Just bought a 1999 2.0 ELX with 65000 on the clock and service history for £450! 
For anyone interested, here is the story.
I was running a 1995 BMW 325i coupe, I loved this car but a new job last year meant I was putting huge miles on it and it inevitably broke.
My boss told me he would sort a company car out for me when I started but this has not materialised, apparently the company is not making any money at the moment, so I needed something cheap and cheerful that would see me over Christmas.
The company car shaped carrot is now being dangled on a shorter stick after he realised I was serious that I am looking for another job and is now promising he will sort a car out by February next year. I am not bothered if he does or not, as soon as the right job comes along, I am off.
Enough of the boring stuff and back to the rather interesting Marea and I must say I am very impressed, I love the engine, its a peach, I was really worried I would miss the power of my straight six BMW but with 154 horses on tap the Marea feels almost as quick it handles reasonably well too, its obviously not in the same league a the BMW but it was never intended to compete with BMW so that’s an unfair comparison. What I would say is that it is far better than any Ford or Vauxhall of this era I have driven and I’m well chuffed with my Marea.
Then only fault with the car is a broken drivers door mirror, so I am on the look out for one of those and if anyone knows where I can get hold of one please let me know.
For anyone interested, here is the story.
I was running a 1995 BMW 325i coupe, I loved this car but a new job last year meant I was putting huge miles on it and it inevitably broke.
My boss told me he would sort a company car out for me when I started but this has not materialised, apparently the company is not making any money at the moment, so I needed something cheap and cheerful that would see me over Christmas.
The company car shaped carrot is now being dangled on a shorter stick after he realised I was serious that I am looking for another job and is now promising he will sort a car out by February next year. I am not bothered if he does or not, as soon as the right job comes along, I am off.
Enough of the boring stuff and back to the rather interesting Marea and I must say I am very impressed, I love the engine, its a peach, I was really worried I would miss the power of my straight six BMW but with 154 horses on tap the Marea feels almost as quick it handles reasonably well too, its obviously not in the same league a the BMW but it was never intended to compete with BMW so that’s an unfair comparison. What I would say is that it is far better than any Ford or Vauxhall of this era I have driven and I’m well chuffed with my Marea.
Then only fault with the car is a broken drivers door mirror, so I am on the look out for one of those and if anyone knows where I can get hold of one please let me know.
