Autoblog-opinion: economical and reliable first car for 8k
Posted on 12-03-2016 at 14:00 by willeme – 102 Comments”
You will just see, just now @Larssb leave the building going to collapse, there is a letter on the digital doormat of the AutoBlog secretariat.
It is an e-mail from Rutger. Rutger has the voting age and for us AB’ers more importantly, his driving license withdrawn. Beer!
He is almost finished with his training and already has a job in the offing. Even a beer! Anyway, a car is necessary, and this he tapped with us for the necessary advice, because any car would be for him are ideal for the living work of miles is going to make?
Before we begin, the list of requirements:
Current /previous cars:None
Sale / lease:Sale
Business / private:Private
Budget:8,000 euros
Annual mileage:17,000 km
Brandstofvoorkeur:Gasoline
Reason to purchase another car:Job every day to the Hague from Rotterdam region.
Family Composition:Single
Preferred brands /models:I stand for a lot of open but like a car that is reliable and not too much in need of maintenance.
Honda, I find a very nice brand
No-go models / brands:Dacia and BMW
Rutger has already looked around what is available, and the choice is enormous. An a-segmenter is not required, comfort, and reliability, however. It belongs to Rutger with his 1,93 to the long people, so this needs to be taken into account. The Mitsubishi Colt, Suzuki Swift and Seat Ibiza have been weighed and found wanting, but an Audi A3 falls in the taste. We put the beer on the side, grab a cup of coffee and came up with these choices:
Still futuristic: Honda Civic
The Civic is not only in taste but also good in the package. In contrast to previous Civics, the FN is not based on the Civic, but the Jazz. Advantage: the Civic is a spacious car and not so crazy heavy. The reliability of Honda’s, so with correct maintenance, that would be no problem, although we always recommend getting the advice to look. The motor is a tiny thing. The 1.4 runs good and is economical, but does not really about that. The 1.8 is a lot more potent, but consumes a little more. Generally, Civics delivered and is well cared for. Not insignificant.
Little-known talent: Opel Astra GTC
The Opel Astra was always the popular muurbloempje, but with the advent of the GTC came to change that. The low roofline is not really beneficial for the main room behind, but that is in this case not as important. It is up to you for 8 mille spoilt for choice. A 8 year old copy with less than a ton on the clock, and is easy to find. In terms of drive, the GTC is markedly more fun than a standard 5-door. Just as with Honda you have a choice between a 1.4 or 1.8, but there is also a 1.6 which is nicely in between. With 105pk raft was, and the consumption is very acceptable. @CasperH tells you about what you should pay attention to.
Swedish clean: Volvo C30
Yes, a genuine Volvo is even one of the possibilities, and not the least. With the proposed budget, there are several to find. The 1.6 is the entry-level model and does really well, the 1.8 is mostly a bit heavier, but it has noticeably more torque at the bottom. Take a test drive. You come to realize that the chairs are very nice and the interior is still quirky with that floating center console. Technically largely identical to the Ford Focus and Mazda 3, but a C30 smoelt be better, of course.
Much for little: Fiat Bravo
A bit of an underrated car. And why is not entirely clear, because the Bravo was a new a good offer. Unknown makes unloved, and that means that there are huge bargains, because with 8,000 euros, you spekkoper. 2008, 50,000 km, many options: just work. And that applies to the model after the facelift. From a dealer. Still a pleasant thought. We recommend 120pk strong 1.4 T-Jet: quickly and economical at the same time.
Premium: Mercedes-Benz A-Class
A3 within the requirements is a bit tricky, because most have considerably more than a ton of walking. And since BMW is not desired, this is the only solution. A real Mercedes. For longer people a relief, because they are in the front very spacious and the chairs are very well-adjusted. It is no sports car, but a nice distance killer. The appearance must be your thing. Just watch out for the ‘Classic’ ones, because they give a new meaning to the word bald.
Bit smaller: Ford Fiesta
We look a lower class, then the Ford Fiesta is one of the most mature cars, without being boring. On the contrary, even the most basic versions are extremely entertaining. With your budget you can get two sides on a very late Fiesta ST with 150pk (fun, not very economical) or a new type with a more modest 1.4 engine and reasonable equipment. For this situation, the second option is the better.
Semi-YOLO: Alfa Romeo GT
Huh? A Alfa GT? Yes. But it is less crazy than it sounds. Was the Brera is rather heavy, the GT is relatively light. It is a coupe based on the 147, so that means a fine-steering C-segmenter. The 1.8 Twin Spark meets actually more than enough with 140hp. And concerns regarding the reliability into giant fall. For 8,000 you will have a very late instance with not so crazy a lot of miles. Yes, the consumption is slightly higher, but you do get a lot in return. No 159 this time ;-).
Even a Honda Insight
A typical model of: Oh yes, there was, of course, continue. The Insight is a kind of Prius counterpart, but just a bit more fun. Also the interior is nice and funky and the driveline fits in very well with use in urban areas. The Insight is known as a very reliable car, albeit not the most exciting. If you have the possibility you can see to the budget something to stretch it, comes the very fun CR-Z in sight, is technically quite similar to the Insight, but then a nice coupe. However, the prices around the 9 mille.
Do you want advice about your next car? Then Mail it to tips-at sign-autoblog-dot-nl with the subject Autoblog-Advice. Provide us the data in the table and describe clearly any other matters that are relevant! Who knows, we will find your next dream car!