Advice on car upgrade

wolfyboy555

Hi everyone,

I am planning to upgrade my car in the summer months but want to make a start on researching what would be best as I am not great with cars.

I currently drive a 1.4 petrol opel astra. My milage would be about 10-11k miles max. I would go about 250miles a week but will do considerably less during the summer.

I am hoping to sell my current car during the summer and then have a budget of ~10K + car sale money to spend on a car. What I would love to get is an Audi A4 especially the new model shape so I have been looking at 08 models.

My first question would be should I get a petrol or diesal? There seems to be plenty of diesals around on done deal etc and they have lower tax I think?

Would prices come down by June/July as alot of the cars I have seen online are slightly over budget or else need vrt with them.

What kind of mileage would be too high for one of these cars as i know they are used alot for motorway driving so usually would have high milage.

Am I right in saying that there is the basic model, the SE edition and then the S-Line edition?

I am also open to any other suggestions. Thanks

MidlandsM

on your milage, petrol

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

You don't really need a diesel to be fair and any savings you'd make on the lower tax will be wiped out by the extra money you'll pay for a diesel over a petrol car. I'd say mileage wise, 110k wouldn't be a huge amount on a 2008 reg.

bazz26

Your don't need a diesel but your choice in post 2007 Audi A4 petrol's will be limited.

Scortho

Petrol all the way for you my friend. Double your milage and then I'd be saying diesel.
Diesel only names financial sense if you do big miles, or you're weird and love Diesel engines.

wolfyboy555

thanks for the suggestions I will start keeping a look out for just petrols so. how are a4's reliability wise? does anyone think I should go for a different car?

MidlandsM

Honda Accord?

Mazda 6 exec

wolfyboy555

I will check those out thanks.

Will the prices come down by the summer? how much leeway is there on the online price (I will be paying in cash no loan)

MuppetCheck

I'd be looking at something like these:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-gh-1-8-sport-5dr/6259903
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-sport/5547870

MidlandsM

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

I will check those out thanks.

Will the prices come down by the summer? how much leeway is there on the online price (I will be paying in cash no loan)

should drop a bit more in 6 months or so, you will be a cash buyer of a petrol car...diesels will remain quite firm

colm_mcm

MuppetCheck wrote: »

I'd be looking at something like these:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-gh-1-8-sport-5dr/6259903
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-sport/5547870

You're a bad man MC, got me thinking of a 6 now..

MuppetCheck

The hatch in sport spec is the nicest version. But for that money you'd nearly have a facelift 2 litre cleared. 155 brake and the all important six speed box.

Karl Stein

Honda Civic
2008
1.8 litre
47,235 Miles
140Bhp
+40Mpg combined
Leather seats

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-honda-civic-1-8-petrol/5988012

MidlandsM

all that , for a civic??........god no.

colm_mcm

MidlandsM wrote: »

all that , for a civic??........god no.

What's it worth?

Rowley Birkin QC

MuppetCheck wrote: »

I'd be looking at something like these:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-gh-1-8-sport-5dr/6259903
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-sport/5547870

Exterior looks great but that interior looks absolutely terrible, is it any better in the "flesh"?

MidlandsM

....its just a civic at the end of the day.....thats my point. A maz6 or Audi A4 is a much nicer thing to have in your life for the kinda layout the OP wants to spend.

MuppetCheck

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Exterior looks great but that interior looks absolutely terrible, is it any better in the "flesh"?

They're not the worst. It's definitely a Jap when you sit into it but the bits feel better than they look for the most part and it's pretty solid. The binacle above the radio is muck though.

wolfyboy555

Carlos Roca wrote: »

Honda Civic
2008
1.8 litre
47,235 Miles
140Bhp
+40Mpg combined
Leather seats

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-honda-civic-1-8-petrol/5988012

colm_mcm wrote: »

You're a bad man MC, got me thinking of a 6 now..

Are these better specs than an Audi A4? I don't like the look of the honda's and nothing really grabs me with the mazda's.

sawdoubters

I would buy diesel and stick with jap brand

audis break a lot and are expensive to fix

L-M

What kind of driving to you do OP?

It is 5 50 miles trips, or 20 10mile trips?

