Trying to convince sister to buy petrol over diesel [10,000 miles/year]

fearcruach

Hi,

My sister has put me in charge of the hunt for a new car. Wants either a Golf or a Focus and willing to spend around 9k + trade in an 04 1.8 diesel Focus with 80k miles on the clock.

She is insisting on a diesel for the usual reasons but at her mileage (10,000 miles pa, 90% of which is city driving), it's going to cost her more and she will run into the usual problems with modern diesels.

Doing the sums, it comes out as ~€350 cheaper to fuel the diesel (1.9 TDI vs 1.4 TSI). She'd get a better spec and a year newer if she went petrol.

Anything else anyone can think of to form an argument to put to her?

Thanks

Gone Drinking

I'd be interested to hear what's being said on this. I've just been approved for 7 grand motor finance. If I want to pay it back over 4 years, it has to be at least an 08 car.

I'm doing 320kms a week for work. I'm struggling to find an 08 diesel with decent mileage for 7 grand. I know I can pick up an 08 petrol with ok mileage for 7 grand.

So i'm not sure if its worth throwing another 1000 or 1500 to get the diesel.

fearcruach

Gone Drinking wrote: »

I'd be interested to hear what's being said on this. I've just been approved for 7 grand motor finance. If I want to pay it back over 4 years, it has to be at least an 08 car.

I'm doing 320kms a week for work. I'm struggling to find an 08 diesel with decent mileage for 7 grand. I know I can pick up an 08 petrol with ok mileage for 7 grand.

So i'm not sure if its worth throwing another 1000 or 1500 to get the diesel.

Out of interest, are you going for 08 for tax reasons or do you have a car in mind?

Also mileage on a diesels will be higher and I think it's better to go for higher mileage ones. An 08 diesels with 40 - 60k miles would worry me with regards to DPF issues etc.

Gone Drinking

Its the terms of the motor finance. The car can't be more than 8 years old by the time you've finished paying off the finance. So in order to pay back the finance over 4 years, the car needs to be at least an 08.

I was looking at a Ford Focus 1.6 diesel, however the only ones I could find in and around the 7 mark are with 110+ miles. I'd be happy buying something with mileage between 60 and 85.

Leonard Hofstadter

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Its the terms of the motor finance. The car can't be more than 8 years old by the time you've finished paying off the finance. So in order to pay back the finance over 4 years, the car needs to be at least an 08.

I was looking at a Ford Focus 1.6 diesel, however the only ones I could find in and around the 7 mark are with 110+ miles. I'd be happy buying something with mileage between 60 and 85.

I wouldn't be so hung up about mileage, service history is far more important, especially with that engine.

Those engines need to be serviced on time all the time. Also a high mileage car probably did all of its driving on the motorway, which is much better for the engine, DPF and DMF, a low mileage car is more likely to have been driven around town, so you're more likely to have DPF and DMF issues with these cars (both of which are very expensive to replace).

If you're doing 320 km (200 miles) a week even after four years you'll only have a car with 150,000 miles, with proper servicing and maintenance, there is no reason why you couldn't get at least another 50,000-100,000 miles from it after that.

keithclancy

captainspeed wrote: »

I wouldn't be so hung up about mileage, service history is far more important, especially with that engine.

Those engines need to be serviced on time all the time. Also a high mileage car probably did all of its driving on the motorway, which is much better for the engine, DPF and DMF, a low mileage car is more likely to have been driven around town, so you're more likely to have DPF and DMF issues with these cars (both of which are very expensive to replace).

If you're doing 320 km (200 miles) a week even after four years you'll only have a car with 150,000 miles, with proper servicing and maintenance, there is no reason why you couldn't get at least another 50,000-100,000 miles from it after that.

+1 High mileage with service history means a lot of the bits that fail have been replaced already.

Low mileage with patch service history would be more worrying.

Gone Drinking

Ok so.. I'm gonna go view a couple of the 105/110 thousand mile diesel focuses this weekend.

What sort of stuff should I be looking for that's been replaced in the service history? Diesel Particle Filter and stuff about a DMF change?

Thanks!

Bpmull

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Ok so.. I'm gonna go view a couple of the 105/110 thousand mile diesel focuses this weekend.

What sort of stuff should I be looking for that's been replaced in the service history? Diesel Particle Filter and stuff about a DMF change?

Thanks!

110k miles on a diesel wouldn't bother me provided it has a service history and is well minded. Diesel engines will easily do 250k miles and more if there really well minded. I recently bought a 2008 Astra diesel 2008 with 92k miles but it had full service history and is literally like new to drive really tight and has no rattle or noises. I'd look out for the duel mass flywheel it is part of the clutch so if you test drive the car and it's noisy it could be a sign the dmf is on the way out and will cost about 1000 euro to fix. Some of the other members might be able to explain it better. But if your looking at cars with 110k miles probably better to get with the dmf already done.

Gone Drinking

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Ok so.. I'm gonna go view a couple of the 105/110 thousand mile diesel focuses this weekend.

What sort of stuff should I be looking for that's been replaced in the service history? Diesel Particle Filter and stuff about a DMF change?

Thanks!

Wouldnt touch a 1.6 diesel focus for 7k, bit of a gamble, quite a troublesome engine potentially even with fsh, I know two dealers who rarely take them as trade ins unless they really cover themselves financially. In saying that my uncle has that engine in a c5 without issue, one isn't a great sample size though.

