First car

ciaranmul123

Thinking on buying a Volvo 540 05 model 1.6d
Or else an Opel Astra 1.3 or 1.7d 3 door gtc model

What's the pros and cons with buying either car?

ciaranmul123

A Volvo s40*

bazz26

I had a Volvo S40 1.6d. Parts are expensive enough, even more so if you have to source them from a Volvo dealer. I was always replacing things in mine, small things but when added together it was a noticeable amount. Reliability on the 1.6d is patchy too and a 10 year old could break your heart at this stage. The 2.0d is alot more robust and nowhere near as sluggish.

If you want a reliable small diesel engined car then look at the Corolla. You will pay more for one as they are very sought after but they tend to be very reliable as modern diesel engines go.

ciaranmul123

I kind of want a saloon car though, just prefer the look of them

bazz26

The Corolla is available in saloon.

CIP4

I think an Astra would be the more reliable option. Assuming it is an Astra H which it probably is. I had a 1.3 cdti one and it was a nice car good enough motorway cruiser 6 speed gearbox really helps the smaller engine. Biggest issue is it's very slow of the line 1st gear gets you no speed which can be a pain on roundabout 2nd up is fine. The 1.7cdti would be a nicer drive and have a reasonable amount of power. That's the one I'd go for very reliable engine too. A big common fault on that model Astra is alternator failure but chances are anyone you'll buy at this stage will have a new refurbed one in it.