What would you choose?

cavanmaniac

Trying to sort out what to buy (if I shift my current car that is) and have whittled it down to the following list.

Would appreciate your opinions. My priorities are reliability, performance, economy, decent level of equipment and comfort, looks. In no particular order, I'm considering the following and I reckon I won't be spending over €10k, less if I can help it by heading up north:

1. Honda Accord 2.2 diesel - old shape - seems a good blend of all my criteria
2. VW Passat (Comfortline or higher) 2.0 diesel 140bhp - current shape - worried about reliability
3. Ford Mondeo Titanium X 2.2 TDCI 155bhp - old shape - best value and selection available

What do you reckon? Is there anything else I've overlooked but should consider in a similar vein?

Johnboy Mac

cavanmaniac wrote: »

Trying to sort out what to buy (if I shift my current car that is) and have whittled it down to the following list.

Would appreciate your opinions. My priorities are reliability, performance, economy, decent level of equipment and comfort, looks. In no particular order, I'm considering the following and I reckon I won't be spending over €10k, less if I can help it by heading up north:

1. Honda Accord 2.2 diesel - old shape - seems a good blend of all my criteria
2. VW Passat (Comfortline or higher) 2.0 diesel 140bhp - current shape - worried about reliability
3. Ford Mondeo Titanium X 2.2 TDCI 155bhp - old shape - best value and selection available

What do you reckon? Is there anything else I've overlooked but should consider in a similar vein?

Very subjective really. For value for money I think the Ford is the best bet. But I rate Honda above either Ford or VW. So if it was my choice I'd go for the Honda unless the savings on the Ford were not to sniffed at.

Horses for courses.

Edit. I'd suspect parts cost to be the most expensive for the Honda but that's the only negitive point I can think of off hand.

guil

i'd go for the mondeo
very comfortable

cavanmaniac

Veering Mondeo direction alright, from scouting about there seems to be no shortage of lower mileage, high spec ones about with full Ford FSH. As far as I can gather they're a well made car, comfortable and probably more dependable than the VW which is still trading on old glories releiability wise. It's a little ordinary in the image department alright but the only real shame is that the 2.2 diesel, the engine I really want, is in the higher VRT bracket but sure you can't have it all...

Does anyone have the 2.2 diesel and if so, what's your verdict? I have a 130bhp Audi diesel at the moment, and that's a nice balance of economy and power so I expect the Ford shifts a fair bit quicker with the extra 25bhp...

tommygun999

How much are looking for your own car? Might be interested. Also a friend has a 06 Accord 2.2 CDTI, cant beat it for reliability and will have a far better resale value than a Ford. Mondeos may be cheaper but believe me when I say the resale value is atrocious.

niceirishfella

tommygun999 wrote: »

but believe me when I say the resale value is atrocious.

LOL - and what's holding it's value these days?:p

tommygun999

niceirishfella wrote: »

LOL - and what's holding it value these days?:p

Very true!

cavanmaniac

Will pm you about my car Tommygun.

Agree about the resale value alright but like the man says, nothing's holding up at the moment anyway. If I got a low mileage one with plenty of toys, I'd likely hang on to it for a while anyway.

CyberGhost

My neighbor has a Mondey, the trim is coming off of it's interior, wasn't too impressed with the build quality, and plastic felt cheap.

Passat would be my choice.

Honda is a great car, but VW looks more representative like.

cavanmaniac

Passat I like in alot of ways for sure but Honest John.co.uk doesn't inspire total confidence, as don't anecdotal tales about VW reliability in general. I suppose it's like most cars, you can be lucky/unlucky and get a good one/bad one of any car out there.

Mycroft H

The vag 1.9 tdi is a great engine, what issues do you have/heard about it OP?

S.I.R

the mondeo euro for euro cant scratch the vw or accord, just not as much car for the money....

cavanmaniac

Landyman, it wasn't so much the engine (the A4 I have has that 1.9 130bhp, I love it) but the general build quality and finish of the Passat, plus other stuff. Check out www.honestjohn.co.uk, a good resource for researching a car I always find! Will test drive a mate's Passat soon anyway to make up my own mind.
Btw, it's the 2.0 140bhp Passat I'm after anyway.

