NationStates Jolt Archive

this month we finally finish paying for my current car (by "we" i mean my parents... and their very lucky son (me!!))

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/images/article_images/corsa_1_560px.jpg
my current car (not quite the right model but near enough) - it will probably fetch about £4,000 part-ex


we've long planned to get a larger and safer car as soon as we can, and now that time has come. i have loved that car, but time to move on...


these are the two cars i'm considering currently:

http://www.greenandhot.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/Honda_Civic_2006.jpg

http://www.wheels24.co.za/Images/Photos/20061207125616207cc.jpg


both are pretty new this year, and both do pretty/very well in the EuroNCap ratings for safety. both are in a similar price range (between £15,000 and £17,000 first hand - i'll be going 2nd hand of course)... so how do i choose between them? :confused:

i like the civic because of its futuristic looks and many gadgets, plus honda have a record for very reliable cars.
i like the 207cc because its a convertable, and that's cool! even cooler is that its a hard-top and fully automated. but that's about it - other than that its a pretty bog-standard car.
both have fairly decent MPG, it might be worth noting


anybody here happen to have experience of either of these two cars? or can anyone convince me to even consider an alternative (that would have to be in the same price range)?

Lucky that you even have a nice car. My car is about to explode, and I doon't have the money to replace it.

when I was younger I had an old Honda Civic, like when I got it, it had 150K miles on it, and was still running, when I sold it the odometer had flipped and it had 40K on it after that....and it was still running, and I still got $1500US out of it, even though it was nearly 15 years old. It was the car you couldn't kill, other than minor repairs (brakes, alternator, starter) it just ran...wonderfully and got really good gas mileage the whole time.

(not that any of that would automatically apply now, but it's worth the time typing it I guess)

How about this? (http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/showroom/classic.html)

dude...get THIS

http://www.militarypictures.info/d/188-2/Arjun_tank.jpg

:P

http://www.greenandhot.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/Honda_Civic_2006.jpg
I've mentioned to you before that this model has shortcomings, but it is a decent car overall. And it remains fantastic to look at, both inside and out. A fairly safe bet.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Images/Photos/20061207125616207cc.jpg
Er...how do I put this? How much do you value your...image of manliness?

anybody here happen to have experience of either of these two cars? or can anyone convince me to even consider an alternative (that would have to be in the same price range)?
Any reason why you're looking for such a big car? There's a load of great models about at the moment in the class below.

How about this? (http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/showroom/classic.html)

I have a friend who races those.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/205659/fiat_panda_100hp.html

You'd be buying a new car for feasible money, and it would be good fun to boot.

Alternate choices are the Suzuki Ignis Sport or, if you can afford it, the Suzuki Swift Sport (http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/203045/suzuki_swift.html).

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/205659/fiat_panda_100hp.html

You'd be buying a new car for feasible money, and it would be good fun to boot.

Alternate choices are the Suzuki Ignis Sport or, if you can afford it, the Suzuki Swift Sport (http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/203045/suzuki_swift.html).

I was thinking of the Swift as one of the smaller cars I mentioned above. The Panda is a great little car, but I don't think I'd go for the 100HP version - it's meant to be deafeningly noisy.

Not that I actually know anything about either of these cars, but I'd think that the convertible would definitely get the better price when you sell it again after a few (or more) years. I think. <.<

Er...how do I put this? How much do you value your...image of manliness?
lol, i really don't care what other people will think of me in it... i know its a "girly car" but *meh*

*is obviously a girl* ;)

Any reason why you're looking for such a big car? There's a load of great models about at the moment in the class below.
my family and i were involved in a pretty bad car crash when i was 11. since then i've wanted a big, safe car (like a volvo or sommat) but i can't afford that. this corsa has been great but its not safe/big enough for the long run, for me.

but if there are any really good smaller (cheaper!) cars at the mo, what be they?


dude...get THIS

http://www.militarypictures.info/d/188-2/Arjun_tank.jpg
lol! safe AND no more queueing :p


when I was younger I had an old Honda Civic, like when I got it, it had 150K miles on it, and was still running, when I sold it the odometer had flipped and it had 40K on it after that....and it was still running, and I still got $1500US out of it, even though it was nearly 15 years old. It was the car you couldn't kill, other than minor repairs (brakes, alternator, starter) it just ran...wonderfully and got really good gas mileage the whole time.

