Help me choose: - Mazda 6, Mondeo, Volvo S40 (or other)

Dools2007

Hi,

Which would you choose?

Mazda 6 Touring
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/Mazda6/1.8-Tour/201026198656075/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/Mazda6/1.8/201026198661595/advert?channel=CARS

Mondeo Petrol
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1338029

Mondeo Diesel
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1454798

Ford Focus
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1450869

Volvo S40
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volvo/S40/1.8-SE-F/201028198809387/advert?channel=CARS

Any opinions on the above or any other options you could think of. Looking for either petrol (max 1.8) or diesel (max 2.0), preferably with <70K miles and newer than 2003 (ish) although not a deal breaker.

Drove both the petrol and diesel models of the Mondeo but thought the diesel version sounded very rough compared to the petrol model (although MPG would be much better in the diesel).

Esel

Big problems with the Mazda 6 diesel engine, afaik. Just search this forum for 'galwaytt mazda'. He'll probably be along anyway....

squod

Dools2007 wrote: »

Ford Focus
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1450869

Test drive it, if you haven't already driven one. Hands down the best of the bunch.

Shane732

Alfa, Alfa, Alfa

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo/159/1.9-JTD-/201024198469056/advert?channel=CARS

Dools2007

Looks like it could be the Volvo. Test drove one at the weekend and while not going to set the world alight for speed seems like a very comfortable drive and nice interior.

Anyone any thoughts on these? One problem I have heard is that the rear is smaller than a Mondeo (didn't think it looked too much smaller) and that the boot is small (which it is).

The 1.8 engine is probably just enough for a car this size. Will let ye know how I get on.

R.O.R

Dools2007 wrote: »

Looks like it could be the Volvo. Test drove one at the weekend and while not going to set the world alight for speed seems like a very comfortable drive and nice interior.

Anyone any thoughts on these? One problem I have heard is that the rear is smaller than a Mondeo (didn't think it looked too much smaller) and that the boot is small (which it is).

The 1.8 engine is probably just enough for a car this size. Will let ye know how I get on.

That S40 looks mint! If you don't need rear seat space or boot space, I'd go for that. None of the others are going to give you the Leather, Climate Control, Cruise Control and 6 CD Changer that come standard on the Volvo.

1.8 engine is enough in that car. Not a rocket, but enough to get a decent speed out of. Wife has an 05 V50 1.8 for the past 3 years. Currently at 110,000km and the only issue we've had was hard starting and lumpy idle - turned out to be a throttle body that needed cleaning.

keithclancy

Dools2007 wrote: »

Looks like it could be the Volvo. Test drove one at the weekend and while not going to set the world alight for speed seems like a very comfortable drive and nice interior.

Anyone any thoughts on these? One problem I have heard is that the rear is smaller than a Mondeo (didn't think it looked too much smaller) and that the boot is small (which it is).

The 1.8 engine is probably just enough for a car this size. Will let ye know how I get on.

S40 is a Ford Focus chassis afaik.

Dools2007

R.O.R wrote: »

That S40 looks mint! If you don't need rear seat space or boot space, I'd go for that. None of the others are going to give you the Leather, Climate Control, Cruise Control and 6 CD Changer that come standard on the Volvo.

1.8 engine is enough in that car. Not a rocket, but enough to get a decent speed out of. Wife has an 05 V50 1.8 for the past 3 years. Currently at 110,000km and the only issue we've had was hard starting and lumpy idle - turned out to be a throttle body that needed cleaning.

Yeah, seems like a nice car to drive alright. Mileage is actually higher than the ad though, looks like he put in the mileage into the kilometres so there is actually 77K on it but other than that, the car looks good.

There is a slight dent on the rear door which he said he will have fixed if I want to go ahead with it.

R.O.R

Dools2007 wrote: »

Yeah, seems like a nice car to drive alright. Mileage is actually higher than the ad though, looks like he put in the mileage into the kilometres so there is actually 77K on it but other than that, the car looks good.

There is a slight dent on the rear door which he said he will have fixed if I want to go ahead with it.

