Ninehigh
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 04:58 PM |
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More bangernomics
I'm looking for a replacement car, and unexpectedly I've found a few. So which would you guys go for?
It's mostly for travelling to work and back, and the occasional trip elsewhere so mpg isn't an issue (as long as it's not silly)
So here's the shortlist:
K reg Merc 190 (£1200 ish)
Pros: Automatic (not needed but nice)
Will be a nice smooth drive, comfortable ect.
Should be pretty darn reliable.
Insurance about £450
Cons: 2 litre engine will possibly drink petrol (I'm used to 45mpg but like I say not a major issue now)
Expensive to maintain and repair?
Unsure of mileage, could be 150k!
V reg Mondeo, V6 estate (£1300 ish)
Pros: Had several before, and that should be a nice powerful engine
Again auto
All the trimmings (ghia x trim) and looks looked after
Insurance about £580
Cons:
130k on the clock
Had several before
I guess it's a 2.5 V6, so can I expect 30mpg ish trundling to work?
1995 Toyota Paseo (£600)
Pros: Cheap, tidy, small coupe
Not many around
93k miles, and the 1.5 engine should be powerful enough
Toyota's reliable right?
Cons:
Nearly 20 years old!
£600 for a reason?
I can see the blank looks from the mechanics and motor factors already
Nearly £700 insurance on fire and theft
T plate Puma (1.7)
Pros: Should be fun to drive
About £500 insurance
Cons: Any ideas?
52 Focus 1.6
Pros: Decent looking car, rather tidy. Half leather, heated seats ect
Insurance about £500 again
Cons: 122k miles
Big alloys and exhaust suggest it's been thrashed, but there's only 1 bit of carpet coming loose and a couple of scratches.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:11 PM |
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Avoid Mondeo automatics from that era, the boxes are not at all reliable. They are also very thirsty, you won't get anywhere near 30mpg on
short journeys, you'll struggle to get that on a long trip to be honest.
Cons for the Puma would be rust, seen plenty with rotten arches and sills.
The Focus is a good car, but there is surely a huge choice of these so why settle for one that's been owned by an idiot?
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jossey
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:12 PM |
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Puma would be pretty reliable . Cheap to run and fun if you have a heavy foot....
The focus 1.6 are awful engines
Thanks
David Johnson
Building my tiger avon slowly but surely.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:13 PM |
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Thought More bangernomics meant cheap cars? My present car is a 2000 reg 1.8 Astra estate that had 95,000 miles and cost £300 with 6 months tax and a
half tank of fuel . The last was a 1992 Citroen XM 2.1 TD estate for £350 ,I did 150,000 miles in it before trading it in for a new car for SWMBO
under the scrappage scheme after owning it for 13 years. That's bangernomics IMHO of course
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:15 PM |
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Well I've seen cheaper on the likes of ebay and autotrader but I haven't seen them in the flesh so I'm not counting those avenues
until I have the cash on hand, plus all of these are 12 months mot ect from dealers
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morcus
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:35 PM |
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I've recently looked at a few 190's and V6 modeos.
The biggest problem with the 190 for me was I lusted after it and the 4 pot version just doesn't have enough go or enough waft and the 2.4 was
just too thirsty and difficult to insure. I wouldn't be too morried about mileage though, I viewed one that had done almost 400K.
If you want a V6 mondeo sized car for cheaps there are loads of them, have a look around dealers as you might get lucky and find a part ex that they
just want shot of. If your willing to gamble on a French car you can have a fairly new C5 or 406 with a V6 for not much money, same with omegas and
Rover/MG 75s, I saw a couple of MG ZT 2.5 v6's for under a grand and they're fun to drive.
If you want a real bangernomics winner though you need to get a mid sized Japanese car from an old person, even better if it's being sold from a
Dead old person as you can find cheap Corolas, Blue Birds, Concerto's, that kind of thing with about 40K on the clock and interiors that are
like new and sometimes even full service histories. My dad has had a few cars like this as fill in cars that have been in better nick than the 1/2
owner used cars he's bought.
