I would like to buy an automatic saloon or estate, spending about £8,000, can anyone recommend a good reliable make.

Thanks

I like Vauxhalls but if you are buying used, how it has been driven is more important than the make.

Good reliable cars IMO are Honda, but personal preference will differ.

The important thing is to check the service history of any car is present, and that all oil and filter changes in particular have been carried out at the correct intervals.

dear lanky,

8 grand is a lot of money to get a very good car. i have had an american chevorlet caprice, a japanese carina and currently german bmw 5er saloon. each has its pros and cons. americans are not available here so we will not discus those. japanese are very reliable and you could get a variety of these here. they are easy going and cheap to run as well as on maintainence. the new avensis would be a good one and would fit in your budget too. of course then is the beamer. you could get 3 or a 5er depending on your requirements. they are slightly more expensive but are robust, reliable and safe. you could always find a good one for the money you have. personally i would go for a 525 tds estate or530d saloon as its good on fuel ave, spacious, reliable and there are plenty in the market.the petrol versions 520 is good too but is under equipped and some say under powered. 523 is good on petrol as well. i have a 528 which i find heavy on fuel and a straight 6 is of no advantage on the road except burning more quids for the miles and adding more co2. if space is not an issue you could go for 3 series 320d as its more economical, the only negative is that 3 series is generally more expensive. so for the same money you would find 3 series with more miles on the clock that a 5er. best of luck.

ali

I think Motoring WHICH? may be able to help. It's in my local library. If you do go to yours and it's there ask at the desk for access to the WHICH? site so you can use the index. WHICH? let libraries put the code in but not us.

It's also worth finding a site (there are many) with advice on how to inspect a car that you're interested in. There are people who'll do this for a fee but you need to form your own opinion as it'll be your money.

Thanks for all your responses, you've all been a great help.

For that money, a Mercedes is good value, lasts for ever and would have a reasonable resale value.

SHARK!

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For every positive action, there's an equal and opposite government plan.

You are asked the question-best automatic cars,nobody answered this at all.Currently I think you will find that Volkswagen produce the best Automatic gearbox with there Direct Shift Gearbox,as unlike conventional automatics,there is not any powerloss,The DSG box is available on several different makes of car,all owned by VW, Audi,Seat,Skoda,all have the reputation for reliability and good build quality,The Skoda probably would give the best value,combined .