I wouldn't worry too much about the mileage. We did have an 05 S40 1.8 in work that eventually cr@pped out at 280,823km. Think the Cat died and it wasn't worth replacing at that mileage.

bazz26

I have an S40, they are alot smaller than the likes of the Mazda 6 or Mondeo but you will be hard pushed to find a 6 or Mondeo with the spec of the S40. Rear leg room is indeed tight especially if your front passengers have the seats back in any way. But the leather seats are some of the most comfortable I've ever sat in, great for eating motorway miles and they stand the test of time well too unlike some of the cheaper ones you see in other cars.

Mine has just over 80k miles on it but has needed a good bit of maintenance done on it in the last 12 months. Most of this though was replacing wear and tear components rather than repairs. Parts are a bit pricy though I recommend Hellrazer on here as he gives a nice discount to boards members on Volvo parts.

1.8 litre engine is a Ford unit and pretty simple to work on, servicing again is expensive at main dealerships but given the age of the car you are looking at I'd stick to a good indy mechanic. Things to note is that they go through front dipped bulbs as these work as DRL's and are on all the time unless you pay a dealer to switch them off. Luckily enough changing the bulbs is a doddle as the whole lense just plugs out. Suspension is another weak point on the S40, especially on Irish roads, the alloy wheels have also been known to corrode but I have not had this issue and mine are the same as the ones in your link.

Dools2007

R.O.R wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much about the mileage. We did have an 05 S40 1.8 in work that eventually cr@pped out at 280,823km. Think the Cat died and it wasn't worth replacing at that mileage.

bazz26 wrote: »

I have an S40, they are alot smaller than the likes of the Mazda 6 or Mondeo but you will be hard pushed to find a 6 or Mondeo with the spec of the S40. Rear leg room is indeed tight especially if your front passengers have the seats back in any way. But the leather seats are some of the most comfortable I've ever sat in, great for eating motorway miles and they stand the test of time well too unlike some of the cheaper ones you see in other cars.

Mine has just over 80k miles on it but has needed a good bit of maintenance done on it in the last 12 months. Most of this though was replacing wear and tear components rather than repairs. Parts are a bit pricy though I recommend Hellrazer on here as he gives a nice discount to boards members on Volvo parts.

1.8 litre engine is a Ford unit and pretty simple to work on, servicing again is expensive at main dealerships but given the age of the car you are looking at I'd stick to a good indy mechanic. Things to note is that they go through front dipped bulbs as these work as DRL's and are on all the time unless you pay a dealer to switch them off. Luckily enough changing the bulbs is a doddle as the whole lense just plugs out. Suspension is another weak point on the S40, especially on Irish roads, the alloy wheels have also been known to corrode but I have not had this issue and mine are the same as the ones in your link.

@ ROR: That's pretty decent mileage to get from any petrol car. They seem to be a car that will last as long as they are looked after. What do you reckon are the main things to look for that may go on a car this age?

@ Bazz: What were the main parts that you had to replace as the car that I am looking at has similar mileage so may be coming to that point also.

Out of curiosity, do you know what mpg you get generally from the car. I will be doing a mixture of city driving with a long run or two every couple of weeks.

Also, does anyone knows any mechanics who would do a quick check of this car for me, I would be interested.

R.O.R

Dools2007 wrote: »

@ ROR: That's pretty decent mileage to get from any petrol car. They seem to be a car that will last as long as they are looked after. What do you reckon are the main things to look for that may go on a car this age?

@ Bazz: What were the main parts that you had to replace as the car that I am looking at has similar mileage so may be coming to that point also.

Out of curiosity, do you know what mpg you get generally from the car. I will be doing a mixture of city driving with a long run or two every couple of weeks.

Also, does anyone knows any mechanics who would do a quick check of this car for me, I would be interested.

I had a look through the service history of the huge mileage one we had. It had a clutch at 250,000km (looks like the 1st replacement) and had quite a bit done on the suspension throughout it's life. Bazz's posts made me wonder whether it was an issue with the car, but in this case it's hard to tell as the driver really didn't care about the car and had caused similar issues with Rental Cars.

