New (well to me) car advice

knipex

For the first time in 10 years I will be buying my own car (stint with company cars but new job means have to buy my own)

I want to keep the budget down to about 10K (there will be some wriggle room for the right car).

For the last 10 years I have been driving the standard Passat, Insignia, Mondeo diesel offerings but open to something a little different. Smaller is OK but will have two kids in the back (6 and 3) with their car seats so 4 or 5 doors probably the way to go..

I have a 60Km each way commute each day (so approx 600km a week 95% motorway) plus what ever other driving I will be doing.. (probably another 100 a week average) and some work related driving (no idea how much but I suspect no more than 300 t0 350 Km a month) so looking at diesel.

A little bit of poke is a must (My last car was a 160bhp SRI Insignia and it was just OK) and reasonably nice to drive.. (Insignia was OK but steering was light and the general dynamics were not great)

As this will be my main car reliability is important..

That's it... Any advice or input ?

YbFocus

How do you feel about road tax, I mean would you pay high levels for the right car?? If you want power, diesel and comfort with 4 doors look no further than a 535d

#Backup please, calling Cleveland #

knipex

LOL

I had been looking at those and my budget would stretch to a good low mileage 530 or a slightly higher mileage 535..

However the road tax on those is what ? Just shy of 1,500 per anum ? Or just over €120 per month..

Its hard to justify but possible..

Whats the value of a 2008 one ??

YbFocus

€1494 I have a 530d myself. 535d shares the same block so has the same tax.

A 2008 535d, you'd be looking at €15,000 I reckon!

Impossible to find after 2008 because everyone went to town buying small engined cars becasue of the new tax rates

If you want a 520d you have a pic of 17,000,000.

No 530's etc!

I got myself a 2004 530d for €5,500 and it's fantastic.

218bhp, 500Nm and can return 42mpg driven easily. Those are impressive figures. A 535d has 272-280 depending and 580Nm's.

5er's can give hassle though turbo wise (my own is right now), and there are a few things that you need to do to the engine if you get one to ensure max reliability.
Overall though they are a fantastic car.

I've put 25,000 miles on mine since march 16th and the only thing was the turbo which is the original so can't complain

knipex

YbFocus wrote: »

€1494 I have a 530d myself. 535d shares the same block so has the same tax.

A 2008 535d, you'd be looking at €15,000 I reckon!

Impossible to find after 2008 because everyone went to town buying small engined cars becasue of the new tax rates

If you want a 520d you have a pic of 17,000,000.

No 530's etc!

I got myself a 2004 530d for €5,500 and it's fantastic.

218bhp, 500Nm and can return 42mpg driven easily. Those are impressive figures. A 535d has 272-280 depending and 580Nm's.

5er's can give hassle though turbo wise (my own is right now), and there are a few things that you need to do to the engine if you get one to ensure max reliability.
Overall though they are a fantastic car.

I've put 25,000 miles on mine since march 16th and the only thing was the turbo which is the original so can't complain

There are a few 2008 535D's around but they are asking 27 - 28K + mark for lowish mileage examples...

A similar 530D is asking just under 20K..

Crazy..


a 2008 535D with lowish mileage for 15K and I would do my best to stretch the budget..


But I don't know these cars... I know my way around a spanner but nothing about these...

YbFocus

knipex wrote: »

There are a few 2008 535D's around but they are asking 27 - 28K + mark for lowish mileage examples...

A similar 530D is asking just under 20K..

Crazy..


a 2008 535D with lowish mileage for 15K and I would do my best to stretch the budget..


But I don't know these cars... I know my way around a spanner but nothing about these...

Can't believe my guess was that far out!!!

They are easy cars to do stuff with man, I do my own work and have had the inlet manifold off for the swirl flap delete and had to dig to the turbo to check it.

There all the same, some just look more daunting!

Why not buy an 06 535 for 12k and have 3 years tax there in the pocket

I can tell you want one, if you settle for less you'll be sorry everytime you meet one!

knipex

I had a look at 2 different 535D's and one 530. all 2006 \ 2007.

