£2000 Estate car purchase advice.

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Sun 18 May 2014 20:46
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
Looking for some advice and suggestions

I'm after a estate car with a maximum budget of £2000

I am currently looking at:

Bmw 320d tourers
Vw Passat 1.9tdi
Audi 2.5tdi
Audi 1.9tdi

Does anyone have any suggestions or alternatives to the above?

What would you buy with that budget??

I quite like the BMW but when I read about each of these cars they all seem to have problems with there engines..

My main thing wants:
I would like about 50mpg
Reliable car
Not overly expensive to repair
Minor design faults
A well made car that won't rust really quickly.

"Currently I have a 2007 audi a6 avant estate but am looking to sell it to buy two cheaper cars and put some towards house refurbs)

Thanks for the input in advance.

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Sun 18 May 2014 20:59
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - gordonbennet

Only the Passat/Audi from that list if you can find one that hasn't been to the moon and back.

I'd buy either an Octavia with the same engine or a Pug 406, my preference would be for the Pug....or if i could find one, a really good Xantia that has been meticulously cared for, including full rustproofing for the miles of underbody piping.

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Sun 18 May 2014 23:06
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
So what year are the same engines in Octavias as passat a from?

Did have a look at Peugeot's, I love my current audi and had a passat prior and they both feel nippy and well built compared to hire cars I've ever been in.

What's so bad with BMW's they have 150bhp so nippy close to 50
Mpg.. Look better than an Octavia Imo that's the 2002 models..

Not so many Octavias on ebay it seems.

Thanks for the input
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Mon 19 May 2014 19:18
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - corax
What's so bad with BMW's they have 150bhp so nippy close to 50 Mpg..

Not one of the better diesels. Turbo's go early, swirl flaps can get ingested into the engine, injectors can fail. You's be better of with a petrol six cylinder and spend the diesel repair money on petrol.

Be prepared to spend on suspension refreshment on a high mileage E46, and watch for rust.

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Sun 18 May 2014 22:23
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - Avant

For £2000 you're going to get an older BMW or Audi than you would a less 'premium'; make. Go for an Octavia 1.9 TDI or Mondeo 2.0 TDCI if you really need a diesel (i.e. you do over 15,000 miles a year): otherwise the most reliable petrol engines come from Japan - Mazda 6, Toyota Avensis or Honda Accord.

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Sun 18 May 2014 23:10
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
Was hopin to take it accross Europe eventually.

Bmw wise it was the 2002/2003 models I was looking at with 140k +

Seems I can get same age in passats and audi's

I know the passats are good workhorses and are huge inside compared to the smaller a4 and 320d..

Thanks for your input
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Sun 18 May 2014 22:56
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - barney100

Mate had a Peugeot estate ....not sure of exact model but he paid £500 and it gave him a year without mujch bother but the Mot did for it. A Mondeo would seem a good car to kook at but personally a Volvo 940/ v70 v40 etc would be the best place to start. But anycar for 2K needs very careful buying.

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Sun 18 May 2014 23:17
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
So you get a lot for your buck with mondeo's don't you..

Why don't mondeo's hold there price as much as a BMW, audi or passat?? Am I wrong in thinking there not as well made?? Never driven one before I must admit.

Volvos.. I know they have come on leaps and bounds over the last 10 years but why do they still remind me of my granddads car from when I was young!! Except the new sporty blue ones..

Thanks for the input
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Mon 19 May 2014 00:05
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - alan1302
Why don't mondeo's hold there price as much as a BMW, audi or passat?? Am I wrong in thinking there not as well made?? N

They don't hold their value as well due to the badge on the front - BMW/Audi have a brand appeal that Ford's don't - always a good way to get good value car by going for the less top end brands.

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Mon 19 May 2014 00:20
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
So not quality then??

If you were offered a 2002 BMW or a 2005
Ford both with similar mileage would you always go for the ford?? Just because its newer.. Even though they have covers the same distance??

Surely this German design and engineering has something behind it?? Right or wrong??
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Mon 19 May 2014 00:46
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - alan1302
So not quality then?? If you were offered a 2002 BMW or a 2005 Ford both with similar mileage would you always go for the ford?? Just because its newer.. Even though they have covers the same distance?? Surely this German design and engineering has something behind it?? Right or wrong??

Generally it's the brand that helps witht he values - most cars now are very reliable and well built. For me - I'd fo with the newer Ford. Ford know how to build a car - German engineering is well regarded but not something I would want a car that's 3 years older.