SIR, normal MOndeos wouldn't be terrible well specced but the Titanium X model has pretty much everything you could want - leather, sensors, cruise, 6CD etc., check it out. Plus, that 155bhp engine must be a cracker!

Mycroft H

cavanmaniac wrote: »

Landyman, it wasn't so much the engine (the A4 I have has that 1.9 130bhp, I love it) but the general build quality and finish of the Passat, plus other stuff. Check out www.honestjohn.co.uk, a good resource for researching a car I always find! Will test drive a mate's Passat soon anyway to make up my own mind.
Btw, it's the 2.0 140bhp Passat I'm after anyway.

SIR, normal MOndeos wouldn't be terrible well specced but the Titanium X model has pretty much everything you could want - leather, sensors, cruise, 6CD etc., check it out. Plus, that 155bhp engine must be a cracker!

Get a skoda octavia. Has the great tdi engines (da had the 110bhp one, 64mpg when cruising!). Far better build quality then vw (then again the vw build quality was never bad).

And its cheaper!

bazz26

Mondeo would be my first choice as there is seriously good value on them in the UK. If it was the 2.2 TDCi then my preference would be the ST TDCi.

Second choice would be the Accord, lovely motor and Executive models are well speced and reasonably priced. They tend to be driven by middle aged people so this might mean they were better looked after.

Third choice by a distance is the Passat, not gone on them myself, they are average for reliability but from looking in the UK Irish models seem to be higher spec bizzarly. The only thing is the 2.0 TDi is the bigger seller in the UK over the 1.9 TDi which the Irish prefer.

OP, another one to consider is the Saab 9-3 1.9 TiD, excellent Fiat diesel engine (especially the 16 valve 150bhp). The 9-3 can be bought for Mondeo money second hand in the UK, go for the Vector or Sport spec.

cavanmaniac

Cheers Bazz, would consider the Saab alright if I could get a decent enough spec at the right price.

niceirishfella

good suggestion bar;potential turbo probs with the saab.
Mondeo is my choice.

Biro

I'd only bother with the Mondeo if it were the 2.2. If not, then go for the Accord.

cavanmaniac

Biro wrote: »

I'd only bother with the Mondeo if it were the 2.2

Defo not going lower than a 2.2 with top spec!

bazz26

niceirishfella wrote: »

good suggestion bar;potential turbo probs with the saab.
Mondeo is my choice.

Are you sure your not thinking of the petrol turbo engines, the Fiat Multi-jet diesel engine is generally thought to be very reliable.

Johnboy Mac

cavanmaniac wrote: »

Cheers Bazz, would consider the Saab alright if I could get a decent enough spec at the right price.

Imo the Honda & Ford would knock spots off the Saab for general build quility. Also I would much prefer to be trading or selling the Honda rather that the Saab. My wife had a '01 9-3 (old model) nice car but the quality was not in it causing problems and I suspect that was the knock on effect of General Motors taking over Saab.

colm_mcm

I'd take the Accord.

bazz26

Johnboy Mac wrote: »

Imo the Honda & Ford would knock spots off the Saab for general build quility. Also I would much prefer to be trading or selling the Honda rather that the Saab. My wife had a '01 9-3 (old model) nice car but the quality was not in it causing problems and I suspect that was the knock on effect of General Motors taking over Saab.

I'd agree but to be fair the 9-3 is not a poor car by any means, with the 1.9 TiD and the reasonable second price of them in the UK it should not be ignored imo.

Just giving the OP a fourth option to think about outside the box.

Johnboy Mac

bazz26 wrote: »

I'd agree but to be fair the 9-3 is not a poor car by any means, with the 1.9 TiD and the reasonable second price of them in the UK it should not be ignored imo.

Just giving the OP a fourth option to think about outside the box.

Fair enough.

Holsten

I'd have the 2.2 top spec Mondeo, hopefully get one in a year or two.