Choosing the right car!

adammcknight

Right lads I'm selling my 2004 1.5 Almera. I want a change. I've been looking at all sorts of cars in both petrol and diesel. Tbh my driving and mileage don't really warrant a diesel but I've been looking nonetheless. I don't do major mileage and I do a lot of night work doing deliveries for a restaurant for some extra cash. Short trips, turning car on and off etc are not good on diesels i know but the power is drawing me. I would like something with a bit of poke (more than the Almera) and something that's not gonna drink juice if thay mix is at all possible. Any suggestions petrol or diesel I'll take them all! Ive found a great deal on a 1.6 FSI Passat 2006...any opinions on it? I've read loads about low power but any other reasons not to buy? Appreciate all help

4K budget...

techie

What budget do you have in mind?
Also do you prefer saloon or hatchback?

9935452

adammcknight wrote: »

Right lads I'm selling my 2004 1.5 Almera. I want a change. I've been looking at all sorts of cars in both petrol and diesel. Tbh my driving and mileage don't really warrant a diesel but I've been looking nonetheless. I don't do major mileage and I do a lot of night work doing deliveries for a restaurant for some extra cash. Short trips, turning car on and off etc are not good on diesels i know but the power is drawing me. I would like something with a bit of poke (more than the Almera) and something that's not gonna drink juice if thay mix is at all possible. Any suggestions petrol or diesel I'll take them all! Ive found a great deal on a 1.6 FSI Passat 2006...any opinions on it? I've read loads about low power but any other reasons not to buy? Appreciate all help

I wouldnt worry about stop starting a diesel.
think about how many are equipped with the eco stop start on the engines, which continously stop in traffic

adammcknight

Sorry should have said budget is 4k Max. I think anything with start stop tech is gonna be a bit modern so out of my price range. But correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not pushed on saloon or hatchback either. Estate is a no go but other than that I'm open to whatever

bazz26

9935452 wrote: »

I wouldnt worry about stop starting a diesel.
think about how many are equipped with the eco stop start on the engines, which continously stop in traffic

They still need a good bit of driving in between the stop/starting though.

9935452

adammcknight wrote: »

Sorry should have said budget is 4k Max. I think anything with start stop tech is gonna be a bit modern so out of my price range. But correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not pushed on saloon or hatchback either. Estate is a no go but other than that I'm open to whatever

If your budget is 4 k and you want a bit of power id stay away from a diesel.
The cheap tax after 08 is a draw with the diesel , you can buy a 1.4 or 1.6 diesel but will be fairly dead to drive.

a friend had a 04 1.6 petrol passat. Heavy on juice and fairly dead was how he described it.
On a 06 you will have the electric handbrake which im told will give bother as well

adammcknight

9935452 wrote: »

a friend had a 04 1.6 petrol passat. Heavy on juice and fairly dead was how he described it.
On a 06 you will have the electric handbrake which im told will give bother as well

But are the B5 and B6 the same car underneath yeah? Yeah I've read a good bit about the EPB on them so I've taken it into account but the car is in great condition and the miles are low. New gearbox and clutch, long NCT and some tax still on it

bazz26

No they are not.

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

No they are not.

What's your opinion on the B6 Passat bazz26? Would it have enough power to carry itself and not bankrupt me on petrol for the type of driving I do for work?

cerastes

9935452 wrote: »

I wouldnt worry about stop starting a diesel.
think about how many are equipped with the eco stop start on the engines, which continously stop in traffic

Do the stop start systems rely wholly or on the battery at all? To restart, I read in here when I suggested stop start seemed like a large drain on the battery that its aided or carried out by keeping compressed air in one of the cylinders or something along those lines? Maybe a smaller car would sit doing the delivery runs? I did that years ago, maybe the money is better still seems like its better to flog an older car doing that.

bazz26

Any car whether it's petrol or diesel will be heavy on juice if it's only be used for short stop/start journeys. A Toyota Prius hybrid sounds like it would be ideal for your usage but you will struggle to find a decent one on your budget and you may not like the look of them.

Also those early B6 Passats can be troublesome, lots of silly things go wrong with them.

adammcknight

cerastes wrote: »

Maybe a smaller car would sit doing the delivery runs? I did that years ago, maybe the money is better still seems like its better to flog an older car doing that.

It probably would but I can't get to grips with dropping engine size and power.

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

Any car whether it's petrol or diesel will be heavy on juice if it's only be used for short stop/start journeys. A Toyota Prius hybrid sounds like it would be ideal for your usage but you will struggle to find a decent one on your budget and you may not like the look of them.

