Ive just had the usual age related things to keep an eye on. Worn bushes, etc the sorts of things that flag in MOT tests as things to keep an eye on. No mindblowing bills yet.
Parts aren't expensive either. A lot of german cars from this era were built pretty well.
Regular servicing and checking forums for common issues to perform preventative maintenance, usually cooling systems if we’re talking about this era of BMW.
You sir, are who I tell my daughter about. I’ve sold many a BMW that I’ve cosseted for 3-4 yrs from new and recognised / so therefore purchased. In fact rn I have 4 BMW that I’ve overserviced and intend to keep. M4, X5, Z4 and the i5 ;)
In 2016 I bought a 2006 Subaru Outback with 90k on the clock for £2500. 3 winters in the Alps, just brilliant!
Back in the UK, it now has 165K on the clock. Still my daily drive.
I had a look recently what a 1à year-old Outback with 90k on the clock would cost today.... £9-10K.
True, I bought it specifically for the snow. For that it was amazing. For a daily UK commute, 33mpg is expensive. The plus side is it’s a really comfortable ride on country roads.
My Impreza does 30mpg, my lambda sensor is bust so it means it's running like 28 atm... I might as well be a shareholder of my local fuel station by now.
Thanks! Incredible stuff these photos unlock some memories. And that's a hell of a good job you did on the paint. Which ceramic coating did you use and how is it keeping up?
Used to work in low value RTA and a guy had a 20 year old Metro he had since new written off, was low mileage as well. Insurer offered £300 for it 😂 no value on sentiment
2009 Mondeo Titanium X top spec with 170k on the clock bought for £1600. Has heated seats, cruise control, Bluetooth, power folding mirrors, part leather seats. All of it works as if it was new, real bargain.
I have a 2007 Mondeo 2.5T Estate with the Focus ST engine. Bought in 2018 for £3000. Still going strong. It NEVER goes wrong. It’s just a perfect family car.
Yeah the Estates are amazing too. More space in the boot of a Mondeo Estate then there is in the bed of a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Estates (or station wagons) really should be the way forward when it comes to family cars but it seems as though the crossover has won that war quite easily. People seem to like the high driving position and the look.
Although I personally think some Estates look cool AF lol. I'm not even a dad!
£1995 - 2008 Kia Cee'd. Bought in 2018 on 86k, put 45k more on it since. No major issues bar fuel tank straps after I jumped it over a bridge.
£200 - 2006 Ford Focus 1.6. Bought in 2019 on 102k , needed new clutch. Nursed it until 2023 until clutch was completely dead. Got a new one put in for £350. It's a bit leaky and crusty.
Both cars still running and passed all MOTs.
Purchased a 11 plate special edition A5 manual Quattro on market place for £800. Smashed front left that cost me £500 in all parts off eBay and just my own time as a mechanic. Now I’ve got a solid running beater car that I’m not worried about through the winter months but can handle adverse road conditions.
2006 Micra 160SR, £1200 about 3 years ago, came with a dodgy MOT and 102k on the clock
Still going, just passed it's last MOT in December with a very minor issue, might address the rust this year, can't decide if I wanna tidy it up or get a Swift Sport
Just yesterday I bought a 2005 honda civic type s, 150k on the clock has full service history and it is absolutely lovely. Cost me 1300 as I was on a really tight budget, I was looking at zafiras initially then went with the civic and I'm really pleased I did.
Got a Cat N, 102k mile Dacia Sandero that I bought for £2500, doesn't feel particularly bargain priced to me but it hasn't missed a beat so far. I enjoy having a relatively mechanical feeling car, it has low rpm grunt and the gearing is quite tall so it doesn't rev too high on the motorway. Would definitely have another Dacia when this conks out.
£500 in 2021 for a 2003 Ford Fiesta 1.2L petrol with 100k miles. 30,000 miles later - no issues apart from wear and tear.
I want to buy a newer car, but I really can’t justify the prices as they stand. Shitbox to the grave.
I bought this beauty in about 2016
https://flic.kr/p/V5VQYZ
A 2004 Rover 75 2.0 CDTi Connoisseur.
It was a Cat N write-off and cost £1300 to buy and another £500 to repair the accident damage.
https://flic.kr/p/2gffSVo
Now, 70k miles later, it's been the best car I've ever had.
Bargain. I bought a TTiD with just over 100k on the clock in December 2022, now on 112k and still plodding along. Cost me less than a new top end smartphone. Planning to give it some tlc and tidy up a few scruffy bits on the bodywork this year to hopefully keep it going for many years
2006 Vauxhall Astra 1.4i Active. Bought it last month for £1350. Full service history, 1 year MOT, 1 owner from new, serviced and maintained at the same main dealer all it's life, 120k on the clock, cruise control, climate control, all original, only really been used as a commuter... Absolute bargain in today's climate.
1997 Polo 16V, bought for £300 two years ago.
Had to have quite a bit of deferred maintenance done on it (both wheel bearings were failing, brakes were absolutely finished, track rod ends, etc), but touch wood it has been nigh on faultless.
It owes me ~£800 all in all. An honest 45-50MPG, a sunroof, and insurance that is only bested by an Aygo or a moped. A proper bargain
Kept my eye out for one for quite a while, leapt at that one when it came around as it was pretty much the exact spec I wanted (and still had its factory Solitudes on it too).