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Mon 19 May 2014 08:26
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - gordonbennet

A Mondeo, especially Diesel, i would only buy if it were at throwaway money, and then i'd rue the day for i find them thoroughly unpleasant.

Recent Fords have all been a complete disappointment to me in ability comfort and driving pleasure, i do not understand the hype, their fans must have far different requirements than me.

When their Diesels go wrong the costs can be staggering, similar story when the thing decides to eat its own DMF.

Each to their own, others like them, and the motoring press likes the handling.

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Mon 19 May 2014 08:56
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - Bromptonaut

An older Berlingo with the 2.0 Hdi 90 motor?

Predates DPF and provided proper maintenance procedures are followed it can do stellar mileages.

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Mon 19 May 2014 10:06
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - madf
So not quality then?? If you were offered a 2002 BMW or a 2005 Ford both with similar mileage would you always go for the ford?? Just because its newer.. Even though they have covers the same distance?? Surely this German design and engineering has something behind it?? Right or wrong??

You have to live in the real world. If you think you can buy a car which when new cost over £25k.. and run it on buttons when the price you want to pay means it has starship mileage , then you are seriuously out of touch with reality.

I would expect mainatnenance costs of £1000 per year plus..and serious issues such as suspension, tyres, brakes and tyres. A "quality" car does not mean one that is immune to wear and at the prices you want to pay they will have all done over 100,000 miles and be on their 2nd to 15th owner.. the more owners the bigger the likely problems.

Edited by madf on 19/05/2014 at 10:07

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Mon 19 May 2014 13:35
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - SteveLee

If you're only spending £2K - half of that goes on the German badge - you're buying £1Ks worth of banger with a posh badge. Spend £2K on a Toyota Avensis - no badge inflation and you get £2K's worth of reliable dependable motoring.

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Mon 19 May 2014 15:15
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - brignac

I would second that advice Avensis estate - 1.8 petrol.

If the perfect diesel estate that cost nothing to run and offered 50mpg existed - for £2,000 - we'd all have one. You could buy one of your chosen cars and be super lucky, or you could hit with a huge bill.

The Toyota will do 40 mpg on a run and will likely cost very little apart from standrd servicing. I have had two - first one sold at 198,000 and the current one at 115,000.

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Mon 19 May 2014 17:30
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - daveyK_UK

go for the avensis 1.8 petrol, good engine and a good car.

avoid a vectra, astra, croma, 407, c5, etc

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Mon 19 May 2014 18:28
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - A3 A4

2002/3/4/5 Audi A4 Avant or Passat with the 1.9TDi engine.

But the crux is for that price you are looking at well over 100k miles. The engines can be good for well over 200k with careful and regular maintence, ie cam belt and oil changes.

You may get lucky and find a high mileage example with full service history. There are some on ebay for £2k, but check that cam belt has been changed. The engines even with high mileage are good to drive and economical.

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Mon 19 May 2014 19:04
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - Bobbin Threadbare

I wouldn't bother. All the extra money it would take to advertise and sell the current car, then buy, insure and tax two cars, even considerably older ones, makes it most likely not worth doing.

Keep the current car and start a savings account.

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Wed 21 May 2014 00:58
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - estate driver
Oh Toyota Toyota Toyota...

Why do your designers lack something..

2005 avensis £2450 95k on ebay.. Hmmmm

Looking into Volvos aswell now. V40 and v70's

Had a lol the other day at a Laguna.. Got in sat down, got out and closed the door on the tin can.. Creaking seats and doors have they not heard of wd40...

Still looking.. No cheap mazdas in the north east at the moment to check out so looking at other alternatives..

Problem with current car is.. I've just spent 2k on it and kind I lost my confidence in it.. Shame.. Car looks lovely..

Advertising wise will be £25 and insurance I should be able just to switch over so no massive cost on selling it..

Thanks for the input so far.
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Wed 21 May 2014 10:54
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - Avant

If you need two cars I really think you should stick with the Audi and get a cheap economical second car - perhapsa a Toyota Yaris 1.3. Otherwise for your budget you'd be buying two risks instead of one.

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Wed 21 May 2014 12:09
£2000 Estate car purchase advice. - 72 dudes

If you need two cars I really think you should stick with the Audi and get a cheap economical second car - perhapsa a Toyota Yaris 1.3. Otherwise for your budget you'd be buying two risks instead of one.

I agree. To sell the A6 now after spending £2k on it would be madness.

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