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19 Jan 2013, 09:01 (Ref:3191370) | #1 | ||
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What car, what car.......*sigh*
Hi all.
Well, it's been quite a while (probably most people here don't even know that I existed). Anyhow, many things have changed since the last time I was here (including getting married, having lived in NL for a bit over a year and now living in the UK for a bit over two years). Anyhow, I have been pondering the purchase of an old car and who better to advise than the people at the forum, right? Anyhow, here's the situation. Living in London I am looking for a weekend car to drive around the UK and the EU, hence mostly for motorway and road use (little if any urban). Main priority is reliability. I just want a hassle-free ownership. Overall it's all about having the least running cost possible (including fuel) in a relatively comfortable car (Golf size or bigger). Budget is max £5,000 (would go as far as £6,000 if absolutely necessary) and ideally not looking for something with more than 80,000 miles (if diesel, not sure about equivalence with petrol). Thus far I've been looking at two main options: VW Golf mk 5 1.9TDi and Ford Focus 1.6TDCi (the 110bhp one). However, I'm not married to either of the two. Would have a preference for anything that is either Japanese or German (at least german-built). Have also looked into somewhat larger cars such as the Audi A4 2.0 (petrol) and even Mazda 6 but fuel consumption and insurance costs are an issue. Oh, and BTW, the purchase will likely happen in the second half of the year. Have to save up the money and I still have the small issue of not having a UK license (yet).....but that's a whole different story and I hope to have it resolved in a couple of months. |
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19 Jan 2013, 09:12 (Ref:3191373) | #2 | ||
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One other consideration is insurance. Will you have to take a test or are you exchanging a foreign licence for a GB one? Insurance for cars here is very expensive and you will bit hit depending on your age, experience and the type of car you buy.
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19 Jan 2013, 09:18 (Ref:3191375) | #3 | ||
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Check you need a diesel for the good fuel consumption. It is an easy calculation to get a decent feel. If you are not doing many miles then the saving, which could be a few hundred pounds even in this price range, pays for a lot of the difference at the pump.
Some diesels don't like short journeys so servicing may become more expensive. Of course you may just use that saving on a better car. Overall I think a Focus or a Golf are a good choice. We have an old Focus that I keep suggesting we replace, but Mrs43 points out, righty, that there is really no need. It is a very good car. |
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19 Jan 2013, 11:03 (Ref:3191395) | #4 | ||
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I've lots of experience of the VAG 1.9 Tdi - they're absolutely bullet-proof motors and can take any amount of mileage. They do get a bit noisy with age, but the Ford unit is noisy from new IMHO.
Thought about a Skoda Octavia? If you can find one that hasn't been used as a taxi, they're well-built and probably better value than the Golf. Lots of car for the money if you're not a badge-snob. |
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19 Jan 2013, 11:20 (Ref:3191402) | #5 | ||
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The VAG 1.9 TDI is an awful lot better than the 2.0 TDI that replaced it.
A nice spec Octavia is a good shout. Avoid the Focus 1.6TDI - it's gutless and not as economical as the figures suggest. On longer trips you have to thrash the wotsits off it to get anywhere, thus sacrificing economy. |
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"Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they've got nothing to lose." |
19 Jan 2013, 12:44 (Ref:3191433) | #6 | ||
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Thanks a lot for the replies.
Re my situation: Unfortunately have to do the test and get a new license (after 16 years of driving and 10 of actually owning a car and commuting every single day). My license (Colombian) is no good here. Taking lessons again just to make sure that I pass the test and get used to driving on the wrong side of the road and such :P Unfortunately this will mean that as far as insurers are concerned, I will be a new driver (ditto for car rental companies, hence the reason why probably the only option to drive in the UK will be to buy a car, at least for the first year). I have gone into these comparison sites (comparethemarket.com, confused.com, etc.) and they've quoted me (32 year old married man, living in London, working as a consultant, to use the car on weekends and leaving it on a garage) around £1,200-£1,600 paying the year up front for comprehensive cover. I assume that if that's the quote I get, that's the price I'll pay and there won't be any surprises afterwards.... As for the car, I had indeed heard these comments about the VW 1.9 TDi engine (in all its incarnations) hence why I was looking at that one. Actually, now that you mention it, I was in Budapest a month ago and we took a Taxi (VW Jetta I think with a TDI) with 450.000km on the clock. Quite impressive. The Octavia does sound like a sensible option although, should I expect differences in MPG because of the size? Re. Adam43, I have also given some thought about the justification behind the diesel vs the petrol hence why I was also considering a Mk 5 VW Golf 1.6FSI, but then again, I heard the stories of diesels being more reliable than petrol engines. |
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19 Jan 2013, 13:05 (Ref:3191447) | #7 | ||
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My father has a 98 Seat Toledo with a 1.9 90Hp TDI, it has 300.000 Km and never had a problem. Fuel mileage is good and power is enough for a daily use.
