Modern Car advice to keep our Classics.

[cjhillman]

Hi all,

Apologies for the modern advice.

We have two classics, my 1985 Escort mk3 1.1 and my parents Triumph Spitfire 1500.
We also have a modern car each and they're both getting to the end really, mine maybe even this month at MOT!! These cars are a 2000 Reg 1.6 Golf and a 2002 1.4 Focus Estate.

Basically we want a good car between us so we can spend all our time an money on our classics for a few years. I'm probably going to use my Escort (and move to London in october) as more of a daily and borrow this new modern car for Shows/recording sessions that i don't want to breakdown on the way too. So the criteria is:

1) Reliable
2) Mid size (no smaller than a golf but my mum wouldn't drive an estate)
3) up to about £3-£4k
4) if possible something that isnt too boring/ugly

I wouldn't ask but, i bought my Focus 6 years ago on a whim for £1000 and its been the best car i've ever owned... I've been thinking Audi A3's and Golfs and hear mixed reviews. i don't see anything thats that appealing and older Diesel seems to be out the window now really. The new thing seems hybrids but modern ones are way out of budget and Its also pretty much up to me to sort it out.

Any ideas??


A bit of retro content to make up for it....

[SmokeEm]

Buy the lowest mileage Honda Accord you can find with a V-Tech. My Wifes 2002 has been totally reliable since we bought it 3years ago @48k. It is now nearing 70k and hasn't missed a beat. Ever. Surprisingly quick when revved and ok handling wise. Ours even has cruise control! - We only paid 2k for it even back then.

Amazingly reliable.

[MkX]

I'm not clear on whether you're looking for something 'retro' or more up-to-date?

[cjhillman]

Up to date . The cars above are ours.

[MkX]

May 16, 2017 15:16:13 GMT cjhillman said:

Up to date . The cars above are ours.

If you want reasonably trouble-free motoring plump for Toyota or Honda.
I'd always go for something which is 3 or 4 years old so someone else has taken the brunt of the depreciation, low mileage, one owner, fsh, well-specced, buy from the owner not the dealer.

If you're planning to keep it for a good while, I'd avoid diesel as the Government's mood seems to have changed against diesel cars.

Something like This.

[astranaut]

I'd be looking at e39 BMWs, mine was and still is impeccably reliable despite 200k on the clock.

[sarkie83]

Motorbike?

[pistonpopper]

I'd go for a Honda or Toyota myself, just bought a Honda CR-V and it's pretty clear that it's been sinfully, and boringly reliable its whole life!

[xbl]

Corolla D4D

[mondeogrd]

I have to ask why you are asking as you have 2 of the best cars in class of their era. There is probably more to your story though, but do you have to replace the 2 moderns? Ive had 2 2004/5 Focus for nearly 5 years and never had an issue too far past consumables and pothole damage. Recently had to get another car and didnt look much further than another 04 Focus.

However, i think you are coming bang up to date for your next car and i couldnt decide out of whats available new/nearly new if i was forced that way, but not Vauxhall!

[joem83]

If you go Hybrid, avoid Toyota's, if the battery pack fails - the car doesnt work!
Honda's can be driven with a failed battery pack.
(Might have been looking at getting a Hybrid so I can get free parking but the thought of it makes me sad lol)

[cjhillman]

Cheers for all the advice! It seems like the Japanese way is to go for trouble free motoring then (should have guessed it!) 

The Yaris looks good! I'll look for some with boot space pics as it might be a bit small (my dad is into his model planes) . I'll have a look at Hondas too! I think the BMW's might be a bit big for my folks and thirsty for me (if we don't buy a diesel ). Id love one though! 

May 16, 2017 16:08:06 GMT mondeogrd said:

I have to ask why you are asking as you have 2 of the best cars in class of their era. There is probably more to your story though, but do you have to replace the 2 moderns? Ive had 2 2004/5 Focus for nearly 5 years and never had an issue too far past consumables and pothole damage. Recently had to get another car and didnt look much further than another 04 Focus.

However, i think you are coming bang up to date for your next car and i couldnt decide out of whats available new/nearly new if i was forced that way, but not Vauxhall!

Yeah i understand why you ask that. Its mainly that the Golf they have is really rusty and if they drive to Stoke > Manchester its likely to break down... its alright for local trips it seems and somehow keeps scraping through MOTs.  
My Focus is a 1.4 petrol with 19600 miles on it. I just had a couple of breakdowns lately that happened luckily after had finished the gig. It has an MOT in a couple of weeks and i think its probably going to need a few hundred to get it through. Structural welding, exhaust, tyres etc.
I did say to my folks maybe we should just get another one of either car that hasnt been run into the ground. They are very simple! but i just thought maybe we could get something a bit more modern.