The Wife's V50 is currently showing 7.7L/100km as the average fuel consumption - over the last 10,000km or so. That's about 35km of 120km/h motorway, and 5 km of bumper to bumper queing - each way, every week day with a bit of usage at the weekend. Isn't great, but isn't the worst. 50 l of fuel should see 650km.

bazz26

Dools2007 wrote: »

@ ROR: That's pretty decent mileage to get from any petrol car. They seem to be a car that will last as long as they are looked after. What do you reckon are the main things to look for that may go on a car this age?

@ Bazz: What were the main parts that you had to replace as the car that I am looking at has similar mileage so may be coming to that point also.

Out of curiosity, do you know what mpg you get generally from the car. I will be doing a mixture of city driving with a long run or two every couple of weeks.

Also, does anyone knows any mechanics who would do a quick check of this car for me, I would be interested.

Should have mentioned before but my S40 is a 1.6 diesel model so cannot comment on the 1.8 litre's fuel consumption.

Things I had replaced in the last 12 months:

Left anti roll bar bushing,
Front left and right wishbones,
DPF eolys additive top up (applies to diesel models only).

Now to be fair the previous owner lived in the back of beyond, driving on poor roads which probably contributed to the worn suspension parts listed above.

Dools2007

Checked the service history and one of the mechanics mentioned that there was a note on the history saying that the wishbones will need replacing soon.

I mentioned this to the garage that is selling the car and they have said that there is no problem with them. When I took the car for a test drive, and put it over a few bumps, there did not seem to be any noise coming from the front of the car.

My question is, would you know just from a test drive whether this part is on the way out or not or would I be better off getting it checked out by a mechanic?

bazz26

Get the car checked out by a mechanic for piece of mind anyway but the thing I noticed when my wishbone bushings were worn was that both front tyres were worn completly down to the wire on the inside shoulder, that and there was a knocking from the front under braking. Replacing both wishbones cost me €350 for genuine Volvo parts and indy labour.

Other than what I have already mentioned I am pretty happy with the car but will be looking to part with it at the end of the year for something with a bit more room and power.

Dools2007

bazz26 wrote: »

Get the car checked out by a mechanic for piece of mind anyway but the thing I noticed when my wishbone bushings were worn was that both front tyres were worn completly down to the wire on the inside shoulder, that and there was a knocking from the front under braking. Replacing both wishbones cost me €350 for genuine Volvo parts and indy labour.

Other than what I have already mentioned I am pretty happy with the car but will be looking to part with it at the end of the year for something with a bit more room and power.

Cheers, thanks, will get it checked out. The car was serviced approx 2K miles ago and from what I could gather from talking to the garage, the wishbones needing replacing sometime soon seem to be the only issue.

bazz26

Also make sure that the car comes with 2 keys as a replacement costs over €200.

Dools2007

Yeah, 2 keys with the car alright although the battery seems dead in one of them. Said he would get it sorted though before I pick up the car.

Dools2007

OK, so here's my question.

The car has been serviced in a main dealer about 1,000km ago with only one issue mentioned and the car is due for NCT on Friday which if it passes, I will then pick up the car.

Would it be best to get a mechanic to look over the car or would the fact that it has just been serviced and if it passes the NCT be enough?

What do ye think?

R.O.R

Dools2007 wrote: »

OK, so here's my question.

The car has been serviced in a main dealer about 1,000km ago with only one issue mentioned and the car is due for NCT on Friday which if it passes, I will then pick up the car.

Would it be best to get a mechanic to look over the car or would the fact that it has just been serviced and if it passes the NCT be enough?

What do ye think?

Trusting soul that I am, I wouldn't be forking out the extra money for a mechanic.

Do you know which main dealer serviced it? Might be worth a cheeky call to the service manager?

Dools2007

R.O.R wrote: »

Trusting soul that I am, I wouldn't be forking out the extra money for a mechanic.

Do you know which main dealer serviced it? Might be worth a cheeky call to the service manager?

Yeah, I know which dealer serviced it and they have confirmed that they have record of the service intervals as per the Service History book with the last service as I mentioned approx. 1000 km ago.

