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Author: Subject: New Diesel Tin-top advice
mikeb

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:01 PM Reply With Quote
New Diesel Tin-top advice

After successfully upgrading my partners tin top (nice 03 plate corolla, very good value).
I need to get mine sorted.
I do high milage so need a diesel and with the hound means a hatchback or estate is preferable.
I have an old a4 avant which has been great very impressed with the reliability.
Just not sure what to replace it with,
My previous comments suggested I dont' like vauxhalls and fords, the latest models have improved a lot but they are out of my price range. 4-5.5k

Honda Civic CDTI - fast, funky looking, should be reliable but will it go from 100,000 to 180,000 without to much grief.
Audi A4 Avant tdi - 03 plate with 100k on it, nice and reliable guess I'm just a bit bored of A4's
Audi A3 tdi - 03-04 plate should be nice but can't afford one with the funky s-line interior.
Saab 93 - I quite like them but don't know about the engine's reliability
BMW 320td - Like them a lot in compact or estate but with horror stories and 10k bills for engines, swirl flaps, turbo's and fuel pumps not sure I can take the risk.
Vauxhall Signum - quite like in the flesh a bit vauxhall on the inside, will it do big mileage?, they are cheap!
Ford Focus - can't make up my mind up if it will do big mileage like the audi without bits falling off.
Mazda 6 estate - not the most economical diesel and feels a bit cheap inside but I could be persuaded.
Passats - not to keen

So thats where I'm up to any other recommendations or which of the above, don't know anything about the Civics so views on that would be good.

So a reasonable turn of speed, hatchback estate flexibility and reliable, home diy a must for most servicing.
Thanks

M

[Edited on 28/2/11 by mikeb]

[Edited on 28/2/11 by mikeb]

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swanny

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:14 PM Reply With Quote
I'd be getting one of these.

http://www.stivesvehiclesales.co.uk/GetDealer.do?did=9023&pageid=1

fourth car down.....

ROVER 75 2.0 CDT Connoisseur SE , 5 Doors, Automatic, Estate, Diesel, 2003 53 Reg , 58,000 miles, £4696

very comfy to drive, good spec, heated seats, leather, electric everything, even a telly!

well built, bmw engine in this one, and many of them very nicely taken care of by 'more mature owners' owners club support, no shortage of parts (unless you buy the V8) many main dealers still operate rover sections, and some really good specialists.

they have also won several best used car buy awards over the past few years.

[Edited on 28/2/11 by swanny]

[Edited on 28/2/11 by swanny]

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MikeRJ

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:19 PM Reply With Quote
High mileage common rail diesel engines are a risky proposition, irrespective of manufacturer IMO. They are simply nowhere near as robust as the older mechanically injected engines (including the VAG PD), and the parts that do fail are expensive. My brother has a 320D he bought to do a lengthy (albeit temporary) commute in, and wiped out a lot of his fuel savings by having to have the injectors refurbished (~£600) at the ~130k mark. The turbo had already been replaced at about 85k miles before he bought it and seems to be getting very noisy with a current mileage of just over 150k.
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mikeb

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:20 PM Reply With Quote
Yeh they are not bad those Rovers and I have thought about them as they are very good value. They are just not for me on the styling front and just a bit big for my needs, should do you welll though.

Looked at the 118d BMW but apparantly are a bit slow and have a few reliability issues also but can anyone confirm?

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mikeb

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:23 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks Mike so what's your recommendation - find an older low mileage diesel, what age in the VAG range did the swap over. Or go with a 1.6 petrol?
Did honda crack the reliability issue with a cdti?

The petrol civic does 44mpg but will be ok for big mileage?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201050375529603/sort/priceasc/usedcars/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/6000/pric e-from/4000/model/civic/make/honda/page/1/postcode/nn297qd/radius/40?logcode=p

[Edited on 28/2/11 by mikeb]

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Agriv8

posted on 28/2/11 at 03:46 PM Reply With Quote
if you are not too bothered about the badge you will get a passat estate or skoda octavia

regards

Agriv8





Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a tree full of a*seholes .............


