New Modern Daily for Mrs S. Your ideas, please!

[pogweasel]

Your bird doesn't drive, or live in your house, does she MM5...

[Minimad5]

She could never live with me (well not atm anyway)VERY long story and not somethin to post on a public forum about.But nope and nope to your questions (she is learning though. And looks ever so tiny behind the wheel )

[Mash]

I haven't got room for all the cars I could buy for 7 grand

[Guest]

Just hide behind a broadsheet newspaper whilst smoking a pipe. If she starts trying to talk to you about this car, go "not now, love".

[sporty-shite]

She seems a right picky witch, just get her an old 405, 740 or Montego and see how she reacts.

Whoooaaahhhhh. Come on, now, I've got to live with her!!!!!!I did call home in a rather care-worn 406 estate that my mate lent me while he was fixing one of the work vans last week. When she asked whose it was, I told her it was for her. "Bit of a blurt, isn't it?" was her only reply, until I told her to get her stuff out of the Clio, because I was taking it away for PX. "You're not taking my car for that, you can bugger off" was her stronger retort. And she'd only just started.In her defence, she doesn't mind me having shite, and usually wants to at least have a go in anything I have, but she just doesn't want to live with it every day for herself. Mind you, she does also have to use the car for ferrying kids around in her line of Social Services related work, so reliability is a bit more of an issue. Anyways, looks like I might have persuaded her to go for an Alfa 156, but it's still early days. I'll keep you posted......

[Guest]

Reliability is more of an issue, so you're getting an Alfa 156! Nice work.

[Mr Lobster]

so reliability is a bit more of an issue.

Anyways, looks like I might have persuaded her to go for an Alfa 156,

Hmmmmm. I CAN HAZ RAC MEMBERSHIP YES?

[sporty-shite]

so reliability is a bit more of an issue.

Anyways, looks like I might have persuaded her to go for an Alfa 156,

Hmmmmm. I CAN HAZ RAC MEMBERSHIP YES?

I have it on decent authority that the diesel variants of said lovely Italian automobile are pretty good. Wouldn't touch a twin spark with Hirst's Aviators, though!!!

[whitevanman]

so reliability is a bit more of an issue. Anyways, looks like I might have persuaded her to go for an Alfa 156,

somehow these two concepts don't go hand in hand in my experience...

[Mr Lobster]

Mine neither. I'd love another Alfa but wouldn't want to actually depend on it as reliable daily transport.

[Betaphile]

My dad has a 156 2.0 TS as his daily driver. I don't think they're fundamentally unreliable, but a full service history is really important with them and cambelt changes every 36,000 miles are critical. If I was you I'd budget for a cambelt change regardless of when it was last done - 400 quid or thereabouts at a specialist. Not cheap in isolation, but it is compared with a shattered top end. It's not going to be as cheap to run as, say, a Carina or Primera, but then 156s are cheap to buy in the first place. As I said cambelts need doing more often than on a Japanese car, plus I've personally seen the effects of running non-factory-recommended oil - a row of cars (probably 20 in all) with their bonnets up having replacement engines because of destroyed top ends due to oil starvation. I don't want to put you off because the bottom line with 156s, like most Italian cars generally, is they respond well to vigorous driving, with the proviso that you can't skimp on maintenance (hence the importance of service history). Quick point about the SW having a smaller boot - it's technically 'true', but in reality one of those retarded myths propagated by journalists and then reposted by every idiot with access to a blog. The Sportwagon's official boot capacity is something like 3L smaller than the sedan's - but that is the capacity to the luggage cover. What it doesn't take into account is all the extra space on top due to it being, uh, an estate. Also, Sportwagons have a split-fold rear seat which sedans don't, so it's a much more practical proposition for load-carrying if this is important to you.Diesel is the way to go in the UK - 2.4 has a lot of fans but the 1.9 isn't much slower and noticeably lighter in the nose. I wouldn't be (and wasn't) put off by the reliability horror stories. At the end of the day it's like any car - it's worth paying a bit more for an example that's been cared for rather than a shed. Edited to add: Avoid Selespeeds.

[VWPowered]

I haven't got room for all the cars I could buy for 7 grand

+1000000

[whitevanman]

I know someone who had an Alfa coupe last year and it never went for more then 6 days without doing something wrong....I was offered it for very, very little money and turned it down.....think they lost about £3000 + parts and labour over the 9 months they owned it.......it was bought to be the modern reliable daily.....

[whitevanman]

Didn't Mr wibbly wobbly have no end of trouble with his last year as well ?

[The Liberator]

Alfas aren't necessarily unreliable, it's just that problems that are neglected or are allowed to develop subsequently prove to be nigh on impossible to sort satisfactorily.The petrol Twin Sparks need a belt and tensioner change every 36k (it's the tensioner failing that causes the belt to go) and a careful eye kept on the oil level, as they tend to use oil for no obvious reason (although my TS 155 used virtually none; they're not all the same).Diesels also need frequent belt changes, 40k for the 1.9 along with the water pump, which can sieze and throw the belt in these engines. Don't know about the 2.4, but whatever the interval I imagine changing the belt is a pita as its an inline 5. The 2.4 I think also uses PSA driveshafts which aren't always up to the job.I would avoid the 2.4 and V6 unless you're set on the power. The extra weight of these engines affects the handling, and wears out the numerous bushes quicker. They're not that economical either, even the diesel.And like everyone else says, avoid the Selespeed.

[pompei]

Lexarse is200? I've put nearly 50,000 miles on mine without so much as a hiccup from it. Dead comfy and refined, loads of toys, turbine-like straight 6 with adequate performance but no denying it's a bit dull. But they're cheap enough now. It doesn't have class beating space, but I'd say it's no worse than a current 3 series. Expect 30mpg.Due to impending financial/work doom, it's almost certainly going to have to go. Will I be heartbroken to see it go? No. It's a car for the head, not the heart.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Mmmm, I love those Lexus IS200's. They are genuinely cool, despite being a modern 'exec saloon', a description which would normally make me switch off at once.

[Betaphile]

One of these?

 

[r.welfare]

Wouldn't get a Galant on a 54-plate - the last ones were 2002/2003 I think.The Octavia has been discounted as a £3k car rather than a £7k one - how about a vRS estate though? A new-shape one should just about be in budget, given the earliest are three years old now. GR8 cars - Golf GTI engine, 200 horses, loadsaloadspace, kit and safety features, what's not to like? Good looking (to my eyes) in that Race Blue, too.