Of the 3 cars 2 were with dealers or bricks and morter locations and one private.

1 of them was a UK import and took about 5 minutes to realize it was totaled and badly repaired.. There are creases on the first chassis legs and valance that had been half covered up by filler.. It was pretty obvious and If I could have gotten it on a lift I suspect it would have been pretty more so.. Once you went looking you could even see paint overspray on some of the engine wiring and hoses. To be fair when I pointed it out to the sales guy he looked genuinely shocked, claimed he taken it in from a main dealer only last week, when I checked the next day he had taken it off his website...

2nd was an Irish car and either these cars wear their mileage very badly or it was clocked... Seat swabs, steering wheel, gear lever and carpets all very worn. Car had been valeted but even the boot looked like it had been carrying either a herd of wild animals or carrying building rubble. It just looked off. This was a sales guy swore blind it was an honest car but I ran. Advertised with 51k miles but looked more like a 150K + car.. I have put over 100K miles for far less premium cars the looked far fresher than this one.

3rd was advertised as perfect and just serviced. It had 4 bald tires (and I mean BALD), was low on engine oil, exhaust was leaking, disks were badly worn and warped, pads were due replacing and the inside was a mess. Electric windows didn't work on passenger doors, AC didn't appear to be working, he got annoyed when I started playing with the radio (I was changing station, or should I say trying to) left rear quarter was a different shade to the rest of the car. Multiple pretty severe scrapes and minor dents.. Despite the claim of being just serviced he couldn't provide a single receipt of any service. Its a shame as it was a nice ..

YbFocus

Had the same problem when hunting for my 530d, found plenty that I had to walk away from. Plenty of times it killed me as there was big mileage travelled to view.

Eventually though i found what I was after

Keep up the faith, see if you can find a real enthusiast on the phone, you'll know your onto something! I always think when I'm talking to someone that knows their cars then this may be worth a look!

Also I'd say your right with the clocked car, them cars wear well. I have 150k miles on mine now and interior is great! For one to be worn as badly as that sounds it must have been clocked!

knipex

To be honest the "heat" has left me..

Still after something with a little power but perhaps not quite that much..

Decent spec, and lowish miles..

I was looking at the 170bhp passat \ octavia or a Leon if I could fine one..

Still open to options outside the mainstream but my time lines have suddenly gotten tight (I need to have a car by the end of next week or I will be renting)

YbFocus

VRs Octavia? Lovely car to drive and be in.

How about an A6? 3 litre one is lovely, Kaiser has one on here he might fall across this.

bazz26

Ignoring the price something like this might be worth looking at:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Saab/9-3/1.9-TTID/36813801066066020/

knipex

On my list but again its if I can find one..

I have looked at 2 3ltr A6's and to be honest I liked them but I felt they were a bit of a barge... Heavy and not as crisp even as my Insignia..

The Octavia is a much lighter and smaller car and I have driven the smaller engine ones and they were not bad..

Leon similar.

I got a heads up on a 09 Passat High-line with the 170 engine.. Guy bought it new and then started contract working abroad . He has been using it when he is home but 90% of the time it has been garaged. 41K km on the clock, main dealer serviced since new. Just had an NCT. Brand new pirelli tyres (NCT gave a fail advisory on the old ones)

He has just taken up an offer of a permanent position there and so wants to get rid of it. He is only home on holidays for 2 weeks (This week he serviced and NCT's it) and wants it gone before he goes..

suspect it can be picked up at right money but no idea what its worth..

knipex

bazz26 wrote: »

Ignoring the price something like this might be worth looking at:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Saab/9-3/1.9-TTID/36813801066066020/

Buddy of mine had a very similar car.. I initially loved it but the more time I spent in it the more it annoyed me.. I thought the fit and finish was poor and just didn't drive as well as I expected.. He got shot of it very quickly because as he put it loved the idea of owning one but not so much the living with it... Described it as floaty...