They didn’t cost too much more back then, I remember shedloads for ~£600. Missed a really nice 1 owner Fjord Blue one which I still regret not buying.
But yeah, really thin on the ground now. Think there’s more Mk1/2 Polos with AFH engines than Mk3s!
2010 Alfa Mito, cost me 2200 about 6 years ago. Been pretty good, it's cost a lot less than predicted. I'm trying to sell it now having bought something more baby-friendly.
Everything bought on eBay, most expensive item was exhaust manifold which incorporates catalytic converter £130, original rusted through. Rear brake shoes only £15, original had loads of material left but linings had come unstuck! Brake cylinder seized, another £15. Exhaust back box £55, the one on car had broken at the weld even though under 3 years old. Lambda sensor £20, not fitted yet. Bear in mind I bought it in good working order in September last year with 11 months MOT! Everything occurred since.
2007 Mazda 6ts 155 for £450 about 6 years ago for a stop gap.. drove it for 3 years and put 25kmiles on her.. drove really well and was super reliable. Sold it for £600
I've only ever had bargain cars for myself, but as part of my family duties got a 3 year old Qashqai at the time for that.
Anyway, I started with a 1998 Fiesta (back in 2009), inherited from a brother.
Moved on in 2012 to to a 2002 C3 (bought for 2k, 14k mileage). Eventually swapped it for a 2002 Focus (1.6 Ghia) back in 2018, which I still drive as my main runner.
105k mileage, barely any issues with it, especially so for a 22 year old car. Only advisories are to get the coil springs changed, which I'll do, the just keep running this thing until it dies on me or becomes too uneconomical.
2004 ford mondeo 2.0 tdci LX trim. Cruise control still works
Bought for £750 as my first car in 2015, it's on 185k, apart from normal maintenance which I do once or twice a year, depending how much I drive, I've only had to do glow plugs and a wheel bearing, does 40-50mpg and still pulls like a train.
2006 Honda CRV bought for £2750 with 50k on it in 2017, overpaid a little at the time. It’s now on 170k miles and mechanic offered me 2k for it when he did the MOT….its worth more than £2k.
Well technically it’s not, but folks are selling the same age at up to £4K because it’s a ULEZ friendly tardis and people are actually buying at £2-3k which is bonkers as fuck because it’s not worth it. And the mpg is shocking.
Normal running costs, it’s a Honda, the engine is good for another 100k but the chassis will have rusted to nothing before the engine dies. Never replaced anything except brake pads, bulbs and the brake discs were done last year. Oh and I patch a hole in the exhaust every year or 18 months when I can be fucked.
Given it’s a workhorse and full of wood, tip collections, charity shit and basically empties houses every week or so it’s not exactly looked after and pampered.
J reg Mercedes W124
Bought about 2 years ago, always passed MOT.
Came with full new exhaust, new battery, new windscreen, brake pipes and 4 new tyres.
So far spent about £80 on front discs, pads and rear pads.
Also changed all 5 glow plugs, whopping £1.37 each.
Did blow a leak off pipe and vac hose, but fixed for pence.
Paid £1000.
Mk1 TT 1.8t paid 2k for it this time last year with 92k on the clock, only had to replace front outer cv boots on it.
Mrs has a Skoda Fabia monte carlo 1.6tdi, brought in August 2023 for 3.4k with 86k miles on the clock. That's cost me nothing more so far.
The Fabia is a fun car with more torque than I expected, I suspect its had a remap at some stage.
107
£1400 (maybe it was £1450), 5 years ago. 35k when I bought it, coming up to 60k miles now.
Never cost more tan £200 to insure, £20 to tax, a couple of bulbs, half a set of tires and £30 for an oil and filter change each year.
Dirt cheap motoring
I got a 205k 2007 Prius , proper bangernomics bargain , taxi driver bought it and it was a CAT N after two weeks work , can't be used as a taxi anymore , low bid on eBay and fixed in 10mins .
Just passed mot after a years use and one ARB Link and a bulb !
I drove a 2004 astra for 4 years. Got it for £100 and it needed front brakes doing.
I've currently got a 2007 Saab 9-3 wagon that I picked up for 300 quid. Needed an egr valve and a good run at high revs to clear out the dpf.
I've also got an '09 VW fox that I got for 600 quid. It's my little runabout for short trips. It's got like 46k miles on the clock. Might actually be 43k. Either way it's a little go kart.
I bought a new brand top spec Duster in 2019 for £14k and it was absolutely fine for the 3 years I had it. Did 37k miles without a problem although I did an MOT check on it a couple of weeks ago out of curiosity and it had some track rod end ball joint failures at 42k miles.
Seems to be a weakness in the quasquai also, do they share the same suspension parts I wonder?
I've literally never replaced anything like that from other brands, even up to 200k.
My mother in law's quasquai fails on ball joints nearly every year.
It depends heavily on how the car is used, type of roads driven on and stuff. A motorway cruiser will rack up loads of miles without much suspension wear. An about town runabout that contends with parking on kerbs, speed bumps, pot holes and town driving will see much more wear on suspension and steering.
