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More bangernomics
Ninehigh - 13/6/12 at 04:58 PM

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.


MikeRJ - 13/6/12 at 05:11 PM

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?


jossey - 13/6/12 at 05:12 PM

Puma would be pretty reliable . Cheap to run and fun if you have a heavy foot....

The focus 1.6 are awful engines


rusty nuts - 13/6/12 at 05:13 PM

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


Ninehigh - 13/6/12 at 05:15 PM

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


morcus - 13/6/12 at 05:35 PM

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.


paulf - 13/6/12 at 05:36 PM

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


mad4x4 - 13/6/12 at 05:37 PM

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.


MikeRJ - 13/6/12 at 05:45 PM

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.


mark chandler - 13/6/12 at 06:53 PM

They all look expensive to me, £1000 bagged me a v40 td volvo 9 months ago on a 52 plate.


big_wasa - 13/6/12 at 07:25 PM

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.


JoelP - 13/6/12 at 08:18 PM

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.


morcus - 13/6/12 at 08:24 PM

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.


Liam - 13/6/12 at 08:55 PM

None of them.

Vauxhall Omega Elite. Just replaced mine after 7 years happy motoring. Great cars and absolutely worthless. And RWD


Not Anumber - 13/6/12 at 09:12 PM

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.


RickRick - 13/6/12 at 09:38 PM

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


monck - 13/6/12 at 11:55 PM

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....


britishtrident - 14/6/12 at 06:52 AM

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]


mcerd1 - 14/6/12 at 08:01 AM

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


handyandy - 14/6/12 at 08:44 AM

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


britishtrident - 14/6/12 at 01:10 PM

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.


britishtrident - 14/6/12 at 01:19 PM

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]


big_wasa - 25/6/12 at 10:54 PM

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


NigeEss - 25/6/12 at 11:53 PM

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.