What car?

[SimonMac]

Why was yesterday ironic?

Because I am singing the virtues of the car as reliable, the day after I had to get something fixed

[GlenW]

Because I am singing the virtues of the car as reliable, the day after I had to get something fixed

Are you related to Alanis Morissette?

[unixman]

Allegro Vanden Plas FTW

[VectraMan]

If you can get something with a chain instead of a cambelt you may avoid some drama there.

I had a camchain snap on my S2000. Totally fecked the engine.

[vwdan]

I had a camchain snap on my S2000. Totally fecked the engine.

Yeah, it'll do that! Altogether less likely, though and normally caused by oil starvation (Not sure about on the S2000)

[DannyF1966]

I'm not too bothered about makes/models but I'd definitely be looking at getting an auto, if you're likely* to be spending significant* amounts of time in stop/start traffic jams it's a godsend.

* these words were deliberately chosen to be vague.

[DimPrawn]

You say you have no pride?

2006 motor, 40K miles on the clock.

Used Chevrolet Tacuma Mpv 2.0 Cdx 5dr in Uxbridge, Middlesex | Heathrow Motors

When you tell people you have a Tacuma, they will probably think you are saying you have a tumor, and gets loads of sympathy.

[DimPrawn]

Personaly I'd spash out £790 on a V8 jag with 12 months MOT.

Used Jaguar S-type Saloon 4.0 V8 4dr in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire | Trade Cars Cleckheaton

[DaveB]

Avoid the Rover 75 at all costs - K Series engine and it'll probably screw you.

To be honest - for £1500 just find something that tickles your fancy and seems in good shape. At the age/mileage of car you're looking at it's a complete gamble and it'll either putter on for mile after mile or completely do you over. Just be prepared to accept that fact and get something else.

I'd be inclined to look at a Mondeo, but again, they can start throwing injectors and turbos at the 150k mark.

For absolute reliability, over all else, I think you need to be looking at low mileage, small petrol engine old common cars such as Astras, Focus etc. If you can get something with a chain instead of a cambelt you may avoid some drama there. It's probably not going to be huge amounts of fun to Manchester and back, though.

On the milage front, for the money the OP is spending you can get something well under 100k and even good diesels will start to disintegrate at 150k, unless its one of the old mercs or similar that just go on forever. With them you start worrying about suspension bushes, wheel bearings etc instead. But you won't get a sound one for that money.

[vwdan]

On the milage front, for the money the OP is spending you can get something well under 100k and even good diesels will start to disintegrate at 150k, unless its one of the old mercs or similar that just go on forever. With them you start worrying about suspension bushes, wheel bearings etc instead. But you won't get a sound one for that money.

Indeed - to be honest, I'm just personally biased against cheap diesels. Short of a serious internal failure, a home mechanic can probably sort most issues that a petrol engine will chuck at you but with modern turbo common rail diesels comes **** loads of complexity. My £2500 Mondeo gave me the best part of 100,000 miles of faultless service, but when it started playing up absolutely nobody could tell me with any certainty what was wrong with it. Injectors probably, but they're not cheap and have to be coded - a right faff!