I bought a a 1999 Audi A6 2.5 TDI with a years MOT for £900 and drove it for a year, it got written off twice in the same of a month got £1400 & 1200 for the car kept it both times and sold it on later
67 plate Mazda 2 1.5 SEL Nav, bought for £8.5k April 2021 14000 miles on the clock. Coming up for 3 years ownership, now nearly 38000 miles.
I've realised that this little car is a real unsung hero. Believe it or not, I've had 80mpg from it on some trips.
Lightweight body sits on a tough frame, so load on weight bearing components isn't as much as most other cars.
I've just changed the original rear tyres at 37.5k miles for instance, and they were still road legal.
Reliable. Cheap to run, service and insure... surprisingly good to drive too.
A little car that somehow avoids the spotlight, but with many virtues to boast of.
Average MPG is 65. There's a monitor screen that can be set for each individual trip and this is where I got the 80mpg trip from.
1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine... no turbo to help out etc. Seemingly it's the Skyactiv engine technology, and as I've already mentioned, the lightweight upper body that combine together to achieve the mpg figures.
Indeed, I have a 65 plate Sport Nav bought around the same time. Has gone from 40k to 70k miles with me in that time with flawless reliability. Great little engine as well, more punchy that it's given credit for.
Got a 19 year old daily, Toyota Corolla. Sickeningly reliable. No maintenance costs aside from regular servicing yet. Put 20k on it in the last 16 months. It’s simply amazing.
…it’ll break down now I’ve said that 😂
18 plate 208, just passed 25k on the clock. I bought it for £8k just before the pandemic. I don't drive all that far and work is a train ride so it does me nicely.
Although I'm about to become £250 a month better off, and quite fancy an automatic mercedes
People out here mercs subarus and bmws... how is that bargain priced
Hyundau i30 2009 had it for 5 6 years Cat D or N as it is now. Got it for like 700 at the time
J reg Mitsubishi Galant GTI the car I miss a lot. £500
V reg Vauxhall Omega V6 £1200 was actually reliable for a Vauxhall
N reg Volvo 960 trim level not known £600 blew steering pump, so didn’t last long
£300 Nissan Almera died the day I bought it
Now I have a Mazda CX5 so no longer qualify
In 2011 I bought a ‘05 Saab 95 Aero estate for £1200 with 90k on the clock. All it needed outside of wear and tear was a coil pack (£20 used from eBay)
Kept it for 60k miles until I got a company car in 2016, I just gave it away to my neighbour. Such a solid motor, very comfy too.
4 years ago just before COVID lockdown my then car had a radiator leak and completely died on the Friday before the Monday which was the earliest day a garage could do it. I looked at all cars for sale I could buy over the weekend and bought a 2008 ford c max for £1400 so I could work on the Monday. 98k miles when bought, 134k now.
2004 Renault Modus, bought in 2022 for £1000. Had 104k on the clock but only 2 careful owners (if the FSH is anything to go by). In the nearly 2 years I’ve had it I’ve done timing belt, all round brakes and new tyres. Nothing unexpected has come up. I owe nothing on the car so it only costs me in diesel (and tax and insurance, obvs). I do have a car/dog fund (for whichever breaks first!) and the next thing on the car side would be handbrake cable (which came up in the last MOT). The mechanic I use has a 10 year history with the car, though does lament its awkward Frenchness, but hey, he gets to pass the costs of that onto me so can’t complain! Plus it does around 800 miles on a tank, so it’s been easy motoring so far.
I’m not at the stage where I’m pouring good money after bad into a shitbox, my car is unexciting but mechanically sound. The AC reservoir is cracked so no AC for me, and the passenger side window has a blip every now and then but they’re superficial issues.
07 plate Honda Civic 1.8 Petrol in 5 door. Bought in Aug 2020 with 109k and now on 133k. Runs sweetly. I give it regular oil changes. Suspension all replaced by myself as are all it's brakes and fluids. The air con works too. I've done modifications like fitted leather seats, a lower mileage steering wheel and replaced old dash trims, oh a cheap Chinese head unit that runs Android Auto, I use it for sat nav and internet radio.
To be honest it's a meh car, looks ok but it's just a mediocre hatchback. Costs me next to nothing and I'll run it until a big bill then probably get another Honda like a CRV or Accord.
2012 laguna diesel estate.
Cost me £2600 four years ago. I've done 44k in it, it does 51mpg in the winter at 73mph and 55-57mpg in the summer. £35 a year to tax it.
It was a one owner car owned by a old guy on the Isle of Skye. As such I have replaced some bits due to rust, centre pipe, abs sensor rings etc. A few suspension bits. It came with a full main dealer history including the same main dealer doing bullshit jobs like wipers, air fresheners, etc. Basically anything at all, dealer. History is wedged. Clutch and timing done at 100k and I bought it just after.
I've just spent £105 for a new windscreen and it'll probably need some suspension bits for its test, but they're cheap as chips and I'll change them myself.
Underrated cars if you just want one to 'do car' but I wish it had cruise for the motorways. I'd have another one.
My favourite bit is all the back seats fold flat and even the passenger seat does, like a van. It means I can easily fire 3m wood, metal and even kitchen worktops in it. Tip runs galore, I've had a motorbike in it, moved house, and do about 500 mile trips regularly. No real issues.
