What's the best sub £1000 car today?

[HH-R]

I had a 1999 2.0 V6 in 2011 or so and it was grand, never had a moments trouble with it.

[Negative Creep]

Are you sure? I loved my 190D but never really got on that well with my W124 300TD. I found it clumsy, desperately slow and horrendously uneconomical.

 

 

I loved my 200TE. Slow and thirsty but really did feel like it was going to go on forever

[Honey Badger]

KA9 Honda Legends from 95 to 04 are getting under a grand now, the build quality is pretty unmatched for that time period and the mechanicals are well proven, though they are never going to increase in value over the coming years.

 

Probably true for Toyota Camrys, Mitsi Galants, Subaru legacys or any big jap barge.

[jonathan_dyane]

I wouldn't be particularly surprised if the 200TE was faster and more economical!

[forddeliveryboy]

These Mercs can be superb cars, especially the oil-burners, but do like to be pampered. Sunroofs can fail and the repair can be enough to make you go and buy another car, windows and their switches routinely fail but are dead easy to sort.

 

The Audi A6 is an ace car, pre-1998. Based on the massively simple old 100 from '83, but with modern Audi touches to bring it to the edge of the 21st century. My fave's the 5 pot TDi - as fast a car as you'd ever need, 45mpg average, happy on veg (but prefers diesel or a warm engine for starting). Tough, long-lasting, simple and comfy.

 

Can you still bag an old 900 turbo for less than a grand? If so, it wins. As well thought-through and well built as a 124, but with more personality.

 

The true answer to the question is probably, "one on Leboncoin".

[cort16]

I had a 7 seater  estate W124 E Class 280 and while it was solid feeling it was heavy, slow and wallowy. I'm not sure I'd like to use it as my daily.

A Nice 190 2.6 however.

[Mr Livered]

Another vote for the Saab 900.

 

I've now got two big fast barges: Volvo T5 and Saab 900 turbo. One has to go as I can't afford to run both. I had been considering keeping the T5, because an estate is such a useful thing to have. But ultimately, I can't face losing the Saab, which has got to be one of the best cars ever built.

[DS20]

Another vote for the Saab 900.

I've now got two big fast barges: Volvo T5 and Saab 900 turbo. One has to go as I can't afford to run both. I had been considering keeping the T5, because an estate is such a useful thing to have. But ultimately, I can't face losing the Saab, which has got to be one of the best cars ever built.

 

Another vote for the 900 turbo. I love mine - the only thing it'd be nice to change is that the pedals are offset too far to the left. It's a real pleasure to drive, whether it's the shops or the Alps.

[Partridge]

How about an old late 80s early 90s Audi 80 preferably with the 5pot lump.image.jpg

When Audis were interesting...

[Junkman]

Yar orl rong and I iz rite.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-P6-3500-auto-1970-/291238280784

[KruJoe]

Six £166.66 Rover R8s. Three door hatch, five door, saloon, coupe, floppy-top and tourer.

EFA

[HillmanImp]

My mate was a bit miffed when he sat in my Jag that it was better specced than his 13 plate Mercedes E class yet cost about the same as two of his monthly payments.

 

I would say that whilst I really like the Saab 900 to drive and its got a fantasticly large boot, its a little cramped inside for the driver and passengers.

 

I have been working to this sort of idea for a few years now. I am always looking at the cars I wanted as a kid that I can get now for peanuts. Hence why i bought the Saab 900, the Audi Coupe and the Jag. I still need to get an MR2, Celica, 406 coupe, LS400 and a Calibra 

 

I liked the Audi 100 but that was for practicality not because I had alway dreamed of owning one.

[EssDeeWon]

Hey, I have had mine for 2 weeks now and have only spent £240 on repairs. 

 

Bloke in our road has just bought a Jag like yours but in green. I keep seeing the bonnet up and the AA were out there the other day attending to it. This morning someone else was having a go, and last week I spotted it in the carpark of the local garage.

 

Looks a nice car but this particular examaple seems a world of pain so far.

[stormee]

BMW E34 of course! Excellent build quality and cheap to keep alive.

[twosmoke300]

Saab 9-5 , If you can find one thats been looked after and the sludge issues sorted its a hell of a fast barge for pocket money prices

[cort16]

I had a brand new C220 CDI OMGAMG Coupe while I had my XJR and the XJR was a much, much nice place to be and drive than the Merc other than obvious fuel consumption.

