Car choice if Bora sells this weekend

[Andy665 0]

In the expectation that the other halfs Bora could sell this weekend (every car I have ever sold has been sold to first person to view) I'm now looking at what practical estate / hatch to buy.

 

Currently considering:

 

Octavia Mk1 VRs (2000 - 2002) - all tend to be higher mileage (70k upwards but I know the Octavias are tough old things)

 

Audi A4 Avant (2000 - 2001) - preferably with the 2.4 V6, tend to be well looked after and are approx same price as the Octavia

 

3 Series Touring (1999 - 2001) - wifes preference but we can get a 323i / 325i within the budget

 

And the curve ball option:

 

Vectra GSi Estate - cheaper than the others, generally lower mileage and a bit younger (2002 - 2003)

 

Looking for something with a reasonable turn of speed, reliable (I know theres a question mark over the Vectra on this one), practical and decent access to specialists for repair / maintenance.

 

Your views are appreciated

[corozin 0]

Hi Andy,

Having sat in more than a few Octavia estates in the past few months I reckon you (or perhaps Sarah) should at least take a test drive in one. The A4/Passat is similar, but you'll get a newer Octavia for the same money and they're not inferior in my opinion except for the badge. (Yes - they were taxis !)

 

I wouldn't touch a Vauxhall with a shifty stick unless it's a mega-deal. The cars creak, lose value faster than Northern Rock and the dealers are usually w&nkers.

 

If you want some fun, I have a real alternative for you to consider : I know someone who has a '96 E34 525 Touring (E34) for sale for £1,000. These are easily modified. Strap a T3 Turbo to the engine and you'll have over 400bhp with no internal engine mods required.

 

John

[craigowl 0]

IMO you need look no further than the first two in your list.

 

Have fun!

[CazzaVR 0]

Octy vRS all the way! Know I'm biased, but I absolutely love mine. The engine is soooo tuneable too. A Jabba remap will take it up to 220-230bhp with no other mods 8)

[Mystic Rado 0]

Volvo V70 T5 maybe. Very quick, massive load space, a bit hard on front tyres - there are ex-police ones floating around that have been serviced every 5K or so and priced very competitively. They tend to be white, but hey, you can't have everything :-)