Trading up - need advice

mickman

Hi everyone

I currently have a 99 Audi A6 1.9 Tdi - it has just passed the nct . It has 150k miles

I feel violated every time i have to pay the car tax and this year is going to be near 700 euro - plus alternator went this year along with battery problems etc so the costs are starting to mount

Now what i am looking for is a car that i can tax cheapily and that will get me 60 + mpg ---does this car exist ???

I have gotten such good value from the audi over the years. Bought it 6 years ago for 8 grand its prob still worth 2k - only a small few problems and quite economical (except for the tax)

I would like to get a 2008 car that i will be able to get many years out of - any advice ?

colm_mcm

The car exists all right, but you will have today many multiples of the €700 to get into it.
If you're financing, €300 a month might feel like a violation, or €12,000 disappearing out of your savings account mightn't be welcome either,

Motor tax is a pain, but so is financing a new car.

mickman

yeah , thats the conundrum :-)

To be honest the math dosent make sense to me yet - i just cant see the value in spending 10k in a car.

What car would you recommend if i was to do it ?

colm_mcm

It'll never make sense on paper. We just need an excuse to overrule the logic

Think its called 'man maths'

IMO cars kinda moved up a class in the last 10 years, so a mid ranger like a passat etc wont be far off your a6 in terms of size and comfort.

Maybe a post 08 skoda superb 1.9 tdi?
Passat 1.9?
Honda Accord 2.2 (not sure if possible on €10k)
Volvo S60

Bigus

Don't forget modern diesels will give a heap more trouble than you're used to with your old school reliable 1,9 tdi
Search dmf, particulate filter, shaft drive issues on 2.0 tdi here and other places before you give up your trusty work horse.

A lot of posters here have such bad experiences that it has converted them back to petrol.

colm_mcm

Bigus wrote: »

Don't forget modern diesels will give a heap more trouble than you're used to with your old school reliable 1,9 tdi

Hense the first two on the list

mickman

2008 superbs are about 11 grand

would a 2008 prius not be a better option here? I have no problem going smaller than the a6

colm_mcm

I like Priuss, but to be fair, they don't feel substantial.

Apart from that there's little wrong with them.

_Kaiser_

Every time I see a thread like this it makes me start searching Carzone again.

For those who'd know, what would it realistically cost me to change from a 06 2.0 TDI DSG-equipped Passat with 233,000km and a full main dealer history, to an equivalent spec 05+ A6 these days?

I really really want one!

mickman

do you really get the 70 mpg on the prius ?

colm_mcm

No.

mickman

60 ???

colm_mcm

You have to relearn how to drive, some people get great mpg from them, but its very hard.
Driving on cruise control etc on the motorway its very hard to get good mpg from them, they come into their own in the city.
With an equally attentive driving style you'd get unreal mpg from a diesel too.

Bigus

Prius is a good choice and they give little or no trouble.
Realistic mpg in Ireland is 55 mpg in summer dropping to 48 in winter.
They don't wear out brake pads or discs , have no timing belt, simple to service and one of the few toyotas still built in Japan
Very good NCAP crash rating too 5 star.
Very low vrt if you pick up a nice one in the uk