I am looking for a newer car, but have no idea what I really want.

I have £4,000 to spend and ideally want something that is no older than 2005 registered, good on fuel, turbo diesel, nice drive and no more than 70,000 miles.

I have seen the following, but wondered if anyone has any experience of these car or could suggest something?

Peugeot 307
Ford Focus
Skoda Fabia

You can have my Focus if you want - just passed mot. Unleaded, though, but isn't that cheaper than diesel?

Details?

I'd say get a Seat Leon (they have a very punchy turbo diesel engine) or a Fabia (bit small) like you suggested. You can't go far wrong with VW derived cars.

Erm, it is black. Seriously I know diddly about cars, and happily only use the bike....

Are Fabia's small?

I currently have a Seat Ibiza and the car feels every bump. Are the Leon better?

The Leon is a different class to the Ibiza and the MK2 Leon is basically a Golf with a sporty looking shell. Ride can be a bit firm/sporty depending on how you want to describe it. But the Leon is a very comfortable car.

How much would one of those set you back?

probably taking about 5-6K for a MK2 around that age or an earlier MK1 in excellent condition for 4-5K and much cheaper.

If it were me I'd go for a higher miler MK2 - as long as it 's got service history and you may get a 2006 plate for something between 5-6K - but if you have a good hunt round you may drop on a good MK1 for 4k or less.

old shape astra 1.7 TDI. 57 mpg combined apparently

can get one for £3k

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

Parkers:

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/v ... back-2004/

With the price of petrol you should be getting something fuel efficient pal, my mate just got an aygo. 55 miles per gallon, £20 quid road tax a year, traded in his old motor and bought the car for 6999, think he got 1500 for his old one, paid another 500 and is now paying 69 a month for three years at 0% and when the three years is up he can pay the remaining 2k or trade it in for a newer car and start over again......might even do it myself

You don't want diesel, the government are going to hammer diesel drivers for a new emissions tax soon so if you drive a diesel get rid now.

Plus most cars made soon are going to be hybrids anyway

Alfa 156?

Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160718363301? ... 500wt_1413

You can have mine for a third of that

I can find out the reg\year etc if you want.

I've got a fabia estate, great car. cheap insurance, good mpg, nippy when it needs to be, solidly built and loads of room inside the estate considering it's not a big car. Love it.

I would not recommend a peugeot

I've got a Seat Leon, and have to say its a great drive.

What do you think of the price of this car? Is it over priced?

Got a 58 plate Seat Ibiza with 18,000 miles on the clock, for around £5,750/£6,750 (was over a year ago and I forget), great cars and basically better looking VWs for half the price.

Way out of my price range.

it was a lease car initially, so although the list price wasn't a huge consideration, it did effect the overall cost of the lease per month, I had scope for whatever car I wanted and for my price range and circumstances this car was head and shoulders above all the others, at the time I was comparing it with astra, focus, megane, citreon c4 (i think). I've only ever owned 2 other cars so I'm not in a position to say whether it's overpriced or not, sorry mate.

KIA, the most relable car on the market.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kia-Sedona-2- ... 5ae43af859

Have any of you seat owners had any mechanical issues?
I know 3 people who own one, and all have had loads of problems
My other half has an almera and the ECU needed replacing, which came to £1400 , and googling showed this to be a common problem with SEAT.
Friends have had all sorts of issues.

How would you feel about buying at auction? Astra's are going dirt cheap at the moment, this one will probably go for under 3k

http://www.bcaimage.com/GetDoc.aspx?asp ... &width=540

I have been to the auctions a few times, but the one by me has been dead lately.

I had a Toledo for 4yrs. So did my Dad. We both had problems with some leakage (wet floors) but nothing more serious. I used to keep a couple of newspapers under the passenger side footwell mat & change them once a week but other than that the damn thing never coughed. After a service I think I ran it successfully through 3 MOT's before it was serviced again Like a Golf (had one of those too) with Grp6 insurance rather than Grp14 & better spec (Cruise, Centre armrest etc).

Think your probs Kiz are down to the Almera being a NISSAN and not a SEAT

Doh, it's an Altea, not almera

Transfer to Traffic - shot to shit...

Ashers what sort of mileage do you do each year?

On to my second Leon - no problems at all - never missed a beat and very economical to run, did 60K in my first one and now done 65k in my second (which was part-ex with my MK1) - plan to keep this until about the 120k mark or I get a windfall and I'll probably get a MK3 that is coming out this year.

8,000 - 10,000k