Which one & why?

fonecrusher1

Right lads ive 3 cars here i want yiz to give me your honest unbiased opinion on. Im seriously thinking about getting one of these cars within the next 2 months. My budget is a miserly 2000euro.:(

Peugeot 406 hdi

SAAB 9-3 2.2td

Mercedes C220 diesel

Which of these is likely to be a potential money pit with costly parts or maybe a well hidden expensive common failure? At what mileage are any of them best avoided? If you own or have owned one of these, your contribution is vital. Anyone in the know, your opinion is also valued. Its diesel engined cars im only interested in. Im reading reports that the post 2000 C180 & older 9-3 2Ltr are quite thirsty. Is it madness to want one of these on a tight budget?

Examples for sale;
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1554162
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1524942
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1541981


Thanks for your time.

highjock

don not buy any of them all of them are troublesome and money pits any jap car if you want trouble free motoring

EPM

At that budget you really need to have a few actual cars. People are only going to judge them here on what they were like new/preferences rather than comparing the pros and cons of a particular motor for sale.

Anan1

EPM wrote: »

At that budget you really need to have a few actual cars. People are only going to judge them here on what they were like new/preferences rather than comparing the pros and cons of a particular motor for sale.

+1. Buy the well-minded one.

thirtythirty

I can't give any advice on those I'm afraid, but I would also throw Volvo into the mix - never heard anything bad about them at all.

Volvo S80

fonecrusher1

highjock wrote: »

don not buy any of them all of them are troublesome and money pits any jap car if you want trouble free motoring

Nice re reg. Not brave enough to post the above in your longterm profile.;)

Not helpful or informative, please don't try to derail the thread with your pro jap/anti european cars bullsh!t. Not interested. Troll elsewhere please.

Anan1

I've owned a 406 2.0 petrol and a C280, they were both good cars but in quite different ways. The Mercedes was solid, comfortable, and felt very well engineered. It was quick, cultured, and all around a nice place to spend time. Mind, a well-optioned 280 will be quite different from a taxi-spec 220. The Peugeot, in spite of having a mediocre engine, had the most extraordinarily good suspension for the time. This meant that it could be blasted along back-roads at speeds that seemed quite out of proportion to the available power. Downsides were a tendancy towards lift-off oversteer and the odd electrical tantrum. IMO it'll take you at least two months to find a well-cared for example of either the Peugeot or the Mercedes.

pajo1981

highjock wrote: »

don not buy any of them all of them are troublesome and money pits any jap car if you want trouble free motoring

The '00 406 I had didn't cost me a cent for the 5 years I had it? What gives? Why does that not fit into your simple-boy good car/bad car model?

fonecrusher1

pajo1981 wrote: »

The '00 406 I had didn't cost me a cent for the 5 years I had it? What gives? Why does that not fit into your simple-boy good car/bad car model?

Hello pajo, please don't take the bait. It'l derail the thread.

Thanks.

Anan1

Lads, report post - we can't see everything!:)

fonecrusher1

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Nice re reg. Not brave enough to post the above in your longterm profile.;)

Who is it ?

mullingar

That Volvo S80 above has the old VAG 2.5 TDI 2,461 cc 5-pot engine.

The 2.4D is Volvo's

A bit agricultural, but maybe not such a bad option!

AFAIK That VAG 2.5 engine is also in the A100/ Toerag/transporter/Crafter van

bladespin

C220, it'll hold together well and the engine is very reliable (cam chain).

L-M

The 406 Hdi would be the one for me, if you got a nice spec and colour (unlike the one you linked :P)

Incredibly comfortable cars, and you would be able to keep up the years as well.

To get a diesel C class in that budget you're more than likely going to be looking at an old, basic, out dated high miler. Depends on what you're into LOL...