Buying advice for replacement sh1tbox

BlakeS94

As any of you who have followed my nightmare with the i40 will know. Cars been on the way out for a long time, and today is the day, changed the fuel filter because the garage didn't do it right and it was leaking. So took it for a short spin afterwards, car sounded awful after few minutes, what I'd describe as a fluttering and whipping sound coming from inside the engine, valves, big end bearings, maybe main bearings, either way, the engine is facked. Red oil pressure light came on and car died, won't start, it'll be towed away to scrappers.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is about my next car, my budget is only about €2500 and I've been looking on donedeal, what I can see is cars with 250,000km-330,000km. Only stuff I see as viable are some 1.6 and 1.8 ford focus 2010 ish, and a few 1.9tdi VW Jettas. Does anyone know if these engines will be alright (just driveable for a few years) with this mileage? I can do all service stuff myself and the likes of brakes and that so I'm not worried about that. But if something like a turbo or waterpump (assume getting cambelt done while doing waterpump) went I wouldn't have the cash the pay for those jobs.

So in summary, I'm just looking for any first hand experiences with the cars above if anyone's owned one around those mileages, or even if there's anything else somewhat reliable in the higher end of mileage you could recommend?

biko

Keep an eye on the Bangernomics thread.

BlakeS94

biko wrote: »

Keep an eye on the Bangernomics thread.

Will do thanks

Zurbaran

You would need to go older than you mentioned above but for reliability, I would be looking at something Japanese. Would have to be petrol as well.

wpd

these are boring but bullet proof

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-suzuki-sx4-nct-feb-2022/27678493

dickdasr1234

There are 56 cars on Donedeal €2.5-3k with 3 month warranty.
My money would be on the Nissan Tiida!

bazz26

The warranty on a 2.5k car is not going to be worth much in reality. You can have the same level of risk buying from a dealer in that price range as you can have from a private seller. The warranties generally are not worth the paper they are written on and you tend to have a battle with dealers chasing them to fix even the smallest of things.

BlakeS94

Zurbaran wrote: »

You would need to go older than you mentioned above but for reliability, I would be looking at something Japanese. Would have to be petrol as well.

I have something Japanese, that's what has put me in this position in the first place, also has to be diesel I do about 20,000km a year at the lower end

decosr1

2008 Auris d4d 1.4.

Simples

BlakeS94

wpd wrote: »

these are boring but bullet proof

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-suzuki-sx4-nct-feb-2022/27678493

I had a hatchback version of that car before, 2010 1.6 diesel and I absolutely thrashed it and it never missed a beat. Need a diesel though

Stone Deaf 4evr

BlakeS94 wrote: »

I have something Japanese, that's what has put me in this position in the first place, also has to be diesel I do about 20,000km a year at the lower end

not unless they've move korea you dont.

bazz26

Hyundai are Korean.

BlakeS94

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

not unless they've move korea you dont.

Figured Korean and Japanese build qualitys were pretty much the same, so maybe a Toyota or suzuki is what you're saying

BlakeS94

bazz26 wrote: »

The warranty on a 2.5k car is not going to be worth much in reality. You can have the same level of risk buying from a dealer in that price range as you can have from a private seller. The warranties generally are not worth the paper they are written on and you tend to have a battle with dealers chasing them to fix even the smallest of things.

I'd be set on private sellers as I'd get a better deal, more chance of them selling for a lower price, I find dealers are often in no rush and firm on price

BlakeS94

I have another post about an alternative solution where a friend of mine has offered to put an engine into it for me but I'm not 100% on that yet, another car and another engine are about the same price point. But if the engine works out and all is well, I'll have a 131 with 2 years NCT and quite a bit of brake and suspension work already done to it. On the other side if I go for a car in that price range, I don't know the history, but some could be in better condition than my own car. Along with this I'll get sweet F-A with my hyundai as is, maybe a lad willing to put an engine into it would take it off me for a few hundred, I wouldn't expect much more