Skoda problems - now need different diesel car

mumof2

Long story short, Im getting my old car back and a full refund on a car just bought!

I need a diesel car similar to an Octavia a.s.a.p! I can't afford petrol any more with the mileage I drive.

No more than Eur 9,000 (so I can trade in my old car again too). Co. Cork only or Kerry maybe...........if anybody has links.

What models are similar to octavia - have looked at mondeo, cant find one for now.

Thanks.

robtri

what.... around here skodas never have any problems

colm_mcm

Similar in what way?

Divorce Referendum

robtri wrote: »

what.... around here skodas never have any problems

Previous crash damage IIRC. Is it beyond driving mumof2?

mumof2

Similar in size to Octavia ie space wise - dont want diesel focus which I test drove today - yuk!!!!!!! (sorry to all ye who love dem!!).

Guess my VW Polo courtesy car has put me off smaller cars!

Skoda are a great car - really, but I've just not had any luck with them, and am skeptical of getting another, plus the dealers are too far away from me, or the local one I don't trust.

The Diesel one which is going back is currently not driveable, no power thanks to turbo missing, you'll move it, but stay in the slow lane and no overtaking!!!:( (much like my Courtesy VW Polo......)

mumof2

Having read a few other posts, got some new site links I had never been on before, and .............

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=574990&r=s.php%3Fm%3D80%26o%3D682%26l%5B%5D%3D13%26f%3D2%26s%3Dd%26yn%3D2005%26yx%3D2007%26g%3D0

Third time lucky??

Its very far away if any warranty issues come up like previous car, but as with any car, none of them perfect.............

However, have seen some adds on this site, and I know for definate a few of the cars are not available today:(

Tea 1000

9 grand to spend with your current car or 9 grand total? How much is your current car worth? 9 grand will buy a lot of petrol, and diesels don't run on air alone!
How about an Avensis?
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Avensis/2.0-D4D-/201038199645844/advert?channel=CARS

mumof2

I presume Avensis come in Diesel too? No, 6000 plus my car which varies from dealer to dealer in value. Today it was 1200 and 4 mths ago it was close to 3000.

Thanks


Whats better in yer experience - Skoda Octavia diesel or Ford Mondeo diesel?

Tea 1000

mumof2 wrote: »

I presume Avensis come in Diesel too? No, 6000 plus my car which varies from dealer to dealer in value. Today it was 1200 and 4 mths ago it was close to 3000.

Thanks


Whats better in yer experience - Skoda Octavia diesel or Ford Mondeo diesel?

Mondeo and Avensis are both a class up from the Octavia. The Mondeo is a very good car, excellent chassis, comfortable. I'm not a major fan of the diesel engines in it, but many on here say they're fine.
That Avensis I linked to is diesel. Don't mind what dealers offer for your car, it's the cost to change that matters. What have you? A Polo is it?

mumof2

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Mondeo and Avensis are both a class up from the Octavia. The Mondeo is a very good car, excellent chassis, comfortable. I'm not a major fan of the diesel engines in it, but many on here say they're fine.
That Avensis I linked to is diesel. Don't mind what dealers offer for your car, it's the cost to change that matters. What have you? A Polo is it?

No the Polo is my courtesy car:D Im getting back my old 03 Skoda Octavia 1.4 Petrol.

Must test drive an Avensis so if the price is right........

Sorry to read this, needing a car asap is not a nice place to be. With diesels in the price range you are looking at try and get one with a documented (receipt to prove) recent dual mass flywheel done as the DMF go on many diesels and could cost you over a grand to sort if it happens to you. May I ask how many miles you do per annum ? If you are not doing 20K miles + it will take a good few years in fuel savings to justify the diesel because
- the country is gone diesel mad, 05, 06 ish diesel cars are quite overpriced as folks all want to go diesel
- the price difference between petrol and diesel is about 5c/litre at the moment.
- You'll get much better value on a petrol car and you won't have to worry about DMFs, injector trouble etc etc.

If you're not throwing at least €60 or €70 a week of petrol into the Octavia I don't think you should go diesel.

On a lighter not, your comments regarding the Focus I agree with, I've driven 4 or 5 of them and can't understand why they are so highly rated.

Divorce Referendum

RoverJames wrote: »

Sorry to read this, needing a car asap is not a nice place to be. With diesels in the price range you are looking at try and get one with a documented (receipt to prove) recent dual mass flywheel done as the DMF go on many diesels and could cost you over a grand to sort if it happens to you. May I ask how many miles you do per annum ? If you are not doing 20K miles + it will take a good few years in fuel savings to justify the diesel because
- the country is gone diesel mad, 05, 06 ish diesel cars are quite overpriced as folks all want to go diesel
- the price difference between petrol and diesel is about 5c/litre at the moment.
- You'll get much better value on a petrol car and you won't have to worry about DMFs, injector trouble etc etc.