Also those early B6 Passats can be troublesome, lots of silly things go wrong with them.

Ah a Prius isn't an option just won't go for one at all I'm afraid. Couldn't bring myself to drive that. I think I'm asking for too many variables that just can't mix. I'll have to take a hit on at least one of my preferences I feel

9935452

cerastes wrote: »

Do the stop start systems rely wholly or on the battery at all? To restart, I read in here when I suggested stop start seemed like a large drain on the battery that its aided or carried out by keeping compressed air in one of the cylinders or something along those lines? Maybe a smaller car would sit doing the delivery runs? I did that years ago, maybe the money is better still seems like its better to flog an older car doing that.

On the battery. it is a drain on the battery but i would assume the benefits outweight the negatives otherwise why would they do it
i dont like it myself, ive driven a few cars with it and find it annoying

colm_mcm

Something like a b5 1.8t passat would be a good option IMO.

cerastes

Do you have any specific criteria

adammcknight

colm_mcm wrote: »

Something like a b5 1.8t passat would be a good option IMO.

I'm not mad into B5 to be honest but I'll have a little look cheers for the advice.

adammcknight

cerastes wrote: »

Do you have any specific criteria

How do you mean specific criteria now? Budget is 4K, Max engine would be 2L, petrol/diesel I'm easy whatever will do the job I said in the original post, not bothered on saloon or hatch and no older than 05...is that any help?

cerastes

adammcknight wrote: »

How do you mean specific criteria now? Budget is 4K, Max engine would be 2L, petrol/diesel I'm easy whatever will do the job I said in the original post, not bothered on saloon or hatch and no older than 05...is that any help?

Its not very specific, but is there anything you won't drive? Less than engine size or car type? I wouldn't rule anything out but you seem to want a larger car which doesn't necessarily seem to sit what your driving habits and usage, nothing wrong with that but some one can't PIC the car make or model you'll like.
I suggest a petrol for a start, I'd have thought Almera size would be suited.but you want good mpg and power.

adammcknight

cerastes wrote: »

Its not very specific, but is there anything you won't drive? Less than engine size or car type? I wouldn't rule anything out but you seem to want a larger car which doesn't necessarily seem to sit what your driving habits and usage, nothing wrong with that but some one can't PIC the car make or model you'll like.
I suggest a petrol for a start, I'd have thought Almera size would be suited.but you want good mpg and power.

Well what I've been thinking;
B6 Passat
Mark 5 Golf
B6 Audi A3, A4
Maybe an Octavia

Along those lines but open to suggestions you might have?

Almera size is a nice size in my opinion yeah but open to any suggestions like I said?

bazz26

If this is genuine then it might be worth a look. It's a Golf with a boot and they seem to be less troublesome than the early B6 Passats.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/vw-jetta/8383456?offset=6

I know Jettas are not overly desirable but it seems a bit cheap for the year and mileage to me.

Trojan

What about a 3 series? Something like a 320d or a 318i, or even a 320i something like this one (not suggesting that specific car, just the concept).

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

If this is genuine then it might be worth a look. It's a Golf with a boot and they seem to be less troublesome than the early B6 Passats.

I know Jettas are not overly desirable but it seems a bit cheap for the year and mileage to me.

Yeah I actually saw that myself and thought that mileage can't be right. Might be worth having a look though it's no harm I suppose. The extra year NCT is a bonus too.

adammcknight

Trojan wrote: »

What about a 3 series? Something like a 320d or a 318i, or even a 320i something like this one[/URL] (not suggesting that specific car, just the concept).

I'm not sure about BMW I do like the thought of it but I dunno about like would it be practical for me?

gerardk55

If you're happy paying the tax and not massively fussed about fuel consumption (Approx 35mpg) I think you can't go too far wrong with this...I wouldn't worry about the mileage as I put 250,000+ on mine.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-1-8-4dr-executive/8339334?offset=13

adammcknight

gerardk55 wrote: »

If you're happy paying the tax and not massively fussed about fuel consumption (Approx 35mpg) I think you can't go too far wrong with this...I wouldn't worry about the mileage as I put 250,000+ on mine.

