Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Some googling has told me that it sounds ripe for going wrong, and at a great cost 🤣

Not really. Marginally more expensive.

Get one that is well maintained and continue to look after it and it will do 10k miles a year easily.

Ah I think as long as you use a good indy it should be fine. There's not much to a 172/182 tbh.

I’ll be honest, I’d feel like a prick in it. And I’ve got a weird boner for this atm https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201911094198809

a weird boner for this

I really have no idea why.

Edit: I've just remembered that one of the most utterly crap hire cars I've ever driven was actually a Nissan Almera, not a Toyota Avensis so maybe it's not quite as bad as all that.

But still.

Uber Driver fantasy role play

Dunno, just feel so uninspired by all the other estates I’ve seen that fit my requirements and budget.
Petrol is a bonus, seem to be popular with owners, reliable as far as I can tell. Dunno.

Fuck me dead 🤣

I have a soft spot for Mondeos, which isn't especially rational other than that they are ok to drive assuming you avoid the 1.6 diesel.

I'd guess the Avensis isn't significantly worse, and possibly a bit more reliable.

Aye, must admit I was a bit baffled by the Mondeo shout.

It’s funny tho, I basically have to accept that getting a car I actually want isn’t going to happen. I just want an early 90s e30, a daft hot hatch or an Evo 6 - none of which will ever fit my needs or be cheap enough to have as a plaything (less so for a hot hatch, but still).

You must be able to get a 3.0r legacy estate or h6 outback in your budget? They strike me as a good balance of fun, reliable and sensible

The xj220 development vehicle?

I had a 2002 Mondeo (2.0 diesel); quite liked that car, did 100,000 miles in it.

Then I (we) had a 2009 Passat (another 2l diesel). Was not a bad car but I didn't like driving it on the motorway. It always felt disconnected from the road.

Now we have a Skoda Superb 220 TSi (petrol). Much better car than either of the previous but also newer and more expensive.

MK3 2l diesel, engine brilliant, injectors, lift pump destroying itself and taking the main pump with it, dual mass fly wheel dies.... but with minimal work swapping a few bits from other ford add easy 50bhp.

Later has the ubiquitous PSA 2.2 diesel.

Mondeo, boring ish, cheap ish and spares easily available. Watch the ved and they can be odd.

Ford estates improved dramatically after ford bought volvo, and handling when they bought jag.

Honda Jazz?

Gutted it’s an automatic!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201911043999245

Good price for the miles. FYI I think the 3.0 H6 only came in automatic.

Parts and labour for this are the same as for my AMG version, but this one has a third of the power.

May get better fuel economy, of course, but cheap to maintain it is not.

I do have a spare gear lever surround though if anyone wants it, which would save £80.

Not sure why anyone would buy a saloon unless they are minicabbing, mind.

I suppose you’d have half the spark plugs and less oil to change at service time, so maybe parts would be a little less for model specific stuff. Still £285 for a headlight switch and so forth.

Get a Subaru !

😊

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223796731462

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F293344839382

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223796731462

I'm jealous but I get the "weird boner" for generic estates - my budget was a lot smaller but when I saw a Renault Megane 2 estate I got excited and bought it. In some ways it's great but I'm hoping the reliability issues are relatively minor.

Sorry should have been clearer, meant on that (BH) shape Outback. I'd love to drive an EZ30 with a manual to see how much the auto holds it back.