4 x 4 or large Saloon??!!

thenashlegend

Hey lads and ladies!

First time visiting this area of the site.....Basically what my situation is......
I'm an 18 year old DJ.....as you can imagine I have plenty of gear to carry around! Bass bin, speakers, cd players an amp and stands and brackets for lights!
As regards motors I've been looking at several things mainly saloons and 4x4's suc as....
Mitsubishi Pajero and Pajero Sport
BMW 320d
and an Audi A4!
Just wondering what ya'll might advise been as I am 18 insurance could be an issue:rolleyes:.....tax on a commercial will be cheaper than a saloon.......and most importantly what are each like on fuel?!
I know an A4 will do around 600 miles to 50 to 60 euro diesel?!
Could anyone tell me what the Pajero Sport is like ('04 or '05 model)?! Fuel issues or any problem areas?
Thanks in advance!!

DiarmaidGNR

Forget saloons, seriously. - You will never get equipment in or out of it - not even worth considering. Seriously.
4X4's are good enough but they don't do great mpg (even if it's a diesel, around 30 mpg)

A small van like a citreon berlingo would be best for you, but I suppose you wouldn't go for that.
A large hatchback like a ford mondeo or something more stylish might work.

Would you be tempted to get a nice estate? -
http://tinyurl.com/yek8ryj

What kind of money do you have to spend?

DanFindy

Well there fellow dj, im in the same business myself. A lwb jeep may suit u but they are a bit high and awkward and quite sore on fuel for an 18yr old, i used to get the lend of a trooper so speaking from experience. I use my aul fellas transit now cos i drive an L200 pick up so totally useless. An estate is ok but the access is not ideal. If i were u i would look at a nice Caddy van 06 shape, these can be tarted up with 18" rims side bars spots an all and are v cool. I need my jeep for work but if i didnt id have a Caddy in the morning as they are economical, look good with a bit of effort and can handle the dj stuff with ease.

thenashlegend

thanks for the quick replies..........never really thought of an estate but I like the look of that alfa 159!!:D I know of a lad that has a pajero sport......I've driven it once and loved it but as far as running costs go I have no idea?! I know the tax for a comm. would be 288e which is great but the fuel could reduce the savings!
I have a budget of around 5,000?! less if possible but that would be in or around it really!!
I had thought of a caddy before this........but the seating is something I'm not too fond of.......come to think of it a pajero sport is going to be the same!! Just me and one passenger! .....the same as any commercial!! maybe something like a 3 door golf......I know of a '06 5 door imported from th U.K for 6 grand!! but then again access to the stuff at the front might be difficult?!:rolleyes:

Slidey

Another point you should think of is safety.

You are young and relatively inexperienced and will be traveling the roads late at night I presume.

With any luck you will come safe but if you were to have a tip, all that heavy gear could come flying forward. Having a van with a partition could be a sensible idea.

I recently bought a 99 Combo. It is an ex Guinness van so is black and looks respectable enough, light on fuel, and they are really simple vans. Best part is I got it for €500

DanFindy

thenashlegend wrote: »

thanks for the quick replies..........never really thought of an estate but I like the look of that alfa 159!!:D I know of a lad that has a pajero sport......I've driven it once and loved it but as far as running costs go I have no idea?! I know the tax for a comm. would be 288e which is great but the fuel could reduce the savings!
I have a budget of around 5,000?! less if possible but that would be in or around it really!!
I had thought of a caddy before this........but the seating is something I'm not too fond of.......come to think of it a pajero sport is going to be the same!! Just me and one passenger! .....the same as any commercial!! maybe something like a 3 door golf......I know of a '06 5 door imported from th U.K for 6 grand!! but then again access to the stuff at the front might be difficult?!:rolleyes:

Ya commercials have 2 seats, hatchback cars are also a pain in the arse, my small set up with the small behringer tops and low level lighting i can just about cram into a corolla hatchback using front passenger seat and footwell also

thenashlegend

Thats a very good point actually......whatever I buy it would need a wire mesh behind the seats (a bulkhead I think is the correct term?). A caddy is a nice van and for the '06 to present model I think around 4.5 -6k is the average price......which I suppose isn't bad for a relatively new van! .......looking on autotrader.co.uk an Alfa 159 sport wagon doesnt sell for much less than 10 grand......nasty price:eek: Very nice purchase on the Combo by the way!! How did you go about getting an ex guinness van? sounds like a good bet as they would keep there fleet well maintained!!

Slidey

I bought it off a guy who got 5 of them direct from Leaseplan.