That's how to decide whether you need a petrol or a diesel, by the lenght of your journeys, not your annual mileage.

wolfyboy555

Limerick man wrote: »

What kind of driving to you do OP?

It is 5 50 miles trips, or 20 10mile trips?

That's how to decide whether you need a petrol or a diesel, by the lenght of your journeys, not your annual mileage.

Hi Limerick Man. My drive to work is a 40km round trip from Lucan to Dunshaughlin and then motorway from Lucan to Kells once or twice a week. But that would be significantly reduced in the summer due to holidays (teaching).

wolfyboy555

sawdoubters wrote: »

I would buy diesel and stick with jap brand

audis break a lot and are expensive to fix

That would be a concern. It's something I will have to factor into my choice.

sawdoubters

I would buy diesel and stick with jap brand

audis break a lot and are expensive to fix

MuppetCheck

sawdoubters wrote: »

I would buy diesel and stick with jap brand

audis break a lot and are expensive to fix

wolfyboy555

Ok so I am hoping to make a purchase in the next month or two. I have noticed that the 08 Audi's A4's are still very high priced though.

My eye has also been caught by Alfa Romero 159's as I think they look very slick too. I could probably get a nice spec one for less than a basic spec Audi. My only worry would be boot space as I would need golf clubs to go in the back but it doesn't look that big.

I would also consider going over to the uk as I have a lot of time off soon. I am sick of my current car at this stage.

RoscommonTom

MuppetCheck wrote: »

The hatch in sport spec is the nicest version. But for that money you'd nearly have a facelift 2 litre cleared. 155 brake and the all important six speed box.

You could buy a skoka octivia which is more or less the same as the audi but miles cheaper, plenty of space for golf clubs to, the Alfa is a bad idea, give rotten amount of trouble

colm_mcm

How is an Octavia more or less the same as an A4?

_Kaiser_

Alfa's aren't known for their reliability alright. Given the choice I'd be sticking with the Audi.

I wouldn't compare an Octavia to an A4 though - sure they may be fundamentally the same thing mechanically but the interior/trim and quality will be miles apart.

I changed from a 06 Passat to a 05 A6 last year and as much as I loved the Passat, the Audi is just a much nicer place to be and the interior feels incredibly well put together and quality.

I wouldn't be going for an A4 myself though - I looked at a 06 one when I was buying my Passat and I thought it was cramped (especially in the rear seats) and had a very small boot vs the Passat.

My suggestion then would be a decent post-08 highline Passat, or a well-minded slightly older A6.. getting a petrol in any new-ish car will be a problem though.

MuppetCheck

RoscommonTom wrote: »

You could buy a skoka octivia which is more or less the same as the audi but miles cheaper, plenty of space for golf clubs to, the Alfa is a bad idea, give rotten amount of trouble

I believe the original post was about a Mazda 6. I went from a VRS Octavia and the 6 was a nicer car by a country mile.

The A4 is a superior car to the Octavia too, the odd engine is shared but they are a different platform completely. There's no more or less the same here - there's a vast gulf between them. The Octavia is tinny and cheap in comparison.

HJL

What about a SEAT Exeo? I think they are a fine looking motor and not that common as well which i like.
Here is an example on one in and around your price range, it is diesel though, and that particular one has a rough looking electric window control for some reason.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/seat-exeo/6792292

Bobwoodward11

yea exeo are tidy

_Kaiser_

Bobwoodward11 wrote: »

yea exeo are tidy

Rebodied last-gen A4, so not a million miles away from what the OP wants. That one doesn't look in great shape inside though.

discombobulate

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

Ok so I am hoping to make a purchase in the next month or two. I have noticed that the 08 Audi's A4's are still very high priced though.

My eye has also been caught by Alfa Romero 159's as I think they look very slick too. I could probably get a nice spec one for less than a basic spec Audi. My only worry would be boot space as I would need golf clubs to go in the back but it doesn't look that big.

I would also consider going over to the uk as I have a lot of time off soon. I am sick of my current car at this stage.

I get my clubs, trolley and a load of other junk in the back of my 159. For your budget you'd get a nice Ti version (if there were any for sale in the country). Got mine in the UK.

