Three Sub €10,000 Family saloons
The family saloon makes up the staple diet of Irish car buying and we have chosen three good value cars here, all great value because they are petrol powered.
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 Intense €9,950
The latest Mitsubishi Lancer is an impressive car, so we were delighted to see that now you can get into a 2008 model for under €10,000, which is really very good value. The Lancer feels feel built, is entertaining to drive and the engines are reliable. Plus, lately, they have been better equipped with lots of standard equipment thrown in. This model in Cork has travelled just 60,000km so will still feel very new and this engine is perky. This is better value than you would pay for the equivalent Ford Focus saloon.
2008 Ford Mondeo 1.6 €9,600
The prospect of getting a full sized family car for less than €10,000 is an exciting one and the Mondeo is a truly excellent car. It has always been the car that was the most entertaining to drive in the segment and while its popularity has waned slightly there is no doubt that this still has a very upmarket feel compared to something like a Toyota Avensis. This one we found has 112,000km on the clock, which really isn’t enough to get too concerned about in a car like this, which is built for high mileage. Sure enough, the 1.6-litre petrol version is no rocket, but if you want a car that will do low mileage and live around town first and foremost then this could be ideal.
2008 Volkswagen Jetta €9,750
This car goes to show, that if you are prepared to choose an unfashionable engine choice then you can nab yourself a bargain. The 1.6-litre petrol engine might not be the engine everyone wants these days, but it will cost you thousands (we are talking €4,000 - €5,000) less than the diesel version and you will never save that much money buy choosing the diesel model. This Jetta has had one owner, is in Comfortline spec and has 101,000km on the clock, so it still has plenty of life in it. This is a handsome and well-built car for the money, with lots of badge kudos.