Mmmmmmay Be Time To Leave.... :(

[Rory]

But only if my question can be answered:

Is there such a thing as a Nice, Reliable, AND Economical car for £5k or less, and I rarely do long journeys so I reckon diesel is not really recommended, but I don't want to blend in as such, I do want a nice badge on it....

[Stuart Aspey]

Hmm . . . I'm sure there are, but it depends upon your definition of nice? VW golf? Skoda Octavia? Though it is a bland car and here are a lot of them.

[janet]

Been there Rory............ended up buying another bloomin Lexus!

Looking at your 3 criteria, your Lex fulfills two of them...on economy do the sums based on your mileage, but don't forget you will probably incur more depreciation with a 5K car.

Now and then we all fancy a change...I was looking at a 17K merc last Wednesday...until I regained my sanity!

Give your most excellent car a clean, maybe some new mats, then go to a quiet straight road and put your foot flat down from rest (to 60mph and no more of course). Have a nice pint, a kebab and you should feel better in the morning!

[IHgs300]

Just swap it with me, you get a new car and its a lexus...win - win. :)

[Stuart Aspey]

I had a 1.0litre Corsa Club and wanted to get something bigger and more economical. We're trying to start a family. So I had three essential things I was looking for in a new car.

Had to be an estate!

Isofix points

Economical ( the corsa was doing 45mpg )

I had my list of cars down to 4

Saab 9-5 linear estate. 2.2TiD

Skoda Octavia 1.9d estate

Ford Focus 1.6d estate

Vauxhall Astra 1.7d estate.

I knew I could get 05 plate or newer for under £2500 and some were coming up with mileage under 100k. The ost of servicing a diesel wasn't scaring me and I'd been out for test drives in all of them. 4 months of umming and arring and dithering about which one would be better around town?

Then I saw the SportCross on eBay. Didnt even remember Lexus making an estate version of the is200? I arranged to view it, test drive and bought it all within two days.

There are times when I regret it. The fuel economy is quite worrying, but every time I get behind the wheel, see the dash, use the heated seats and enjoy the drive, I'm so glad I didn't buy an Astra estate!

If you've gotten to the point where you need something more economical, no one is going to blame you. I think there are many of us here who are probably looking at the fuel gauge and mpg dial more than the speedo!?!

Check out the is220d. Some are coming up under £5000, but they are all high mileage.

What about an lpg converstion?

[The-Acre]

Easy one this.

Having watched the most recent Top Gear you just put your own badge on! In other words buy a Fiat Multipla and put on a Lexus badge. That way you get the space, reasonable economy and the pleasure of knowing you've still got a Lexus (sort of)

[noby76]

But only if my question can be answered:

Is there such a thing as a Nice, Reliable, AND Economical car for £5k or less, and I rarely do long journeys so I reckon diesel is not really recommended, but I don't want to blend in as such, I do want a nice badge on it....

Mmmm tricky one. its hard to find Nice, Reliable, Economical without being common all in one car. one might be reliable and nice but not economical and common on the roads, whilst another will be common and economical but not that great in the reliability department. so there will always be shortcomings when buying a car.

if you dont use the boost on this car then it should be economical on daily basis until you come on boost. How many of these cars have you seen this month?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302205426062/sort/default/usedcars/model/mazda6/make/mazda/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/keywords/mps/postcode/lu63hp/radius/200/page/1?logcode=p

this is pretty much same mpg as the IS300 but no one laughs at drivers of these cars infact the badge alone makes drivers of high performace cars tread with caution around it on the road :-)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-55-Subaru-Legacy-3-0R-Sat-Nav-auto-R-5995-NOW-4995-/160985079015?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14%26meid%3D6014790843153681625%26pid%3D100015%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D160985079015%26

all within budget aswell..

[LexIS200Sport]

Nice, Reliable, AND Economical car for £5k or less

Honda Accord.

:)

p.s. the ones we have here are actually sold as Acura TSX in the US, so there's some street-cred for ya ;)

[noby76]

Nice, Reliable, AND Economical car for £5k or less

Honda Accord.

:)

p.s. the ones we have here are actually sold as Acura TSX in the US, so there's some street-cred for ya ;)

Was in US summer last year and must say those Acura TSX's looked quiet nice they look slightly larger in size with different body kits and pack more options compared to the Accords we have here but saying that i wont mind a 2.4 Accord in Auto with beige interior leather. the TSX's in US also pack meaty V6 motors under the hood too. why does US and Japan always get the goodies and Europe gets the not soo good ones. example IS350 sold in Japan and US but not in Europe. Infiniti cars sold in US and Japan and have just been introduced in Europe but as usual, Europeans badge snobery has put sales of Infiniti low and this was the same boat Lexus was in a couple of decades ago until most in Europe started seeing the light. Infiniti's are nice Luxury cars from Nissan and if I can afford one will opt for the M37 or G37 in saloon. thats one rare car aswell and with 330bhp from that engine.

