26-03-2013, 09:58 PM
(26-03-2013, 09:01 PM)C.A.R. Wrote: So do you feel ripped off, or was this one the only car within spitting distance of your doormat? :p
Ripped off? The delares round here are offering P reg Fiesta 1.3s for £1,5k....no I certainly don't fee ripped off!
The other cars within a sensible distance that I looked at were -
2002 Polo 1.4 TDi - £2,500
2005 Corsa 1.3CDTi - £3,200
140k (but 200ks worth of wear!) 2004 Passat 1.9TDi 130 - £4,500 (yeah, really!)
2002 Audi A4 1.9 TDi 130 (100k, needing a major service, no cambelt) - £3,500
2006 Mondeo 2.2TDCi Titanium (not the 'X' with the leathers) - £4000
2003 Bora 1.9 TDi (170k, rusty arches) - £3,750
I was really surprised how much second hand cars are going for atm. I wasn't joking about the fiesta either, was the cheapest car I found at a dealer in the month or so that I was looking!
As I've said, it's not all about money saving. It's the compromise between many things including money saving, load and cabin space, comfort (inc toys/spec), easy access for elderly passengers, major parts having been changed recently which in theory means less to go wrong now, enough power for me, something I won't get bored of within a week as its uncomfortable and poverty spec (thats the corsa off the list) and something that will hold value for a year or so.
Add to that, that I can't travel far, and even if I could I have no way of picking cars up, dont exactly have lots of mates to give me lifts lol. So it was even more of a bonus when i found a well specced Vectra with the right engine, full service history, MOT, new DMF etc in Ipswich. And for what I consider a decent price, around average tbh, there were even a couple of 120's in lower spec going for higher prices on autotrader/ebay at the same time (but too far away anyway).
Yes if I wanted to drive hundreds of miles I'm sure there are cheaper ones. Yes if I wanted a poverty spec 120 I could've paid less but I know I'd get bored with that very quickly. Yes if I had time to look then I could've got a cheaper one, but the HDi decided to self destruct as it was old and shit and rust has taken it's toll, now I've started stripping it Im so glad I did after seeing the amount of rust in areas you wouldn't normally see! Yes I'm sure you're full of ads of cheaper ones but in all honesty I really couldn't care less.
In the end I decided it wasn't worth it to save a hundred quid a year by buying a car that was too small and that I didn;t like. So I settled on large sallon style cars, which had to have a hatch rear for access. There aren't many about, then I narrowed that list down to the ones with decent deisel engines, balancing performance and economy with cheap tax and insurance...yes I only pay £480 to insure this, rather than £650 for the HDi lol. I was basically left with Vectras and Mondeos, and a budget of £4k at a push. The TDCI 130 bored me tbh, it didn't feel powerful enough for the vehicle, the same with the 120CDTi in the Vectra. The spec list on the higher end models of both were about the same, but the price was a lot higher for an 'X' mondeo (leathers, ESP etc) or an elite Vectra (leathers, sat nav etc) so I settled for the second best spec which is still miles ahead of the 306 (and so it should be 6 years on!). So then I was left with the choice of 2.2TDCi Titanium/Ghia Mondeo, or a 150CDTi Vectra - the Vectra won on costs, better mpg, cheaper insurance, same to tax. To be honest as I was literally on the last few days on the 306s MOT I would've taken the Mondeo that I'd seen (but didn't want to pay £4k) so I still don't know whether or not I made the right decision. I doubt it as I never make the right desicsion....but I'll also never know....
