£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Thu 4 Jan 2024 19:52
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - 90ajw

Hi all,

Currently coming away from a Company Car and needing to buy a car. I'd love your opinions please.

Ideally looking to spend no more than £8k and would be looking at Diesel and no more than 100k on the clock. From what I've seen a 320d looks a good option but naturally I'm seeing A4's, Golf's, Octavia's etc. I appreciate for that I'm looking at something around 10 years old too.

What's everyone's personal opinion? I'm swaying toward a 3 series but having never owned one (Always had VAG group Vehicles) I'd appreciate any thoughts!

Thanks!

A

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 4 Jan 2024 20:12
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - Steveieb

Audi A4 Tdi .

My favourite car all time.

North South engine transmission for perfect balance.

Mine had the amazing 1.9 PD engine which can reach 500 k.

Design changes by evolution so even older cars look fresh. Plenty of street cred.

Great paintwork polishes up like new especially Ming blue which has been around for 20 years !

Only problem fighting off prospective buyers wanting to drive them back home East !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 4 Jan 2024 20:23
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - DavidGlos
Skoda Octavia or Superb both get positive feedback. 2.0 TDI worth the extra over the 1.6 TDI. Likely as economical in the real world, punchier and more reliable.

Kia (Optima or Ceed) probably worth a look too. Might (though tight in budget) find something with the balance of the seven year warranty.

Honda Civic with the 1.6 diesel has a decent reputation.

Are you doing the miles to justify a diesel and avoid DPF issues?

Edited by DavidGlos on 04/01/2024 at 20:23

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 4 Jan 2024 20:54
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - badbusdriver

Honda Civic 1.6 I-DTEC.

70mpg, quick enough (for most), spacious, big boot, reliable and comfortable. Versatile too with Honda's clever magic seats. Also doesn't seem to suffer the DPF problems which affect most modern diesels if used for shorter journeys. There is also an estate available if the boot space in the hatch isn't enough(!).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 4 Jan 2024 21:14
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - SLO76
Wouldn’t touch any of them on an £8k budget. Modern DPF equipped diesels are ruinously complex and far less reliable than petrol equivalents. This is fine when bought new under manufacturer warranty and funded by a company cheque, but for someone buying used on a tight budget it’s flawed logic. It will almost certainly end up costing you more to own over its full life.

The only exception is possibly the Honda Civic 1.6 DTEC, which is robust, gutsy and amazing on fuel. They’re only Euro 5 so not ULEZ friendly but that means they’re actually substantially cheaper than their petrol siblings at the moment, or should be - so don’t overpay for one!

Otherwise it’s petrol or a world of costly hurt over the next few year of motoring. A Mazda 3 with the 2.0 petrol skyactiv engine can be had for under £9k and get a pre 2017 car and you’ll pay almost nothing in road tax to go along with 50-55mpg diesel like economy, but suffer none of the reliability issues of a modern turbo diesel. If you need more space then the same engine in the bigger Mazda 6 is a belter of a car. DO NOT TOUCH A MAZDA DIESEL HOWEVER!!!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 5 Jan 2024 11:57
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - barney100

I bought a Volvo V70 for 8k in 2015. Never had any dpf problems with this or any other diesel. Maybe I've just been lucky. 1085k on the clock and eats the miles.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 5 Jan 2024 12:20
£8k to spend - Looking for a Diesel Saloon/Hatch - Falkirk Bairn

Over a Million Miles!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.

Honest Used Car Prices

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....