What car should I buy ?

[macabethiel]

The wife basically refuses to drive my car as she says it looks like a hearse!
Some truth there as a black Chrysler 300 CRD Estate is a tad hearse like in side profile.

Anyway that aside I have owned it now for 3 years and as I do only short journey work now I am retired a 3 Litre Diesel is not really a sensible motor (Its a December 2009 on a 59 plate with under 18k miles from new). I am considering buying a smaller petrol engined vehicle maybe a hatchback but not an estate car.

It must be automatic and a petrol engine but I just don't know what to look at. Economy is not a big issue as I only do around 2,000 miles a year as the Jeep is our main vehicle. My budget is around the 7-9 k mark. I like leather trim and it has to be a 4 door as 2 doors are too large for us when trying to get out in car parks etc. I have had a Mini before but again its vetoed by the wife as she said I drove it like an idiot when I was behind the wheel.(Some truth there it did bring the teenager out in me lol).

I do not want to buy something too old or with Starship mileage and roof height means another 4x4 is out as it needs to fit in our garage. Sound bodywork is a must and I am 6ft 1" tall so micro cars are out.

Any ideas here as to what I should consider that fits the general requirements ? I have even considered some sort of usable so called Classic car but am at a bit of a loss. It must be an age thing as when I was younger I seemed to know years in advance what I wanted next.

[perelaar]

2nd hand Ford Focus, Seat Leon (mighty fun to drive with the 1.8 tfsi and dsg clutch!) or Skoda Octavia?
Should be available for that kind of money in a reasonable state and mileage...

I'd stay away from French cars, never had a good experience with them. In case brexit actually happens, you might want to look into a car actually being built in the UK.

[terranosaurusdoug]

Originally Posted by perelaar

In case brexit actually happens, you might want to look into a car actually being built in the UK.

A kit car then?

[terranosaurusdoug]

Here you go mate, and don't listen to any drivel about reliability

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...19dz&logcode=p

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by terranosaurusdoug

Here you go mate, and don't listen to any drivel about reliability

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...19dz&logcode=p

Shame its a manual, I had an Alfa in the 1960's and it was a good motor but back then they had tin worm problems.

[terranosaurusdoug]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

Shame its a manual, I had an Alfa in the 1960's and it was a good motor but back then they had tin worm problems.

There will be an auto one somewhere, or you could just get a motorcycle

[jims-terrano]

I love my 1.2tsi Skoda Roomster, you can't buy new anymore. They're a bit of an odd looking car but sooooo practical and the 86bhp version that I've got has plenty power so the 105 will be very nippy. Other than that the Skoda Yeti, Rustic will tell you about those but his is a diesel I think.

[The Patrolman]

Ha... I went through all of the common sense checks when looking for a replacement for the vectra estate. We like autos and Ave mileage at5k round town mainly.
Boom!!! we now have a 2.7 twin turbo petrol Audi allroad, not too sure how that happened, and I have a 4.2 auto petrol Troll.

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by terranosaurusdoug

There will be an auto one somewhere, or you could just get a motorcycle

Too old for a motorcycle sold my XJ 900 a few years back when I struggled to pull it onto the centre stand.

[terranosaurusdoug]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

Too old for a motorcycle sold my XJ 900 a few years back when I struggled to pull it onto the centre stand.

Something I've been wanting to do for ages is get my bike licence, xj is diversion isn't it?

You could have best of both worlds, I saw a guy today riding/driving a sort of reverse trike car thingy, looked more like a motorcycle than anything, two wheels at front one at back

Just don't get a beemer

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

Too old for a motorcycle sold my XJ 900 a few years back when I struggled to pull it onto the centre stand.

Yep it was the Diversion so being shaft drive the power was very usable as no wheelie scares as I used to get with my previous Suzuki 850 GS that was a beast getting from rest to 20 mph without pulling the front end up at a traffic light Grand Prix !

[Mobieus_uk]

With such low milage you prolly should look at something thats £0 road tax, you get screwed on having to insure it for a year no sense in giving more away in tax, don't discount a small runaround, I'm 6ft and got a VW Lupo, plenty of room

My wife car is a VW polo dsg automatic, I cannot praise the DSG enough, its the best auto I've ever driven so if I was looking for a auto I would go DSG, can be found in Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda all part of the VW group

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by Mobieus_uk

With such low milage you prolly should look at something thats £0 road tax, you get screwed on having to insure it for a year no sense in giving more away in tax, don't discount a small runaround, I'm 6ft and got a VW Lupo, plenty of room

My wife car is a VW polo dsg automatic, I cannot praise the DSG enough, its the best auto I've ever driven so if I was looking for a auto I would go DSG, can be found in Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda all part of the VW group

Mmmmm good proposals there. TBH the tax band is not an issue I Autos tend to be higher on emissions and a big engine appeals !