The petrol engines in the 159 aren't great but the diesels are very good, quite reliable and wouldn't be an issue with your journeys. No problems with mine in the year ive owned it and puts a smile on the face everytime i look at it

discombobulate

RoscommonTom wrote: »

You could buy a skoka octivia which is more or less the same as the audi but miles cheaper, plenty of space for golf clubs to, the Alfa is a bad idea, give rotten amount of trouble

Both statements there are bull in fairness.

JohnBoy26

RoscommonTom wrote: »

You could buy a skoka octivia which is more or less the same as the audi but miles cheaper, plenty of space for golf clubs to, the Alfa is a bad idea, give rotten amount of trouble

Last time I looked the A4 had a different chassis to an Octavia and the engine is turned the other way around. The a4 is also nicer inside but that's hardly surprising given that its a D segment car whilst the Octavia is a C segment car and is more comparable to an a3/golf.

_Kaiser_

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Last time I looked the A4 had a different chassis to an Octavia and the engine is turned the other way around. The a4 is also nicer inside but that's hardly surprising given that its a D segment car whilst the Octavia is a C segment car and is more comparable to an a3/golf.

The VAG group is structured like this as far as I'm aware:

Seat > Skoda > VW > Audi

MidlandsM

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

The VAG group is structured like this as far as I'm aware:

Seat > Skoda > VW > Audi >>>>>> Bentley

Fyp

_Kaiser_

MidlandsM wrote: »

Fyp

Bentley >>>>>>>>>> Bugatti?

MuppetCheck

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

The VAG group is structured like this as far as I'm aware:

Seat > Skoda > VW > Audi

That pecking order seems to be changing IMO. If you price up a new Golf vs an A3 the Golf can seem on the expensive side. Seat and Skoda got a few of the higher powered engines before VW and Audi this time around too. Having had a good luck around the newer VRS, in my opinion at least someone's made it deliberately cheaper feeling inside than the rest for some reason and the prices have jumped significantly.

Old diesel

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Rebodied last-gen A4, so not a million miles away from what the OP wants. That one doesn't look in great shape inside though.

Exeo is interesting - but ive never seen one with leather in this country (they aren't exactly common either).

I reckon the Exeo needs the leather - ive yet to see one with a nice looking cloth interior.

but to be fair - I have an irrational hatred of black cloth intereriors

OldMrBrennan83

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OldMrBrennan83

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_Kaiser_

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The problem is that thanks to our tax system, the vast majority of all new cars sold since 2008 are diesel - a ratio that's been heading to 99% since then.

The OP may have no choice but to get a diesel - especially as he's looking at an A4 - unless he's willing to buy older or import.

Dia1988

Would you consider a Lexus IS22od?

Unreal car but then again I have always had a love of all things Lexi.

An example: http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-is-220d-executive-4dr/7008772

JohnBoy26

Dia1988 wrote: »

Would you consider a Lexus IS22od?

Unreal car but then again I have always had a love of all things Lexi.

An example: http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-is-220d-executive-4dr/7008772

Horrible yokes IMO. They're Certinatly not like the Lexus of old.

wolfyboy555

What would be the disadvantages of getting a diesel at my milage? I was just looking up some passat cc's there and they look quite nice but most are diesels.

bazz26

Plenty of petrol Passat CCs in the UK, they use some of the engines from the A4, VRT and poor resale value would probably make them unattractive to import though.

Old diesel

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Horrible yokes IMO. They're Certinatly not like the Lexus of old.

My brother is a bit of a Lexus fan*

But when having a timing belt service done at a Lexus dealer he got one of these as a courtesy car - and HATED it.

says a lot when someone who (normally) swears by Lexus hates one of their models really

And that's with him not knowing about the 2.2 diesel Headgasket issues

* bit of an understatement

commited

Seat Exeo is a great shout and there is some great choice in the UK.

discombobulate

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

What would be the disadvantages of getting a diesel at my milage? I was just looking up some passat cc's there and they look quite nice but most are diesels.

The main disadvantages of a Diesel come with EGR's and DPF's when only doing short runs. With your driving a diesel should be fine. The other argument would be that a petrol will cost less to buy and service (but this can be offset also by being hard to sell when your getting rid of also).

Don't see any issue in you getting a diesel with your mileage provided it's given good runs which it would be on your daily commute.