Accord VS Passat VS Golf Vs Insignia

Djdukey

Hi,

Wondering if someone could help me out

I am looking to buy a new car 08 onwards. The 3 cars I have in mind are: Honda Accord (lots of extras), Passat or Golf MK 5/6 (With Sat Nav/140bhp - but there rare as hens teeth), or the Insignia (Read lots of problems with the early versions tho and dont think my budget would stretch)

Just wondering what the reliability issues are with the above? I know theres problems with the Passat injectors but with the 08 onwards this has been fixed has it? (read somewhere it was)

If you were in my shoes which would you go for? I litterally cant make up my mind. I do a lot of motorway driving so these would all be diesel versions.

I had a Golf before and no problems with it at all, i also had an audi a4 so this is kind of leaning me towards the VAG cars.?

Thanks for your help. Maybe someone could suggest another car? (I would love a scirocco ha but i cant afford it)

-Corkie-

I have a 08 Passat Highline 2.0 tdi but if I had the choice I would have the Accord but definitley not a Golf.

Djdukey

-Corkie- wrote: »

I have a 08 Passat Highline 2.0 tdi but if I had the choice I would have the Accord but definitley not a Golf.

Thanks for that.... just wondering why u wouldnt want a golf? Are there reliability issues with them?

jesus_thats_gre

Guessing it's to with the 3 others cars being huge in comparison to the Golf?

-Corkie-

Djdukey wrote: »

Thanks for that.... just wondering why u wouldnt want a golf? Are there reliability issues with them?

Firstly only the newer VW`S from 09 on have the common rail engine thats not prone to injector failure etc. Also the Golf wouldnt be as comfortable or spacious as the rest.

Green Hornet

I've an Accord diesel with 70k miles and never given me a days trouble. Bit of a mile cruncher although a little bit soul less. Reliable.

EPM

Mid 08 VAG cars should be common rail. I'm not convinced by VAG reliability and the new accord is a very nice car. With a Golf you can't escape the small car feel.

New model accord would be a great choice.

-Corkie-

EPM wrote: »

Mid 08 VAG cars should be common rail. I'm not convinced by VAG reliability and the new accord is a very nice car. With a Golf you can't escape the small car feel.

New model accord would be a great choice.

The CR only appeared on a few 08 models only. I would say the last quarter of the year in fact. I know a guy with a Accord and the Passat looks like a car a class below it.

ShadowHearth

Wtf golf is doing there?

Djdukey

So its from late 09 on that the passat and audi are CR so they are ok? My last car had problems with injectors, it was an audi which I had get rid of. So I am little wary of getting another VAG diesel (although I thought the 1.9s were ok)?

The reason that the golf is thrown in there is because before I had the Audi I had a Golf TDI. Loved that car and Never a days trouble with the car but it was getting old. Are the MK 6 just as good?

So although there is an obvious size difference between the golf and the rest, I don't mind going for a golf once its reliable

You seem to get a lot more for your money with Honda Accord over the VAG cars though. I will only be able to get a late 08 car with my price range.... maybe a 09 if i go down on the spec.

Tea 1000

Green Hornet wrote: »

I've an Accord diesel with 70k miles and never given me a days trouble. Bit of a mile cruncher although a little bit soul less. Reliable.

An Accord might be soul-less, but a Passat/Golf are even more so!

Green Hornet

Tea 1000 wrote: »

An Accord might be soul-less, but a Passat/Golf are even more so!

Yeah, I guess so. Bottom line is I wouldn't change it for a Passat or a Golf anyway.

robjones1981

Had this choice myself 14 or 15 months ago

Really liked the accord and the passat - spent two months looking at and test driving

In the end went for a 08 passat highline - and am delighted with the choice

Have had no problems at all since - and its done about 65,000km in those 14/15 months

There were not a whole lot of accords on the market at time - so when it came to colours, specs and mileage etc I was finding it hard to get what i wanted -plus i found sellers were far less willing to negotiate on the price compared to passat sellers

-Corkie-

Tea 1000 wrote: »

An Accord might be soul-less, but a Passat/Golf are even more so!

+1. I only learned today that the CR engines are also giving the same oil pump failure as before...:rolleyes:

R.O.R

-Corkie- wrote: »

+1. I only learned today that the CR engines are also giving the same oil pump failure as before...:rolleyes:

New one to me - haven't had any issues with CR engines as far as I'm aware.

