[maidhc]

Originally Posted by RJunior

Anyone buyinga new car needs their head examined. Complete waste of money.

Sometimes if you are buying a car and keeping it for a substantial period it makes all the sense in the world. You know what you have and how it was looked after. That said you can save money if you can find a clean 2/3 year old model.

@OP
A 2003 Focus will be worth more than a 1997 Golf on scrappage. If it is anyway decent it should fetch €2,500 to €3,500. This would also allow you spread the net a bit further in terms of new secondhand cars and the like.

Personally I don't believe there are a huge number of clean low milage family diesels about at a saving which makes them worthwhile, and you will have to buy new if you want what you are looking for.

[Nonoperational]

Originally Posted by RJunior

Anyone buyinga new car needs their head examined. Complete waste of money.

Helpful. I'm sure he'll know exactly what to buy now. It's all relative, if you like new cars and can afford it then I don't think any heads need examination.

No repair costs, no big servicing, no worries about how the car was treated in it's previous life and there's a bit of prestige about having an 11 reg.

[R.O.R]

Originally Posted by colm_mcm

The astra (now old model) saloon must be dirt cheap on scrappage

Shudder.

While the Superb is no looker, the Astra Notch (it even has a stupid official name) makes it look like a super model in comparison.

The 1.6Tdi engine has been around for a little while in the VW's. Haven't heard of any issues yet. If the power is enough for the OP, and the cost is roughly the same, the Superb sounds to me like the better choice.

Toyota's 3 years free servicing is for 1 service a year. It's every 15,000km on the Avensis, but it's every 30,000 on the Skoda for long life servicing. Might make a difference over 5 years.

[Damien360]

Originally Posted by R.O.R

The 1.6Tdi engine has been around for a little while in the VW's. Haven't heard of any issues yet. If the power is enough for the OP, and the cost is roughly the same, the Superb sounds to me like the better choice.

Toyota's 3 years free servicing is for 1 service a year. It's every 15,000km on the Avensis, but it's every 30,000 on the Skoda for long life servicing. Might make a difference over 5 years.

That 1.6TDI is awful in the passat. I drove one and boy did it struggle. My 1.8TDCI zetec Mondeo leaves it for dust and that is slow off the blocks. The lads in work complain about the overtaking ability of the 1.6TDI. You need a long run. Putting that in to the massive Superb seems silly and I am suprised by the number of people who think it is fine based on town car use only. You will have to go somewhere other than your own town once in a while and there is nothing like the confidence of a more powerful engine when you need to overtake.

My mechanic is already seeing problems with the 1.6TDI engine (although did not specify) and all the lads that have them drive the living ****e out of them to keep them up to speed. When they come up secondhand in a few years time, I would'nt touch them with a bargepole as they will all be driven very hard.

I own a last generation avensis (1.6 petrol) and had a look at the new avensis (D4D aura) and the spec is pretty much the same. There is not a lot in the avensis in the range of comfort. Seats are still crap with no support. Only thing is, it gives no trouble whatsoever.

OP, look at the UK spec for avensis. If you can swing a UK one that would be a better buy and there is not that much of a price difference. There is a dealer in Ballaghdreen, Mayo that deals in imports. Opposite the garage on the left as you drive in to the town from dublin side. He charges 1000 on top of UK price to import and do all the donkey work if you are wary of importing yourself. He gets them pre-UK VAT and that makes the price better. I know of one person who did this and it all worked nicely. You could try push an irish dealer in the toyota network to do the same but not sure how that would go down.

Question for dealers here : Would that upset toyota ireland if local toyota dealer did this. My gut feeling is yes.