I know you say don't worry about the mileage but that is very high like I know that mileage doesn't always give you an accurate description of what condition the car is in like it depends how it's been driven and how it's been maintained but that mileage is not something I'm willing to trust I'm afraid. I appreciate the suggestion though...might have a look at another one maybe closer and with a few less on the clock and in good nick

bazz26

A 07 car is now 8 years old so 93k miles is hardly excessive for that year and probably the norm. With only a budget of €4k the reality is you probably looking at cars of this age that have this sort of mileage on them.

cerastes

gerardk55 wrote: »

If you're happy paying the tax and not massively fussed about fuel consumption (Approx 35mpg) I think you can't go too far wrong with this...I wouldn't worry about the mileage as I put 250,000+ on mine.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-1-8-4dr-executive/8339334?offset=13

bazz26 wrote: »

A 07 car is now 8 years old so 93k miles is hardly excessive for that year and probably the norm. With only a budget of €4k the reality is you probably looking at cars of this age that have this sort of mileage on them.

I wouldn't mind the mileage myself, seems acceptable, but is the price bit higher than you might expect? I wouldn't mind up to 1.8 in petrol, the mpg might concern me coming even from an older diesel.

bazz26

It's being sold by a main dealer so the price is not surprising in that sense. Of course what they ask for it and what they sell it for can be two different things.

cerastes

It appears not to have an nct for a while, so unless it won't pass for some reason it could be a possibility, if I had reason to change it seems like a nice option, I did a calculation on mpg before, wasn't as much cost difference as id thought, especially if a person is doing mostly low mileage but still not the same as I'm currently getting.

bazz26

Those petrol 6s are heavy enough on juice.

Most garages would NCT the car when they sell it. The buyer should make that a condition of the sale, easier to get them to fix things before they have your money rather than trying to chase them afterwards.

I'd look at something like this, ok they will not set your heart racing but they are a solid car and will do the job:

http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Avensis/STRATA-4DR/134914228011310340/

cerastes

bazz26 wrote: »

Those petrol 6s are heavy enough on juice.

Most garages would NCT the car when they sell it. The buyer should make that a condition of the sale, easier to get them to fix things before they have your money rather than trying to chase them afterwards.

I'd look at something like this, ok they will not set your heart racing but they are a solid car and will do the job:

http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Avensis/STRATA-4DR/134914228011310340/

Very clean looking there, ive no idea what the real world economy on those 1.6s is like, i like some of the features in mine like cruise control even on short runs on the motorway. But that's why I like these threads,if I'm changing my car, ill come along to boards.kinda wish I wasnt seeing these cars.

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

A 07 car is now 8 years old so 93k miles is hardly excessive for that year and probably the norm. With only a budget of €4k the reality is you probably looking at cars of this age that have this sort of mileage on them.

Yeah sorry I think I still had the mileage from that BMW link in my head. 93k isn't bad really

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

I'd look at something like this, ok they will not set your heart racing but they are a solid car and will do the job:

http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Avensis/STRATA-4DR/134914228011310340/

My heart has nearly come to a complete stop never mind not set it racing‚ just so boring imo but that's me. Just not up my street

adammcknight

Anyone any opinions on this...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/view/8624596

TheMilkyPirate

OP its like I'm reading a thread about myself, All the cars you listed at the start are the cars I had worked it down to. I was dead set on an a3 but it's hard to find a nice example.

I decided to go for the B6 passat an 07 model I haven't bought yet but will be in about 6 weeks. Going for the highline model with a cream interior if I can find a nice one. I've read there not the best but I love them.

adammcknight

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

OP its like I'm reading a thread about myself, All the cards you listed at the start are the cars I had worked it down to. I was dead set on an a3 but it's hard to find a nice example.

I decided to go for the B6 passat an 07 model I haven't bought yet but will be in about 6 weeks. Going for the highline model with a cream interior if I can find a nice one. I've read there not the best but I love them.

It's a stress like nothing else isn't it! Great to be able to buy a car but the pressure and difficulty picking the right one is mad! You're going for the petrol one are you yeah? I think the B6's are Lovely cars to look at and inside they're great, always been drawn to them but yeah I've heard one or two issues but that's the same with every car I suppose...one person will tell you they hate them, another will say they're great. It's massively down to you biting the bullet yourself and going for it and seeing for yourself!

Still doesn't make it an easy decision!

TheMilkyPirate

adammcknight wrote: »

It's a stress like nothing else isn't it! Great to be able to buy a car but the pressure and difficulty picking the right one is mad! You're going for the petrol one are you yeah? I think the B6's are Lovely cars to look at and inside they're great, always been drawn to them but yeah I've heard one or two issues but that's the same with every car I suppose...one person will tell you they hate them, another will say they're great. It's massively down to you biting the bullet yourself and going for it and seeing for yourself!

Still doesn't make it an easy decision!