(not that any of that would automatically apply now, but it's worth the time typing it I guess)
exactly why i'm attracted to honda... purgeot have recalled the 206cc (the predecessor to this car above) 10 times in its relatively short history. that's not good...

Lucky that you even have a nice car. My car is about to explode, and I doon't have the money to replace it.
i am lucky. but i've also saved up for this (will still have to get a small loan probably tho)

How about this? (http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/showroom/classic.html)

at least the 207cc has some practicality :p

but if there are any really good smaller (cheaper!) cars at the mo, what be they?

The new Clio is a good little car, and the non-convertible 207 is meant to be too. But, bare in mind that they are French, and so you'll be lucky if they make it to the end of the driveway before they surrender with some fault or another.

The Toyota Yaris is fairly decent, would go forever and hold its value well. But, it's meant to be noisy at speed, and I don't like the way you have to really reach down to get to the heating controls.

The new Corsa is good, as is it's sister, the Fiat Grande Punto. The Suzuki Swift is also a good little car, that reviews continue to praise.

On the flipside, I'd avoid the Ford Fiesta simply because it's coming to the end of its lifespan. Same with the VW Polo. I think there is a new Skoda Fabia out now, or about to be released, which might be worth a look.

If you want a convertible, the Mazda MX-5 remains the best.

I'll post again if I can remember any more.

This is what you want. (http://volvo240.free.fr/images/bonan3.jpg)

Drinks lots of gas, runs like a tractor and will never break down. And it comes with a radio and rear-wheel drive! Oh! And its built like a tank.

The new Clio is a good little car, and the non-convertible 207 is meant to be too. But, bare in mind that they are French, and so you'll be lucky if they make it to the end of the driveway before they surrender with some fault or another.



QFT! My Megané has had more problems than I can currently think of. Runs great, is fun, pretty safe. And about as reliable as a pregnant woman with pms.(impossible, yes, I know.)

at least the 207cc has some practicality :p

Well, at least the Caterham is more practical than this:
http://www.motardsfous.ch/new/2007/GSXR1000K7.jpg

Although, it is more expensive, slower, less fun...

The new Clio is a good little car, and the non-convertible 207 is meant to be too. But, bare in mind that they are French, and so you'll be lucky if they make it to the end of the driveway before they surrender with some fault or another.

The Toyota Yaris is fairly decent, would go forever and hold its value well. But, it's meant to be noisy at speed, and I don't like the way you have to really reach down to get to the heating controls.

The new Corsa is good, as is it's sister, the Fiat Grande Punto. The Suzuki Swift is also a good little car, that reviews continue to praise.

ok, i'll give them a little look in... they're brands i'd pretty much looked over because i do want to move up to a larger car, but also because i see toyota and suzuki (and even fiat for some reason) as expensive 'fancy-cars'

On the flipside, I'd avoid the Ford Fiesta simply because it's coming to the end of its lifespan. Same with the VW Polo. I think there is a new Skoda Fabia out now, or about to be released, which might be worth a look.

If you want a convertible, the Mazda MX-5 remains the best.

I'll post again if I can remember any more.

what of the ford focus? its one of the ones i'm half-considering... as was the polo, kinda.

as for the mazda, i don't really want a 'sports car'... this 207cc is just about perfect for me (in my head - going for a test drive on saturday) cos its a normal, comfortable car that also happens to be a convertable. and the civic is reliable, efficient and comfortable again. the price of that car surprised me though!

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/205659/fiat_panda_100hp.html

You'd be buying a new car for feasible money, and it would be good fun to boot.


well... its ugly :P
see above on why i'm not really after a car with "serious thrills"

my mum has a 206cc as her midlife crisis car. it's pretty good so i guess the 207 version would be better. what engine size you getting? my mum's is a 2.0 litre and i reckon that's the minimum if you want to have real fun in it. i tested some of the smaller plants with her and they were all pretty wheezy.

with the civic, it's a good car but honestly the 5 door looks gash. the 3 door version on the other hand is quality, but then i guess if your going 'upscale' you're looking at more doors.

of the two i would choose the civic because of general soundness and it looks better, even if it could look better as a 3 door.

on a side note: holy crap! you have a choice of cars worth c.10 grand and you're going for these?

ok, i'll give them a little look in... they're brands i'd pretty much looked over because i do want to move up to a larger car, but also because i see toyota and suzuki (and even fiat for some reason) as expensive 'fancy-cars'
lol, they're not expensive, you should be ok. I think it's fair to say that none of them are bad cars, so it should come down to personal preference.

what of the ford focus? its one of the ones i'm half-considering? as was the polo, kinda.
The Focus is a great car, but deadly dull to look at. The VW isn't a bad car per se, but bare in mind that it is a model that's about 6 years old now, so you'd be buying a new old car, if you see what I mean.

as for the mazda, i don't really want a 'sports car'... this 207cc is just about perfect for me (in my head - going for a test drive on saturday) cos its a normal, comfortable car that also happens to be a convertable. and the civic is reliable, efficient and comfortable again. the price of that car surprised me though!