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19 Jan 2013, 13:10 (Ref:3191451) | #8 | ||
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Sharky, for insurance as a new driver try Admiral or Elephant, they are the same company. I wouldn't bother with comparison sites as you'll now be inundated with spam for ever more. Also see if you can add a second driver and third driver with clean licences as this will bring the price down an amazing amount. Direct line can be reasonable as well but it depends when you go for the quote.
Golf or Polo diesels are economical as are Clio DCis but the Clio in my opinion will be tiring to drive if you do a lot of motorway driving. I've heard horror stories about Focus diesels. I'd also consider a Skoda as they are a VAG car and I've never seen one in my uncle's workshop so unless they disintegrate on the road then it might be a good sign. |
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19 Jan 2013, 14:28 (Ref:3191472) | #9 | ||
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Ah. Good point. The quotes I got were indeed from Admiral and Elephant but I guess that going directly would probably be best. I'm afraid I can't put anyone else on the insurance, though (wife doesn't even drive). However, can I put some random person? Well, not random but a friend or something of the sort.
I just found something a bit odd. Was doing a search autotrader for 1.9TDi VWAG cars, less than 7 years old with less than 80,000 miles and it turns out that the cheapest ones are VW Passats (cheaper than most Octavias actually!). Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing.....I will most certainly feel like an old guy driving around in one of those but that's not necessarily a deal breaker....and could prove useful for the odd trip to Ikea.... |
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In the long run, we're all dead. Keynes |
19 Jan 2013, 16:07 (Ref:3191497) | #10 | ||
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Just a quickie as regards fuel consumption diesels v petrol, some petrol cars can do very good MPG if not thrashed and are comparable to diesels when you factor in the price between both fuels.
As for diesels try to get one without a DPF if you do a fair bit of urban driving. Also whatever you buy remember the more fully loaded a vehicle is the more will go wrong, meaning problems/expense. Factor in servicing cost/timing belts and tyres especially on bling vehicles ! I have all sorts of cars on my books and find that some like small to medium Toyota's are boringly reliable but of course you will always get a rogue car whatever you buy ! Last edited by GORDON STREETER; 19 Jan 2013 at 16:17. |
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Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
20 Jan 2013, 10:57 (Ref:3191705) | #11 | |
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hey sharky!
you're totally right to be getting a diesel if you're going to be doing time on the continent. diesel is about 15-20 euro cents a litre cheaper over there so no matter how close a petrol car can get to the mpg, it's going to be smarter to buy a diesel. the only problem with the bigger cars like the passats might be that the road tax is very silly, so have a quick look at that. gordon's right about the timing belt costs - that needs to be done properly and on time too. don't bother with renaults, the driving position in any and all of them is considered torture by the european court of human rights with diesels, you don't get a lot of car for your money. the petrol version will be cheaper (and with more toys), but if you're driving in europe the extra initial spend is worth it. |
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20 Jan 2013, 12:24 (Ref:3191730) | #12 | ||||
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Quote:
It is mainly just this I'd worry about: Quote:
and it will break in many many different ways. |
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Brum brum |
20 Jan 2013, 13:15 (Ref:3191747) | #13 | ||
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Thanks for the replies guys.
Bella, thanks, good point. A lot of traveling will certainly be done in the continent so there should be some additional savings there. Not sure how much of the driving bill be done there though, but a fair amount for sure. Good point about the DFP also. I hadn't thought about it to be honest! Gordon. I agree with the Japanese cars and that's why they would be an option. My second car was a Mazda 323F, and although it was probably one of the dullest cars on the road, it got the job done and never skipped a beat. It was a bit dull to spend Sunday mornings hoping to find something to mend and finding out that all I could do was to top up the washer fluid and check the tire pressure. I am indeed mindful of the timing belt issue but I guess that as long as they have a FSR which shows that it was done when recommended it should be OK. The again, I've read the stories of forged service history, winding down of odometers, etc. Actually, are there any recommendations for buying used cars in the UK? I'm guessing that used car salespeople in the UK probably don't have a better reputation than anywhere else, but are there any specific recommendations other than take the car for a drive, do the HPI checks, etc.? For instance, would it be preferable to buy from a franchised dealer or just get it off a private seller? Many thanks again! |
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In the long run, we're all dead. Keynes |
20 Jan 2013, 15:14 (Ref:3191770) | #14 | ||
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you can check mileage by doing an online MOT history check:
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle as long as you have the V5C document number; so either ask to see the V5, make a note of the number and go away and check it - or ask the seller to check it with you on the spot. The records go back to 2005. |
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a salary slave no more... |
20 Jan 2013, 18:30 (Ref:3191810) | #15 | |||
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Quote:
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20 Jan 2013, 20:37 (Ref:3191852) | #16 | ||
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As for recorded mileage new MOTs should show previous readings as well now but make sure that the MOT that you get is genuine and not a photocopied one with things omitted or altered, this happens all the time now that they are printed on a simple A4 piece of paper
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Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
21 Jan 2013, 08:53 (Ref:3192059) | #17 | ||
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If you are buying a "private" car out of the local rag make sure it is and not some "lock up" car cowboy dealer.