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Alfa145

posted on 28/2/11 at 04:04 PM Reply With Quote
SKoda? or what about an Alfa 156 or 159 estate? Peugeot 407 might be another option?
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mikeb

posted on 28/2/11 at 04:07 PM Reply With Quote
I'm not a badge snob but think the octavia's look dated for that age now, i'd get an a4 instead.
Love alfas, but they aren't going to be reliable are they! if i get an older 156 and keep a few k in the bank to fix it...

I know they are a bit shopping car but the audi a2 petrol does really good mpg, anyone had one?

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Alfa145

posted on 28/2/11 at 04:12 PM Reply With Quote
I owned a second hand Alfa for 8 years. Hardly cost me a thing and had very few problems. Compared to the 3 new peugeots and 2 new fords I've had as company cars I know what I would buy again when I loose the company car....
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dilley

posted on 28/2/11 at 05:10 PM Reply With Quote
mercedes before 2005. They do have problems but are cheap and easy to fix, recon injectors are £60 each, low pressure pump is around £100 and high pressure is around £250. I have run these engines upto 230k with very few problems.

Plus you can fix nearly everything yourself! easy to diagnose these with out an expensive diagnostic machine.

[Edited on 28/2/11 by dilley]

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steve m

posted on 28/2/11 at 05:46 PM Reply With Quote
the best car i have ever bought was my current 2008 2.0 TDCI ford mondeo estate,

Cost 5k last april

[Edited on 28/2/11 by steve m]

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mcerd1

posted on 28/2/11 at 06:14 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
High mileage common rail diesel engines are a risky proposition, irrespective of manufacturer IMO. They are simply nowhere near as robust as the older mechanically injected engines (including the VAG PD), and the parts that do fail are expensive.

and most of them only get worse on '57' plate cars or newer (euro5 emissions ones)

my dad got a 57 plate discovery and it eats EGR valves (at ~£250 a time without labour )
and one of the guys at work has a 57 plate passat and its just eaten a turbo (complicated varible vane = ~£350 for a recon one)





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mikeb

posted on 28/2/11 at 06:19 PM Reply With Quote
Interesting view on the Mercs, could never find one with good enough fuel economy.
The C220 CDI coupe look quite nice though although the interior dosen't look as premium as the badge woudl suggest.
I don't mind paying good money for an older car if it will have legs, I'll keep it for four years and do about 60k.
So for £5k I can find a C220 cdi with around 80k on the clock, but I still think this engine is common rail? What are the big problems with mercs.

With BMWs of that age its turbos, swirl flats, fuel pumps...
with Honda Civics its dmf and clutches
With newer common rail engines on anything else well its anythign really!

If I can't find anything I'll just get a slightly newer a4 but after having one for 5 years you kinda get bored of the same interior!

So what would be better
a 5k mondeo/focus on a 06/07 or a 5k merc on a 52 or 53???

[Edited on 28/2/11 by mikeb]

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dilley

posted on 28/2/11 at 07:29 PM Reply With Quote
I currently have a 2003 c270cdi estate that has covered 153k, 42 mpg on a run, the wife gets 38 mpg all day long where as I achieve 34mpg! I paid £4200 18 months ago and it had covered 118000. This is the wifes car, My last car was a 54 plate e320 cdi, 42mpg on a run, 32 mpg running about town, remapped to 275bhp and it really shifted! paid £10000 fully loaded with 60000 on the clock and 4 years old, sold last year for £8000 with 120000 on the clock and never missed a beat! Sold a 2001 sprinter van last year, I had covered 90000 miles in the 5 years that I owned it having bought it with 80000 on the clock... I sold to my Dad and it now has nearly 200000 on the clock and has not had a penny spent on it! still on the origional clutch! and the same engine as in the c/e 220 cdi. If you need any advice on what to look for then pm me.

[Edited on 28/2/11 by dilley]

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