Get yourself an Omega or a Scorpio. You can buy em cheap enough that you can scrap it when it breaks and pick up another.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
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paulf
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:36 PM |
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There all a bit dear in my opinion, the fact that there from dealers with an MOT doesn't mean a lot to me I would just go on condition and how
they drive.My present car is a rover 75 diesel that cost less than £700 and was bought unseen off of E bay, it had been a bit mistreated but after
spending a little time and money on it I now have a very comfortable cheap to run banger that looks like an expensive car with full electrics leather
seats etc.There are lots available for very little money and as long as your careful or a bit lucky they are cheap to run and reliable.
Paul
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Well I've seen cheaper on the likes of ebay and autotrader but I haven't seen them in the flesh so I'm not counting those avenues
until I have the cash on hand, plus all of these are 12 months mot ect from dealers
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mad4x4
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:37 PM |
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Could do you a 2002 1.9 tdi Skoda Fabia Est for about 1300 ( 163K on clock ) does 50mpg . Needs abs sensor and the airbag light reset.
Scot's do it better in Kilts.
MK INDY's Don't Self Centre Regardless of MK Setting !
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 05:45 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jossey
Puma would be pretty reliable . Cheap to run and fun if you have a heavy foot....
The focus 1.6 are awful engines
The Focus 1.6 engine is the Zetec SE, same family as the 1.7 Puma engine. They are pretty reliable and economic with no significant issues apart from
high oil consumption on some engines.
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mark chandler
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 06:53 PM |
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They all look expensive to me, £1000 bagged me a v40 td volvo 9 months ago on a 52 plate.
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big_wasa
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 07:25 PM |
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We have had a 406 for donkeys years. The best bangernomics ive ever owned.
Paid £100 with a full tank of fuel and four new tryres.
Cambelt had gone on the way home from the above.
eBay engine from a 306 £75. Its just been service items since.
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JoelP
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 08:18 PM |
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My current motor is almost into the bangernomic region. Two grand for an audi a6 2.7t. Im proper in love with it, so nice to have a fast motor after
many years in slow cars/vans.
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morcus
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 08:24 PM |
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My eunos is a bit like that but doesn't really count because I've already spent more than half what I paid for it in sorting it out and
still have stuff to do.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
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Liam
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 08:55 PM |
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None of them.
Vauxhall Omega Elite. Just replaced mine after 7 years happy motoring. Great cars and absolutely worthless. And RWD 
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Not Anumber
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 09:12 PM |
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The Merc 190 is a good all rounder. Good car to buy if you want to keep it for a few years, tidy it up and sell for more than you paid for it as they
are collectable. Most of the standard ones are 2.0 with some 1.8s. The rarer 2.3 16 valver was a nicely tuned Cosworth lump and the 2.5 a development
of it- both very quick but both sufficiently rare to command top money. The 2.6 6 pot one is a better compromise, doesnt command the same values as
the screaming 4 pots but plenty of poke, smooth to drive with ok fuel consumption.
You should be able to pick up an early C class car like a 230 (4 pot) or 280 (6 pot) for less money than a standard 2.0 190E these days though.
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RickRick
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 09:38 PM |
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I've got a 530D e39 touring i didn't want it, but i couldn't be doing with swapping auto/manual, and the mrs was determined to get
an auto freelander, now i love it,tuning box for 220bhp and massive torque it's fast ish, picks up well in all gears, and drops down the box
without too much convincing unlike the freelander, my average mgp is 49, and steady motorway trips see over 55. it's not been the cheapest car
to own, needed rear suspension airbags replacing at £350, dead easy job thought, not fitted on saloons though, other than that, needed a good clean
out of the whole inlet system and a new water pipe, 180k on the clock and still running like a dream. probably more like 2.5 - 3k though for a
reasonable example
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monck
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| posted on 13/6/12 at 11:55 PM |
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My current banger / Runaround is a 1997 pug 306 D 112k Paid £450 with 12 month's test also
12 month on it's now on 125k this only problem i had cost a £10er
Just failed mot on a few bulb's ect passed retest ...
Looking on ebay these can achieve 200k so we will see....
