Hi All.

Yet another non kit car post from me, but this is the best forum for advice bar none and you guys haven't let me down yet!

I need a work car which ticks most of the boxes listed below. I really don't care about it being fun, don't care about the badge, it is going to be a workhorse doing a 60mile round trip daily so this is what I'm looking for in order of priority...

>Under £1300 (I'm skint)
>Reliable
>Hatch/Estate as it will be lugging stock around.
>Cheap tax
>Cheap on fuel
>Cheap easy to source spares and maintain
>Will cruise at 90 on the motorway

Any suggestions gratefully received as I need some ideas.

Cheers!

friend of my wife was looking for a cheap new car,

some of the names that came up there were nissan almeira tino, and daewoo/chevrolet lacetti, chevy tacuma, kia carens

in the end she bought a 2004 almeira tino with 50,000 on the clock for 1300 with one owner from new.

paul

Speed limit is 70mph. Keep your licence!

Any MPV type thing that is also a van or a estate? Mondeo, Audi, Volvo??

These are good.. Toyota Corolla 1.6 ( pwr/sr ) ( a/c ) GS

(My Toyota Previa is still strong 21 years old too )

[Edited on 9/2/15 by johnemms]

Anything japanese. i had an Almera that cost less than that, had it for four years and never missed a beat.

Dull, but incredibly reliable. Wish I still had it for a winter hack!

Volvo v40 TDSE I had was great, it was the higher output engine, 125bhp and towed really well,

A bit boring but full leather and A/C and turned out 50mpg however I drove it, when I px'd it with 175k miles it had no rattles or rust, very solid strong cars.

The v70 d5 SE I have now is very fast but 40mpg, it's worth the sacrifice in economy as a very nice place to be. It has the 850 sound system which is superb.

[Edited on 10/2/15 by mark chandler]

Peugeot 406 D-Turbo, loads in scrap yards so can be maintained for pence, they run on veg oil straight from the drum so 70 pence per litre instead of £1.10 or waste hydraulic oil if you can find a source and £1300 will probably get you the best one in the world. I got one for £450 ran it upto 286,000 miles and sold it, my mate bought an ex taxi for £140 ran that to over 300,000 miles in 4 years and never even serviced the thing.

Also it was pretty comfy and had a huge boot/load bed in the estate.

quote:

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Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
Anything japanese. i had an Almera that cost less than that, had it for four years and never missed a beat.

Dull, but incredibly reliable. Wish I still had it for a winter hack!

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Best bet is surely to just see what's about for the price and go from there. Doing that commute I'd want comfort so would go big (mondeo or bigger) and to meet the economy smallish engine. I miss my vectra and in you're position would be tempted to seek out a 1.6/1.8 petrol or a diesel, not another v6 though.

Might just be me but it does seem like bangers that go forever are becoming a thing of the past.

Your list of requirements describes my 55 plate Vectra almost perfectly.

• 1.9cdti 150bhp
  
• 55mpg all day long
  
• Cheap parts
  
• Cheap insurance
  
• 123K miles and doesn't burn any oil, even though I drive it like I stole it
  
• Comfortable
  
• Huge boot
  
• Comes with free rattles and shakes, and a curious squeaking sound from somewhere on the passenger side (no, not from my wife)
  

I'm another for the Vectra. It had a dash flashing like a Christmas tree at times but kept going.

In one last act of defiance though, the bonnet flew open on the motorway on its way to be PX'd!

Thanks guys...

I really like the sound of the Peugeot 406 TDI but there don't seem to be many about in my neck of the woods. The suggestions of Vectra and Mondeo are good and I didn't realise they had got that cheap. That is probably the direction I will end up going and all are options I had not thought of.

Let the tyre kicking begin...

quote:

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Originally posted by joneh
I'm another for the Vectra. It had a dash flashing like a Christmas tree at times but kept going.

In one last act of defiance though, the bonnet flew open on the motorway on its way to be PX'd!

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When I was a child my dad had cars that did that and he'd 'fix' them by removing bulbs. I don't think you can get away with that now.