My Dilema budget 3k max

racso1975

I've cut my loss's on the 407 i've had and moaned about on here!!!! Sorry Ron and ROR but she had to go but thanks again for all the help you guys have given me.

I now have a budget of 3k max and i really mean max. This does not get ya a whole and this could be a big generalisation but there seems to be a huge amount of low mileage diesel around.

Should I blow the who budget or should i get some banger for 6-700 quid and if it packs up can get get another one?

I travel 600 miles per week to and from work so i need a bit of a reliable car.

I have no hang ups about any particular type style colour make etc of car. Just looking for some good advice and or suggestions.

Thanks

Matthewjohn

Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI
Reliable and comfortable and you could get a well kitted out 02 with reasonable mileage on your budget

anthony4335

Would not be just best off the rent a room, at the milage. Even with a good mid size diesel that is about 95 euro a week on fuel , a 3 hours a day in the car. Spend as much as you can on a known reliable car, check with honest john on the net. Try looking for an old Toyota diesel.

racso1975

anthony4335 wrote: »

Would not be just best off the rent a room, at the milage. Even with a good mid size diesel that is about 95 euro a week on fuel , a 3 hours a day in the car. Spend as much as you can on a known reliable car, check with honest john on the net. Try looking for an old Toyota diesel.

hat would be the ideal but wife and 2 pesky kids scuppered that plan!!!!

Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI
Reliable and comfortable and you could get a well kitted out 02 with reasonable mileage on your budget

Out of interest what would be considered resonable mileage?

bazz26

Peugeot 406 HDi, better in every way than the 407 that followed it.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=813244665780070

Matthewjohn

Out of interest what would be considered resonable mileage?[/QUOTE]

On a 02 diesel Passat roughly 80/90k

166man

bazz26 wrote: »

Peugeot 406 HDi, better in every way than the 407 that followed it.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=813244665780070

And about a million times better than a 10 Year old Passat with astronomical mileage. Wouldn't be looking at the premium brand cars at this price range. An older Avensis D4D would be good too.

Edit: @MatthewJohn, would €3k really get an '02 Passat with 80k miles on it?

bazz26

On a 10 year old diesel 80k/90k is just wishful thinking. They are designed to be driven, anything with less than 100k miles on it needs to be backed up with a proven service history, not just a stamped service book otherwise I would assume it has been clocked.

bazz26

bazz26 wrote: »

Peugeot 406 HDi, better in every way than the 407 that followed it.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=813244665780070

Indeed, or a nice C5

racso1975

RoverJames wrote: »

Indeed, or a nice C5

Were the early c5's somewhat trouble some or am i thinking of a different car?

johnos1984

bazz26 wrote: »

On a 10 year old diesel 80k/90k is just wishful thinking.

This is very TROOO

OP high mileage wouldn't put me off but at this age, low mileage would

I know it's the usual recommendation but an Octavia TDI (Toledo or Leon also) would be top of the list for me. Also on there fighting for top position would be a 406 HDI or a Rover 75 CDT

A high mileage car, around 150k miles will have had wear issues sorted by now

pred racer

bazz26 wrote: »

Peugeot 406 HDi, better in every way than the 407 that followed it.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=813244665780070

^^^
wot he said.

Or a c5 hdi, cheap as chips, i put 100k miles on mine (along with the 100k that came free with it:D, 01 2L) and apart from normal consumables, it cost me 1 maf, 1 front ride height sensor, and a thermostat in 4 years.

I sold it last week and i miss my comfy barge

Saab Ed

Bingo.....

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2929379



Not the fastest, refined or even great on fuel for a diesel but just about the best car for this money you could buy. Very comfy, very reliable , still good enough on fuel and this one comes with a new NCT. Best part is you've 1500 left over

dahamsta

I concur on the passat, awful seats but a good car. Wife bought one at 90k and sold it at 160k, and although she had to do some work to it, there was no real heartbreak. Not my kinda thing, but if I was in your boat it'd be high on my list.

johnos1984

That's a bargain if it's straight :cool:

racso1975

racso1975 wrote: »

Were the early c5's somewhat trouble some or am i thinking of a different car?

I would rate them as being quite the opposite of troublesome tbh

johnos1984

High miles but if it has a full service history I wouldn't be too worried

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2924473



Comes with tax but again miles are high

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2908513

Saab Ed

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Nah the 1.6s are junk. More fluid comes out of them than a Saudi Oil field

You need the aul 2.0 HDI. 250k car all day long if minded.

johnos1984

Saab Ed wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Nah the 1.6s are junk.

If they are serviced correctly they should be ok.

Problems all seem to arise from poor servicing. In fairness any high mileage car should have been well serviced and history would back it up

But options are always nice 2l HDI

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2885233

racso1975

Um that 2l c5 seems nice will give it a buzz in.morning hopefully get a few quid off too

racso1975

racso1975 wrote: »

Um that 2l c5 seems nice will give it a buzz in.morning hopefully get a few quid off too

Seems almost a tad too cheap for me, may well be ok though

Minister Boyce

I appreciate that its not a beauty contest but mother of jumping jeybus the mark 1 and 2 versions of those C5s are burly looking brutes:)

andyseadog

going to say focus diesel here (TDDi not TDCi).

my 99 was smashing, paid 1500 for it and it was driving very tight for a car with 170000 miles on it and no real issues at all. it was a small bit rusty and a small bit smoky but it drove very well, had air con, central locking and electric windows and mirrors, 3 things i'l bet a 99 golf/ bora/ passat wont have and you can bet your bonnet they will be more than 1500 euro to buy and probably much less reliable.

