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[Keith ABS]

 There is an Astra H on a forecort close to me for £495.
Dont know what model and spec

[dave the builder]

The radio not working is not important, 
dents and scratches are not MOT fails,(unless very bad )
but when looking at a car to buy used you need to look at the MOT history
if it has advisory's for brake pipes or tyres or rust then you will probably have to do the work.
i'd avoid the 2.2 ,it's rare ,2.2(so expensive and ecu issues are common, parts are more expensive,harder to find)
I like the design spec, i don't have a leather fettish , much prefer cloth seats but a set of seat covers are £15 if needed and untidy seats are  not an MOT item.

look at the MOT history of any car before you look at the car
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
there are loads of astra and vectra cars about,
just do a bit of research, ask questions ,look at and test drive .
there are good and bad cars, new and old
my mum had a brand new car needed a dash out /heater matrix replace on a 13 month old ,5k clit years ago , I've brought cars for less than £500, serviced and had no issues .

[Shackeng]

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it.

[dave the builder]

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it.

Focus    before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 
if you can find something not a rusty colander 

[tunnie]

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it.

Focus    before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 
if you can find something not a rusty colander 

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it 

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.

[Nick W]

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.

But a Focus is such a horrible car compared to an Astra.....

[dave the builder]

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it.

Focus    before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 
if you can find something not a rusty colander 

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it 

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.

maybe Shackeng found one that had the heater matrix done previously and that was not a rusty colander  good luck to him 

I said

 before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 

if you can find something not a rusty colander 

one astra we spent £8,500 on 
one astra i spent £200 on (knowing it had a blown head gasket but 11 months mot),another £200 on parts and it's been great for 5 years 

not getting high and mighty , just trying to give constructive advice
please feel free to do the same 

[ajsphead]

.

[ajsphead]

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it.

Focus    before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 
if you can find something not a rusty colander 

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it 

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.

maybe Shackeng found one that had the heater matrix done previously and that was not a rusty colander  good luck to him 

I said

 before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC) 

if you can find something not a rusty colander 

one astra we spent £8,500 on 
one astra i spent £200 on (knowing it had a blown head gasket but 11 months mot),another £200 on parts and it's been great for 5 years 

Matches my experience too. Bought with "rattle from engine" and EML illuminated, a 2010 Meriva used intake manifold, new front and rear lambdas and a new thermostat £189 total has sorted my recent £255 ebay purchase which is now MOT worthy and runs like a dream.

I also have a growing dislike for the focus. My old dad has a 59 plate 1.6 and it's the second most hateful car I've ever encoutered. A bit rusty and really mutton dressed as lamb - no substance behind the shine. It only comes second to a 54 plate Focus C-max 1.6 TDCi I had the misfortune of owning. Utterly utterly hateful in every respect except interior space and fuel economy - now bettered by the remapped CDTi Astra G which might be a little rough but at least it's honest and easy to work on.

[BazaJT]

Not a Focus fan but they're not greatly bad cars.Of course they have there issues-as do all cars-another to consider in the same size range could be Volvo S40/V40 to my knowing available with 1.8,1.8vvt,2.0 and 2.0turbo petrols and a diesel version.

[TheBoy]

We had an earlyish Focus, and it was that bad (reliability and drivability), it has put me off Ford ever since.

A quite detestable piece of shit.

[Nick W]

We had an earlyish Focus, and it was that bad (reliability and drivability), it has put me off Ford ever since.

A quite detestable piece of shit.

Mum's was reliable, but had no other redeeming features - ugly, uncomfortable, slow, poor riding, hideous interior, poor boot space etc.
The 3 year old 1.0l that she's replaced it with is even worse, although it does have a worthwhile boot which was achieved by drastically increasing the size of the car.

[Shackeng]

Interesting. I know nothing about the Focus, but son has been running them for about ten years, this is his 3rd IIRC, has had virtually no trouble with them, and has never spent more than £450. He says they are easy to work on if required, one broken spring IIRC!

I'll suggest Astras to him if they are better.

[Doctor Gollum]

Was happy enough with my 2.0 Focus saloon, it rode and went well and had a decent boot

[terry paget]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-1-4-1-6-1-8-1998-2010-GATES-TIMING-CAM-BELT-CAMSHAFT/182261381858?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D52945%26meid%3Deed75f84db0040b8898d
Today I bought a Haynes manual for the Astra. Official Vauxhall interval for cambelt kit changes is 100,ooo miles, but Haynes recommends 40,000 miles if car does lots of stop start journeys. Looking for cam belt kits, they seem to fit many cars, and the above seems cheap enough. Do I need to change the water pump at the same time, like on Omega 4 cylinder engines?