Certainly doesn't but at the end of the day it's a personal decision and if your happy with the car then go for it. I know if I bought something else now I'd be dissapointed every time I sat in it.

Going for the petrol yeah I do 90% town driving so diesel is a no go for me. There lovely cars to look at and the interior looks a fantastic place to be every day to me.

adammcknight

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

Certainly doesn't but at the end of the day it's a personal decision and if your happy with the car then go for it. I know if I bought something else now I'd be dissapointed every time I sat in it.

Going for the petrol yeah I do 90% town driving so diesel is a no go for me. There lovely cars to look at and the interior looks a fantastic place to be every day to me.

Yeah I agree with you. I don't want to regret my decision a few months down the line. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I did as I could just sell the car on again but I'd prefer not to. I've found a petrol Passat in great condition and I like it, I feel the same as you that I might get into another car and not like it. Unless something comes up that really stands out to me I think I'll stick to the choice that makes me happy at the moment. My driving is the same as yourself so diesel isn't a realistic option for me

bazz26

adammcknight wrote: »

My heart has nearly come to a complete stop never mind not set it racing‚ just so boring imo but that's me. Just not up my street

Everyone to their own but I cannot for the life of me see how a Passat is vastly less boring than an Avensis. Coming from an Almera both would be earth shattering though.

JohnBoy26

adammcknight wrote: »

My heart has nearly come to a complete stop never mind not set it racing‚ just so boring imo but that's me. Just not up my street

You turn your nose up at an avensis because it isn't exciting enough, yet you are interested in an 06 Passat? Tbh If an avensis isn't exciting enough for you I don't know why you are even entertaining the thought of a Passat. Both cars are run of the mill and boring but out of the two at least the avensis is well screwed together.

If you are looking for something exciting with your budget I think you will need to go back a few years.

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

Everyone to their own but I cannot for the life of me see how a Passat is vastly less boring than an Avensis. Coming from an Almera both would be earth shattering though.

Yeah I guess that's fair, didn't mean to come across as if avensis isn't good enough for me, I'm just a ridiculously picky person And to me the passat stands out and appeals more. Just personal opinion

adammcknight

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

If you are looking for something exciting with your budget I think you will need to go back a few years.

Yeah i came to that realisation too. I was expecting too much from too little I suppose

TheMilkyPirate

I wouldn't agree that the Passat is as boring as the avensis at all. There both run of the mill yes but the toyota is as dull as dishwater if I had to get in this every morning I'd probably kill myself.

bazz26

Well if a Passat makes your morning worth living then you need to get out more.

adammcknight

bazz26 wrote: »

Well if a Passat makes your morning worth living then you need to get out more.

The same can be said about an Avensis I think...

bazz26

adammcknight wrote: »

The same can be said about an Avensis I think...

Yes but the claim that a Passat makes life worth living more than an Avensis is a bit comical.

cerastes

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

I wouldn't agree that the Passat is as boring as the avensis at all. There both run of the mill yes but the toyota is as dull as dishwater if I had to get in this every morning I'd probably kill myself.

I know someone with that model, its quite a nice comfortable and spacious car personally I'd prefer one with the hatch boot which I think are less available than the saloons or even an estate, I'd prefer it than a people carrier style. Down to personal taste and needs, its a lot cleaner looking than mine and if the money was there I'd go for this or something like it, I'm curious what the rel world mpg is, so its no 911 or whatever takes someone's wishful fancy, but I didn't think this was what this thread was about, if that's the case I'll have one of those amg mercs, something with gull wing doorsall the better and foot and a half wide tyres.
The op is looking for something to replace an Almera and do deliveris, I don't think this is even suitable for that, too good IMO, but if someone wants that fine, it really boils down to personal taste, and if someone has a very specific criteria in mind it can be difficult to point them in the right direction, maybe something along the lines of an rs focus or some other performance or specd normal car seems to be what they are thinking of? that might suit the op but maybe the price might not suit and running costs, if money was no object sure I'd have a car for each different requirement, as it is most have cars that do most things moderately well hopefully.

JohnBoy26

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

I wouldn't agree that the Passat is as boring as the avensis at all. There both run of the mill yes but the toyota is as dull as dishwater if I had to get in this every morning I'd probably kill myself.

Having experienced both, a Passat is every bit as dull as an avensis. The avensis is a great car for most peoples needs as it does most things very well. Obviously if you are looking for something exciting look elsewhere because as with most cars in this class it wasn't built with excitement in mind. It's no where near as bad as your making it out to be though and it's certainly no worse than a Passat.