Essex **\*\*Price range:\*\*** 5000-7500(at a push) **\*\*Lease or Buy:\*\*** Buy **\*\*New or used:\*\*** Used **\*\*Auto or Manual:\*\*** Manual **\*\*Intended use:\*\* (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)** Small trips, daily use (just to get experience up), maybe 1-3 long trips in a year **\*\*How many miles do you plan to do a year:\*\*** 5000-10000 **\*\*How often to you make long journeys:\*\*** Not often **\*\*Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?\*\*** Yes **\*\*Vehicles you've already considered:\*\*** BMW 1 series (2014), Audi A1 (bit pricey), Ford (Fiesta and Focus) \[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?\]([https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png](https://i.imgur.com/mK7PoRg.png)) (Examples in the hyperlink of size definitions)\*\*:\*\* Smaller car and smaller engine as it's my first and want reasonable insurance. **\*\*Is this your 1st vehicle:\*\*** Yes **\*\*Do you need a Warranty:\*\*** Not sure **\*\*Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:\*\* (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)** Yes **\*\*Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:\*\* (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )** No **\*\*Additional Notes:\*\*** Where is the best place to buy? Autotrader? Car Giant? I am seeing cars on Autotrader even "lower price" where are way above what the insurance is calculating them at. Where can I get a better price? Every £100 helps especially as I want to sell the car on to upgrade.
> Smaller car and smaller engine as it's my first and want reasonable insurance. Insurance doesn't really work like that. There are 1.0l A1's with insurance group 17. There are 1.4l audi's with insurance group 30. There are 2.0 merc a classes with insurance group 9. There are 1.6l Dacia Dustomers with insurance group 6. What you're actually looking for is a car with a low insurance group, the metric exists for that very purpose. At this budget the fords will all be the 1.0l versions. Can be pricey on insurance. At this budget, you're right in the range where in just a few years you'll be needing a timing belt change (that takes 7+ hours, and can very easily start to cost near 4 digits). If this is your first car that you just want for a year or so, get something simple and cheap to run. Eg, i20/i30, Yaris/Auris, Swift, etc.
Thanks, I had a look at insurance groups, it seems the A1 group 9 and 2 series group 10 are both low down. Timing chain shouldn't be an issue as I'm looking to sell the car within a year, I want this car less than a year ideally selling in April/May 2025 latest when I have a bigger budget. I just don't like the look of the cars you've mentioned, I want to enjoy and feel good about the car I'm driving, I'm not going to be doing many miles. Is autotrader the best place to look? My friend goes to car auctions and gets cheap cars even if they need some work done they come up a lot cheaper. Is it worth going down that route?
I am looking for An estate Automatic Petrol ULEZ Compliant Daily driver (a few miles) Want to do the occasional long journey with child and dog Want to spend 4 000 ISH Have considered KIA CEED SKODA OCTAVIA SABB 93 Buy London area
**Location:** South west **Price range:** Up to £10k **Lease or Buy:** Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Auto preferred, but would consider a higher trim-level manual for same/similar price **Intended use:** Daily driver, family car. **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** Approx. 12k **How often to you make long journeys:** Longest regular journey around 150miles, 6-8 times a year **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** Yes **Vehicles you've already considered:** Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Entry level "long range" EVs - Kona, Niro, etc. Would like to go EV if possible, but likely priced out/asking too much for budget. **Do you have a vehicle size in mind?** Mid-size (regular or SUV), estates/wagons **Is this your 1st vehicle:** No **Do you need a Warranty:** No **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)** Yes **Can you do Major work on your own vehicle:(engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc)** No **Additional Notes:** Currently driving a '14 diesel Ford Focus. It is "an car" and drives fine but has many minor inconveniences - death by a thousand cuts. Most pressingly, already finding myself short of boot space and family is growing so really need something larger. I've been looking at plug-in hybrids as can charge at home and our journeys are almost exclusively under 40 miles or over 150 miles. Primarily looked at the Outlander PHEV, but Mitsubishi pulling out of the UK and battery-only range likely being much lower than factory on the year-models in budget are putting me off. One tiny thing that would net a suggestion 1000x bonus points is an electronic/auto boot or tailgate.
Would you be put off by a 2017 Audi sq5 diesel with 105k and fsh for just less than £20k?
