Hi,
We have almost reached the end of the road with our beloved 02 Jazz - after 139,000 miles, the gearbox is on its way out, and there are ominous rumblings from bearings(?) when turning left. Our friendly repair man has told us he is waiting for the call to come out and recover it, and is surprised he hasn't had it already! The cost of repairs would be far more than the car is worth. The bodywork is also very tatty - although originally red, it is now multi shades of pink, with several bumps and scrapes. So time to start looking for a replacement!
We really like the look of the 1.4 VTEC EX, and probably 09 for our budget. Is this a good one to choose? Or any other models recommended? We like the panoramic sunroof and the high spec.
Oh, and my partner says it has to be blue!
Although much of our driving will be local, we also need it to comfortably manage long-distance motorway journeys (200+ miles) every couple of weeks. What should we look out for? We are not experts, so would really welcome any advice!
There seem to be a few up for sale that are cat S or N - should we avoid them, or is it not a problem?
Also, quite a few seem to be automatic. We have never had an automatic, so don't know much about them, but have heard they are less fuel-efficient. Should we avoid an automatic, or are they okay? Are they likely to have more problems, or be more expensive to repair?
We are going to look at the exterior of one at the weekend (owner is away, so can't look inside or take it out). Anything we should look out for? It has 105000 miles on the clock - is this a problem? We have heard that this is the sort of mileage where the gearbox starts to have problems - and how can we tell? The asking price is £2,500 - is this about right for the age and mileage?
And finally, is the insurance likely to be significantly higher than for our 02 Jazz? We have a student son on our insurance.
Sorry, lots of questions, but as a total car novice, would really appreciate any thoughts or advice - thank you!