9-3, Accord or Summat Else??

[Cheggers]

Hi All,

 

I've a budget of around £600 to buy a practical car - 4 seats, 4 doors and room for a bike in the back with the seats down. No preference for pez or diz, but ideally something not too sleep-inducing would be good. My initial thoughts are either the Saab or the Honda but I'm open to suggestion. The only real no-no would be a 406 (sorry, Pug fans...), which for no good reason I just don't like (my SiL has one, so I suspect it's dislike by association).

 

Your experiences & "earned knowledge" would be wonderful, but I'm also happy to entertain prejudice, old wives tales from the guy down the pub, shit you've read on t'internet and tales of impending OMGHGF a clairvoyant once told you about on an extended piss-up in Blackpool.

 

In return, I'll dazzle and amaze you with an epic chod-collection tale when I finally buy something. This will include danger*, intrigue*, glamour*, sex* and a heroic quest to find the mingebaggiest "Bangalore travel on the roof" class train ticket in the whole of the UK. I'll even hammer a cheaper ticket over it for good measure.

 

Haithangyouuu.

[Rocket88]

1.8t Octavia should be in budget

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I'd go for a Galant or, if you can stand the looks, a bugeye Scorpio.

[Lacquer Peel]

Those Accords are decent to drive (thumpy ride though) and very reliable, but a bit of a 'reverse tardis' for passengers, the boots are big though.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-Xanti ... 0986743800

[r.welfare]

Accords are good (98-03 model) but you'll need a hatchback to make things easier with the bike. I've had a saloon previously and have a hatch now. Both did/have done at least 50k in my hands (usually 20k/year) and were/are very reliable (my dad passed the current hatchback on to me at 117k, it's now on 179k and he bought it with 18k on the clock, so I've got a good handle on the maintenance required).

 

They'd be my choice for a 'drive and forget' car, the points that Lacquer Peel notes are the main disadvantages (plus they aren't particularly economical for the engine size; you've got a choice of 1.8 or 2-litre petrol at this price point, manual or auto) but I think that's more than made up for by the lack of expensive non-scheduled maintenance. Cambelts need doing every 90k or 8 years, so you need evidence it's been done.

 

There's been a few for sale recently in Berkshire/Hampshire on eBay that would be within budget and there's enough of them around for more to appear.

 

Here's a couple of local-ish ones slightly over budget:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-02-HONDA-ACCORD-1-8I-VTEC-SPORT-TAX-MOT-NICE-ALLOYS-STEREO-/160966976745 (stereo and alloys look a bit wanky IMHO)

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Y-HONDA-ACCORD-1-8i-VTEC-S-5-DOOR-METALLIC-GREEN-/221153873338 (more basic car but not a lot of info to go on!)

[Barry Cade]

5 Door Celica A bit of a Q car, 150 BHP- Huge boot, as reliable as the sun coming up in the morning, and getting rare, but I am biased...

 

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... 1007996522

 

 

Or 4 door flava. This one is tempting me...

 

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... 1007295605

[hairnet]

5 door celica not heard that for a while

[Cheggers]

Blimey, I had a brand new Carina E as a company car about a thousand years ago. The 150bhp one sounds like a giggle, but I don't remember my old 1.8 being very exciting. In fact, I hardly remember it at all

[Barry Cade]

Later ones had 173 BHP. Great for fast getaways when folk try to get in the back thinking its a taxi. Stealthy can be a hoot Celica brakes, and Subaru wheels fit too

[Bren]

I'd go for a Galant or, if you can stand the looks, a bugeye Scorpio.

 

 

Scrub the galant, small inside (I could never get my pushbike into my saloon). Also thirsty, the last ones will now be 10 years old - one decent sized bill away from going over the bridge.

[R9UKE]

Be my hero and give the Renault Safrane a go. Fits the whole brief. Facelift versions are popping up quite regularly and are very underrated cars, as anyone who has owned one will tell you!

[Cheggers]

Be my hero and give the Renault Safrane a go. Fits the whole brief. Facelift versions are popping up quite regularly and are very underrated cars, as anyone who has owned one will tell you!