They don't look as bad as when they are white anyway! I was in a crash a few years ago in the older caddy with my 2 toolboxes in the back along with trolley jacks and a truck gearbox. The bulkhead in them is only flimsy but I reckon it slowed the stuf down before it hit my seat.

I have the boxes in the Combo now and have them strapped down to hooks I welded to the wheel arches.

thenashlegend

ouch.....they would have to be reinforced or something before taking to the road! and straps would be a must.....the weight of a cd player in a flight case hitting the back of your head would do serious damage!!:eek: but a cady would have plenty of room to cater for that anyway!

DiarmaidGNR

Yeah a caddy would be the right job!! They're a nice enough van, a little more expendsive to buy than a competitor, but it should hold it's value better.

A great site to find cars vans, etc is donedeal.ie ,
There should be plenty of caddy's in the commercial section.
Here's a nice enough caddy.

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/commercials/1103332

And remember that when it comes to buying a diesel you only go for something that has a full service history.

thenashlegend

Cheers man thats a beauty of a caddy!.....there a nice van to do up if the money is available! alloys.....fog lamps......bull bars.....and side bars.....very nice in black and shining chrome!!

Slidey

Only problem with those Caddys is the dual mass flywheel.

I've had to fit one in my Golf and it pained my pocket even though I fitted it myself

thenashlegend

dual mass flywheel?? sorry but I have no idea what thats about......would it be such a problem in a newer model? surely they wouldnt give up after 3 or 4 years?

Slidey

It is between your engine and gearbox and works in conjunction with your clutch

They can go after 60k miles.

My advice would be to try and find one that has already had it replaced. VW were doing good will warranty on them.

thenashlegend

Jeez I wouldnt have thought they were that flimsy......what diff is there between a car and van.....done over 100k miles in a car with no trouble?!

Slidey

No difference as far as I know. My car had about 90k on it when it started to rattle, changed it at 105k, was worried it would break up.

thenashlegend

Hmmm? maybe im just lucky?!:D would be the first time in ages though:rolleyes: any advice on a pajero sport or normal pajero?!

DiarmaidGNR

thenashlegend wrote: »

Jeez I wouldnt have thought they were that flimsy......what diff is there between a car and van.....done over 100k miles in a car with no trouble?!

I wouldn't let that put you off. No matter what you buy - any make, any model, - something is going to break. And bad dual mass flywheel issues are not nearly as common as Slidey is leading you to believe.
VWs have good reliability (4/5), but not as good as a toyota's (5/5). 4 out of 5 is still very good in todays world. What stands to VWs is the superior build quality, comfort, and finish quality, - you won't hear any sweeks or rattles on a long comfortable journey. - And if you are going to be using it as a car during the week these are the qualities that will make the difference.
VW = Quality.

Take a few different choices for a test drive to settle your mind.

Slidey

DiarmaidGNR wrote: »

I wouldn't let that put you off. No matter what you buy - any make, any model, - something is going to break. And bad dual mass flywheel issues are not nearly as common as Slidey is leading you to believe.

Hey, you are talking to a true VW fanboi here!

I was only trying to point out the most likely expensive problem he might have.

thenashlegend

Thanks guys..........I know that VW's are a great make......I am the one tryin to buy one here and having searched everywhere I can see that they hold there value like none other!!......sadly for me anyway:rolleyes: do you think one with a FSH would be less likely to have problems? like the link posted earlier on?

Slidey

Just looked at that link now. The leather is class and a very very rare find.

Tempted to take it meself!

DiarmaidGNR

thenashlegend wrote: »

Thanks guys..........I know that VW's are a great make......I am the one tryin to buy one here and having searched everywhere I can see that they hold there value like none other!!......sadly for me anyway:rolleyes: do you think one with a FSH would be less likely to have problems? like the link posted earlier on?

If you look at the service history you can tell. If it has been serviced regularly it is far far less likely to have any problems. If you buy a car (specifically a diesel) without service history, - you don't know what you're buying!

thenashlegend

Cheers for that.....I've heard of two horror stories that involved a BMW 320d and an Audi A4.....and the turbo in the engine......both bought second hand! Within a few months the turbo's were knackered!:rolleyes: Leaving a massive bill at the garage!!:eek: So a service history is a must for a diesel......don't know if I mentioned it before but.....DIESEL ALL THE WAY!! Petrol is way over rated!

thenashlegend

Sorry I should have asked you lads had any suggestions for a good vehicle for a DJ!?? What have ye got experience with?! So far Im kinda lost between a Golf or Focus van......a Caddy......a pajero (possibly Pajero Sport) or an A4!?
Any other suggestions?