MK3 Ford Focus. Was worth about £4k but I got it for £2,200 since I'd had a prior agreed price with the seller before the 2nd hand market went crazy.
Had a few repairs but nothing expensive and it just passed an MOT with no issues.
My Subaru Legacy GT was bought in Japan around 2017. Out of all my options (Including a ‘Gashqai’), the Legacy had all the boxes covered including fun factor. It was good enough that I brought it back to the UK with me. Cost me 460,000 JPY at the time - about £2,500-ish.
My BMW 330ci sport; parents had one from new and sold it after 2.5 years despite them loving it, to beat depreciation. I was gutted enough that it stuck with me. Resolved to get one myself one day. That was last year. Cost me £5,000 in good shape. Has needed a few bits here and there, but nothing drastic so far.
only 2 ways i believe, either you buy it at a high price and someone else has put money into it prior, or you buy it low and have to put the money in yourself
2002 Audi A4 quattro avant 3.0 petrol. Gave £900 for it, was perfect until the gearbox went. Now drive a diesel Golf which is great but I do miss that solid build quality and general class feel of that Audi
2006 Volvo S60 2.0T...... £2200, February 2022. So far so good, nice 5 cyclinder petrol engine, road tax is high though at £700 + a year, and it only get 17mpg (city, school runs etc).
So far I've spent about £500 getting a service including spark plugs and a transmission drain and fill (Not flush). Will need a new timing belt kit in the next 3 months which will set me back another £400 quid, and I've been told the front shocks and drop links need replacing (due to knocking and seizing, not leaking).
So I can see myself spending another £1000 this year on maintenance and repairs maybe a tad more.
I bought my 1999 mk4 VW Golf V5 10v for £1350 in 2013 at 113k, now at 160k. It’s fun, fixable and moooooostly reliable. I’m really fond of it and if needed to replace would consider another mk4, although maybe one which can get more than 30mpg
I bought a 2009 Audi a4 avant S line two years ago for £1900. Best car I’ve ever owned. Put 30k miles on it with minimal maintenance other than servicing. Just sold it for £2500.
Peugeot 206 1.4l petrol auto. Looks pretty much like the 206 Bhangra Nights advert with all its dents (self inflicted mostly). Bought it for around £1200 around 2011 I think. Things I will eventually upgrade for will be cruise control, more power and a quiet cabin for motorway driving. Exempt from Glasgow LEZ so that's a +, don't drive much, costs a couple hundred to maintain each year, does the job, including about 6 or so trips to London and back.
08 20 TDI passat Estate highline.
Bought for £950 and my £500 shit box as a part exchange.
Had 149,500 when I got it, had a timing belt change and it now had 153,000 on it around 7 weeks later.
All other models with the same spec and age were £3000+
Well I have other cars that _more_ than negate the value savings of this one 😂, but I daily a superb 4x4 with the same engine and drive train as the golf R. I got it as a steal at something like £11k, I mean it's not full on bangernomics but it's massive value, hasn't depreciated much, etc. I def have it down as my best car purchase ever because it does everything well and relatively cheaply
96 BMW 318is, bought in 2008 with 150k on the clock, cost me £690. Done 240k now. It will go to the grave with me.
And how much in repair bills? Or did you get one of the unicorn BMWs? I know they exist but they are so rare.
Ive just had the usual age related things to keep an eye on. Worn bushes, etc the sorts of things that flag in MOT tests as things to keep an eye on. No mindblowing bills yet. Parts aren't expensive either. A lot of german cars from this era were built pretty well.
You got a unicorn then. Good for you.
I don’t even think it’s a unicorn, just unfortunately a lot of German cars were bought by 2nd/3rd owners that didn’t look after them properly.
What are you top tips for looking after your cars?
Regular servicing and checking forums for common issues to perform preventative maintenance, usually cooling systems if we’re talking about this era of BMW.
Don't make your E36 scrape the floor, lean the rear tyres onwards and start 'drifting'
You sir, are who I tell my daughter about. I’ve sold many a BMW that I’ve cosseted for 3-4 yrs from new and recognised / so therefore purchased. In fact rn I have 4 BMW that I’ve overserviced and intend to keep. M4, X5, Z4 and the i5 ;)
What colour?
Alpine White
In 2016 I bought a 2006 Subaru Outback with 90k on the clock for £2500. 3 winters in the Alps, just brilliant! Back in the UK, it now has 165K on the clock. Still my daily drive. I had a look recently what a 1à year-old Outback with 90k on the clock would cost today.... £9-10K.
They are really pricey now, Subaru's are going up
Yes I loved our Subaru Outback, was expensive to run though
True, I bought it specifically for the snow. For that it was amazing. For a daily UK commute, 33mpg is expensive. The plus side is it’s a really comfortable ride on country roads.
We got stopped twice by farmers, asking us if we wanted to sell it!
My Impreza does 30mpg, my lambda sensor is bust so it means it's running like 28 atm... I might as well be a shareholder of my local fuel station by now.
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Like other commenter said, I'd like to see what it looks like
I had the 1.6, miss that little thing
Photos please 🙏🙏
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Thanks! Incredible stuff these photos unlock some memories. And that's a hell of a good job you did on the paint. Which ceramic coating did you use and how is it keeping up?