Well, like I said above, it really does come down to personal preference. It's really hard these days to find a genuinely bad car (if you avoid the Koreans/Malaysians), so it will be more about what you like. When you're sitting in the car you want, you'll know it, and you won't give a toss what the reviews say.

my family and i were involved in a pretty bad car crash when i was 11. since then i've wanted a big, safe car (like a volvo or sommat) but i can't afford that. this corsa has been great but its not safe/big enough for the long run, for me.

why don't you get a second hand volvo then? lik, a bit older than these. my dad just got an ... s80? or something ... for about 10 grand.

out of the ones you've mentioned, PM, i would go for the ford focus no question. none of the others compare for all round goodness. except for style, the focus is Bllaaaaand.

my mum has a 206cc as her midlife crisis car. it's pretty good so i guess the 207 version would be better. what engine size you getting? my mum's is a 2.0 litre and i reckon that's the minimum if you want to have real fun in it. i tested some of the smaller plants with her and they were all pretty wheezy.

with the civic, it's a good car but honestly the 5 door looks gash. the 3 door version on the other hand is quality, but then i guess if your going 'upscale' you're looking at more doors.

of the two i would choose the civic because of general soundness and it looks better, even if it could look better as a 3 door.
lol... you know only 12% of 206cc owners were male? :P
all the 207cc's are 1.6l, i think... two petrols (one turbo) and one diesel

on a side note: holy crap! you have a choice of cars worth c.10 grand and you're going for these?
these aren't decent cars? :confused:

lol, they're not expensive, you should be ok. I think it's fair to say that none of them are bad cars, so it should come down to personal preference.

The Focus is a great car, but deadly dull to look at. The VW isn't a bad car per se, but bare in mind that it is a model that's about 6 years old now, so you'd be buying a new old car, if you see what I mean.

Well, like I said above, it really does come down to personal preference. It's really hard these days to find a genuinely bad car (if you avoid the Koreans/Malaysians), so it will be more about what you like. When you're sitting in the car you want, you'll know it, and you won't give a toss what the reviews say.

yup, so much is down to what you like. and i do have to say that i like the 207cc a lot, if nothing else than for the notion of being able to drive in the summer with the top down :cool:
don't really care about anything else :p ;)

though i did just find this, the nissan micra cc... its cheaper! but then its a micra (hardly bigger/safer :p) http://www.nissan.co.uk/home/vehicles/passenger/K12F/index.html?ln=/en_GB

lthough i did just find this, the nissan micra cc... its cheaper! but then its a micra (hardly bigger/safer :p) http://www.nissan.co.uk/home/vehicles/passenger/K12F/index.html?ln=/en_GB

ok...I was worried when you said the 207, but now I'm seriously beginning to question your gender. :p

I hear Civics are really reliable, so you won't have to keep shelling out for weird repairs all the damn time. That means a lot to me right now.

lol... you know only 12% of 206cc owners were male? :P
all the 207cc's are 1.6l, i think... two petrols (one turbo) and one diesel


these aren't decent cars? :confused:


well my mum's female to so.... i's alright :p ;)

they're okay, but for what youre wanting (apparently high safety with a bit of style) you could go for an older and much better car.

a golf from the previous incarnation would be just as good and very solid if a bit heavy, and the original focus was very good to drive and had good safety rating.

and for £10 grand you could look into large family cars if you consider older models.

ok...I was worried when you said the 207, but now I'm seriously beginning to question your gender. :p

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00104/nissanbigpink240106_104776b.jpg

ORLY? :p

well... its ugly :P
see above on why i'm not really after a car with "serious thrills"
How about a used Audi? You can get 2003 A4s for that price. And there's no one who's really got a bad thing to say about Audis (nice interior (http://www.carnuttv.com/images/roadtest_images/2003_audi_A4_interior_2.JPG) too).

