Reply to: New motor needed :-(

[Old Hack]

Very daft, but I don't think Toyota are boring at all. I have a Toyota Corolla 54 plate which I bought with 6k on the clock 2 years ago. Some old granny had been using it for 6 years to do the weekly shop and still managed to service it every year at 1k intervals! Honestly its the nicest small car I have driven and has full specs - beats my Golf any day.

I had a Corolla AE86. Wonderful car. The rest are tulipe though. As for Value, well, they are fairly expensive, imo and don't make one currently that I'd like, apart from the GT86, that's still over priced, imo.

Fords feel expensive in the parts that you can see, and cheap as chips in the parts you can't.

Just come out of a short term lease with an Audi A3 1.9TDi. Dull as dishwater to drive, but I'd return 70mpg popping up and down the M6 at 70mph and we cheap skates like that. Very good quality too. I had a 320D touring before that and it almost put my back out it was so stiff. I also couldn't get 2 childrens seats in it. Madness.

If your commute is really small, how about leasing a Renault twizzy? Look all sorts of fun, and would be almost free to run. Get it through the company on 0% BiK I think, as it's 0 emissions.

Oooh, love thinking about cars...

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I agree but Toyota make some of the most boring cars on the road these days, I generally buy Japanese but I've never considered a Toyota in the past 10 years.

I looked at a Lexus IS200 but the back seats don't fold, how daft is that??

Very daft, but I don't think Toyota are boring at all. I have a Toyota Corolla 54 plate which I bought with 6k on the clock 2 years ago. Some old granny had been using it for 6 years to do the weekly shop and still managed to service it every year at 1k intervals! Honestly its the nicest small car I have driven and has full specs - beats my Golf any day.

[gingerjedi]

You aint tried Japanese - Toyota are the best value cars out there. Take the Yaris/Corolla/Auris/Avensis for example - Excellent economy, comfort, reliability, anti-depreciation.

I agree but Toyota make some of the most boring cars on the road these days, I generally buy Japanese but I've never considered a Toyota in the past 10 years.

I looked at a Lexus IS200 but the back seats don't fold, how daft is that??

[Halo Jones]

You aint tried Japanese .

I find them a little on the small size

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I agree: my Polo did 85k in 4 years & never had a problem

My last & current car were both diesel (that’s due to a CO2 restriction on my car allowance more than anything else)

Just handed in the Polo: very cheap to run & reasonable on the motorway, just got a Golf Estate 1.6 tdi & it’s great: just as cheap to run but quieter & a more comfortable drive.

I have only had 3 cars so my experience is limited, my first was a Ford Ka, the general build & reliability of the VW piddled all over the Ford & I will never have another one.

You aint tried Japanese - Toyota are the best value cars out there. Take the Yaris/Corolla/Auris/Avensis for example - Excellent economy, comfort, reliability, anti-depreciation.

[Halo Jones]

I would recommend a Golf or Polo though, as they seem to last forever.

I agree: my Polo did 85k in 4 years & never had a problem

My last & current car were both diesel (that’s due to a CO2 restriction on my car allowance more than anything else)

Just handed in the Polo: very cheap to run & reasonable on the motorway, just got a Golf Estate 1.6 tdi & it’s great: just as cheap to run but quieter & a more comfortable drive.

I have only had 3 cars so my experience is limited, my first was a Ford Ka, the general build & reliability of the VW piddled all over the Ford & I will never have another one.

[DodgyAgent]

My, you are in a good mood today NLUK

I can add what NOT to do

Don't get a loan,

Don't buy a ten year old MR2 Roadster from a hooky garage in Reading

Don't then get it serviced for two years at Toyota Maidenhead, and discover that half the work done was just made up.

Don't get it fixed then accept 2 dodgy attempts to fix the repair that wen't wrong - and let the warranty expire.

I would recommend a Golf or Polo though, as they seem to last forever.

Revealing my business model will put you in breach of copyright laws. expect a call from my lawyer

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

My, you are in a good mood today NLUK

I can add what NOT to do

Don't get a loan,

Don't buy a ten year old MR2 Roadster from a hooky garage in Reading

Don't then get it serviced for two years at Toyota Maidenhead, and discover that half the work done was just made up.

Don't get it fixed then accept 2 dodgy attempts to fix the repair that wen't wrong - and let the warranty expire.

I would recommend a Golf or Polo though, as they seem to last forever.

Got a Golf 1.9 TDI 2 years ago on finance at £250/month and nearly paid it off. Golf is mechanically reliable but awful to drive. I'd recommend going Japanese preferably Toyota. Get a Yaris and you will never be disappointed.

[Old Hack]

Ignore advice about buying pick ups and getting VAT back. You can try claiming it but if you get investigated, you'll be made to pay it back with interest.

No you will not, thats ridiculous; they are classed as commercial vehicles, and you're fully entitled to the vat back. Crazy advice. I have a letter signed from the tax people in my previous company's files to the very same point, as I bought one and checked.

Check first hey.

[ThomasSoerensen]

I have been calculating the implications of my company providing a McLaren MP4-12C as a company car for me.
Could be a possibility for you too.

[psychocandy]

I have Ford Focus TDI and would agree wiht the 2 of the poinst above but nothing worn out yet. Done 40K in less than 15 months and it is still soldiering on. Big enough for family, cheap enough to run. Parts are in abundant supply yadda yadda.

Asking about a suitable car seems an ok question even though its done a lot on here. Not being able to make a decision how to fund it yourself is ******* stupid though but to be expected from the OP.

You did miss an option by the way. Get the LTD to get one. Not the most ideal situation but if you get a car less than 100mg it can work out in your favour. Still an option even if not the most efficient in some cases.

I'd expect nothing else from you NLUK to be honest. ;-)

[psychocandy]

Aye, I'm there at the moment, I lease an Audi A1 which costs me near £300 a month which is a bit ouch while i'm benched. I'd lease again though as I only take local contracts so mileage isn't an issue and its lovely getting my pick of a shiny new motor every 2 years. Am liking the A1 but paying a bit over the odds as went for a fully specced one with all the toys and gadgets and the fancy paintwork, originally thought it may be a little small but is actually pretty roomy and feels like a big motor while on the motorway. Another benefit of the smaller motor is I dont get hammered for tax and get some kind of tax breaks for tree-hugging.

Leasing looks good but Im just concerned about the implications of more mileage if next contract is far away... And the fact that with leasing your tied and you cant just sell the motor and pay off the loan.

[psychocandy]

no point having money in the bank if you owe money (that's what Alvin Hall always says) take the dividend from the warchest and pay cash buy a decent second hand one a couple of years old thats allready depreciated if you end up back on the bench sell it again and buy a banger then do same again when your back in contract

Yes, normally good idea but I think a decent warchest is a priority....

OK, so get benched - 6-9 months money in warchest - you're ok for now.

Buy car and spend most of warchest. tulipe - sell car quick. not so cool.

[Sysman]

My father-in-law traded in an 07' C-Class 220D estate, black, sport with flappy paddles and 17,000 on the clock, immaculate inside and out.

I was looking to change at around that time and he only told me when it was too late.

My father did the same trick on me with several decent motors in a row when I was younger.

It really pissed me off.

[Old Hack]

They are noisier than petrol engines though.

NVH is pretty good in the newer diesels. I tend not to hang my head out of the window when driving too, so cant really hear the noise.