What Car?

[AutoshiteBoy]

Apart from the diesels. They are most likely one of the worst engines anyone has ever built with catastrophic reliability. They are so bad as to be considered unfixable.

Apparently the last ones were sussed. You could even remove the injectors without removing the engine..like Austin-Rover, they get the design right and then immediately discontinue it.

[LynehamHerc]

I watched a top gear or something the other day with the roomster on. They said the front end was polo and the back end was golf. I nearly bought one new in '08 but bought a fabia instead.
What I noticed on the tv was the rather large swage line bit that encroches on the front windows. Looks fine from outside but I'm not sure how it would affect visability.

Visibility is fine.

[borniteidentity]

Having given it quite a bit of consideration, I'd go for one of the facelift T25 Avensis I reckon.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Avens ... %7Ciid%3A1

But - as previously agreed - buy her what she wants. My wife wanted a Fiat 500, so I bought her one on the basis that I could then enjoy extended latitude to buy things like a Mini!

[mercrocker]

She actually "wants" her own Minor but I know it will be a different story when things ease back to normal and she is doing a couple of trips to grandkids during a wet, cold icy week. I also don't want to subject another proper car to salt, school runs, parking calamities or any of the other stuff that can happen to a Focus without me caring.

There is also the aspect of us having a decent wafter for weekends away. Yeah, those Avensissess would tick the box along with the Accord.......

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

This is how you buy, sell and own a car. The salesman is a legend. ‘That is so’.

[paulplom]

Not my idea of fun either. Lying in the snow under the car with that skinny sill crusher jack supporting it.
-3.05

[paulplom]

Gf's dad has a chrysler 300c in diesel estate form on his drive. It has the bentley badges on the wheels along with the big fuck off grille. I'm sure the engine is mercedes and it has an auto box. It's been stood a year or so since it failed it's mot on a frayed seatbelt. He's replaced that but never bothered retesting it as he bought an s80 while it was standing. I fired it up about a week ago and it sounded sweet as a nut.
I could make enquiries if you're interested.
Fuck it, I'm going to ask him anyway. I think I'd look cool af cruising in it.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Gf's dad has a chrysler 300c in diesel estate form on his drive. It has the bentley badges on the wheels along with the big fuck off grille. I'm sure the engine is mercedes and it has an auto box. It's been stood a year or so since it failed it's mot on a frayed seatbelt. He's replaced that but never bothered retesting it as he bought an s80 while it was standing. I fired it up about a week ago and it sounded sweet as a nut.
I could make enquiries if you're interested.
Fuck it, I'm going to ask him anyway. I think I'd look cool af cruising in it.

Do it ! I had one from 2012 to 2015 , loved it . As you say all Merc mechanicals, but the older stuff that was a bit more durable, the gearbox is the 5 speed not the 7 you have to have with the V6 diesel in Mercs. Plus mine had a Brabus tuning box so wasn’t great on diesel, but it went like a bastard. When an ABS sensor failed and it lost ESP as well it was like the biggest Mark2 Escort in the World, I didn’t want to fix it!

Lose the Netto Bentley badges though.

[paulplom]

I'll get her to make some enquiries today. I agree on the badges. I reckon you'll get a few quid on ebay for them.

[SiC]

£10 per week in 1971 (i.e. 3 year old car) now is £142.41 per week.

Probably about the same as buying then running a standard family 3 year old car nowadays if you include depreciation?