[mikey's IS]

Nobby you do talk a lot of s**t - being scared of a subaru legacy because its made by subaru and all that in your sig, i carnt take you serious

Rory go get a 320d Msport or you can buy mine for 4k

[noby76]

Nobby you do talk a lot of s**t - being scared of a subaru legacy because its made by subaru and all that in your sig, i carnt take you serious

Rory go get a 320d Msport or you can buy mine for 4k

320d is a common car mikey Rory was looking for something rare and not too common like a BMW everyone has thier own point of view mikey. Tell anyone you own a Subaru and they automatically think quick fast car. The brand is known for that even though all their cars are not high performance but most associate a Subaru or the badge with high performance so i wont be wrong with that comment . Feel free to copy and paste my sig to yours if you like it soo much to comment about it. Am not the only one here with a list in their sig. Wont fall for the usual trap which will end up in Rorys tread being hijacked and thrown off topic. One advice before i sign off Mikey don't go flexing your 320d's mucles near a Subaru Legacy R if you want to save face.

[Stuart Aspey]

The newer cars are getting the mix right between nice and economical, but I think you're gonna be looking at cars '08 or newer, and they may just be outta your price range . . Maybe. The Honda Accord is a nice car, but I think after driving the Lexus, you're gonna be dissapointed with whatever you replace it with.

[Rory]

Jag X type diesel has caught my eye, dunno anythin about them tho

[Stuart Aspey]

That would be a nice step up from the Lexus!

What's the engine size? The 2.0litre does 49.1mpg according to official figures. What's the insurance like?

[noby76]

Jag X type diesel has caught my eye, dunno anythin about them tho

mmh Jag nice :-)

[petayV8]

What about a Infiniti G35/Nissan skyline, not the classic skyline but new one....

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302205425139/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/model/skyline/make/nissan/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/page/2/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/postcode/sy35ep?logcode=p

Great cars. same engine as 350Z but more refined. also available in 4 door. saying that 350Z's arent that expensive now

Nissan build some great cars like noby said, but we only get the **** ones lol

[petayV8]

That would be a nice step up from the Lexus!

What's the engine size? The 2.0litre does 49.1mpg according to official figures. What's the insurance like?

I wouldnt call it a step up. The x type was a just a dressed up mondeo, in fact it rides, drives worse and it less comfortable than a mondeo. Some dont even have climate control

[petayV8]

Nice, Reliable, AND Economical car for £5k or less

Honda Accord.

:)

p.s. the ones we have here are actually sold as Acura TSX in the US, so there's some street-cred for ya ;)

Was in US summer last year and must say those Acura TSX's looked quiet nice they look slightly larger in size with different body kits and pack more options compared to the Accords we have here but saying that i wont mind a 2.4 Accord in Auto with beige interior leather. the TSX's in US also pack meaty V6 motors under the hood too. why does US and Japan always get the goodies and Europe gets the not soo good ones. example IS350 sold in Japan and US but not in Europe. Infiniti cars sold in US and Japan and have just been introduced in Europe but as usual, Europeans badge snobery has put sales of Infiniti low and this was the same boat Lexus was in a couple of decades ago until most in Europe started seeing the light. Infiniti's are nice Luxury cars from Nissan and if I can afford one will opt for the M37 or G37 in saloon. thats one rare car aswell and with 330bhp from that engine.

You could buy the latest gen Honda legend up to recently. same as the Acura RL. wish we got the REAL accord tho :( the TSX is nice tho like you said, ide also go for the 2.4 auto with twin exhausts and such....

[petayV8]

Chrysler 300C comes to mind too. You wont blend in thats for sure!

[noby76]

you mean like this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302265500276/sort/default/usedcars/model/300c/make/chrysler/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/200/postcode/lu63hp/page/1?logcode=p

had a soft spot for the presence of this car when they first came out. they meant to use Merc engines right?

[IHgs300]

Nobby you do talk a lot of s**t - being scared of a subaru legacy because its made by subaru and all that in your sig, i carnt take you serious

Rory go get a 320d Msport or you can buy mine for 4k

320d is a common car mikey Rory was looking for something rare and not too common like a BMW everyone has thier own point of view mikey. Tell anyone you own a Subaru and they automatically think quick fast car. The brand is known for that even though all their cars are not high performance but most associate a Subaru or the badge with high performance so i wont be wrong with that comment . Feel free to copy and paste my sig to yours if you like it soo much to comment about it. Am not the only one here with a list in their sig. Wont fall for the usual trap which will end up in Rorys tread being hijacked and thrown off topic. One advice before i sign off Mikey don't go flexing your 320d's mucles near a Subaru Legacy R if you want to save face.

Can we keep on topic guy's? Please don't turn Rory's thread into a personal slanging match.

[noby76]

Thank you IanS200

[petayV8]

VW Phaeton. diesel available. I love the interiors on these, especially how the vents have motorized covers

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Phaeton-3-2-V6-2005-/271085509069?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f1df499cd

[Rory]

Infinti g35 fuel economy won't be much better will it? Gonna have a go in a jag x type sport tomorrow, maybe nice enough, u never know, Insurance won't be too bad i reckon, Chrysler 300c is too expensive unless I want a quarter of a million miles already on it, Honda accord has no appeal to me, even looked at an Audi a3 1.6 petrol or 1.9 diesel but again very common like the 3 series, but I have considered those

[petayV8]

you mean like this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302265500276/sort/default/usedcars/model/300c/make/chrysler/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/200/postcode/lu63hp/page/1?logcode=p

had a soft spot for the presence of this car when they first came out. they meant to use Merc engines right?

The diesel was a merc engine, same as in the jeep grand cherokees too. but the 3.5 V6 petrol wasnt the same as the legendary 3.5 merc engine unfortunately. My cousins got same 3.5 in his 2005 charger, its not that great tbh. the replacement 3.7 is much better...