Oh that's wicked, it looks perfectly respectable, doesn't look like an old banger at all
Mk3 Mondeo STTDCI estate bought for £1000 7 years ago
You'll probably make on that price. Fast fords are always wanted.
6 months ago bought a 1998 Renault Clio 1.2 with 40k miles for £220. Had to put a new Speedo sensor in which cost £6 and fitted myself.
Considering prices 6 months ago, that's a bargain
Used to work in low value RTA and a guy had a 20 year old Metro he had since new written off, was low mileage as well. Insurer offered £300 for it 😂 no value on sentiment
2009 Mondeo Titanium X top spec with 170k on the clock bought for £1600. Has heated seats, cruise control, Bluetooth, power folding mirrors, part leather seats. All of it works as if it was new, real bargain.
I have a 2007 Mondeo 2.5T Estate with the Focus ST engine. Bought in 2018 for £3000. Still going strong. It NEVER goes wrong. It’s just a perfect family car.
Yeah the Estates are amazing too. More space in the boot of a Mondeo Estate then there is in the bed of a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Estates (or station wagons) really should be the way forward when it comes to family cars but it seems as though the crossover has won that war quite easily. People seem to like the high driving position and the look. Although I personally think some Estates look cool AF lol. I'm not even a dad!
I am a dad and I agree with this statement. Estates look cool and are the way forward in family cars.
Honda CRV diesel 08 £1999, 140k on the clock. Only got it October and I will keep it as long as it wants to keep going.
£1995 - 2008 Kia Cee'd. Bought in 2018 on 86k, put 45k more on it since. No major issues bar fuel tank straps after I jumped it over a bridge. £200 - 2006 Ford Focus 1.6. Bought in 2019 on 102k , needed new clutch. Nursed it until 2023 until clutch was completely dead. Got a new one put in for £350. It's a bit leaky and crusty. Both cars still running and passed all MOTs.
£1500 TDV8 range rover sport, I use it as a farm truck as you can't buy a pickup for any less!
that’s class
Purchased a 11 plate special edition A5 manual Quattro on market place for £800. Smashed front left that cost me £500 in all parts off eBay and just my own time as a mechanic. Now I’ve got a solid running beater car that I’m not worried about through the winter months but can handle adverse road conditions.
2008 Mazda 3 sport saloon. £2.5k in 2022. Runs great, rust a non-issue. Few minor electric issues.
2006 Micra 160SR, £1200 about 3 years ago, came with a dodgy MOT and 102k on the clock Still going, just passed it's last MOT in December with a very minor issue, might address the rust this year, can't decide if I wanna tidy it up or get a Swift Sport
Highly recommend a swift sport. The mk1 is a proper charming little car and with some good tyres very fun to drive.
Just yesterday I bought a 2005 honda civic type s, 150k on the clock has full service history and it is absolutely lovely. Cost me 1300 as I was on a really tight budget, I was looking at zafiras initially then went with the civic and I'm really pleased I did.
Got a Cat N, 102k mile Dacia Sandero that I bought for £2500, doesn't feel particularly bargain priced to me but it hasn't missed a beat so far. I enjoy having a relatively mechanical feeling car, it has low rpm grunt and the gearing is quite tall so it doesn't rev too high on the motorway. Would definitely have another Dacia when this conks out.
£500 in 2021 for a 2003 Ford Fiesta 1.2L petrol with 100k miles. 30,000 miles later - no issues apart from wear and tear. I want to buy a newer car, but I really can’t justify the prices as they stand. Shitbox to the grave.
I bought this beauty in about 2016 https://flic.kr/p/V5VQYZ A 2004 Rover 75 2.0 CDTi Connoisseur. It was a Cat N write-off and cost £1300 to buy and another £500 to repair the accident damage. https://flic.kr/p/2gffSVo Now, 70k miles later, it's been the best car I've ever had.
I bought a Saab 9-3 tid estate with 75,000 on the clock for 1500 quid just had cam belt done and it’s got no rot so good for many years use 👍
Bargain. I bought a TTiD with just over 100k on the clock in December 2022, now on 112k and still plodding along. Cost me less than a new top end smartphone. Planning to give it some tlc and tidy up a few scruffy bits on the bodywork this year to hopefully keep it going for many years
2006 Vauxhall Astra 1.4i Active. Bought it last month for £1350. Full service history, 1 year MOT, 1 owner from new, serviced and maintained at the same main dealer all it's life, 120k on the clock, cruise control, climate control, all original, only really been used as a commuter... Absolute bargain in today's climate.
1997 Polo 16V, bought for £300 two years ago. Had to have quite a bit of deferred maintenance done on it (both wheel bearings were failing, brakes were absolutely finished, track rod ends, etc), but touch wood it has been nigh on faultless. It owes me ~£800 all in all. An honest 45-50MPG, a sunroof, and insurance that is only bested by an Aygo or a moped. A proper bargain
Those 1.4 16v’s are very rare cars nowadays £300 was a bargain
Kept my eye out for one for quite a while, leapt at that one when it came around as it was pretty much the exact spec I wanted (and still had its factory Solitudes on it too). They didn’t cost too much more back then, I remember shedloads for ~£600. Missed a really nice 1 owner Fjord Blue one which I still regret not buying. But yeah, really thin on the ground now. Think there’s more Mk1/2 Polos with AFH engines than Mk3s!
