what car for 8K ish

moneypitt said:
I am in the same situation as OP - not a girl but looking for something four door, second hand, around 8K etc - I am still undecided between Focus, Mondeo and Volvo S60.

creme egg, from my research so far

* Ford Focus / Mondeo (Pros: spacious, comfortable, really cheap to maintain. Cons: Boring, everyone has them, uninspiring, poor spec unless Zetec trim)

* Volvo S60/S80 (Pros: safe, very safe, very very safe, luxury comforts, good looks. Cons: could be expensive to maintain, larger engines, taxes etc)

* Toyota Corolla / Avensis (Pros: bullet proof reliability, predictable. Cons: Boring)

I am leaning towards S60 at the moment myself, purely based on the comforts (dolby sound system for instance..! :D) ... but I might end up with a Focus / Mondeo...
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Not sure what you're looking for from this post. You've summarised pretty well, so surely it's up to you what priority you put on the good/bad points?

One thing I'd throw into the pot to consider, though, would be the amount each one depreciates. It's often the highest cost of motoring, but frequently ignored.
 
RS2K, ang1170

I was only throwing in a few ideas to the OP really. I agree S80 is in a totally different class to Corolla/Focus, but I think I threw them in the mix because its in OPs budget! In fact Volvos are probably more reliable than Fords, fun than Toyotas and safer than any other cars in discussed so far - why not, especially if she is expecting (precious) babies!
 
moneypitt said:
RS2K, ang1170

I was only throwing in a few ideas to the OP really. I agree S80 is in a totally different class to Corolla/Focus, but I think I threw them in the mix because its in OPs budget! In fact Volvos are probably more reliable than Fords, fun than Toyotas and safer than any other cars in discussed so far - why not, especially if she is expecting (precious) babies!
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Based on what? ;)

Nothing wrong with Volvo's btw. I quite like some of them. S80 is a great mile muncher, but running and servicing costs are massive. XC90 diesel is a fine bus.
 
RS2K said:
Based on what?
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I read loads of reviews and the general impression about Volvo S60/S80 range was that they are very well built, brilliant equippend and very reliable, where as Ford reviews said 'common, excellent value and cheap to repair'. Hey, I said 'probably'! :D

XC90 is nice and all, but thats a few times the budget OP or I have in mind.
 
Volvo are basically overpriced Fords (nicer trim etc but not much else) so I don't see how there would be much difference from a safety point of view.
 
Purple said:
Volvo are basically overpriced Fords (nicer trim etc but not much else) so I don't see how there would be much difference from a safety point of view.
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Don't let accuracy get in the way of a throwaway comment! ;)

The S40, V50 and V30 are all Focus derived admittedly, and are not bad cars for that. That platform is the best about.

Care to inform us which Ford the S60, C70, XC70, V70, & XC90 are based on?
 
Gabriel said:
Don't tell me...the Fiesta?? :D
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No, Mustang! :D

Okay, I googled and here's what I found. Aparantly Volvo's P2 frame is slightly different to the D3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_D3_platform

Ford D3 Platform

Vehicles currently using this platform include the following:
Confirmed future vehicles using this platform include the following:
Future vehicles using the platform include the following:

Now class, lets get back to the original question....!! :D
 
I had a renault megane and had lots of problems with it. It kept on cutting out on me. In the end replaced it with a seat leon. Its all VW except for the badge and is alot cheaper as well. I have had the seat for about 3years now and have had no bother with it
 
Purple said:
Volvo are basically overpriced Fords (nicer trim etc but not much else) so I don't see how there would be much difference from a safety point of view.
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That insignificant etc that you think is not worth the money is:
Much greater safety (more airbags as standard, different body design, alot better safety record based on real life studies, better crash response),
A LOT more comfortable seats (probably the most ergonomic you can get),
Generally better equipment level,

Well, if you think these don't worth the extra then it's your choice but for me the safety of my family worth alot more than 1-2K difference!

Btw, I don't drive a Volvo :)
 
muffinsda said:
That insignificant etc that you think is not worth the money is:
Much greater safety (more airbags as standard, different body design, alot better safety record based on real life studies, better crash response),
A LOT more comfortable seats (probably the most ergonomic you can get),
Generally better equipment level,

Well, if you think these don't worth the extra then it's your choice but for me the safety of my family worth alot more than 1-2K difference!

Btw, I don't drive a Volvo :)
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Most modern cars are pretty safe. For realistic and impartial views I'd look at Euro Ncap results.

Renaults are safe these days too.
 
RS2K said:
Most modern cars are pretty safe. For realistic and impartial views I'd look at Euro Ncap results.

Renaults are safe these days too.
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Yes, and they have a good level of equipment as well, and look nice. If they weren't as unreliable as reports say I would have rated them very high too.

While euroncap is a good objective measure, I wouldn't put my full trust in it. Volvo have a wealth of experience based on real life study of crashes rather than a pre-set set of tests (which most manufacturers tailor their cars in order to score high in the test rather than emphasizing on the real life scenarios).
I would feel safer, for example, in a 00 Volvo V70 than a 07 Laguna, but I'd feel reasonably safe in the Laguna too based on its ncap results!

Again, I don't drive a Volvo!
 
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