Reliable diesel cars

BarrysTeaBag

I'm looking to buy my first car, and seen as I'll be driving in and out to college I'm looking at the economical. 1.4 Diesel engines. My budget is €3000 at most, so I'm just wondering if anyone has any info on the reliability of polo's, seat Ibiza, cordoba, Peugeot 307,
Opel corsa etc. any help is appreciated, thanks

mikehn

I run a 307 1.4hdi estate, 211000 miles done still averaging 55 mpg. They have a reputation for electrical gremlins but mine is fine, did have an issue with the comm unit on the steering column which caused the air bag light to stay on but at 180000 had to expect something to go:rolleyes:. Would I buy same again, yeah. Servicing is the thing, I bought it with 87000 miles done with dealer history and changed the oil and filter myself every 5000 miles.

The_Honeybadger

Toyota 1.4 d4d is pretty reliable and economical I believe. You won't get a decent one for 3k though unfortunately. You're shopping in the bargain basement with that budget for a diesel. Small engine diesels are in huge demand so anything for 3k will be likely wrecked.

Are you sure you need a diesel? When you say you will be driving to college how far is the college from where you live. Unless it's a huge distance you could go with a small petrol like a fiesta Or Yaris. Much easier to find a decent one in that price bracken and they are quite frugal and reliable. Just a thought.

CiniO

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

I'm looking to buy my first car, and seen as I'll be driving in and out to college I'm looking at the economical. 1.4 Diesel engines. My budget is €3000 at most, so I'm just wondering if anyone has any info on the reliability of polo's, seat Ibiza, cordoba, Peugeot 307,
Opel corsa etc. any help is appreciated, thanks

Will you be commuting to college every day with your car?
How far is that?
Do you travel home for the weekens or something? How far?

Hachiko

with that budget you are better off with a reliable petrol, even if you do blag a diesel good chances it will have stellar milage and most likely cost you more than you bargained to keep it going.

Atlantic Dawn

Forget about buying a 1.4 diesel for €3k, anything you buy at the price will be nothing but trouble, instead by a 1.4 petrol.

GreaseGunner

The Toyota 1.4 D4D has been bullet-proof for me so far, almost 250k km's on my Corolla van. You'd probably need a small bit more than your budget to get a good example of one though, but absolutely worth saving for if you can bide you time

BarrysTeaBag

Well I'd be driving in and out to galway every day which is over an hours drive, and from looking on donedeall there's a fair choice of polo's, fiestas, corsas, seats and peugeots within my budget ?

I'm in the same position and the advice on here is to get a petrol, but that would add nearly 50% extra cost to my commute I'd say. Would a diesel with a good service history not be a safe enough bet?

Atlantic Dawn

Cataleya Shaggy Maple wrote: »

I'm in the same position and the advice on here is to get a petrol, but that would add nearly 50% extra cost to my commute I'd say. Would a diesel with a good service history not be a safe enough bet?

I don't know any 1.4 petrol that would use almost 50% more fuel than a 1.4 diesel bought for €3k, have you an example?

Atlantic Dawn

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I don't know any 1.4 petrol that would use almost 50% more fuel than a 1.4 diesel bought for €3k, have you an example?

Well I've been given figures here that you could get 40mpg from a petrol. I've never owned a petrol car so maybe that's not a correct figure, just going by what I've read here.

I used to own a Megane 1.5dci, which I sold to my eternal regret, but it would have easily done 60+mpg on my current commute.

Atlantic Dawn

Cataleya Shaggy Maple wrote: »

Well I've been given figures here that you could get 40mpg from a petrol. I've never owned a petrol car so maybe that's not a correct figure, just going by what I've read here.

I used to own a Megane 1.5dci, which I sold to my eternal regret, but it would have easily done 60+mpg on my current commute.

Yes but would you get a reliable one for €3k.

Atlantic Dawn

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Yes but would you get a reliable one for €3k.

That's the question I guess. I paid 4k for mine about 4 years ago and it was very reliable. Kicking myself for getting rid of it now.

Atlantic Dawn

Cataleya Shaggy Maple wrote: »

That's the question I guess. I paid 4k for mine about 4 years ago and it was very reliable. Kicking myself for getting rid of it now.

If you could get one from a trusted source it would be the way to go, could be a bit of a lottery looking for one private. A search for a diesel Megane on Donedeal brings up over 500 hits.

Spotted this lovely looking on the pictures 2007 Megane for €2250 but sadly the NCT fail sheet is extensive...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/07-renault-megane-1-5-deisel-pristine-condition/9591953?offset=8

BarrysTeaBag

There's the odd lovely looking fiesta or polo on donedeal with low mileage and a years NCT, along with service history surely that'd be enough ?

BarrysTeaBag

There's the odd lovely looking fiesta or polo on donedeal with low mileage and a years NCT, along with service history surely that'd be enough ?

The_Honeybadger

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

There's the odd lovely looking fiesta or polo on donedeal with low mileage and a years NCT, along with service history surely that'd be enough ?

Diesel or petrol?

thierry14

I would get a Fabia sdi or something for 1k and flog it off in a few years again for the same

They are slow as hell but very reliable

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-fabia-1-9-sdi/9622833?offset=4

BarrysTeaBag

mickeyk wrote: »

Diesel or petrol?

Diesel

thierry14

thierry14 wrote: »

I would get a Fabia sdi or something for 1k and flog it off in a few years again for the same

They are slow as hell but very reliable

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-fabia-1-9-sdi/9622833?offset=4

Is that the same 1.9 engine as you'd find in the Octavia?