If you're not throwing at least €60 or €70 a week of petrol into the Octavia I don't think you should go diesel.

On a lighter not, your comments regarding the Focus I agree with, I've driven 4 or 5 of them and can't understand why they are so highly rated.

If you can stay away from the DMF it would make a difference alright, but petrol cars can blow a hole in your pocket too. Its all relative to mileage I suppose. Diesels these days seem to run alot better with long journeys rather than short.

Mr Benevolent

Wait a second, didn't we advise you not to buy the car you went and bought ages ago?

mumof2

Now, maybe this time it will post.............

Confab ur right u did. My choice end of day - it was the car I wanted with good specs and how on earth was I to guess it was crashed as nothing showed up on research? And that the turbo would give up after 4 months? Its just my rotten luck with cars that I put it down to.

Have been put off Mondeo due to DMF - thanks for insight.

Found another skoda - diesel 2.0 so will see how it rates.

I do drive between 25000 and 30000 a year, and throw in over 60 eur most weeks.

Thanks again everyone.

mumof2

mumof2 wrote: »

Have been put off Mondeo due to DMF - thanks for insight.

Found another skoda - diesel 2.0 so will see how it rates.

Skoda diesel have the DMF too
Would you drive an automatic ?

Confab

Confab wrote: »

Wait a second, didn't we advise you not to buy the car you went and bought ages ago?

In fairness that's not remotely helpful, if we dig up the thread I'm sure it will be full of the usual Honest John and Topgear babblings from folk who don't know a wheel cylinder from a fuel filter.

Had a peak at that thread, car checked out on Motorcheck, folks reckoned it was overpriced (surprise surprise as it was from a main VW dealer) and after the crash stuff was revealed folks mentioned that should have been declared by the garage and for the price a minty one would be expected.

Apologies from me, no Honest John or Topgear inspired mumblings, all good stuff. Nothing in that thread warning the OP off the car due to future turbo failure etc. I couldn't see any posts strongly uging the OP not to by that car. Folks were actually saying the garage were reputable etc and that it would be fine, Motorcheck chap also provided a check (fair play to him) that showed nothing suspicious.

Tea 1000

mumof2 wrote: »

Now, maybe this time it will post.............

Confab ur right u did. My choice end of day - it was the car I wanted with good specs and how on earth was I to guess it was crashed as nothing showed up on research? And that the turbo would give up after 4 months? Its just my rotten luck with cars that I put it down to.

To be fair, many of us on here can sense a dog of a car quicker than joe or joan soap might, that's why we frequent these pages. Bad luck can be avoided by doing the right checks before buying.
A good visual inspection by someone who knows what they're looking for is key, but also a nice paper history and the previous owners name can go a long way to getting a feel for a cars genuinity.

xavidub

The reservations about whether or not diesel is warranted is good advice but imo you can't beat the reliability of a good diesel.

Volkswagen Passats are fantastic imo and a great replacement for an Octavia if you can get one for the money you have.

Henry Ford III

Why didn't Motorcheck pick up the crash history?

p.s. Mondeos and Foci are very fine cars. Class leading or very close to it.

EPM

Would you import a decent Fabia estate like the one you had yourself from the UK?

fryup

OP - what was the car you sent back?

r3nu4l

If you want a bigger (older) diesel car then imo your choices are:

Ford Mondeo
Opel Vectra
Toyota Avensis
Volkswagen Passat


I name these models because there should be loads of all of them available second hand and none of them are considered 'prestige' badges so should be cheap enough.

The Opel Vectra has since been replaced with the Opel Insignia so it may be possible that they will be even cheaper than the other diesels. I'll let others advise you on 'reliability'.

Having owned a FIAT in the past, I was told that I'd forever have it in the garage and that I'd be 'Fixing It Again Tomorrow' a lot but it was actually very, very reliable. My brother's FIAT also causes him no problems so don't read too much into people's thoughts on reliability.

mumof2

Rover James, thanks for your input, and yes had figured out most diesels have DMF anyways:D

EPM - I think its all going to cost extra with travel, so not sure if I'm better off going further around the country even to clonmel or dublin if I have to, but Im stuck with the fact I need to trade in my own car for new.

Fryup - It was a 06 Skoda Fabia Estate 1.4 TDI, lovely car actually.....sorry it had probs as it was a keeper for a few yrs at least...

r3nu4l - Thanks for the tips.



HERES the update:

Ive decided not to go for the skoda 1.9 that I looked at on Friday. Im going to stick with the estates (for the purpose of getting a family dog soon).

I've been coming up with smaller engine sizes too for the sake of being economical, as I really don't need over 1.6/7L.