OP - The Accord is the one to go for out of the ones you've listed. Only driven one of the new model Accords, and I thought it was great to drive. There are niggly problems with early (and late tbh) Insignia's. The Passat from 07 onwards has been fairly reliable, but it's not a patch on the Accord to drive.

EPM

-Corkie- wrote: »

+1. I only learned today that the CR engines are also giving the same oil pump failure as before...:rolleyes:

Huh? Thought they'd that sorted on the later PD's? If it's true this isnt going to help their reputation one bit.

TestTransmission

EPM wrote: »

Huh? Thought they'd that sorted on the later PD's? If it's true this isnt going to help their reputation one bit.

That was one terrible 10,000th post

Try again

EPM

TestTransmission wrote: »

That was one terrible 10,000th post

Try again

It was of the utmost importance considering that if it's true, and with my luck, there may well be trouble ahead for the octy;)

Damien360

OSI wrote: »

When the Insignia first came out I quite liked the look of it and saw it as a potential future car.

Recently drove the 2.0 Petrol as a hire car and was pretty disappointed to be honest. Everything seemed overly complicated for a not very well specced car, it was pretty boring to drive, and the engine was rather gutless.

I just picked up my new work car, a 130bhp diesel SE spec estate insignia. Lovely spec, very, very well kitted out and a very cosy place to be with great seats.

But, having come from a 1.8TDCi Mondeo zetec, I am finding the insignia a bit heavy and the engine a bit underpowered. I am still getting to grips with it and am debating if it is the very long gearing that is catching me out.

Should also mention the boot is tiny compared to the mighty Mondeo. Had to leave some of my kit out of the car to close the boot.

-Corkie-

EPM wrote: »

Huh? Thought they'd that sorted on the later PD's? If it's true this isnt going to help their reputation one bit.

Apparently not. Allthough the failure came from the A4 new model. There is a thread over in vagdrivers about it.

R.O.R

Damien360 wrote: »

I just picked up my new work car, a 130bhp diesel SE spec estate insignia. Lovely spec, very, very well kitted out and a very cosy place to be with great seats.

But, having come from a 1.8TDCi Mondeo zetec, I am finding the insignia a bit heavy and the engine a bit underpowered. I am still getting to grips with it and am debating if it is the very long gearing that is catching me out.

Should also mention the boot is tiny compared to the mighty Mondeo. Had to leave some of my kit out of the car to close the boot.

Just console yourself with the Auto opening boot - still love that :pac:

I know the power delivery in the Insignia is poor, but I didn't think it was as bad as the 1.8Tdci Mondeo (even Ford Ireland would rather not talk of that engine). The pre-ecoflex models were so much better, I was hoping that now the 130ps is no longer an ecoFLEX (you should just have CDTI on the back) that they'd gone back to the proper gearing, but it sounds like they haven't

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Accord CTDi EX all the way, loads of bells and whistles, beautiful looking car, i-DTEC (facelift model) is even nicer looking again if your budget will stretch that far. More importantly, eats up the mileage and no matter how much driving, I'd never get bored of it.

Test drove the new one recently, lovely.

Djdukey

Thanks for all your advice.... Insignia out the window anyway

After issues with the A4 and hearing there is some problems with the CR on newer 08 Passats I think that I might leave out that too.

Its looking more and more like a Honda Accord tbh.... thanks for the advice

AndrewBond

How about Mazda6? I used to be Honda fan, but recently they rather disappoint. Mazdas at the same time have the same sort of reliability, very nice looking, built in Japan, diesels are good and might be cheaper.

166man

AndrewBond wrote: »

How about Mazda6? I used to be Honda fan, but recently they rather disappoint. Mazdas at the same time have the same sort of reliability, very nice looking, built in Japan, diesels are good and might be cheaper.

I heard that Mazda diesels are trouble but not sure about the newer 2.2 though..

AndrewBond

166man wrote: »

I heard that Mazda diesels are trouble but not sure about the newer 2.2 though..

Older 2.0 AFAIK is prone to fuel pump failure - very expensive (last time I quoted for it it was around 3000 to fix, but may be cheaper options are available by now).