Car hunting - advice please

Originally Posted by embee

Haha, my middle daughter has a 2003 Ford Ka, which ranks at No. 100 in that list. My BMW is joint 11th. Now I can properly rip it out of her rollerskate

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by kellyjo

Well, i've been out shopping!!

On Thursday I am picking up my 2002 Seat Leon 1.4s in speedy red and I'm really pleased!!
She's done 60k miles and is in really good condition, a few scratches around door handles and some small scuffs on the bumper but not bad at all for her age.
The garage is going to do major 60k mile service, cambelt and mot so she should be good to go for a while.

Just been on ebay to buy some black/red seat covers and mats to bling her up a bit

Thanks for your advice and comments xx

Well sounds like a good car and its a VW in Seat clothes, so thats ok too.

Did you pick it cos it was red, like your curvy

Good choice Kellyjo

[Sir Trev]

I'm always wary of these JD Power type surveys as I'm not convinced they take volume into consideration properly. Sure they may get more complaints about model x but is that because they sell so well? It may only be a very small percentage of the volume sold and the silent happy majority don't respond.

My 14 year old Cavalier was an excellent car until some numpty tried to drive *through* it one night. And my 51 plate 1.6 Astra is an excellent car - not fast or special but it's fine for the commute and general use. The engine spins up nicely and is better in a lot of ways than my three year old Mundaneo. I've not written Ford or Vauxhall off my possible future car list.

Originally Posted by maviczap

Well sounds like a good car and its a VW in Seat clothes, so thats ok too.

Did you pick it cos it was red, like your curvy

Actually yes, it did remind me of my curvy

Now I just need to pay back my mum for the car as a matter of urgency cos then I can get my new bike - hopefully a red sv1000s with black frame. I feel a pattern starting to form.....

[Viney]

Too late. Ignore me

[Viney]

Originally Posted by Daimo

OO yeah, good point.

EGR Valve and Idle control valves sometimes go too. ICV can usually be sorted with a cleanup and some WD40 though.

My Astra had (takes a deep breath)....oh sod it, it had EVERY thing that moved replaced, including Engine, box, etc etc. In the 5 years i had it, it cost a fortune. I would never buy another Vauxhall again.

The ICV was cleaned about once every 3k, and replced the breather filter every service.

[Tom_the_great]

well i just cant find a car anywhere ive been looking for a cheap cage for the winter but no there all just rubbish i mean i really dont care from corsa to passat i just want a sub 1k car to workhorse in the winter but there is nothing road worthy or that should be glad you found your car hun

[embee]

Originally Posted by Tom_the_great

...i just want a sub 1k car to workhorse in the winter ...

I'd be looking at a jelly mould Micra for that job, you should pick up a reasonably tidy example for £1k. There is very little that goes wrong with them, haven't even got a cambelt to worry about (chain). They are very easy to work on in the rare event something does need doing. Make sure it has power steering and some airbags (after N-M reg).

I dropped a random Yorkshire postcode into Autotrader and it came up with a hundred or so Micras withing 60mls of Huddersfield for under £1k, including a 30k mile T-reg example.

My parents 'Y' reg astra has just hit 200K and nothing has gone wrong at all. I'm rather surprised.
Good cars are Toyota Corollas' nice and reliable and fairly fun to drive. Plus parts are pennies cause they sold in droves xD
Ya Seat sounds nice, enjoy (as much as a car can be enjoyed xD)