I think those XJ8/XJR's are an absolute bargain as long as you keep in the back of your mind that they might terminally decommision themselves at any point.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

The XJ8 and XJR are an incredible car for the money; the Jaguar V8 engine is a lovely thing.

 

That said, I think if you want an old Jag and only have a small budget, an XJ40 or X300 is a much safer purchase.  They're not as advanced mechanically as the X308 and they lack the V8 appeal, but they're much more robust. Its rust that kills them, not mechanical problems.

[nacho man]

Or the best of both worlds the early x300 xjr 6 cylinder version. There pretty bullet proof engine wise.

[cort16]

That's what made me sell my XJR as I lifted the bonnet and went "AYE" then just put it straight down again. Any problems with them and you need to take it to a specialist.

[Pete-M]

I'm rather enjoying my sub £1000 X type.

[Pete-M]

That's what made me sell my XJR as I lifted the bonnet and went "AYE" then just put it straight down again. Any problems with them and you need to take it to a specialist.

They're remarkably simple really. Timing chain in the V8 is a swine but the rest of it is dead straightforward.

[cort16]

On the v8 one? I dunno it looked pretty complex plus the gearboxes seem prone going pa-doing.

Mine hadn't had the tensioners done (well there was no record of it), which made me nervous. I'd like to try a straight 6 one at some point.

[Junkman]

I'm rather enjoying my sub £1000 X type.

 

The wise man's buy.

[laser wheels]

I have been working to this sort of idea for a few years now. I am always looking at the cars I wanted as a kid that I can get now for peanuts. Hence why i bought the Saab 900, the Audi Coupe and the Jag. I still need to get an MR2, Celica, 406 coupe, LS400 and a Calibra 

 

I've started doing much the same thing and I'm still amazed that the cars I lusted after as a teenager in the '90s are now into sub-£1k land. Next on the shopping list is a 306 GTi-6 or even a Rallye, or maybe an Ignis Sport or a T5, and a 9000 Turbo would also be nice...

 

I'm very much enjoying the Puma right now - it looks great, is quick enough, is a hoot to drive, and is even good on fuel. It also has all the toys you could ever need and is a bona fide performance icon. All for less than £500. I just wish it would stop sodding rusting!

 

I cannot for the life of me understand why 21 year olds I work with are always talking about buying £18k diesel Euro-hatches on finance when for the same monthly payments they could buy a different car every month! Okay, probably not realistic for everyone, but I hope you see my point.

[Pete-M]

The wise man's buy.

I like to think so .

 

It's not bad at all. Mine is the 2.5 Sport (although I'd have preferred a 3.0) auto.

 

I'm already bored of the "it's a Mondeo" comments, but some bits are pretty cheap because of the Mondeo connection. Front discs and pads £74 all in, radiator £70. It doesn't handle like a Mondeo - the 4wd system sees to that.

 

It's almost genuine Jaaag when it comes to urban mpg and it feels a lot more like a proper Jaaag than the diesel FWD ones.

[Matt]

Well, you did ask...

 

 

corsa b clean.jpg

 

 

Thread over, I've won.

 

You're about to get Top Trumps'd son.

 

2002 Suzuki Swift GLS by MattLikesCars, on Flickr

 

Metallic paint

Fully colour coded bumpers and mirrors 

Electrically adjustable mirrors

Electrically adjustable headlamp aim

Electric windows

Power steering

Central locking

Front fog lights

Bucket seats

Spoiler

[carlo]

The definitive answer:

 

 

Worth next to nothing now, good to drive and to look at, and will undoubtedly appreciate fairly soon.

[barmatt]

I'm chuffed to bits with the £300 floppy top Saab (GM) V6 I bought off Wuvvum in Feb. It's got leather, wood, giffermatic + sports mode, everything works and has done loads of journeys round the country in our ownership without an issue and passed it's mot in June needing 2 light bulbs. Oh and I could have bought 2 more with the change from a bag.

 

The fucker is gonna break down now.

[Cavcraft]

Don't forget the OP mentioned something you could sell on for a profit afterwards, which rules out a fair chunk of the choices on this thread.

[Lacquer Peel]

Mk47 Horsey Horseless.