 

Now there's an idea - A V6 Xantia seems to have also found its way onto my watch list

[eddyramrod]

A 2.9 V6 Scorpio estate will cost you about 99p and is a positive warehouse, no worries about shoving a bike in! Just don't jetwash the engine bay, my mate killed his electrics that way and scrapped the car. He then bought a Volvo 740 estate, which is a bucketload more fun than you might think and as you know, well loved on here. I had one and I'd do it again tonight, even the same actual car. If it still exists...

[Hertz]

I've always liked the Signum and I've no idea why....

 

They are getting chirpy chirpy cheap cheap nowadays too so you might be in budget with one?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-VAUXHALL ... 4ac0e9bf68

[willswitchengage]

£50 over budget but a fresh MOT and looks in great nick, also not far from you (London):

 

[R9UKE]

A V6 Xantia would be great. Yet to pilot one but heard nothing but praise.

 

Hertz I've always had a Signum soft spot, and I HATE Vauxhalls. Was watching a 53 plate 3.2 V6 Elite that went for £1100!

[Spiny Norman]

I'd tend to favour the Saab, obviously, but you might not get much of a 9-3 for £600.

Have you considered a fellow Swede, the Volvo 850 estate or maybe an early V70? Nice comfy old barges to drive, just ride the bike into the back of a wagon, turbos are quite brisk and no real horror stories on the earlier pre-ETM cars that you'd be looking at. Not hideously expensive to run either.

[Partridge]

Rover 75? I’ve never tried putting a bike in the back though, but they are roomy enough. Don’t listen to all the crap you hear from Clarkson and people down the pub who have never even sat in one. Obviously don’t buy one for £500 that'S “REEL RELIABLE GUD FAMILY TRANSPORT CHEAP FIRST TEH SEE WILL BUY†from a man in a porter cabin, but get a decent well looked after one and you’re away. Get the V6 if you do many motorway miles, and BMW diesel one if you don’t (watch out for bummed clutch slave cylinders though, expensive to sort and a pain in the arse to get to). The 1.8 K series doesn’t move.

[Lacquer Peel]

The 75 saloon with its narrow and high boot opening is ideal*.

[Partridge]

There’s always the Roewe 750 then

 

 

 

 

Nice, innit?

[Cheggers]

I'm assuming a £600 Alfa 156 Wagon would be a recipe for disaster...

[gadgetgricey]

Xantia Hdi 110bhp if you are worried about mpg. Always get 40+ and got a big boot.

 

However if not as bothered by mpg, get a Saab 9000. (Aero if you can find one, but a 2.3T if you cant)

Can easily get the ECU uprated via members on UK Saabs etc, and you would have a 250+bhp rocket ship.

 

Parts also for the Saab are quite cheap and readily available second hand.

 

Both however have high boot access, so not the most practical for getting a bike in and out of.

 

Xantia V6 is also a nice car, but only available in Auto.

 

Cheers

 

- Dave -

[Cheggers]

Thanks Dave. MPG isn't too much of a concern (mid-20's plus would be OK), I'd rather have a good HDi than a crap V6 or vice-versa.

 

The 9000's a good idea. Providing the boot is large enough, high boot access isn't necessarily a problem as I'm a road & track rider so my bikes are light enough

[AnthonyG]

The 75 saloon with its narrow and high boot opening is ideal*.

 

They do make a tourer version, old chap!

 

Or rather, did make until 7 years (god nearly 8 is it really that long since MGR went tits up) ago!

[Partridge]

I remember the end of MGR like it was last year...scary. Even the Tourer has a fairly high load sill, which would be a royal pain in the arse.

[Station]

Just bought a Saab 9-3 SE turbo, boot is huge. Averaged 35mpg driven normally.

Nice cars to drive and very quick.

[Cavcraft]

KIA. Sedona.

[Cheggers]

I did think about your Kia, but the face Mrs_Chegg pulled means "I'm oot". Soz.

[skattrd]

Volvo

S80 if you can get one in budget. Some of the petrol ones turn up for that sort of money, the 2.4 or 2.9. My 2.5D cost me £720 at the local auction, and its super comfy, if not the quickest of motors.

Alternately how about an 850, even the T5's do come up for that kind of money occasionally.