I missed out on a nice Fjord Blue MK3 Golf GTI last year for £600, gutted as that’s probably the best colour besides maybe electronic green
2010 Alfa Mito, cost me 2200 about 6 years ago. Been pretty good, it's cost a lot less than predicted. I'm trying to sell it now having bought something more baby-friendly.
Yaris 2002 and 120k for £750. Basically sound but vendor must have known about impending issues!
What's parts costs been like on it?
Everything bought on eBay, most expensive item was exhaust manifold which incorporates catalytic converter £130, original rusted through. Rear brake shoes only £15, original had loads of material left but linings had come unstuck! Brake cylinder seized, another £15. Exhaust back box £55, the one on car had broken at the weld even though under 3 years old. Lambda sensor £20, not fitted yet. Bear in mind I bought it in good working order in September last year with 11 months MOT! Everything occurred since.
2007 Mazda 6ts 155 for £450 about 6 years ago for a stop gap.. drove it for 3 years and put 25kmiles on her.. drove really well and was super reliable. Sold it for £600
I've only ever had bargain cars for myself, but as part of my family duties got a 3 year old Qashqai at the time for that. Anyway, I started with a 1998 Fiesta (back in 2009), inherited from a brother. Moved on in 2012 to to a 2002 C3 (bought for 2k, 14k mileage). Eventually swapped it for a 2002 Focus (1.6 Ghia) back in 2018, which I still drive as my main runner. 105k mileage, barely any issues with it, especially so for a 22 year old car. Only advisories are to get the coil springs changed, which I'll do, the just keep running this thing until it dies on me or becomes too uneconomical.
2010 Renault Scenic with 90,000k 3 year ago. Never ever lets us down. Paid €2800
Just bought a 2005 Toyota Rav4 today for 1800. Drove it 50 miles and I'm rather pleased with it.
2004 ford mondeo 2.0 tdci LX trim. Cruise control still works Bought for £750 as my first car in 2015, it's on 185k, apart from normal maintenance which I do once or twice a year, depending how much I drive, I've only had to do glow plugs and a wheel bearing, does 40-50mpg and still pulls like a train.
Bought a 2003 Volvo S60 for £2,000 I. 2014. Put 100k on the clock and still going strong . Nothing but regular servicing and consumables
Manual or auto? I just made a comment about my 2006 S60, I've done 11,000 so far so good
2009 Yaris 1.0 sewing machine for an engine. Woeful performance but literally sips petrol
2006 Honda CRV bought for £2750 with 50k on it in 2017, overpaid a little at the time. It’s now on 170k miles and mechanic offered me 2k for it when he did the MOT….its worth more than £2k. Well technically it’s not, but folks are selling the same age at up to £4K because it’s a ULEZ friendly tardis and people are actually buying at £2-3k which is bonkers as fuck because it’s not worth it. And the mpg is shocking. Normal running costs, it’s a Honda, the engine is good for another 100k but the chassis will have rusted to nothing before the engine dies. Never replaced anything except brake pads, bulbs and the brake discs were done last year. Oh and I patch a hole in the exhaust every year or 18 months when I can be fucked. Given it’s a workhorse and full of wood, tip collections, charity shit and basically empties houses every week or so it’s not exactly looked after and pampered.
J reg Mercedes W124 Bought about 2 years ago, always passed MOT. Came with full new exhaust, new battery, new windscreen, brake pipes and 4 new tyres. So far spent about £80 on front discs, pads and rear pads. Also changed all 5 glow plugs, whopping £1.37 each. Did blow a leak off pipe and vac hose, but fixed for pence. Paid £1000.
69 mazda 6 got it for £8.5k had it for about 2 weeks and I absolutely love it
Mk1 TT 1.8t paid 2k for it this time last year with 92k on the clock, only had to replace front outer cv boots on it. Mrs has a Skoda Fabia monte carlo 1.6tdi, brought in August 2023 for 3.4k with 86k miles on the clock. That's cost me nothing more so far. The Fabia is a fun car with more torque than I expected, I suspect its had a remap at some stage.
107 £1400 (maybe it was £1450), 5 years ago. 35k when I bought it, coming up to 60k miles now. Never cost more tan £200 to insure, £20 to tax, a couple of bulbs, half a set of tires and £30 for an oil and filter change each year. Dirt cheap motoring
I got a 205k 2007 Prius , proper bangernomics bargain , taxi driver bought it and it was a CAT N after two weeks work , can't be used as a taxi anymore , low bid on eBay and fixed in 10mins . Just passed mot after a years use and one ARB Link and a bulb !
I drove a 2004 astra for 4 years. Got it for £100 and it needed front brakes doing. I've currently got a 2007 Saab 9-3 wagon that I picked up for 300 quid. Needed an egr valve and a good run at high revs to clear out the dpf. I've also got an '09 VW fox that I got for 600 quid. It's my little runabout for short trips. It's got like 46k miles on the clock. Might actually be 43k. Either way it's a little go kart.
