What Car Should I Buy?

This would seem an odd thread to post in this forum but I thought you sage lot might have been in my situation in the past and be able to offer some helpful advice.

My girlfriend and I are in the market for a car. She is a photographer and needs something reliable and presentable for work. We've had a Micra that was gifted by a Gran a couple of years ago but this had died so we need a replacement.

I'm doing driving lessons so I'll be able to drive on holidays, and also so I can load my bikes on the car and go mountain biking or out to the country for a spin at the weekend.

We want to spend about £2k for something reliable that won't be too ridiculous for me to insure once I pass my test, and that's not so small that putting racks with bikes on it makes it topple over.

Can anyone help with recommendations?

Thanks.

Jim.

Astra 1.7 turbo diesel, cheap insurance, economical and will take bikes and stuff and vehicle excise duty is £30 I think cause of the low emissions.

Build one from scratch, ask Edscoble how to fit a front rack.
Yes, Bob will be your uncle very soon.

True, you'll have much more fun building from scratch, far more satisfying and if anything goes wrong you'll know exactly how to fix it! Fuck off the peg, fuck it right off!!!

Something like a Volvo S40, seems like it could do the job. probably like 2000/2001 for your budget, get something with FSH and the mileage is much less of a problem. I've always found Volvo's really well built/designed cars; if a little dull.

Build one from scratch, ask Edscoble how to fit a front rack.
Yes, Bob will be your uncle very soon.

lol :o)

Really? Dull you say?

Anyway, 2k gets you into a lot of very good cars. Mine cost 2K new, although I had to fly to Aberdeen to get it.

Is performance important to you at all, or just reliability?

Reliability would be the first concern, then performance, bearing in mind that it can't be too beefy as it will kill me on the insurance. Would also want it to be economical but I guess it would have to be a compromise between these things? Not being a driver just yet I really don't have much of a clue about these things, although I guess any move from our 1.1 litre Micra is going to see an improvement performance wise I would have thought?! Enough grunt to overtake lorries on motorways in less than a minute would be a big step forward.

Focus zetec Estate TDi.

Good call Andy.

I'm having a look around and am in danger of getting carried away.

£2,000 on the nose:

Haggle.

A modern 1.3 Diesel engined car like a clio or 206. You might have to spend a little more than 2k but you will save it in fuel and tax. My mums got a 1.3 HDI 207, 65 mpg, NO tax pa, accelerates much better than my 306, cruses at 80 mph on the motorway nice and comfy. Tows a small trailer ok, my fokes even tow a small caravan behind it and have just come back from France, tows at 60 mph easy so will be fine with a bike rack on the back.

Boring but reliable, cheap to run and insure.

Ignore Tommy, he's a mental:

Classic car insurance, cheap!

Ignore Tommy, he's being sensible.

Buy the Capri.

Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do it. Do it. Do it.

^^Excellent choice. A Dagenham Dustbin - plenty of kudos but not much cornering capability.

How about a 2002-3 Skoda Octavia Estate. If you can see past the badge that is.

Another mental ^^.

listen to tommy, andy is w r o n g.

(get a vw corrado)

the capri

How about a 2002-3 Skoda Octavia Estate. If you can see past the badge that is.

Cycling specific and a great car, get the VRS.

Enough grunt to overtake lorries on motorways in less than a minute would be a big step forward.

Sod overtaking, draft the lorries for more mpg.

Is that yours?

Nope, just one I found on Pistonheads.

P.s. Better still, do you really need a car? How heavy is a camera these days? ;)

Buy a train!