Phone up and say "is the car still for sale" if they reply "er which one" you know the answer !!!! I'm afraid it is a minefield out there, a lot of vehicles are traded in because of expensive problems that may only show up after a while and although some traders will offer a warranty and if you read it properly that to can be a "minefield" Last edited by GORDON STREETER; 21 Jan 2013 at 09:01. |
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Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
21 Jan 2013, 17:41 (Ref:3192319) | #18 | ||
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Thanks again. Good point about the MOTs and tracking mileage as well as going to a dealer.
Gordon, I have indeed seen that a few dealers offer 3 month, six month or even a year P&L warranties, but does this mean that the fine print could make them actually useless? What about getting something like warrantydirect.co.uk? I think for the cars I've been looking at it would be something like £400 a year and it could give some piece of mind that they'll fix whatever is rotten with the car (or so I would think...) |
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In the long run, we're all dead. Keynes |
21 Jan 2013, 20:33 (Ref:3192408) | #19 | ||
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Obviously a warranty is better than nothing but a lot of them are written very cleverly so it works in their favour, after all it's only an insurance policy and very few firms ever loose and go out of business.
Most that I have had dealings with wont cover "wear and tear"(clutches/brakes) etc and will only pay what they think, consequently a lot of garages won't entertain repairs on some warranties and you might have to take it to only "approved by them" mechanics. I personally wont have anything to do with them (repair wise) as I have had problems in the past and lost money. |
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Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
21 Jan 2013, 23:32 (Ref:3192477) | #20 | |
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i had a year's audi warranty on my current car. very handy, they've already fixed a dodgy parking sensor, and they're shortly going to get it to have a look at an occasionally not-locking boot catch and a loose shutter in the headlight before it expires. it's through the dealership, and to be honest i was only using it as a fallback in case i had invested in a dodgy car. it doesn't cover "consumables" - so, thing that would expire within the cars lifetime like clutches, turbos, brakes, suspension, lightbulbs, etc.
i wouldn't get a warranty from a third party - they don't really have any responsibility for what you've bought. manufacturer warranties are a little easier to hold to account. |
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22 Jan 2013, 22:55 (Ref:3192935) | #21 | ||
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The wear and tear, is always interesting ask how much life is still in the timing belt.
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24 Jan 2013, 15:11 (Ref:3193724) | #22 | |
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For more modern VW's, Skoda's, Audi's and Seats do look for a few things.
High mileage on the car doesn't necessarily mean it may be a lemon, it is totally dependant on the cars history. If its been serviced by a main dealer you can generally ask for some service history (like any technician notes) Example: 2013-01-24_14h58_36.png This is some of the most common issues with higher millage VAG Group cars, shuddering in the clutch is generally a mass fly wheel (€600 from VW, ive had the shudder from about 135,000 - 240,000km), coolant bottle contaminated is another one, its a cheap part from VW but causes loss of coolant should it be contaminated or ineffective. Other general wear items on diesels would be glowplugs. Tips though if you are testing a VW and perhaps the price seems a little too good. - Check Coolant Bottle colour, if its a darkish colour it may be due replacing; This effects the pressure in the coolant system and will cause an airlock, drive the car and get it warm and whack the heating on as hot as it will go, if you notice any "cooling" effect after a few minutes you may have a failing coolant bottle. - Get someone else to sit in the car and lock the wheels in one direction and ask them to slowly let out the clutch, if the wheels start "shuddering" and/or the clutch feels like its shuddering a mass flywheel is almost due. In addition to this leave the car idle and listen for any odd noises which may be gearbox related, alot of the time you can hear a slight rattle indicative of a mass flywheel, its better to do this with the bonnet closed. - For the 1.9TDI (5 Speed) engines start off in first and at about 2500 rpm change to third, if you get more consistant power in third it means the airflow and turbo is working as expected, if you get nothing but then get a sudden belt of power (and i mean a belt of power) it can be an indication of a faulty airflow meter/sensor. These are very specific checks for the above engine, it is good for most of the VAG group from 2002-2012. For the newer 1.6/2.0 TDI engines, at the first sign of a rattle divorce it. |
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Cryos, thats me! To keep the national IQ higher, we prevent links in the signatures. Its clearly in the notice, but that doesn't stop some people moaning about it.. |
24 Jan 2013, 17:52 (Ref:3193773) | #23 | ||
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Wow! Thanks Cryos!
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In the long run, we're all dead. Keynes |
24 Oct 2023, 18:49 (Ref:4182839) | #24 | ||
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Had to dig up an old thread for this. I have been looking for a truck for one of my coworkers to use. They needed 4-wheel drive, 4-doors, V8, and has to have less than the 280,000 miles his current truck has on it!
Anyways, used vehicle prices have been quite high in the US for the past few years and I hadn't thought much of it until I had to purchase something. One of the vehicles with a crazy high resale rate is the Toyota Tacoma (Hilux). In the attached image, the Toyota was $35,395 new and the Merc was $44,900. Gosh that is not a lot of depreciation! |
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24 Oct 2023, 19:46 (Ref:4182856) | #25 | |
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GLC is overpricd by 15k, the Toyota by 10k
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