The only thing may be insurance and maintenance which could be a tad more expensive, but running costs is something you haven't talked about yet.

How about a used Audi? You can get 2003 A4s for that price. And there's no one who's really got a bad thing to say about Audis (nice interior (http://www.carnuttv.com/images/roadtest_images/2003_audi_A4_interior_2.JPG) too).

The only thing may be insurance and maintenance which could be a tad more expensive, but running costs is something you haven't talked about yet.

i'd love to, but yeah, that's the main thing against getting a properly 'big' car just now... insurance is expensive because i'm under 25 and only been driving for 2 years. main reason i can't actually get a volvo (or drive my dad's) and i have to step up gradually.

i've saved up so that i can get a nice car for meself, but i'm not made of money :p


the corsa is in group 6, iirc, out of 20. and the 207cc and civic are in 11. parents' volvo (v70) is in group 16, so anything in 15 or 16 is probably not viable (the insurance people won't do it) or just too expensive.

Not that I actually know anything about either of these cars, but I'd think that the convertible would definitely get the better price when you sell it again after a few (or more) years. I think. <.<

Yep.



That Puegot is cool lookin', and that Honda, not so much. We don't get Peugots here so I don't get the girly image thing, and don't really believe in the 'girl car' image thing anyway. The 207 would be more fun to drive, and there is nothing quite like rolling with the top down.

I would say it helps get the chicks, but you're already settled in that department.

I might be favoring the Puegot because we don't get it here so it is 'exotic' to me. But the 207 seems like it would be waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy more fun to drive.

Yep.



That Puegot is cool lookin', and that Honda, not so much. We don't get Peugots here so I don't get the girly image thing, and don't really believe in the 'girl car' image thing anyway. The 207 would be more fun to drive, and there is nothing quite like rolling with the top down.

I would say it helps get the chicks, but you're already settled in that department.

I might be favoring the Puegot because we don't get it here so it is 'exotic' to me. But the 207 seems like it would be waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy more fun to drive.

i'd totally have to agree with you dude :)
i've given it a fair bit of thought the last day or two and i'm really leaning towards the puegeot just for that coolness factor :P

we shall see at the weekend when i get to take it for a test spin :D


plus, as has already been said, convertables are much more likely to hold their value compared with an ordinary hatchback - the 206cc did, despite its numerous technical problems. the honda on the other hand may be reliable (adding to resale factor) but it is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda car, whereas everybody loves convertables :p

i'd totally have to agree with you dude :)
i've given it a fair bit of thought the last day or two and i'm really leaning towards the puegeot just for that coolness factor :P

we shall see at the weekend when i get to take it for a test spin :D


plus, as has already been said, convertables are much more likely to hold their value compared with an ordinary hatchback - the 206cc did, despite its numerous technical problems. the honda on the other hand may be reliable (adding to resale factor) but it is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda car, whereas everybody loves convertables :p
I don't. They mess my hair up something rotten. Grrr.

As far as I can see theres only one option.

Trawl ebay for a nice Trabant.:D

Skoda make some pretty good cars now. I test drove the Fabia recently. The 1.2 was a lot of car for the money, and the 1.9 turbo diesel was scarily fast. You get all that good VW engineering with a crappier badge - not a bad compromise

plus, as has already been said, convertables are much more likely to hold their value compared with an ordinary hatchback - the 206cc did, despite its numerous technical problems. the honda on the other hand may be reliable (adding to resale factor) but it is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda car, whereas everybody loves convertables :p

I'd be careful about getting too attached to them, though; it's a brand new model, and so there aren't going to be any examples around £10,000 for probably some years yet.

However, if that really is the style you're looking for, there are a few others that have just been released that might be worth a look: the Vauxhall Astra Twintop:

http://www.carpages.co.uk/vauxhall/vauxhall_images/vauxhall_astra_twintop_23_07_06.JPG

the VW Eos:

http://www.volkswatch.com/vwnews/eospreview/vweos.jpg

and, probably the best bet, the Ford Focus CC (the good things of the Focus, no roof, and better styling):

http://www.motorpress.ch/nws/0602/cabrio/ford_focus_cc.jpg

Like the Pug, though, you'll have to save up a lot more or wait a long time before you'll be able to get your hands on them.

I'd be careful about getting too attached to them, though; it's a brand new model, and so there aren't going to be any examples around £10,000 for probably some years yet.

