£500 small - mid sized car wanted

[Blackie]

As per the title, I'm looking a cheap small to mid size car for around £500, must have MOT, preferably nothing French unless you can educate me on what normally goes wrong with the particular model your offering.

 

[Cartunes]

You purchase one of these........

And never have to go cheap car shopping again!!

 

[Blackie]

Funny I've my eye on a v40 on scumtree at the moment, but it's a 1.6 petrol

 

[Boabybooster]

Funny I've my eye on a v40 on scumtree at the moment, but it's a 1.6 petrol

Rust on the front wings is something to watch for, bar that fairly robust motors.

 

[davey-dimples]

You purchase one of these........
View attachment 133004
And never have to go cheap car shopping again!!

French engine though?

 

[Coog]

I had a S40 one of those and it really was absolutely terrible.

Yaris or Corolla my man!!

 

[rupertfinch]

Ditto for my V40 - though that was a T4. Never gelled with it, but then again it never let me down.

 

[Blackie]

The 1.6 I was watching has gone! Lol, that's what I get for being too slow!

 

[j44nty]

E46 318 would be my choice at that money.
I got my black one free and it lasted 5 years lol.
You can modify them cheap as chips as everyone is getting rid of mv1 and mv2 regular.

 

[Blackie]

I had seen this but I think with the mileage I'd simply be asking for trouble:

Audi A4 Avant 1.9 tdi se
Audi A4 Avant 1.9 tdi se | in Dunmurry, Belfast | Gumtree

I have been looking at e46's also, but most seem very bruised and battered, I know they're getting on a bit now but they still seem to be commanding high enough prices

 

[davey-dimples]

BMW 320d 2002 £750 | in Dunamanagh, County Tyrone | Gumtree

 

[Blackie]

I'd found this one which is a bit closer to me in location and price lol:

E46 Bmw 320d full years mot
E46 Bmw 320d full years mot | in Newtownards, County Down | Gumtree


Only trouble is I know nothing about them! I know that the floor around the diff cradle is prone to rust/splitting, and that the turbo's have their own filter which is difficult and pricey to get, but that's the limit of my knowledge on them.

 

[Smurf.]

At £500 id avoid anything diesel. Petrol e46 is way to go

 

[Marc]

At £500 id avoid anything diesel. Petrol e46 is way to go

Even the e46 4cyl petrol engine is a bit of a ****ter if you ask me.

It's the n42 based engine, if you want to google the common problems of this.

 

[Blackie]

Ok, so BMW's appear to be off the cards then!

Although to be honest I wasn't thinking of anything that "upmarket" anyhow. Something fairly reliable but most important isn't rotting away in front of me!

 

[Coog]

Cheap E46 would be absolute heart ache. Even a good one can be a pain in the arse!

 

[Blackie]

There's a certain Mazda 626 I've spotted but again I know nothing about them. All that Google seems to bring up on them is that they are a bit dull to drive. If that is the only thing I could live with that! Lol

 

[Cartunes]

French engine though?

A more reliable engine you will struggle to find.

 

[Boabybooster]

Saab 9-3 or 9-5 petrols. If there's any about.

 

[rupertfinch]

Go for that Avant - was gonna chip in with 'never worry about mileage - my father in-laws did a quarter of a million miles' but then saw the figure! Hmmm. Really well built yoke though.

 

[Boabybooster]

I'd try and up your budget and a bit of bartering.

2004 Saab 9-5 Vector 2.3t - PX/Swap - Offers | in Craigavon, County Armagh | Gumtree

 

[Gavlar]

I had a S40 one of those and it really was absolutely terrible.

Yaris or Corolla my man!!

This ^^

I bought a cheap runaround corolla few years back with 80k on it, got rid a few weeks ago and it had 145k. Needed nothing bar regular servicing when I owned it. They're reliable as hell

 

[Blackie]

Do Corolla's have 3 x 3 point seat belts in the rear?

 

[Boabybooster]

This ^^

I bought a cheap runaround corolla few years back with 80k on it, got rid a few weeks ago and it had 145k. Needed nothing bar regular servicing when I owned it. They're reliable as hell

Old jap cars not prone to the old rot?

 

[surprising_skoda]

Cheap E46 would be absolute heart ache. Even a good one can be a pain in the arse!

Depends on where you get your cheap E46.

I have a 2001 320d available, for example. There's a replacement turbo on it, we've thoroughly serviced it, has been on the ramps and checked left right and centre, and while its a bit scruffy, it's 100% reliable and the first gen M47 engines are a lot less breakdown-prone than the common rail M47N in the facelift cars. It's more than the budget though. And I've lost the V5.
All 4 cylinder petrols are scrap however (apart from any I may have sold or will have for sale )