Minister Boyce

Minister Boyce wrote: »

I appreciate that its not a beauty contest but mother of jumping jeybus the mark 1 and 2 versions of those C5s are burly looking brutes:)

THey are indeed ungainly looking yokes, to be honest the looks do put me off them but they are a great car, I don't know if I would buy one though.

Minister Boyce

RoverJames wrote: »

THey are indeed ungainly looking yokes, to be honest the looks do put me off them but they are a great car, I don't know if I would buy one though.

I would def buy the new one. Really nice car, and well designed. The Steering Wheel is quirky but cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hKqjpmgCo

andyseadog

A Polish (is that relevant?) friend of mine has a 02 C5 HDi, with around 200k miles on it and it runs as sweet as a nut,you wouldn't think for a second the car has done that kind of mileage. he's just back from poland in it, said it dealt with the snow of there effortlessly too, and nearly got the whole way there on one tank of diesel (not sure if i believe that?)

hasn't been wothout it's fair share of problems, speedo failures are common, aswell as headlight stalks, both parts are expensive new and like hens teeth second hand. his car has also had a failed coolant temp sensor, sticking brake caliper and some suspension issues. i think you also have to remove the front bumper to change a headlight bulb?

Minister Boyce

Minister Boyce wrote: »

I would def buy the new one. Really nice car, and well designed. The Steering Wheel is quirky but cool!............

My uncle has one as a company car, a 2009/2010 model I think, his 2nd C5, he got one in 2005 after his Mazda 626 shat itself. He had Mazda for about 15 years.

Leonard Hofstadter

What you really want is an old school diesel that will tolerate all kinds of abuse.

Something like an old Avensis 2.0 TD (98-00 vintage) or a 1.8 TD Mk2 Mondeo or anything with the old 1.9 TDI (not the PD engine, the older one!).

No dual mass flywheel, no common rail injectors, no anything that can go expensively wrong:)!

.... I don't think many folk would really want any of them

Leonard Hofstadter

I know, but the OP said and I quote: "I have no hang ups about any particular type style colour make etc of car. Just looking for some good advice and or suggestions."

The cars I mentioned are more reliable than some of the other suggestions too:)!

Reckoning that a 00 Mondeo or Avensis diesel will prove more reliable than an 04 ish 2.0HDi C5 is a tad naive.

Leonard Hofstadter

RoverJames wrote: »

Reckoning that a 00 Mondeo or Avensis diesel will prove more reliable than an 04 ish 2.0HDi C5 is a tad naive.

I hardly think so, there is far less to go wrong in either car. What if the hydropneumatic suspension in the C5 went? Or a common rail injector or a DMF? Whatever about the Mondeo, old Avensis 2.0 TDs are nigh on indestructable. It won't go wrong because there is nothing in it to go wrong in the first place! You see plenty of Avensis taxis for a reason after all.

Anyway if an old car gives up you can just scrap it and get something else equally cheap.

DMFs and injector issues on 2.0HDi engines are not at all common to be fair, the suspension is quite an efficient system to maintain in comparison to conventional designs too

pred racer

andyseadog wrote: »

A Polish (is that relevant?) friend of mine has a 02 C5 HDi, with around 200k miles on it and it runs as sweet as a nut,you wouldn't think for a second the car has done that kind of mileage. he's just back from poland in it, said it dealt with the snow of there effortlessly too, and nearly got the whole way there on one tank of diesel (not sure if i believe that?)

hasn't been wothout it's fair share of problems, speedo failures are common, aswell as headlight stalks, both parts are expensive new and like hens teeth second hand. his car has also had a failed coolant temp sensor, sticking brake caliper and some suspension issues. i think you also have to remove the front bumper to change a headlight bulb?

Headlight stalks are common, but it just means the lights come on sometimes when you use the indicator.....so just ignore. Sticking brake caliper on the back is normal cause they dont work unless there is weight in the back so just carry some passengers every now and again. Never had to remove the bumper for anything!
ive done over 700 miles to a tank (snow and ice last year) dunno how far it is to poland though

I too would say 2.0 hdi all the way, 1.6 has the same power output but imo its gutless with passengers/weight in it


I wish id seen that saab a couple of weeks ago. Thats a crackin car for the money!

Tbh id stay away from the mk2 mondeo, just purely from personal experience, I had one and it was a dog. Just a soft car. There was always something wrong with it. Maybe it was just mine though

+1 for the avensis though, seems to be the farmers car of choice round me, never maintained, towing cattle and sheep for a living and never a problem.

racso1975

What are peoples opinions on this

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201139204684312

MarkR

racso1975 wrote: »

What are peoples opinions on this

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201139204684312

2.2 litre is over 900 a year to tax.

Timmaay

MarkR wrote: »

2.2 litre is over 900 a year to tax.

Worse again its 2207cc or something, so 2.3 to tax (960ish I think PA tax)

racso1975

Do people think these are all dodgy mileage cars-

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201139204684312 toyota avensis

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201147205696036 rover 75

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201147205696036 rover 75

Admldj

dont know if you got sorted op but i have a car up for sale that may fit the bill for you

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2965321