So the final toss is between Opel Astra Estate 1.7 or Ford Focus Estate 1.6 both Diesel of course.

Any warnings/suggestions I should know about these? I'm going to do Motorcheck again, but can I really just ask the dealer if I can take the car to my mechanic for a quick check up? Do they just let you drive it away? I've never asked could I do this, as most of the dealers I've ended up with are too far from home where my mechanic would be...........:(

-Corkie-

Try eamon tarrant in Banteer. He has a good selection of Skoda always.

mumof2

mumof2 wrote: »

Rover James, thanks for your input..................... I'm going to do Motorcheck again, but can I really just ask the dealer if I can take the car to my mechanic for a quick check up? Do they just let you drive it away? I've never asked could I do this, as most of the dealers I've ended up with are too far from home where my mechanic would be...........:(

No probs
They should have no bother allowing you take the car to your own mechanic, many dealers allow extended test drives so that's all you will be doing really. Some may say they need one of their staff with you for insurance, if that is the case you should be able to sort out short term insurance yourself fairly easily. If they start that crap though better off telling them to keep their car.

Bonito

CDTI Accord.

Bonito

Bonito wrote: »

CDTI Accord.

€800 in tax and the estate ones are rare enough (dog on the way)
Savage motor compared to an Octavia or even a Mondeo or the like though.

mumof2

Bonito wrote: »

CDTI Accord.

Engine to big, thanks.

Am looking at a 05 Ford Focus 1.6 Estate see link here http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Focus/1.6-TDCi/201008197000894/advert?channel=CARS, anyone got advice?

Is anyone able to do a check on it for me, seeing as I have an english reg? I also have Chassis number, and they want €5600 with my 03 Octavia 1.4 petrol.

It has 73,000 miles on the clock.

Thanks again.

mumof2

mumof2 wrote: »

and they want €5600 with my 03 Octavia 1.4 petrol.

too much me thinks

mumof2

RoverJames wrote: »

too much me thinks

I was told by someone else today they are very expensive with all their cars....yet the only other ones are either in Wicklow, which I don't have time to drive to or Kildare - worse again. Another in Fermoy, but mileage too high to risk as I wont be able to trade it in reasonable in a few years, and another in Listowel, but again is it worth driving, adding mileage on my own car just to be told the same?

Also looked at a Peugeot 307 estate 1.6 diesel, but that was around €7200 with my own for a '07.:( Plus I prefer the ford to drive..........

mickdw

I thought you said you hated focus? I hate them too. Sure, they drive good but its an awful place to sit.

mumof2

mickdw wrote: »

I thought you said you hated focus? I hate them too. Sure, they drive good but its an awful place to sit.

Yes your correct I did hate the CAR version of the focus - 1.6 diesel I think it was, rattled and shook over the dealers ramp on exiting, and although it had a new engine, the mileage was too high.

Today compared to that the Focus Estate 1.6 drove beautiful - really smooth!!

Might go to Listowel yet tomorrow, but not sure if i'd make it back for school run:(...............

mumof2

Listowel is a 6 hour round trip for me - am going to ring dealer first and see if they can meet me somewhere with the car:D

I'd never get back for the kids on time otherwise, and by the time I get there I wouldn't even have the time to look at the car any more than I already have on the website!!

Fingers crossed they can help out a lady in distress:P

galwaytt

xavidub wrote: »

The reservations about whether or not diesel is warranted is good advice but imo you can't beat the reliability of a good diesel.

Volkswagen Passats are fantastic imo and a great replacement for an Octavia if you can get one for the money you have.

couple of things there: define a good diesel. It's not a Passat, btw., well, not a B6 at any rate. Complete rubbish.

mumof2 wrote: »

Listowel is a 6 hour round trip for me - am going to ring dealer first and see if they can meet me somewhere with the car:D

I'd never get back for the kids on time otherwise, and by the time I get there I wouldn't even have the time to look at the car any more than I already have on the website!!

Fingers crossed they can help out a lady in distress:P

Never, ever, ever, ever........buy a car under pressure, from the clock, or anywhere else. I guarantee it will turn out badly........

mumof2 wrote: »

Found another skoda - diesel 2.0 so will see how it rates.

I do drive between 25000 and 30000 a year, and throw in over 60 eur most weeks.

Thanks again everyone.

If you want reliability, then buy a 1.9, not the 2.0. Too many (read: expensive) problems on the 2.0's.

mumof2

Galwaytt - thanks for advice. I had already checked out the Ford Focus, recently was just looking for better quality and price, and today have been given the guarantees and peace of mind I was looking for in a dealer (the boss himself). Plus they're putting it through the NCT so wont have to worry about NCT for 2 yrs.

So deal is done, wish me luck!!!!

Thanks everyone.