I want to upgrade my P Reg 1.4 Polo for something a bit newer, bigger, smarter & quicker. Including proceeds from the sale of my Polo I'll have £6k to spend. I've done a bit of researchc & reckon a 2001/20002 Ford Focus or 99/2000 Golf are looking the most likely contendors. Assuming I go for one of these, any suggestions for particular models, engines or editions to look out for or avoid?
I'm also still open to alternative suggestions if it fits the bill:
It's mainly going to be used for short distance drives (shopping / visiting friends & family etc) but I do make a longer distance trip every couple of months so it's got to be comfortable & reasonably economic. I need 5 doors plus decent rear & boot space for due baby & buggy. I don't want to be getting into big insurance costs so IG 10 is about high enough & strictly no French or Italian makes allowed in my house
Any & all suggestions gratefully received. TIA Sports
just go for the focus or the golf. they're both the best in the class. though maybe edge mroe for the focus if u ahve a new baby on the way. it was designed to help older people in and out the doors. so no doubt u might find it more helpful for baby carrier and baby seats etc...
have a look at a 2002 [02 OR 52 plate] seat leon 1.6, there are even approved used ones about a few hundred £'s under £6k with only 20>30,000 miles on them. closer to £5K with 45>50000 milees on them
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Although its sounds like unhelpful advice, as there is so much choice in this market, go out and test drive as many different cars in this segment as you can and then pick what you feel was the best!
Everyone has their favourites, so all you'll get here is peoples' favourites and any sob stories to back up their view that "such and such a car" is crap!
No disrespect, folks, but there are very few really bad cars in this section of the car market, so its all down to personal likes and dislikes in my view!
Originally posted by b308: Although its sounds like unhelpful advice, as there is so much choice in this market, go out and test drive as many different cars in this segment as you can and then pick what you feel was the best!
Everyone has their favourites, so all you'll get here is peoples' favourites and any sob stories to back up their view that "such and such a car" is crap!
No disrespect, folks, but there are very few really bad cars in this section of the car market, so its all down to personal likes and dislikes in my view!
good advice there, my recommendation was inspired by the fact that the current car is a polo & leon seems next logical step up [the way I think] depends on any brand loyalty existing golf best in class ?? not really, it's always been bettered by another car sharing the same bits ...
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Originally posted by b308: Although its sounds like unhelpful advice, as there is so much choice in this market, go out and test drive as many different cars in this segment as you can and then pick what you feel was the best!
Everyone has their favourites, so all you'll get here is peoples' favourites and any sob stories to back up their view that "such and such a car" is crap!
No disrespect, folks, but there are very few really bad cars in this section of the car market, so its all down to personal likes and dislikes in my view!
good advice there, my recommendation was inspired by the fact that the current car is a polo & leon seems next logical step up [the way I think] depends on any brand loyalty existing golf best in class ?? not really, it's always been bettered by another car sharing the same bits ...
I agree and see where you are coming from, I'd suggest an Octavia on the brand loyalty basis, but there's soooo much choice!........
almost bought a '99 octavia 1.6 glx with two owners and a fsh but 92k miles the other week...for 900 quid!! these are good, modern, pretty cars..dont dismiss em
if u bought like 6 of them, u could start ure own taxi rank. ud be spending no extra cash and reeping all the rewards and u'd have ure good 2nd hand car
I have a Seat Leon 1.6S It is basically a Golf but cheaper only a bit smaller inside while bigger outside. Just dont think that because they belong to VW that they or any other VW group products will have levels of reliability similar to anything Japanese cars. The car that I drive has had so many problems including waterleaks which my grandparents have in their Golf and a family friend had in his A3
Test as many as you can, since I was too young to drive at the time that we got the Leon, my father had to drive them but he initially decided that he was going to get the Focus but hated the dashboard so we looked at a Golf which he preferred to the Leon but it was about 3 grand more so we ended up with the Leon
Originally posted by tomso: I have a Seat Leon 1.6S It is basically a Golf but cheaper only a bit smaller inside while bigger outside. Just dont think that because they belong to VW that they or any other VW group products will have levels of reliability similar to anything Japanese cars. The car that I drive has had so many problems including waterleaks which my grandparents have in their Golf and a family friend had in his A3
where are your leaks: doors, front passenger footwell, other ??? lets have a list of other problems --- from reports i see the very similar toledo [mostly belgian assembled] having far fewer faults ... must be spanish workmanship [ps mine don't leak as its an older seat design!!]. octavia a better car but not so easy to reverse especially when moving up from a polo ... bit of time to get used to the size ....