[retrolegends]

Not long bought a 2005 Focus C Max Ghia for the wife to use for work to replace her knackered Audi A4, unbelievably practical and fully loaded with extras including leather seats with the fronts being heated and electric, it's a 1.8 diesel but there is also a fair few petrol versions about. You can pick the 2007 onwards facelift versions up fairly cheap now too.

I looked at Golfs, Volvo V50s, Honda Civics, Astras and other stuff the same age and price and the Ford always came out on top.

Good luck with your purchase.

[PandaSelecta]

I'd be looking at the late 90s Toyota Corolla, as the prices are low, and the reliability is high. Got one for my Dad last year for £150 with 11 months mot, and that was the 1.6VVTI engine, so it's no slouch

[mondeogrd]

May 16, 2017 17:58:27 GMT cjhillman said:

May 16, 2017 16:08:06 GMT mondeogrd said:

Yeah i understand why you ask that. Its mainly that the Golf they have is really rusty and if they drive to Stoke > Manchester its likely to break down... its alright for local trips it seems and somehow keeps scraping through MOTs.  
My Focus is a 1.4 petrol with 19600 miles on it. I just had a couple of breakdowns lately that happened luckily after had finished the gig. It has an MOT in a couple of weeks and i think its probably going to need a few hundred to get it through. Structural welding, exhaust, tyres etc.
I did say to my folks maybe we should just get another one of either car that hasnt been run into the ground. They are very simple! but i just thought maybe we could get something a bit more modern.

Taking into account your fathers need to go flying, my father drives a C-max diesel and has no issues fitting all the stuff needed to go flying in the boot! You might manage to get a 2009/10 C-max for the money you mention.


I would look further into the miles you think your Focus has done as 2 of mine show 35k, but i know they have done 70/95k thanks to common fault requiring replacement dash.
All the very best,
Geoff.

[mgmrw]

Big Volvo with the euro 3 d5 lump would be my call.

Comfy, reliable, apparently enough to work on, 50-55mpg.

£3k seems to get a good one.

[ChasR]

I've bought a few cars at this price point as have a few mates.

With that in mind I'd look at the following at this price point :

-Condition
-Not get too held up on mileage ; My M3 on 131k and rising is quieter many mega low mileage, one owner town cars at work and my car is not known for being quiet (valves are shimmed)
-Who has owned it ; this price point gets all sorts of wallies IME. What's a cambelt? What's oil?
-Where do they live? I know it's a stereotype but I know with cars I've bought I've noticed a correlation as does a mate who buys and sells alot ; will they fix it probably or fit whatever is cheapest to 'get it through'.

Anyway if it were me and I were being sensible I'd look at a Ford Focus MkII in either Facelift or possibly MkIII. The 1.6 is a good shout but IME the 1.8 Duratec is the one to go for with better real world MPG in addition to IME being hardier (we last year sold a Mondeo 1.8 with 325k on it ; looking for a car with a similar budget to you and with many bits of curse word out there too).

Japanese stuff is a great shout. My only concern with J stuff beyond 10 years old however is rust ; they seem to enjoy rusting!

[Midland Performance & Retro]

Very good summary!

We're selling an Audi A3 at the moment. A high spec car with no expense spared maintenance (FSH, 2 cambelt changes, all matching tyres, good brakes etc). It's had 3 owners. A company director, a doctor and a professional lady living an upmarket part of Surrey and sure enough at 140,000 miles it runs and drives without a knock, rattle or squeak and very little signs of wear on the seats. So everything you've listed there to look for correlates to this car.

Not to say that every car owned by someone with plenty of money is going to be a minter, there are many people out there with more money that sense that will abuse and expensive car and neglect maintenance and plenty of people without money who will pamper their car and service and maintain it well themselves, but it is a good summary and is backed up in many cases. A car that has done higher, unstressed motorway mileage will fare better than a car that has done few miles without stretching its legs and lots of start-stop town driving every day of its life. Condition over mileage every time.

[Rob M]

Honestly, £3 to £4k is absolutely no guarantee whatsoever that you will be buying anything more reliable than a car you could buy for £1500.
If you want reliability and low mileage, you could actually slap £4k down on a brand new Dacia and pay ha'pennies for the remainder over a few years.
It wont be exciting ( nor is an 'exciting and good looking car' when its stranded you in the middle of nowhere )but it will be brand new, have a full main dealer warranty and you will have something that nobody has ragged the nuts out of and it will do what you need it to do, all of those mundane work type things, which it will do very well.
That will then leave you to appreciate and enjoy your classics even more.

[oddball]

That is sound advice from zeb.

If you spend 4K on something used and then something expensive goes wrong, you are in too deep to not get it fixed!

We have a few Dacias at work. They may be cheap and cheerful, but also solid and reliable. Not bad to drive either. Feel a bit 'old school' but I'm guessing that is not really a negative for people on here! You can get a brand new one for, what, about 7k or something?