Diesels around 3k, help me choose

dnme

Hi folks,

I have been browsing carzone just for ideas. I want to get rid of the 98 Corolla and get myself a diesel. My b udget is around 3k so I will be shoppping from around 1999 to 2002 ish. My first priority is reliability followed by economy.

Here's my shortlist, can you help me narrow it down. (Remember all these are diesels)

Mondeo
Fiesta
Mazda 323
Corolla
Primera
Avensis
Golf
Focus
Volvo S40

GTE

Having had a similar, actually I had the same budget about 9 months ago when I was getting my car, although I was looking for an estate.

From my research, and im really tired so I have to keep it short.

The only decent Ford diesel engines are the TDCI not the TDDI. However the TDCI's do seem to have some problems attached.

The VAG group diesels of the time are the better ones in my opinion. A Golf TDI (which is what I eventually bought) has a great engine in terms of economy and reliability. Some problems inherent in the Golf that arent engine related, silly little things though.

Door locks
Leaking rear window washer
Coolant temperature sensor (thats semi engine related, you can go on without fixing it but its a cheap fix but every car from the time period seems to have the crappy sensor installed, its quite possible that the newer cars came with VWs uprated sensor or it was replaced in its lifetime anyway)

Thats whats happened to me, 50-60 quid will get the parts needed to fix and its all DIY stuff.

A word about the VAG TDI's. You have two choices in that price range, the VE and PD engines. VE are meant to be more reliable then the PD. Main reasons is that the PD's have more gubbins inside them but they do give you a quicker car. Having said that, arguably marginally less MPG then the VE.

If you do get a PD TDI, if its the only thing you do when looking around the car, make sure that the engine was serviced with oil that meets the VW505.01 spec. Part of the extra gubbins that I mentioned meant that VW were very specific with what oil you can use. Improper oil being used is allegedly cropping up problems with premature wear in the engine. Id easilly go as far as to call up the most common garages that are in the service history and ask them what oil they use.

I have a 90hp VE TDI from 2000 in a Golf Estate and I get about 55-60 MPG in the summer and about 45 - 50 in the winter.
Problems I have had to deal with include.

Drivers door lock (15 euro kit from ebay fixed that)
Rear window washer pipe bodge job (free)
Coolant temp sensor (I think I got the kit for about 20-30)
Crank case oil seal perished. Weird fault, its not common at all at all.
Airbag warning light on (my fault, went fiddling with wires I shouldnt have)


Anyway, now Im biast for the VAG diesel but back when I was buying it they seriously were the best bet for the price after my research. But remember I had to go for an estate so other cars you mention there could be interesting.

Members here must think I am a broken record cause this is almost all I say on these boards haha

dnme

Many thanks,

I'm wondering about Golf's, whats the difference between TDI and SDI?

Also, has anyone an opinion on Mazda 323 diesels?

fonecrusher1

dnme wrote: »

Many thanks,

I'm wondering about Golf's, whats the difference between TDI and SDI?

Also, has anyone an opinion on Mazda 323 diesels?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/323/GLX-2.0-/200940195359748/advert?channel=CARS

55mpg, bulletproof reliability, fairly quick car. If you don't mind the fact that its a saloon then its the perfect choice. IMO.:)

The difference between vw TDI & SDI? About 7 seconds.:D the latter is a very slow motor. But probably very reliable.

dnme

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/323/GLX-2.0-/200940195359748/advert?channel=CARS

55mpg, bulletproof reliability, fairly quick car. If you don't mind the fact that its a saloon then its the perfect choice. IMO.:)

The difference between vw TDI & SDI? About 7 seconds.:D the latter is a very slow motor. But probably very reliable.

Yeah I spotted that one already, always suspicious of low milage on diesels when they dont tell you how many previous owners there were but still worth a look maybe.

Mind you, I hate Al Hayes in Portumna, the place has acres and acres of cars, most are impossible to get out for a drive and you can never get a sales man, and he has a well earned reputation of not dealing (haggling) which is why he has acres and acres of unsold cars.

fonecrusher1

dnme wrote: »

Yeah I spotted that one already, always suspicious of low milage on diesels when they dont tell you how many previous owners there were but still worth a look maybe.

Mind you, I hate Al Hayes in Portumna, the place has acres and acres of cars, most are impossible to get out for a drive and you can never get a sales man, and he has a well earned reputation of not dealing (haggling) which is why he has acres and acres of unsold cars.

