h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've got about a month until my car's MOT runs out.

I'm thinking that is is highly unlikely to make it through this time due to this incident --> F63554?thread=2096965

So my thoughts are turning to buying a replacement.

Now what do I want?

- It needs to reliable: so that rules out Fiat.
- It needs to be a fun car to drive: so away with the later model Peugeots, which is a shame as they did produce great cars.
- It needs to run long distances as I'm back to communting 35-40 miles per day: this could mean a diesel you know!
- It needs to be reasonably cheap, I'm not planning on spending more than about £10k on it: this means second hand only (but to be fair I would *never* buy a new car with my own money unless I had pots and pots and pots of the stuff.)
- It doesn't need to be that big as I don't ferry around families and luggage and all that jazz.
- I couldn't give a stuff about the colour. But maybe not white again, and I would need a certain amount of persuading for day-glo orange and some of the other more outlandish colours that I've seen around.
- It musn't be Japanese: just because.

Taking all of this into consideration, plus after reading a collection of car magazines, I am heading in the direction of a Seat Ibiza 1.9TDi, say two to three years old with up to 35,000 miles on the clock. But I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise if folk around here have any better ideas.

Ford Focus? Drop in 2nd-hand price now that the new model's been out for a year. Plenty of grunt, not too girly, and reliable as Ron Jeremy with a full night's sleep behind him.

B

I considered a Focus last time I was car shopping. In the end I just wasn't ready to give up my truck and never even got around to test driving one. I ended up with an Escape.

What about a Ford Prefect?

I'm in the states and I know from my trip to Britain in the '80s that you have an entirely different selection there. However I did recently see some adverts announcing that the VW Rabbit is returning. My mother had a diesel Rabbit yonks ago and it was hard to beat that car. The thing got nearly 50 mpg. Not the speediest of hares granted but not much broke on it during the decade she drove it.



(In response to the previous post a thought tumbled through my head and grew until it became this: "'Driving Ford Prefect' sounds like a naughty bit of fan fiction." I really should try to control my thoughts more.)

I was going to suggest a Focus too - an ex of mine had a diesal as he was commuting from Essex to Reading every day (can't remember how far that is, but is quite far!) and he got really good mileage out of it. Plus, no matter how they're slagged off, Fords are reliable, and always cheap for parts. Just remember to paint the top pink or something, otherwise you'll lose it in the car park.

Get a Bongo.

Man they havwe electric blinds what more can a man ask for in a car!

If I had to buy my own car the Seat would be well up the list. Its part of the VW Group - just not as pretty as the Polo (the UK version of the Rabbit) or the A3. However its built on the same base and has the same engine.

The desiels are good - never had any complaint about the one that was in my A4 - and it was better than the Saab one I now have.

I have driven a focus - its OK, generaly reliable (mind you that is what they told me about Saab's and mine is not) but generally the Fords are not much fun to drive ...

You know me and cars - I would pick the Seat!

Buy a diesel and retain no credibility whatsoever. You have been warned.

B

Of the twelve cars I've owned in the last twenty years ( I've been driving that long?!) eight have been Fords, and I have to say with rare exception all of them have been fun to drive.

That doesn't mean the Focus necessarily would be, but it stands a good chance

That's not to say other cars aren't fun as well. For awhile now I've held the notion that the most fun you can have on 4 wheels is the Subaru WRX. I don't know if they market those over there, but given the chance you should take one for a spin.

B, if Light says that a Seat would be up there in her list of things to buy, then that is good enough for me.

I don't have the money for an Alfa, which was always her playtoy (The Aston being a tad out of her then price range.)

As for diesels. Well, things have definitely moved on in the 10 years since I bought my car. (Not least the price of damn fuel - 99.9p per litre, I ask you ) But mostly it's what you can get out of the car drivingwise. I had a lot of fun driving her diesel powered A4 along the M42 one afternoon. My only regret was that I ran out of room to carry on playing. It was either I brake or I hit the back of that white Merc in front of me at over 120mph. Heigh-ho

Oh and as for Fords: they've always felt very anonymous with that one exception of the Escort Cosworth. And that one just felt insane

Well, if you're wanting to play... I agree with Broelan. The WRX should be very fun.

If you're thinking of the VW group, then a Skoda should be cheaper than the Seat and built using the same technology.

The Ford Focus tdci diesel has a lot of oomph behind it, and seems pretty reliable from what I see of MC's motor.

Thanks GD

The Sabaru should be a good car too but is likely to be loads more to insure I also have this rule that I dont want to be driving the same car as my mother! I know it would be different models but well .... although its worth noting that I have a different relationship with my mother

I would love to drive an Alfa again - I had a company Alfa for a while and it was absolutely the best car I have ever driven for long periods of time. Not only was it visually stunning on the outside - it made me smile every time I walked up to it or past it - it was also well and stylishly designed inside. Add to that just fab fun to drive plus the drool factor from other people (only ever bettered by my MG which had the fundamental problem it broke down every 2-3 miles). Oh I would love to be able to drive that again I would not have brought it with my own money - it drank petrol like an alcoholic and needed regular visits to the garage and cost a lot to insure - all of which if I had been paying myself would have been prohibative - but when someone else paid - Oh it was Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!

I agree that the Focus is a little faceless - sometimes a good thing but it depends what you want from a car. It would not be for me.

Happy car shopping

I too would have a family problem type of a thing with the Subaru.

Bizarrely the Impreza is marketed - not in its WRX form I hasten to add - to North American retirees as a good car to get out and about a bit in the countryside with. To this end my Mum and Stepfather bought one about 2 years ago.

I had real trouble trying to get them to understand that in the UK that that model was sold as poor-man's muscle car. It wasn't until this summer and they were both on holiday here that I could show them one of the WRX versions blinged up to the max that they realised that I had been telling the truth about the differential marketing between Canada and the UK.

As to the car I want: it is now definitely a Seat Ibiza 1.9TDi. I've got first dibs on one in Birmingham (well not first dibs exactly. I'm in the lead on the eBay auction, I've already checked out with HPI that this car isn't a wrong un, but I can still pull out and refuse to buy as the guy's reserve price hasn't been met yet.) The one downside is the chap has had the engine chipped (167bhp up from 130bhp) and had tinted glass fitted. I need to talk carefully to my insurers to find out what they think of that. A modest additional premium I could cope with, doubling I could not.

hmmm..... tell them about the glass but not the chipping I would say. In the even of an accident they are unlikely to check that, but would noticed tinterd windows.

Have you actually looked at or driven this car before buying it?

B

I've driven one similar - same year, smaller engine - and it handled very well indeed.

I've seen the pictures of this particular car and read the seller's blurb. IF I win the auction and IF I hit the guy's reserve price, I can still pull out of the deal if I don't like what I see when I visit to buy. All it would cost me would be a negative on my eBay rating and a wasted journey to Birmingham.

"I've driven one similar - same year, smaller engine - and it handled very well indeed."

Well, yes. I've drunk a pint of Pedigree and enjoyed it. But it doesn't guarantee that I'm going to enjoy the next one I drink.

B