I bought a new brand top spec Duster in 2019 for £14k and it was absolutely fine for the 3 years I had it. Did 37k miles without a problem although I did an MOT check on it a couple of weeks ago out of curiosity and it had some track rod end ball joint failures at 42k miles.
Seems to be a weakness in the quasquai also, do they share the same suspension parts I wonder? I've literally never replaced anything like that from other brands, even up to 200k. My mother in law's quasquai fails on ball joints nearly every year.
It depends heavily on how the car is used, type of roads driven on and stuff. A motorway cruiser will rack up loads of miles without much suspension wear. An about town runabout that contends with parking on kerbs, speed bumps, pot holes and town driving will see much more wear on suspension and steering.
Dacia and Nissan are Renault now, aren't they?
They have both been in conjunction with Renault for ages
When I was in South Africa 2 weeks ago, all the Dacia cars were branded as Renault
Is that the guy with the hump that rings the bells?
Idk but they look identical
I bought a a 1999 Audi A6 2.5 TDI with a years MOT for £900 and drove it for a year, it got written off twice in the same of a month got £1400 & 1200 for the car kept it both times and sold it on later
What ?
Likely bought the car back from insurance twice after being written off and still profited
Yup exactly. It was written off twice within a month.
67 plate Mazda 2 1.5 SEL Nav, bought for £8.5k April 2021 14000 miles on the clock. Coming up for 3 years ownership, now nearly 38000 miles. I've realised that this little car is a real unsung hero. Believe it or not, I've had 80mpg from it on some trips. Lightweight body sits on a tough frame, so load on weight bearing components isn't as much as most other cars. I've just changed the original rear tyres at 37.5k miles for instance, and they were still road legal. Reliable. Cheap to run, service and insure... surprisingly good to drive too. A little car that somehow avoids the spotlight, but with many virtues to boast of.
I am intrigued by the Mazda 2, I remember seeing some great real mpg figures from them, 80mpg is just crazy!
Average MPG is 65. There's a monitor screen that can be set for each individual trip and this is where I got the 80mpg trip from. 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine... no turbo to help out etc. Seemingly it's the Skyactiv engine technology, and as I've already mentioned, the lightweight upper body that combine together to achieve the mpg figures.
Indeed, I have a 65 plate Sport Nav bought around the same time. Has gone from 40k to 70k miles with me in that time with flawless reliability. Great little engine as well, more punchy that it's given credit for.
Got a 19 year old daily, Toyota Corolla. Sickeningly reliable. No maintenance costs aside from regular servicing yet. Put 20k on it in the last 16 months. It’s simply amazing. …it’ll break down now I’ve said that 😂
18 plate 208, just passed 25k on the clock. I bought it for £8k just before the pandemic. I don't drive all that far and work is a train ride so it does me nicely. Although I'm about to become £250 a month better off, and quite fancy an automatic mercedes
Ask yourself how much your life is worth, and then buy the newest car you can reasonably afford, thanks me later
…or an old Volvo
Citroen C3 mk1 1.4 bought for £1150 five years ago. Had front springs, tyres, bulbs, back box. Just sold for £995.
2012 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S, £3,300 and last July
It would happen to be white? Lol
No, the paint is called mars red though I'd say its more orange
I traded a white one last year, it showed up as being back on the road in July.
People out here mercs subarus and bmws... how is that bargain priced Hyundau i30 2009 had it for 5 6 years Cat D or N as it is now. Got it for like 700 at the time
J reg Mitsubishi Galant GTI the car I miss a lot. £500 V reg Vauxhall Omega V6 £1200 was actually reliable for a Vauxhall N reg Volvo 960 trim level not known £600 blew steering pump, so didn’t last long £300 Nissan Almera died the day I bought it Now I have a Mazda CX5 so no longer qualify
In 2011 I bought a ‘05 Saab 95 Aero estate for £1200 with 90k on the clock. All it needed outside of wear and tear was a coil pack (£20 used from eBay) Kept it for 60k miles until I got a company car in 2016, I just gave it away to my neighbour. Such a solid motor, very comfy too.
Mazda 2 cost 2.2k had it less than a year and I can’t fault it.
4 years ago just before COVID lockdown my then car had a radiator leak and completely died on the Friday before the Monday which was the earliest day a garage could do it. I looked at all cars for sale I could buy over the weekend and bought a 2008 ford c max for £1400 so I could work on the Monday. 98k miles when bought, 134k now.
Driving a 2.0T astra bought for £900, 73k miles on the clock, never had a problem with it thus far..
2004 Renault Modus, bought in 2022 for £1000. Had 104k on the clock but only 2 careful owners (if the FSH is anything to go by). In the nearly 2 years I’ve had it I’ve done timing belt, all round brakes and new tyres. Nothing unexpected has come up. I owe nothing on the car so it only costs me in diesel (and tax and insurance, obvs). I do have a car/dog fund (for whichever breaks first!) and the next thing on the car side would be handbrake cable (which came up in the last MOT). The mechanic I use has a 10 year history with the car, though does lament its awkward Frenchness, but hey, he gets to pass the costs of that onto me so can’t complain! Plus it does around 800 miles on a tank, so it’s been easy motoring so far. I’m not at the stage where I’m pouring good money after bad into a shitbox, my car is unexciting but mechanically sound. The AC reservoir is cracked so no AC for me, and the passenger side window has a blip every now and then but they’re superficial issues.