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Originally posted by Lancer: New Civic, do your sums carefully on the diesel v petrol thing and remeber to factor in the fact the diesel will probably hold it's value better.
The leaks are in the rear footwell, on the passenger side I think, it has been fixed now so far in that there is not a puddle but it still is definately not watertight. Its had two new doors and the speaker system on the passenger door has been replaced due to water. My grandparents Golf estate still leaks especially around the bootlid and hasnt been cured. It has short circuitted the alarm and when its cold the car can stay frozen shut due to water in the seals. They have gone back to the dealer and probably could have got a replacement car but they gave up as the dealer is an hour away and the service was crap. Im pretty sure it is a common problem on Seat Leons but also on other VAG cars
Sorry..lol didnt see you wanted other faults. Its had all new spark plugs, part of the dashboard had to be rewired as the passenger front speaker became unwired, before that it had had the same speaker replaced due to water leaking on to it. The front and rear passenger doors replaced to try and stop the car leaking, new seals put on the same doors to try and prevent leaking The catalytic converter has had to be replaced, this was at around 40,000 miles. The front passenger door catch comes lose every so often meaning that the car cannot be shut unless its repaired. I have to be honest, although the garage are pretty good with courtesy cars, making things cheaper and they are pretty prompt, they have caused some damage themselves, they put the wrong plugs in the engine and it wouldnt fire up properly (this was a replacement for the original plugs), they havent reconnected the headlights back up on one occasion and they also didnt recconnect the windscreen wipers up on one occasion. My mum also has a Seat Alhambra (I share the Leon with my dad) which goes wrong so often its not even worth listing what has gone wrong. We have had about 16 different courtesy cars in about 2 and a half years
Originally posted by tomso: The leaks are in the rear footwell, on the passenger side I think, it has been fixed now so far in that there is not a puddle but it still is definately not watertight. Its had two new doors and the speaker system on the passenger door has been replaced due to water. My grandparents Golf estate still leaks especially around the bootlid and hasnt been cured. It has short circuitted the alarm and when its cold the car can stay frozen shut due to water in the seals. They have gone back to the dealer and probably could have got a replacement car but they gave up as the dealer is an hour away and the service was crap. Im pretty sure it is a common problem on Seat Leons but also on other VAG cars
yes, VAG cars do seem to like letting water ingress via the door seals, & the best solution for the passenger door leaks is removing the inside panel, then unscrewing a metal panel beneath that & then create a new seal with weatherproof silicone sealant [to replace the commonly failing foam seal]-- seems to solve it most of the time - don't know about golf estate rear hatch though. door fix details are on some of the non manufacurer seat sites
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Originally posted by Palmira: Are they still like this??
I remember Golf Mark 2 models used to have a massive gap between the top of the doors and the windows so water used to go down inside the doors. Poor design and very surprising.
I cannot understand why VAG has not got round to fixing this design flaw -- mine is immune somehow, they knew how to solve it in early 90's when my car was designed but have since forgotten somehow -- very strange
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Originally posted by tomso: The leaks are in the rear footwell, on the passenger side I think, it has been fixed now so far in that there is not a puddle but it still is definately not watertight. Its had two new doors and the speaker system on the passenger door has been replaced due to water. My grandparents Golf estate still leaks especially around the bootlid and hasnt been cured. It has short circuitted the alarm and when its cold the car can stay frozen shut due to water in the seals. They have gone back to the dealer and probably could have got a replacement car but they gave up as the dealer is an hour away and the service was crap. Im pretty sure it is a common problem on Seat Leons but also on other VAG cars
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
..ah c'mon prog rock fan...led zep aint prog...they are rock gods...the biggest, the best band EVER....i get dazed and confused every time i listen to led zep 1......pretty sure the yardbirds did the track too...oops, car forum sorry!!
palmira my old mate..you cant decry golf build quality then say you much prefferred the pug 205 gti??..a car with such legendary build quality that the 1.9 versions were known to actually 'banana' the chassis in well thrashed examples because the torque of the engine was too much for the ridgitity of the chassis!...ps i loved em too, just not the best built things!!...remember the visa gt and gti...best handling ugly cars iv ever driven!!...205 xsi or rallye with 1360 engine and twin carbs was a wee flyer too...or just to go even farther back..samba rallye or 104 zs shortcut..the wee two door wi the same engine and 110 mph and 0-60 in 9 secs...i loved all these bonkers wee motors....but seem to have wandered off topic....again..oops
[ps mine don't leak as its an older seat design!!].