DiarmaidGNR

thenashlegend wrote: »

Sorry I should have asked you lads had any suggestions for a good vehicle for a DJ!?? What have ye got experience with?! So far Im kinda lost between a Golf or Focus van......a Caddy......a pajero (possibly Pajero Sport) or an A4!?
Any other suggestions?

A friend of mine has been DJing for a few years now, he used to have an astra van (carvan) but when it ****ed up and he started looking for a new vehicle - he was adamant it had to be a van!! I spent many a night helping him out, and the amount of time it took to put everything in and take everything out - IN THE RIGHT ORDER! - was a joke! The amount of times I heard -"we can't fit that", "if we take that then we can only take one speaker", "take it all out and we'll put this in first". I remember once we got a puncture in the pissing rain with the back fully loaded, - we had to take everything out to get at the spare wheel. He ended up buying a berlingo a few months ago.
Forget the a4 - it's a saloon, you will never fit anything through that boot, I couldn't even fit a 21" tv through that boot, - had to leave it on the back seat. Oh, and I don't know if the seats fold down right either.
A focus or golf van might be alright if you have very little equipment, - and it's going to stay that way, they are both great cars, just space might be the only issue.
A pajero is going to cost quite a lot to run, 30 miles per gallon on diesel, tyres cost a bomb etc etc. And I don't know if you'd get a good one for your price range.
A caddy seems fine either.
If you are not sure on what you want, or weather or not something will suit your purpose, - go round a few used car dealers and take a look and a test drive. And if you are serious about buying something, - take a trusted mechanic with you to check it out. But be weary of dealers (clocked cars, and they can make a ball of **** look good), -always look for full service history.

thenashlegend

Cheers for that.......The only reason I was choosing an A4 is because of fuel economy plus for most gigs I only have to bring 2 CDJ's and a mixer......so three flight cases and then 2 CD wallets......the odd time I have to bring two speakers, a bass bin and an amp! I think the A4 boot would be good enough for everything except the bass bin so the back seats would be an option?! I'd prefer to have a car for the seating options when Im not working:rolleyes: a van is leaving me very limited on that front??! maybe an estate? 320d Touring?

alexlyons

I'd sugegst a Pajero Sport tbh. I know what people are saying about fuel etc but they'll give you exactly what you want in terms of huge boot space and 5 seats for during the day.

I've been in a fair few of them and they're very comfortable, loads of room etc. You'll easily get all your gear in there and you also have the back seat for anything extra!

Quick search on carzone brought up this

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mitsubishi/Pajero-Sport/2.5TD-GL/200840190226190/advert?channel=CARS

very nice model, little older than you first thought but I'd definitely give it a look.

thenashlegend

Very nice machine there......only problem is.......with 5 seats and a 2.5ltr turbo diesel engine the tax will be tipping 1000 if not over for a year?!:rolleyes: and at my age insurance will prob be another grand!!:mad:......f**kin boy racer gob****es!!:mad:

alexlyons

thats true actually, didnt think of the tax! looking at getting myself a new L200 from the UK, €50 vrt and €1000 insurance for 21yr old... pretty good if you ask me! shame your not a bit older!

thenashlegend

Not bad at all;) who is the insurance with? Im currently with hibernian and they quoted me 1700 for a caddy in my own name!!:eek: and a friend of mine payed 2000 to axa when he was 19 for a 1.4 petrol golf!! from an insurance point I wonder what would be cheaper?
A 1.9TDI A4 with 5 doors
A 2.5 Ltr Pajero Sport with 5 doors but commercialised
A BMW 320d with 5 doors
or a VW Caddy?

james1410

if you want something cheap with good space cheap to repair reasonable insurance ect go for an escort van plenty of room for your equipment with a good economical 1.8 diesal but if you go for one go for the turbo version!

Slidey

Make sure you get someone to check for rust beside the rear top shock mounts and on the sills on the Escorts. They tend to suffer from tin worm

james1410

Slidey wrote: »

Make sure you get someone to check for rust beside the rear top shock mounts and on the sills on the Escorts. They tend to suffer from tin worm

all fords unfortunatly attract rust but it can be kept at bay just make sure no water gets trapped any were and if it gets really dirty with your work make sure to wash it every now and then.

but they will last you forever if maintained properly and the rust is kept at bay but parts are really cheap for them its some times cheaper to just buy one for spares!