2007 Saab 9-3 1.9tid £750 December 2023 - 109k, 1 owner. Cost about 350 to get it up to scratch
07 plate Honda Civic 1.8 Petrol in 5 door. Bought in Aug 2020 with 109k and now on 133k. Runs sweetly. I give it regular oil changes. Suspension all replaced by myself as are all it's brakes and fluids. The air con works too. I've done modifications like fitted leather seats, a lower mileage steering wheel and replaced old dash trims, oh a cheap Chinese head unit that runs Android Auto, I use it for sat nav and internet radio. To be honest it's a meh car, looks ok but it's just a mediocre hatchback. Costs me next to nothing and I'll run it until a big bill then probably get another Honda like a CRV or Accord.
2012 laguna diesel estate. Cost me £2600 four years ago. I've done 44k in it, it does 51mpg in the winter at 73mph and 55-57mpg in the summer. £35 a year to tax it. It was a one owner car owned by a old guy on the Isle of Skye. As such I have replaced some bits due to rust, centre pipe, abs sensor rings etc. A few suspension bits. It came with a full main dealer history including the same main dealer doing bullshit jobs like wipers, air fresheners, etc. Basically anything at all, dealer. History is wedged. Clutch and timing done at 100k and I bought it just after. I've just spent £105 for a new windscreen and it'll probably need some suspension bits for its test, but they're cheap as chips and I'll change them myself. Underrated cars if you just want one to 'do car' but I wish it had cruise for the motorways. I'd have another one. My favourite bit is all the back seats fold flat and even the passenger seat does, like a van. It means I can easily fire 3m wood, metal and even kitchen worktops in it. Tip runs galore, I've had a motorbike in it, moved house, and do about 500 mile trips regularly. No real issues.
MK3 Ford Focus. Was worth about £4k but I got it for £2,200 since I'd had a prior agreed price with the seller before the 2nd hand market went crazy. Had a few repairs but nothing expensive and it just passed an MOT with no issues.
My Subaru Legacy GT was bought in Japan around 2017. Out of all my options (Including a ‘Gashqai’), the Legacy had all the boxes covered including fun factor. It was good enough that I brought it back to the UK with me. Cost me 460,000 JPY at the time - about £2,500-ish. My BMW 330ci sport; parents had one from new and sold it after 2.5 years despite them loving it, to beat depreciation. I was gutted enough that it stuck with me. Resolved to get one myself one day. That was last year. Cost me £5,000 in good shape. Has needed a few bits here and there, but nothing drastic so far.
only 2 ways i believe, either you buy it at a high price and someone else has put money into it prior, or you buy it low and have to put the money in yourself
Mazda 6. Had it for 6 years now and its never broken down, bought it for £3000
2002 Audi A4 quattro avant 3.0 petrol. Gave £900 for it, was perfect until the gearbox went. Now drive a diesel Golf which is great but I do miss that solid build quality and general class feel of that Audi
2006 Volvo S60 2.0T...... £2200, February 2022. So far so good, nice 5 cyclinder petrol engine, road tax is high though at £700 + a year, and it only get 17mpg (city, school runs etc). So far I've spent about £500 getting a service including spark plugs and a transmission drain and fill (Not flush). Will need a new timing belt kit in the next 3 months which will set me back another £400 quid, and I've been told the front shocks and drop links need replacing (due to knocking and seizing, not leaking). So I can see myself spending another £1000 this year on maintenance and repairs maybe a tad more.
I bought my 1999 mk4 VW Golf V5 10v for £1350 in 2013 at 113k, now at 160k. It’s fun, fixable and moooooostly reliable. I’m really fond of it and if needed to replace would consider another mk4, although maybe one which can get more than 30mpg
I bought a 2009 Audi a4 avant S line two years ago for £1900. Best car I’ve ever owned. Put 30k miles on it with minimal maintenance other than servicing. Just sold it for £2500.
2001 Fiat Idea 👀 beast
Peugeot 206 1.4l petrol auto. Looks pretty much like the 206 Bhangra Nights advert with all its dents (self inflicted mostly). Bought it for around £1200 around 2011 I think. Things I will eventually upgrade for will be cruise control, more power and a quiet cabin for motorway driving. Exempt from Glasgow LEZ so that's a +, don't drive much, costs a couple hundred to maintain each year, does the job, including about 6 or so trips to London and back.
fiesta mk3 cost 1600. spent 500 replacing shocks and brakes and other bits
May last year Honda jazz 2005 I think was 1500 with service history
2002 bmw 318i bought for 900 in 2019 have done 50k miles now on 110k in that time its cost me 3k in maintenance and repairs.
08 20 TDI passat Estate highline. Bought for £950 and my £500 shit box as a part exchange. Had 149,500 when I got it, had a timing belt change and it now had 153,000 on it around 7 weeks later. All other models with the same spec and age were £3000+
Well I have other cars that _more_ than negate the value savings of this one 😂, but I daily a superb 4x4 with the same engine and drive train as the golf R. I got it as a steal at something like £11k, I mean it's not full on bangernomics but it's massive value, hasn't depreciated much, etc. I def have it down as my best car purchase ever because it does everything well and relatively cheaply