Get a mechanic to take it for a spin & check if the mileage is genuine. Honestly with your budget & requirements its hard to beat that car.
My brother has a 2002 mazda premacy with the same diesel engine & the thing is a tank, just goes on & on without fault & he does huge mileage on it.

dnme

dnme wrote: »

Here's my shortlist, can you help me narrow it down. (Remember all these are diesels)

Mondeo
Fiesta
Mazda 323
Corolla
Primera
Avensis
Golf
Focus
Volvo S40

For your budget I could really narrow that down Mondeo and Golf in diesel at €3000 will be bog spec mega miles ropey ole yokes so I wouldn't consider them, if they are a good spec they will be mega mega miles. Primera diesel is an awful option so I'd scratch that too. 323 of that era is a dull enough bus so I wouldn't consider that either. Diesel Corolla are overpriced and unrefined, so too the Avenis in €3000 territory. Fiesta diesel, S40 for €3000 I don't have a clue what you could get for the money and it's too late for research

Focus diesel, yes yes yes. I would seriously consider a 406HDi and a Rover 75.

fonecrusher1

RoverJames wrote: »

I would seriously consider a 406HDi.

Sure who'd want one of those??:D:D:D

bigbadbear

If your thinking Mazda they are one of the highest ranked cars on the road for reliability.

GTE

TDI vs SDI?

Id go for the TDI everytime. The SDI is a tank to be honest, it will last longer then you will probably Its a slow car though. If you are looking for a cruiser for motor way it would do, at the end of the day it would get you up to speed but with a load even my 90hp TDI gets irritatingly slow sometimes. But that is with a load so its understandable, if I had an SDI though. Anger :P
Having said that, I wouldnt count them out purely due to reliability.

The difference is the TDI is a turbo direct injection and the SDI is a suction direct injection.

The SDI is a "normal" diesel engine and the TDI has a turbo attached to make it go bom chikka wah wah.

Wiki blurb:

The SDI engine is generally utilised in applications where reliability and fuel economy are of primary concern. These engines lack any type of forced induction, hence the use of 'suction' in the title, and as such, their power output is lower when compared with a similar capacity turbocharged engine. For example, the 2.0 SDI engine fitted to the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 has a peak power output of 55 kilowatts (75 PS; 74 bhp); whereas the same engine in Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) form is rated at 103 kilowatts (140 PS; 138 bhp) or 125 kilowatts (170 PS; 168 bhp), depending on specification. However, in the SDI engine, performance at very low engine speeds and when moving off from stationary is often preferable to forced induction engines due to the lack of turbo lag.

The 1.9 SDI engine, fitted to the first generation Škoda Octavia (1U), is particularly popular amongst taxi drivers due to its low fuel consumption and ability to cover large mileages (over 250,000 miles (400,000 km)) without requiring major mechanical attention.[citation needed]

With regards to what you get for the money indeed my car is a basic Golf with manual windows, no air con. It did 150,000 miles when I got it but it had a full service history and was very well maintained. Not a bodder in it to be honest. There are people with those cars who have gotten to such a mileage that they need to change the clutch (from natural wear and tear). I cant remember exactly how many miles were done but we are talking at 300,000+.
Moral is it will last if you treat it well.

shawnee

Was looking for something similar a while back. I used to like VWs and their reliability, now I found them a little plain and not as reliable as they once were. Had not considered a focus tdci 115bhp until I drove one. Definitely the best mid range diesel that I have driven (far more poke than the larger bodied mondeo) Got one at the time but had 100k miles on it with full service history, still going well at 150. Very difficult to get small mileage diesels however if you can;t i suggest you get one with service history and consider the focus ghia.

dnme

folks

Thank you all so much for the great responses (gotta love this forum). I have recently had a nightmare with a 2004 Megane 1.5DCi (had to replace the entire fuel system), so I am now very weary of high ressure common rail diesels. When I see TDCi or DCi, I flinch, am I being unreasonable?

GTE

dnme wrote: »

folks

Thank you all so much for the great responses (gotta love this forum). I have recently had a nightmare with a 2004 Megane 1.5DCi (had to replace the entire fuel system), so I am now very weary of high ressure common rail diesels. When I see TDCi or DCi, I flinch, am I being unreasonable?

No, go for the VAG lol.