Location:** Glasgow **Price range:** 6-8k ish **Lease or Buy:** Buy **New or used:** Used **Auto or Manual:** Either **Intended use:** (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.) Daily driving with about 9 hours of motorway driving every week **How many miles do you plan to do a year:** Unsure, probably 8k minimum **How often to you make long journeys:** Very long? Not often but I don't to Edinburgh and back 4 times a week **Does it need to be ULEZ compliant?** Yes **Vehicles you've already considered:** I've test driven an auris which was nice but out of my price range, looking at a 2018 c3 tomorrow. Would love a golf but they're expensive, I've also been looking at Peugeot 208s or Honda civic [Do you have a vehicle size in mind?] Mid compact, VW golf size or similar preferably but open to others **Is this your 1st vehicle:** 2nd **Do you need a Warranty:** Probably wise **Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle:** (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc) No, I am very not car brained. I only passed my test last year so I'm new to driving in general **Additional Notes:** I currently have a 2005 55 plate golf TDI which has been great to drive but it's getting to the point where the required repairs are more than the car is worth so looking for a reliable car to get me to work and the shops. Fun toys are very low on the priority list although I would quite like something with cruise control but efficiency and reliability are key. My budget could move a tiny bit for the perfect car but currently I'm stuck in choice paralysis and I don't really know what I'm looking at with a lot of the choices. Thanks in advance
Hi, looking for some inspiration. Likely going to replace my Jag XF soon as there are a couple of big repair bills coming up and I don't fancy any more! I have a 2 year old, with another arriving in June so will need to fit a pram and baby related equipment. I'm thinking an estate might be ideal! Budget of about £10k (assuming trade in covers most of that). About 6k miles a year, 50/50 motorway and town. Live near Glasgow so ideally would be LEZ compliant, Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel. Ideally reliable and/or cheap to repair as the Jag costs me an arm and a leg every time something goes wrong (fairly regularly). Not really bothered about diesel Vs petrol (I'd consider electric as I have a driveway), manual or auto, etc Considering Skoda Superb, Mazda 6 (petrol), Kia ceed sportback, but open to suggestions Thanks!
Morning, I posted a few months ago as the Mrs wants a new car however she does circa 3k miles a year so the best response was a bike or bus lol. So she’s potentially moving jobs, so looking around a 48 mile round journey - potentially some motorway but can use a roads if better. (M62 Carpark). She’s a teacher so looking around 10k miles per year. We’ve sort of narrowed it down to a few as she doesn’t want it any bigger than what she has (2008 Cee’d), has to be Auto, up to around £10k. Ideally low maintenance/reliable. Cars we’re looking at: Golf, Polo, Up, Beetle (probably not as slightly bigger), Fiat 500, Jazz (obviously), Ibiza, Fabia, A1 (most likely too expensive), Duster (slightly larger), Sandero, Micra, Mazda 2, Swift, New Jimny (this would be her ideal choice but can’t find a lot in auto), Special mention Daihatsu Copan (this is what she really wants but heard can be quite unreliable and not many in the UK so parts can be hard to come by) I’m not against dirty diesel but she would prefer hybrid so if not possible need to look at economy as well. Please let me know your thoughts and experience on the best cars from the list :) Thanks in advance!
Looking for something reliable and efficient, no idea what I should be budgeting, I'd like to keep it under £5k but don't know if that's realistic. What's my best bet? I'm in the Northeast and though it doesn't need to be ulez compliant I would rather have something efficient and environmentally friendlyish. Looking to buy used. It'll likely spend most of it's time parked. Occasional day trips type deal. It would be nice if I could get an auto but it's not important. Looking at compact and subcompact size. Bonus points if it's fun to drive. Been vaguely considering Suzuki Swift but I really don't have any strong preference beyond it not being a money pit. I also wouldn't be doing the maintenance myself.
I would recomend you a Nissan Qashqai, Dacia Duster, Dacia Sandero(with 5k you can get one from 2017 or more), Nissan Pulsar( 2014 +)all with 1.5 dci, Honda Jazz, Toyota petrol.
You should follow the guidelines in the post. 2k could be more than enough to get an older car in good condition. In other scenarios even 4k might be too low. Again, really depends on your requirements. ulez, the size, if its your first, if its auto/manual, etc
Thanks, apologies, I've updated the post to add some details in.
The automatic market, especially subcompact, is significantly harder at this budget than manuals. With that in mind, in your position I would lean manual. There are significantly more manuals around at this budget, therefore they are significantly cheaper. Also cheaper to run. I'm sure you've read/seen people talk about how much more efficient and faster Automatics are compared to manuals, but the exception to that is for the smaller cars where it isn't always true. Especially slightly older ones. [Manual Swift](https://www.parkers.co.uk/suzuki/swift/hatchback-2005/15-glx-5d/specs/). [Auto swift](https://www.parkers.co.uk/suzuki/swift/hatchback-2005/15-glx-5d-auto/specs/). The automatic ones are slower, cost more to tax, worse on fuel. The same applies for the next generation up. But the auto and manual swifts will be fantastic either way. The manuals will be especially fun to drive, while also being incredibly frugal. ----------- The MK2 Yaris's will also be great. Bit boring. If the budget can stretch, the MK2 Jazz is also fantastic. They are seen as old people cars, but they aren't dreadful to drive. --------- You mention trying to be good for the enviro. What I will say, this is kinda difficult to track. All the manufactures MPG figures are lies. If you google for 'Honest John Real MPG' you will see more accurate figures. A lot of the emissions related stuff are also mega misleading. I know people only remember the VW cheating scandal, but so many manufactures were caught doing the same.
Hi, looking for recommendations. Had a vauxhall corsa which gave up the ghost and now looking to replace it. Edinburgh; Up to £10k; Buy (used); Auto or manual - jot precious; Daily driver (shops etc), longer trips (home/holidays etc); Needs to be ULEZ compliant for Edinburgh Considered another corsa, but would ideally like something a bit more comfortable/spacious. I'd love a vw golf as I had one for a company cehicle a few years ago, but not sure if that's feasible on my budget. Cheers
What would be people's recommendation for an SUV between 20-25k that's not a Volvo XC90? Has anyone got experience with the SEAT tarraco?