1.6 diesel options and opinions

jakko86

Hi guys, im in the process of changing the car as were expecting our first baby so heres how it is,we want to buy something economical and lower tax and a diesel so we thought something like a mazda 3 preferably a saloon for boot space and id like to have something that looks nice enough... we have looked at mazda 3 and focus saw some peugeots(she dosnt like) and weve also spotted a few volvo s40s, our budget is 7k any help and opinions on 1.6 diesels would be great!

colm_mcm

All the cars listed used the same engine.

jakko86

mazda volvo ford all have same engines?? in 1.6 diesel??so all as reliable/unreliable as each other??

George Dalton

It's more than just the engine. The Mazda 3, Volvo S40 and Focus share the same platform. They are essentially the same car.

Wheelnut

Hi Jakko, are you sure this is not a wind-up? For a guy who is just looking you have come up with a good list of the cars that share that engine!

FWIW you will get various opinions on that engine. Some say it's sh!t, others say the opposite. My daughter has the engine in a 307 and she drives the sh!t out of it. It's got 130,000 miles on the clock now. The secret seems to be to change the oil early, about 9k miles rather than 12.5k miles. The weak point seems to be injecter seals that blow. You need to lift the bonnet and take off the engine cover, then you will hear a "chuffing" noise if there is a problem.

Apart from the engine it's a question of build quality. The Mazda is probably the best but you might prefer the style of one of the others, Jap interiors are considered to be bland.

jakko86

jes no its not a wind up... heres how it is im driving a honda accord 08 beautiful car lots of power and looks real nice but now were expecting so iv to sell ... she was sayin a saloon corolla 1.4 diesel but jesus its a boring car to look at and 1.4 would be pretty poor to drive too i presume, and i know a 1.6 diesel wont exactly be exciting but i want somethin i dont hate to drive... i was thinkin a mazda 3 and one of my friends has a focus and hates it so that put me off those so i saw some volvo s40 and was wondering what they would be like so am looking for opinions? so all these cars have the same chasis and engine so panelling and interior are all thats different?in terms of trouble free cars in this range whats my best options?

Farmer Pudsey

Sorry for you but if you want the most reliable and economical it will be the Toyota Corolla better half has an Avensis huge car boring but never gives a problem and 50-55 MPG (5.4-5.5/100K) and that is drivring around collecting kids etc (06 car tax rotten dear but so what). I be suprised if the corolla is not near or over 60mpg

jakko86

ya i know the corrolla would be fierce economical and trouble free alright esp in 1.4 diesel..ya avensis must be over the 600 per year...decisions desicions!!

Farmer Pudsey

Is it 07 or 08 the new car tax regime started as I see that an 07 Avensis would be in your price bracket

colm_mcm

08

jakko86

avensis is a 2.0 in diesel lookin for a 1.6 diesel?

Wheelnut

jakko86 wrote: »

... heres how it is im driving a honda accord 08 beautiful car lots of power and looks real nice but now were expecting so iv to sell ... ...

You have an 08 Accord! Diesel or petrol? If it's diesel you would be mad to sell it with cheap tax and good economy. If it's petrol you still might not save by changing. A diesel might cost less at the pumps but what about the capital outlay just to get into a diesel? Add to that the fact that you might have a lesser car that you don't like which is more prone to breakdowns and costly repairs etc. Do you hope to make a cash profit from selling the Accord and buying something cheaper? Post up your calculations on how you think you are going to make an over-all saving.

jakko86

hoping to sell 08 diesel accord for 13500/14000, putting 10k aside, just sold the girlfriends 1.6 petrol avensis for 3500 so that leaves us with 7 k to buy a 1.6/1.4 diesel and hopefully use the 10k and savings to secure a mortgage down the road...with a baby on the way plus the fact the lovely government are goin to load more tax on low tax vehicles wont help as the accord is a 2.2... im vat regestered so that will help with diesel costs.

Wheelnut

Sounds like a fair price for the Accord (they are priced 16 -17k in garages). Good luck with the deal and the new family.

BTW: the 1.6 diesel you mentioned for the list of cars above is made by Peugeot and there was some input from Ford.

jakko86

thanks, i thought it is fair enough but not movin as quick as id like... service history ,62k immaculate inside and out only for some b*****d scuffed the back bumper in a car park and drove off!!:mad::mad: its just a scuff but only for that she is mint.... anyways i was lookin at the volvo s40 as its a nice size car and looks ok...mazda 3 in good nick are hard enough to come by...so im thinkin the volvo so if all engines are the same they will require a belt at what mileage is there anything else i should look out for in these??

Wheelnut

There's a pretty high change interval on the belt, it might be as high a 130k miles but you should check.

As I posted above, the injector seals are a weak point. If there is a problem you will hear a "chuffing" noise when you take the cover off the engine.

You should also be aware that these cars have a small tank of special fluid that is injected into the fuel to help the exhaust particle filter. The full tank lasts about 70 - 80k miles so if your prospective car is near that, you are due a bill. It's generally a dealer job because the dashboard warning system may need to be reset, but you might find a good independent.

jakko86

what kind of bill could i expect to do that? what is the cost of getting these seals done if they go?

Wheelnut

I got it done at a main dealer in west Offaly. Parts costs for one injector seal was about €44 and the special fluid was about €110. Add labour to that at €52-50 per hour and allow 2 or 3 hours for the job. I think most other dealers would have charged more.

snaps

I recently brought an 06 Citroen 1.6HDI C5. Has everything including electric seats and leather. Getting 4.5l/100km on normal runs. Haven't regretted it yet. Paid 4k for it.

jakko86

oh suppose it could be worse wheel nut... what are you driving is it a volvo?? ya i saw the citroen alright they are cheap enough but arent puegeot and citroen the same thing? not the most reliable in the world or am i misinformed?

Wheelnut

jakko86 wrote: »

... wheel nut... what are you driving is it a volvo??

I'm writing about my daughter's 307 (see post 5 above)

snaps

jakko86 wrote: »

oh suppose it could be worse wheel nut... what are you driving is it a volvo?? ya i saw the citroen alright they are cheap enough but arent puegeot and citroen the same thing? not the most reliable in the world or am i misinformed?

All cars have some sort of a history. the HDI engines that are in Citroens/Peugeots are good though.

Merch

snaps wrote: »

I recently brought an 06 Citroen 1.6HDI C5. Has everything including electric seats and leather. Getting 4.5l/100km on normal runs. Haven't regretted it yet. Paid 4k for it.

Not personally a great fan of Citroen, maybe they and their partners cars have a bad rep in my mind,despite their diesel engines seem to be good, new C5 looks ok, had a look on carzone but just cant see a C5 for anything close to 4k, how'd you come across yours?

snaps

Done deal and a dealer too

Leonard Hofstadter

snaps wrote: »

All cars have some sort of a history. the HDI engines that are in Citroens/Peugeots are good though.

The Ford Focus, S40 and Mazda 3 all use this engine as well:)!

The 1.6 HDI is a fine reliable engine once you service it at the required intervals (every 20,000 km/12,000 miles) and use the correct grade oil:)! Anyone who has trouble with those engines has trouble because of neglect (lack of servicing at the required intervals and/or incorrect grade oil being used).

TestTransmission

Thread moved.Not a DIY issue

-Corkie-

OP I am confused here why do you want to sell a Accord to change it for a Corolla or a Focus. The height of lunacy imo..