Would not give any information further to this unless I can get permission from the previous owner.

Looks like I might take a chance on it.

R.O.R

Dools2007 wrote: »

Yeah, I know which dealer serviced it and they have confirmed that they have record of the service intervals as per the Service History book with the last service as I mentioned approx. 1000 km ago.

Would not give any information further to this unless I can get permission from the previous owner.

Looks like I might take a chance on it.

I'd be happy enough with that tbh - and I notice it's now saying SOLD - hope you enjoy your new car.

The guys in Koping have always been at the top of the game, service wise.

Dools2007

bazz26 wrote: »

Things to note is that they go through front dipped bulbs as these work as DRL's and are on all the time unless you pay a dealer to switch them off. Luckily enough changing the bulbs is a doddle as the whole lense just plugs out.

Only have the car two weeks and already had first experience of this but as you say, it is easy enough to change the bulb so not too much of an inconvenience.

Took the car on an 850 kilometre round trip to West Cork on the first weekend and could not fault it so changing a bulb or two is a minor inconvenience.

Loopsie

Saab 9-3 1.9TiD ........go for the 150bhp engine, 6spd and plenty of mid range power. Car will average around town 38 - 42 mpg and on a long run can push 60mpg, i am testiment to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Servicing can be extended to run 2 years and 30000kms once specific products are requested!!!
Go for Arc or vector spec as they will have nice wheels 16/17, wood or chrome trim and leather seats!
Good luck

bazz26

Dools2007 wrote: »

Only have the car two weeks and already had first experience of this but as you say, it is easy enough to change the bulb so not too much of an inconvenience.

Took the car on an 850 kilometre round trip to West Cork on the first weekend and could not fault it so changing a bulb or two is a minor inconvenience.

I bought these bulbs, they are long life with a 3 year warranty, well worth the money:

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/H7-Osram-Ultra-Life-12V-55W-Bulb-OSULTH7.html

Loopsie wrote: »

Saab 9-3 1.9TiD ........go for the 150bhp engine, 6spd and plenty of mid range power. Car will average around town 38 - 42 mpg and on a long run can push 60mpg, i am testiment to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Servicing can be extended to run 2 years and 30000kms once specific products are requested!!!
Go for Arc or vector spec as they will have nice wheels 16/17, wood or chrome trim and leather seats!
Good luck

A bit late as the OP has already bought the S40.

Dools2007

bazz26 wrote: »

I bought these bulbs, they are long life with a 3 year warranty, well worth the money:

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/H7-Osram-Ultra-Life-12V-55W-Bulb-OSULTH7.html



A bit late as the OP has already bought the S40.

Thanks for the link. Might purchase a pair just to have them in the car just in case. About half the price I paid the other day in the Volvo dealer for the bulb.

Dools2007

Loopsie wrote: »

Saab 9-3 1.9TiD ........go for the 150bhp engine, 6spd and plenty of mid range power. Car will average around town 38 - 42 mpg and on a long run can push 60mpg, i am testiment to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Servicing can be extended to run 2 years and 30000kms once specific products are requested!!!
Go for Arc or vector spec as they will have nice wheels 16/17, wood or chrome trim and leather seats!
Good luck

Thanks Loopsie, yeah, they are a nice car but I have already gone for the S40. Nice car to drive, plenty of extras, little bit more thirsty on the juice than the figures you quote for the Saab but I can live with it.

Loopsie

haha no worries, good luck with the new car!!!!
Figures are my own and i would have a heavy right foot!!!!!!!! I drive a 9-3 diesel! Love of my life!

EPM

Loopsie wrote: »

haha no worries, good luck with the new car!!!!
Figures are my own and i would have a heavy right foot!!!!!!!! I drive a 9-3 diesel! Love of my life!

You need to get out more

bazz26

Dools2007 wrote: »

Thanks for the link. Might purchase a pair just to have them in the car just in case. About half the price I paid the other day in the Volvo dealer for the bulb.

With the way the S40 goes through dipped bulbs I'd definately recommend keeping a spare set in the car at all times.