Car recommendations

[yeoooo]

I had one in the late nineties so things have changed a bit since, but it was ok. Reliable. The only real issues I have had with it were electrical gremlins that seemed to plague that particular model.
it was quite the step up from the 1970 morris minor I’d driven for years before it though so I might have been easily impressed

Same issue with it for me too - husband had a Megane and battery used to go flat if we didn’t drive it for a few weeks (holidays etc). Apparently electrics is a common fault with Renault - i was told this.

after having car issues last month I would recommend a breakdown service provision for sure. One of those ones you grumble about paying it but when you need it and don’t have it then it’s a mare!!!!

 

[StephenTJackson]

Same issue with it for me too - husband had a Megane and battery used to go flat if we didn’t drive it for a few weeks (holidays etc). Apparently electrics is a common fault with Renault - i was told this.

after having car issues last month I would recommend a breakdown service provision for sure. One of those ones you grumble about paying it but when you need it and don’t have it then it’s a mare!!!!

Might have to do a bit more Renault based research before I commit then. Thank you.

 

[yeoooo]

Might have to do a bit more Renault based research before I commit then. Thank you.

I was at a garage today and one of their techs said German and French cars are hopeless now. Recommended Audi and Volvo (though price point is high) and nissan

 

[StephenTJackson]

I was at a garage today and one of their techs said German and French cars are hopeless now. Recommended Audi and Volvo (though price point is high) and nissan

I mean, Audi is German, so slightly contradictory of the tech. But also beyond my budget.

 

[M&G]

honda jazz's are great wee cars and have longevity in them

 

[sistersofpercy]

Tbh you can’t go wrong with Japanese for small and reliable. The giveaway is usually to look what the takeaway delivery guys are driving, they do a lot of miles and are almost always in Micras, Suzuki Alto, Honda Jazz etc.
My daughter in law has an Alto, I’ll swear to god that thing will still be happily running round in the next century

 

[StephenTJackson]

Tbh you can’t go wrong with Japanese for small and reliable. The giveaway is usually to look what the takeaway delivery guys are driving, they do a lot of miles and are almost always in Micras, Suzuki Alto, Honda Jazz etc.
My daughter in law has an Alto, I’ll swear to god that thing will still be happily running round in the next century

I have an Alto, and I'm kind of loathed to change it because it's given me no real bother. But it owes me nothing, and it's gonna start costing me money fairly soon based on the ever growing list of advisories I get at MOT. And even those it's not engine/gearbox related, it's wear and tear, it's just starting to get to that point where there is getting close to being a lot of it.

And I really want a car with Aircon and to be able to connect my phone and play Spotify.

 

[allthingschocolate]

I have a Nissan qashqai and I have to say I still love driving it even 5 years after I brought it, the spec is really good on the model I have and touch wood it has been a good reliable car would highly recommended

 

[sistersofpercy]

I have an Alto, and I'm kind of loathed to change it because it's given me no real bother. But it owes me nothing, and it's gonna start costing me money fairly soon based on the ever growing list of advisories I get at MOT. And even those it's not engine/gearbox related, it's wear and tear, it's just starting to get to that point where there is getting close to being a lot of it.

And I really want a car with Aircon and to be able to connect my phone and play Spotify.

hers is pretty good, advisories this year were for a minor leak on the exhaust.
Basic though like you say, she’s got an old parrot in hers and listens to heart fm but it only really goes two miles up the road to her work now anyway. It’s a second car and I think the plan is to run it until it dies now.

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

I've got a Ford Fiesta (2017 one), I cannot fault it, it's cheap as chips to run, insure, and any repairs are also cheap as everyone can fix a Fiesta. It's my fourth Ford overall. Husband has a Mini, it's his second one, both have had many expensive issues. The current one (2016 model Cooper) needed a software update (who knew!) which only the dealer can do. It's a nice car but cost-wise I'm glad I don't have it. I used to care about what my cars looked like but I'm too old for that now, I just need efficiency & reliability!

Similarly to your original comment, my colleague had a Renault (Captur if I remember right) which kept breaking down, she swapped it for a VW Tiguan which has been more expensive but more reliable.

 

[Mollywobbles]

It doesn’t matter what you buy, there will still be that person who says
“I wouldn’t have one of those. I know someone who bought one and it was nothing but trouble. Always in the garage, cost a fortune in repair bills..”

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Currently waiting for my cars MOT to finish. I know it’s failed already as they called to say they can abandon the test so I could still drive it as still have a month left on the current one. Told them to just carry on as if there is a lot that needs fixing I’ll probably get a new car. My current cars 18 years old but I really needed it to last me one more year so hoping it’s just this one thing that needs doing

 

[chickhicks86]

Why is it SO hard to buy a used car? I didn't think I had a tiny budget (£5k) but I just can't find anything. I want a Nissan Juke or similar sized, but all the ones in budget are rough - either high miles or terrible condition. Am I being really unreasonable expecting to be able to buy something newer than 11/12 years old with 100,000 or more miles on for this amount?