However, if that really is the style you're looking for, there are a few others that have just been released that might be worth a look: the Vauxhall Astra Twintop:

http://www.carpages.co.uk/vauxhall/vauxhall_images/vauxhall_astra_twintop_23_07_06.JPG

the VW Eos:

http://www.volkswatch.com/vwnews/eospreview/vweos.jpg

and, probably the best bet, the Ford Focus CC (the good things of the Focus, no roof, and better styling):

http://www.motorpress.ch/nws/0602/cabrio/ford_focus_cc.jpg

Like the Pug, though, you'll have to save up a lot more or wait a long time before you'll be able to get your hands on them.

oooh i likes them! thanks :) even more to drool over :p

my budget will stretch to about £14k, £15k at the max as my current car will probably get about £4k part-exchange, i have 5 grand in savings for this, my parents will throw in a grand or so (yay! *is lucky again*) and i'm willing to get a small loan from a building society (not finance from the garage!) to stump up the rest.
since i'll be paying cash, effectively, i should be able to get at least a small deal *crosses finges*

Getting this to Europe might be costly, but how about this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-IMPALA-SS_W0QQitemZ180111987830QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6169QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


It's a (somewhat) large, safe car with driver and passenger airbags, and makes some pretty decent horsepower. If I had won Powerball on Saturday, this is the car I'd buy.

anybody here happen to have experience of either of these two cars? or can anyone convince me to even consider an alternative (that would have to be in the same price range)?

I have a '94 Civic, still running smooth for the most part (although having only 90k miles also helps). Great car. Fast and fuel efficient for going around town, and roomy and comfortable for long drivers. I swear it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Getting this to Europe might be costly, but how about this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-IMPALA-SS_W0QQitemZ180111987830QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6169QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


It's a (somewhat) large, safe car with driver and passenger airbags, and makes some pretty decent horsepower. If I had won Powerball on Saturday, this is the car I'd buy.

lol the insurance on that thing would be through the roof :eek: :p

I can attest to the awesomeness of the Civic. It's a great car.

I wouldn't buy an American car, American car companys still dont understand that in europe we have curves in the road. American cars have a turning radius of a lightyear :P

i think my new favourite is the vauxhall astra twintop as i'll probably get more for part-ex with them, seeing how my current car is a vauxhall too... right? *crosses fingers*

http://img.dooyoo.co.uk/GB_EN/175/motors/cars/vauxhall-astra-twintop.jpg

it also has less of a big ass than others, has good poke from the 1.8 engine (which is the insurance group i could afford), and reviews are favourable all-round it seems. my corsa has also been very reliable:)

thanks for all your help on this thread, people! (especially philosophy) - i actually had no idea there were this many CC cars available :p

Getting this to Europe might be costly, but how about this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-IMPALA-SS_W0QQitemZ180111987830QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6169QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


It's a (somewhat) large, safe car with driver and passenger airbags, and makes some pretty decent horsepower. If I had won Powerball on Saturday, this is the car I'd buy.

25k for that POS? Jeeeebus!

i think my new favourite is the vauxhall astra twintop as i'll probably get more for part-ex with them, seeing how my current car is a vauxhall too... right? *crosses fingers*

it also has less of a big ass than others, has good poke from the 1.8 engine (which is the insurance group i could afford), and reviews are favourable all-round it seems. my corsa has also been very reliable:)

thanks for all your help on this thread, people! (especially philosophy) - i actually had no idea there were this many CC cars available :p

Glad to be of help. Before you go to the dealership, buy a copy of WhatCar? or something similar. At the back, they will have a list of all the cars on sale today, and a 'target price' for them. This is how much of a discount you should aim for on the car, and they say you should never pay more for it than that.

Also, get your current car valued online, with WhatCar or Parkers. It will give you a rough idea of what you should expect to get in part exchange, so the dealer doesn't rip you off. Again, if they won't offer you a decent price, walk away.

The advantage of going for Vauxhall is that if one dealer won't play ball and give you the right price, there will be another one five minutes down the road.

25k for that POS? Jeeeebus!

In no way is that car a POS! My sister and brother in law have one (same year, same color), and it's awesome. Lots of power, rides great, and there's no squeaks or road noise that can be heard from inside the car. The only reason they're selling theirs is, they have 3 young kids (that require car seats or booster seats), and 1 more on the way (so they're also going to be out of seatbelts).