I have read reports about the common rail ford being iffy. Its hit and miss. A good bit of research will find the answers you need about that.

dnme

dnme wrote: »

folks

Thank you all so much for the great responses (gotta love this forum). I have recently had a nightmare with a 2004 Megane 1.5DCi (had to replace the entire fuel system), so I am now very weary of high ressure common rail diesels. When I see TDCi or DCi, I flinch, am I being unreasonable?

From what I read here on boards it's a pity you didn't have a 2005 Renault, they give no trouble from 2005 on apparently.

mox54

i had a tdi bora and a great car, now have an sdi bora and there is a huge difference but its still a great car, can cruise the motorway no problem all day long and also is very very economical, its a bit of a tank but that doesnt bother me that much, bora TDI is the diesel to get, hard to break and plenty of poke too,:rolleyes:

coolbeans

+1 for the 406 HDI. These are great cars. Good looking, reliable, comfortable and economical. Check the suspension though as minor parts wear.

Digitaljunkie

Go to the UK if you have the time their higher milage cars are in much better nick and higher spec for the money. Do the normal checks hpi etc.

Just an example : http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201009353636309/sort/priceasc/usedcars/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/3000/model/9-3/make/saab/page/2/postcode/e177lx/radius/1501?previous=/search/used/cars/saab/9-3/postcode/e177lx/radius/1501/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/3000/sort/priceasc/page/2&logcode=p

dnme

Folks

What are your opinions of this? (2002 Fiesta 1.4TDCi)
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Fiesta/Finesse-/201011197236900/advert?channel=CARS

and this (2004 Focus TDCi Van)
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Focus-Van/DIESEL-Z/201007196944532/advert?channel=CARS

Both very low milage but are common rail diesels, should I be weary?

JJJJNR

That 1.4 TDCI is supposed to be one of the worst diesels ford produced.

Owen

Rover 75 Diesel, you'll get a CDT for your budget - 115Bhp, get a synergy 2 box for about 300 Euro, and you end up with a reliable 150Bhp motor, and if you get the right model, most have leather, climate, nearly all the goodies.

dnme

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Rover 75 Diesel, you'll get a CDT for your budget - 115Bhp, get a synergy 2 box for about 300 Euro, and you end up with a reliable 150Bhp motor, and if you get the right model, most have leather, climate, nearly all the goodies.

Thanks mate but I will never drive a Rover, never ever

dnme

JJJJNR wrote: »

That 1.4 TDCI is supposed to be one of the worst diesels ford produced.

Thanks, do you know what's the best Diesel they produced?

GTE

Old school diesels for the win!

EDIT:

This may be some interesting reading for you
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=61951

jamiecall

Might be a silly question but are you doing diesel mileage?? It's just that you'd find a lot more cars in your price range.

dnme

jamiecall wrote: »

Might be a silly question but are you doing diesel mileage?? It's just that you'd find a lot more cars in your price range.

I dont really understand what you mean jamie, I'll be doing around 20k+ per year. I hate the cost and poor mpg of my current petrol.

Owen

dnme wrote: »

Thanks mate but I will never drive a Rover, never ever

I thought the same - I have a JCW Cooper S as my fun car, but the Rover is a vastly superior car to any of the cars you've asked about above. My car (Which didn't cost a whole lot more than your budget), is an estate, with TV, Leather, Climate, Factory Nav, Harman Kardon Sound System, Heated Seats, Electric Seats with Memory, Xenons, Headlamps Washers, PDC, Sunroof, Cruise, MFSW, 6 CD Changer, iPod kit, Auto box, and it's pretty quick.

I hated Rovers with a passion, and was reluctant to get this one, but when I sit into it in the morning and see that it has *all* the goodies, there's no way I could sit into a boring ford or VAG car and see an average car for an average driver. Much more fun to buy something like this. And the engine's from the 320d too.

Don't dismiss it because of the badge, you'd be dismissing the best car your budget would stretch to by far.

dnme

jamiecall wrote: »

Might be a silly question but are you doing diesel mileage?? It's just that you'd find a lot more cars in your price range.

ah jamie, I get what you are syaing now :rolleyes:
ok lets pose a new question....what is the most economical petrol engine/body combo I can but for around 3k?

JJJJNR

dnme wrote: »

Thanks, do you know what's the best Diesel they produced?

The 1.6 TDCI is the one to get, I know you probably don't have the budget but at times you might be able to pick up a high mileage ex fleet at auction for your price.