 

[StephenTJackson]

Why is it SO hard to buy a used car? I didn't think I had a tiny budget (£5k) but I just can't find anything. I want a Nissan Juke or similar sized, but all the ones in budget are rough - either high miles or terrible condition. Am I being really unreasonable expecting to be able to buy something newer than 11/12 years old with 100,000 or more miles on for this amount?

Unfortunately, I think it is quite unreasonable these days.

Second hand car prices have gone through the roof. Massive productions issues through COVID dropped production so less new car sales, company/fleet cars being dumped into the second hand market reduced during COVID as companies reduced spending on replacing etc. People not selling their cars because they don't want to change to electric etc. 5/6 years ago I payed £3300 for an 8 year old Suzuki Alto, just over 30000 miles on the clock. A good price then. I can't find anything similar to that car for less than £5k now. So a Juke being that bit bigger etc. Can't see you would get a decent one for 5k these days

So I've settled into accepting the need to spend more like £10k and get a proper step up in my new car.

Which I'm being pushed into buying sooner than planned because my car knows I'm planning to betray it, and is starting to do something funny that I'm pretty sure is gonna be serious when it goes wrong.

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Prices definitely gone up. I bought my 2005 plate car in 2019 for £500 and just looked now and they are selling for between £1-1.5k for the same age and similar millage

 

[chickhicks86]

Unfortunately, I think it is quite unreasonable these days.

Second hand car prices have gone through the roof. Massive productions issues through COVID dropped production so less new car sales, company/fleet cars being dumped into the second hand market reduced during COVID as companies reduced spending on replacing etc. People not selling their cars because they don't want to change to electric etc. 5/6 years ago I payed £3300 for an 8 year old Suzuki Alto, just over 30000 miles on the clock. A good price then. I can't find anything similar to that car for less than £5k now. So a Juke being that bit bigger etc. Can't see you would get a decent one for 5k these days

So I've settled into accepting the need to spend more like £10k and get a proper step up in my new car.

Which I'm being pushed into buying sooner than planned because my car knows I'm planning to betray it, and is starting to do something funny that I'm pretty sure is gonna be serious when it goes wrong.

Same! This is what's annoying me. It's money I'd rather not spend because I really like my car, but I think the money spent fixing it would be better invested into something newer. I've had my current car for 10 years, and cost me £5k for a top of the range 5 year old family hatch, so maybe I'm just living in dreamland.

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Same! This is what's annoying me. It's money I'd rather not spend because I really like my car, but I think the money spent fixing it would be better invested into something newer. I've had my current car for 10 years, and cost me £5k for a top of the range 5 year old family hatch, so maybe I'm just living in dreamland.

That’s what I thought but my dad convinced me to invest in what I have now since prices of newer cars are so high. I’m hoping they’ll go down soon. Had to spend about 1k overall last year to keep it going but was only £25 to pass the MOT this year. I’m glad I listened to him as I wouldn’t have got a good car for the same price or with what I have saved and hopefully it’ll last at least one more year. Should hopefully have enough for next year if needed. My cousin recently bought a new car and is now paying a loan off for it, didn’t even bother to see how much her current car would’ve been to fix and it was only around 10 years old maybe younger

 

[StephenTJackson]

Same! This is what's annoying me. It's money I'd rather not spend because I really like my car, but I think the money spent fixing it would be better invested into something newer. I've had my current car for 10 years, and cost me £5k for a top of the range 5 year old family hatch, so maybe I'm just living in dreamland.

My current car just isn't worth the expense of repairing if it's gonna breakdown soon. And I want a new car anyway because I want Aircon and phone connection to play Spotify.

So I'm just having to bite the bullet and do it.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Why is it SO hard to buy a used car? I didn't think I had a tiny budget (£5k) but I just can't find anything. I want a Nissan Juke or similar sized, but all the ones in budget are rough - either high miles or terrible condition. Am I being really unreasonable expecting to be able to buy something newer than 11/12 years old with 100,000 or more miles on for this amount?

Have a look at the Vauxhall Mokke

 

[Former_Antelopee]

My current car just isn't worth the expense of repairing if it's gonna breakdown soon. And I want a new car anyway because I want Aircon and phone connection to play Spotify.

So I'm just having to bite the bullet and do it.

No air con is a struggle (mostly for 2 weeks of the year ) that’s the main thing I’ll look forward to in a new car