For Forks Sake

Cataleya Shaggy Maple wrote: »

Is that the same 1.9 engine as you'd find in the Octavia?

Non-turbo version. Wouldn't pull you out of the bed. 68hp or something in that region.

Gorteen

We're trading in our 1.4 D4D Toyota Corolla hatchback for a 1.4 D4D Toyota Auris. We've hadit from new in 2005. 330,000km and never broken down. Serviced regularly and with the exception of a new battery and front wheel bearings at 280,000, it has never cost us a shilling. A miser on diesel and I'll never buy aything other than Toyota again....

mhackett102

Im in the same boat as you. Looking for a decent diesel car and have a similar budget.

The best small-diesel engine you can get is the Corolla 1.4 D4D engine. The best petrol would be the 1.4 that is in the Corolla too.
With the petrol, you would be going for 40mpg. Very nice cars and do hold their value to a certain degree.

I've nearly given up the search for a diesel car and im on the look out for a Corolla 1.4 petrol

BarrysTeaBag

Anybody know what mpg to expect from a 1.4 golf (00-04) or a 1.4 corolla both petrol ?

The_Honeybadger

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

Anybody know what mpg to expect from a 1.4 golf (00-04) or a 1.4 corolla both petrol ?

40 mpg at best. Never driven a corolla but I have driven a 1.4 golf. It's really underpowered and struggles with overtaking in particular. Nice car otherwise but get the 1.6 if you are getting a golf. Doubt there is anything in it in terms of mpg and running cost.

Moneymaker

I have a 1.6 01 Golf I bought about 2 months ago. It's a nice car and it holds its own fine on the motorway. I get about 375-400 miles a tank which is reasonable. That's about 80/20 city/motorway driving.

Against the advice of this forum, I've bought a 2005 Octavia TDi, cost me 3k. Driving very well, seems to have been looked after. Here's hoping she's reliable.

mhackett102

Cataleya Shaggy Maple wrote: »

Against the advice of this forum, I've bought a 2005 Octavia TDi, cost me 3k. Driving very well, seems to have been looked after. Here's hoping she's reliable.

Please report back on how it goes - I went and seen two of them over the weekend. Didnt want to take for a test drive as the garage was closing within 15 minutes of me arriving, but I am to go back during the week again!

Markcheese

http://cars.donedeal.ie/view/9703239
06 opel corsa 1,3 diesel

In budget - small engine diesel - shouldn't cost much to run -

Kwiecien

Moneymaker wrote: »

I have a 1.6 01 Golf I bought about 2 months ago. It's a nice car and it holds its own fine on the motorway. I get about 375-400 miles a tank which is reasonable. That's about 80/20 city/motorway driving.

Is that a petrol 1.6? I have a petrol 1.6 Golf and its quite economical. My mechanic said they use less petrol than the 1.4.

mhackett102

mhackett102 wrote: »

Please report back on how it goes - I went and seen two of them over the weekend. Didnt want to take for a test drive as the garage was closing within 15 minutes of me arriving, but I am to go back during the week again!

I know it's very early days but I do a 100km round trip every day, and I've done it twice in the Octavia now, and I really can't complain about anything. And you get unreal MPG if you drive between 100-120kmph down the motorway, the dash is telling me I'll get 1000km from a full tank. My last car was a turbo-less 1.5 Megane so the Octavia is much more lively, but I don't have anything more powerful to compare it to. It feels very solid, it's comfortable, the boot is a good size, so far so good as far as I'm concerned.

It's the 1.9l 105bhp model btw, I think there are others knocking about. I've you've any specific questions then fire away.

The timing belt will now probably go on the way to work tomorrow :pac:

BarrysTeaBag

Markcheese wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/view/9703239
06 opel corsa 1,3 diesel

In budget - small engine diesel - shouldn't cost much to run -

180k miles though ?

BarrysTeaBag

What's the opinion on Audi A3 1.6 petrol in terms of mpg ? I've heard they are the same as a golf ?

MuppetCheck

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

What's the opinion on Audi A3 1.6 petrol in terms of mpg ? I've heard they are the same as a golf ?

Exact same. I found that 1.6 in a Leon (again the same set up) to be terrible on fuel.

ba_barabus

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Exact same. I found that 1.6 in a Leon (again the same set up) to be terrible on fuel.

Just to back that up I had a 1.6 Gold and it drank fuel, never better 36mpg.

For comparison I had a 1.6 Avensis before it with got 42-44mpg without trying. I also had a Corolla 1.4 which got 45mpg regularly without trying.

BarrysTeaBag

So which would be the most economical petrol engine ? 1.2, 1.4 or 1.6 ?

bazz26

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

So which would be the most economical petrol engine ? 1.2, 1.4 or 1.6 ?

It totally depends on the car it's in and the specific engine in question. A larger engine in a big car can be more economical than a small engine in the same car as it's less stressed moving the heavy body around.

Markcheese

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

So which would be the most economical petrol engine ? 1.2, 1.4 or 1.6 ?

Depends what car it's in and how you drive it . The difference between driving at 55mph and 70 mph is massive -

Citroen are pushing new petrol engines that get diesel levels of economy think there's one in the cactus that's rated at 50- 55mpg - but it's not the base models-

JJJJNR

had the 01 1.6 Leon and it never got 35mpg for me, lively enough engine though, and very reliable.

Fiskar

Current 151 Golf with 1.2 110bhp is 46 mpg and improving by the week.

Tea 1000

BarrysTeaBag wrote: »

Anybody know what mpg to expect from a 1.4 golf (00-04) or a 1.4 corolla both petrol ?

Expect problems from a 1.4 Golf. Go for a Corolla or Civic.