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britishtrident
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| posted on 14/6/12 at 06:52 AM |
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You have to look at the overall costs over how long you keep the car very carefully, at the moment there is a glut of older cars on the market so
there is no point in buying anything that needs any money spent on it. also keep in mind road tax costs they can vary greatly between two apparently
identical cars, With emission based road tax rates an automatic gear box can put the road tax band up 1 , 2 or even 3 notches,.
Because of the sky high road tax there are loads of nice 2.5 v6 petro Jags going through the auctions, I have seen immaculate lowish mileage
(50k to 60k) 55 & 56 Plate MG ZT V6 190s that because of sky road tax stuck at the auctions with no bids for a month before either being
moved to another auction, or sold for buttons.
Yesterday I bought a nice 1.8 Rover 75 Connoisseur Tourer (estate) at auction for £640 inc all charges, 95k mileage but pretty well
unmarked apart from car wash whirls that a tin of blue polish will cover, the full real leather interior is unmarked, the tyres are newish,
alloys in good condition, engines is quiet and oil tight it comes with some road tax and very long MOT. I haven't done the full tooth
comb examination yet but it drives well.
[Edited on 14/6/12 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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mcerd1
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| posted on 14/6/12 at 08:01 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by jossey
Puma would be pretty reliable . Cheap to run and fun if you have a heavy foot....
The focus 1.6 are awful engines
The Focus 1.6 engine is the Zetec SE, same family as the 1.7 Puma engine. They are pretty reliable and economic with no significant issues apart from
high oil consumption on some engines.
yeah but in the focus you get the option of a proper zetec instead 
the 1.8 zetec E blacktops are stronger than the 1.6 SE and more powerful and in real life driving give about the same MPG for the price of 1 insurance
group higher - 1.8's are often cheaper to buy too
my 1.8 focus is still going strong and its just hit the 121k mark (y reg) the only little niggle is that its developed a tiny vacume leak that I
can't find 
its needing a timing belt soon and I'm torn between doing it or getting another car...... if I find the right car at the right price the
focus will go, but I don't expect to get any more than £700 for it
-
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handyandy
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| posted on 14/6/12 at 08:44 AM |
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I bought a car ( I can,t bring myself to call it a Banger as its a great car :cool from a forum member off here 18 months ago,
I only paid £300 for it & its been & still is a fantastic car..........Its a BMW E34 525i, it had 10 months test & 4 months Tax when I
bought it , it failed its first MOT in my ownership on only 2 things which only cost £21 to achieve a MOT pass
Apart from new tyres which I class as consumables & general service items the car has been faultless, its great to drive, has enough power &
comfort, stylish & it averages out to give 33mpg between town driving & motorway type driving which I don,t think is too bad for a petrol
straight 6 engine in a fairly weighty car .
cheers
Andy
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britishtrident
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| posted on 14/6/12 at 01:10 PM |
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Older BMWs are quite good diy propositions more so than a lot of the mass market makes, but you have to be v careful not to buy something that has
bee too neglected for too long.
As Pumas have been mentioned be aware they tend suffer from more severe rusting than related Ford saloon models.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 14/6/12 at 01:19 PM |
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On the subject of Citreons even clean low mileage diesels ones only attract the bottom feeders at auction with the Xsara Picasso being
particularly unpopular, strangely Peugeots seem to sell a lot easier.
[Edited on 14/6/12 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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big_wasa
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| posted on 25/6/12 at 10:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
We have had a 406 for donkeys years. The best bangernomics ive ever owned.
Paid £100 with a full tank of fuel and four new tryres.
Cambelt had gone on the way home from the above.
eBay engine from a 306 £75. Its just been service items since.
And its just passed another mot  after a pair of front arb drop links, a pair of wiper blades and a tyre .... No new car for the wife this year 
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NigeEss
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| posted on 25/6/12 at 11:53 PM |
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Currently have a 406 2l HDI est, paid £300 with 70k on it, and cost me another ton to get an MOT. Had it two years
now and apart from rear brake shoes and a ball joint for the last test has been faultless.
Previous best was a 1996 Astra 1.8 Sport, bought in 2002 for £400 with 9 months T&T, four tyres fitted for the MOT
and was serviced just before. Lasted three years till the water pump went throwing the cambelt. Gutted. Should have
fitted a red top but alas I scrapped it. Two door as well.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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