MuppetCheck

Just remember there's more to a car than the engine. It may need suspension work too.

Gone Drinking

RoverJames wrote: »

Wouldnt touch a 1.6 diesel focus for 7k, bit of a gamble, quite a troublesome engine potentially even with fsh, I know two dealers who rarely take them as trade ins unless they really cover themselves financially. In saying that my uncle has that engine in a c5 without issue, one isn't a great sample size though.

Well this is where I'm thinking of either getting an 08 petrol for in and around 7, or getting another 1/1.5k to put towards a Diesel. Can you recommend something in that year/price range?

I'm annoyed about the motor finance over 4 years pinning me to an 08 at least, but I understand its so the bank can cover themselves in having an asset that's worth what was loaned.

I'd much rather spend the 7 on a nice 05/06 that's been looked after, than having to buy an 08 that could have <insert problem here>.

Maybe I should get a personal loan instead of motor finance.

Bpmull

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Well this is where I'm thinking of either getting an 08 petrol for in and around 7, or getting another 1/1.5k to put towards a Diesel. Can you recommend something in that year/price range?

I'm annoyed about the motor finance over 4 years pinning me to an 08 at least, but I understand its so the bank can cover themselves in having an asset that's worth what was loaned.

I'd much rather spend the 7 on a nice 05/06 that's been looked after, than having to buy an 08 that could have <insert problem here>.

Maybe I should get a personal loan instead of motor finance.

Tbh you will find it hard to find a good diesel 2008 for 7k even the skoda Octavia is way more then that and they would be seen a good value diesel cars. Could have a look for a 2008 Astra diesel 1.3 or 1.7 ideally 1.7 I have a 2008 Astra 1.3 and there a good car just a little sliggish when cold. But again I don't know if you would get one for 7k. Diesels are unfortunately in demand so your going to pay for a 2008. Personally I would avoid the 1.6 focus if possible as 7k just sounds way too cheap for 2008 the 1.6 engine seems to be troublesome in that perticular model focus. But my above point stands high mileage on an Astra wouldn't bother me as the 1.3 doesn't have a dpf not sure about the 1.7 so one less thing to go wrong.

Blazer

You're basically screwed Op.
Recommending Petrol which is the correct choice, you'll hear her moan every time the pump prices increase and it's your fault that she's more out of pocket with each increase.

Go diesel as she wants and you're locking her into a car with potential dpf issues with the mileage she does and it will be your fault for picking out that particular car. Any car hitting 100K in mileages normally needs a big enough service to make sure everything is running ok etc and that's normally expensive.
Plus you could see more expensive parts going wrong later on and she could end up bearing the cost of those.

My advice..recommend petrol, explain why and if she still insists on diesel let her get something else to pick u a car.

Leonard Hofstadter

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Just remember there's more to a car than the engine. It may need suspension work too.

While it is of course very important to check this side of things as well as the engine, the truth is that the suspension in a car that's spent most of its miles on the motorway will be in a far better state than a car that was used for urban driving.

If the car has loads of stone chips on the bonnet then that means the high mileage was a result of motorway driving, which is a good thing in terms of the condition of the suspension:)!

Those engines can give trouble, but it is 99% of the time down to maintenance, or rather the lack of it. A promptly and properly serviced 1.6 TDCi will not let you down, those engines are used in everything from a Mini to a Volvo S80 so there's loads of them around.

mullingar

captainspeed wrote: »

Those engines can give trouble, but it is 99% of the time down to maintenance, or rather the lack of it. A promptly and properly serviced 1.6 TDCi will not let you down, those engines are used in everything from a Mini to a Volvo S80 so there's loads of them around.

+1.

The 1.6 is an excellent engine, but its Achilles heel is that it must be serviced on time with the correct oil.

We have a 06 Focus 1.6TDCI at home with a dyno'd 130hp with 120k miles on the clock. Its a peach of a small diesel engine.

When you buy one 2nd hand you have no idea was it serviced properly, plenty of them with FSH give trouble as the oil wasn't drained to manufacturers directive. The stone chip guideline is less than indicative of the cars life too to be fair.

Casati

fearcruach wrote: »

Hi,

My sister has put me in charge of the hunt for a new car. Wants either a Golf or a Focus and willing to spend around 9k + trade in an 04 1.8 diesel Focus with 80k miles on the clock.

She is insisting on a diesel for the usual reasons but at her mileage (10,000 miles pa, 90% of which is city driving), it's going to cost her more and she will run into the usual problems with modern diesels.

Doing the sums, it comes out as ~€350 cheaper to fuel the diesel (1.9 TDI vs 1.4 TSI). She'd get a better spec and a year newer if she went petrol.

Anything else anyone can think of to form an argument to put to her?

Thanks

Talk her into keeping the Focus for a few more years- they have a simple engine, and should be relatively cheap to keep her in good mechanical order.In a couple more years she will have available some really economical petrols such as the current 1.0 litre Focus or the latest 1.2 TSI's Golf, or bigger engined and only slightly less economical cars such as 1.4 Insignia's etc

kmb

Hi,
Have you thought about the Fiat Bravo diesel 1.9?
As far as i know the 1.9 diesel is the only one without the DPF.

http://www.webbmotors.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=837658

I have the 2008 1.4 150bhp petrol and it has been faultless.