Hapy new year to all.
Going to buy a car in the next week or so and have came across a skoda octavia sdi - fully serviced and an ex - taxi.
Generally are ex-taxis to be avoided? Also to be model specific the tdi I know is the preferred option, but what is the sdi like reliability/economy wise?
Any advice appreciated, thanks.
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I would avoid the SDI if you enjoy living - it takes an age to reach 5mph, isn't particularly economical
I would expect the ex-taxi to be pretty much life expired, as why else would it be disposed of?
Whats your budget?
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Most Skoda Octavia taxis around here (Nottingham) seem to be on some sort of short lease hire, they get a new one frequently.
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Oh, okay. I was guessing that it might be something like a 2003 with 300K on the clock. I didn't realise they did short leasing on taxis! Still, every days a school day!
The point about the SDI engine still stands however! Does your budget stretch to a TDI - these would be a much better bet. Try and get an ex-lease PD engined Octavia. These can be good value!
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Is that tricky budget, between £1k - £2k.
Requirements are economy, a decent bit of space (no need for estate) and preferably low tax.
Wanted something a bit newer than the current 96 megane (which has been remarkably reliable) and am wary of clios and puntos as they have the credentials but will the relaibility be there??
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www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=5&t=59...3
That might be a safer punt !
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There is something alluring about a big swedish workhorse, definitely a one for the future!
Another car I forgot to throw into the mix was the Mondeo - the newer style from Y reg onwards, they fall within range all be it without the cheap tax, any view on these in 1.8 guise or would a focus be a better choice?
As you can tell I am mr decisive!
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I wouldn't get a ex-taxi in that price range, it sounds like it would have been in service a long time. Surely there are plenty of other non-taxi ones.
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Where are you based - I've got a 2000W Honda Accord 1.8SE, in red, bit of body damage but nothing major. Give me £750 (or rather the company I work for) and its yours. It might not be low low tax, but it should be reliable, its got some tax and some test. This is in Coventry.
Otherwise, there are some tidy(-ish!) Octavia TDI 1.9s on autotrader for around the £1K to £2K mark....
Is the ex-taxi white?
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Based in washington near newcastle, the ex taxi was blue so maybe private hire!
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I imagine that for that money you'll be getting something about five years old with 150k on it.
If that mileage is genuine (in the full knowledge that a 300k car would be nearly unsaleable, plenty of taxis are clocked by their owners) then it will have been a fairly hard life - it's all local journeys, through the gears, over speed bumps and the like, driven typically by unsympathetic drivers who have no financial interest in making the car last. Instead their financial interest is mainly served by delivering the fare as quickly as possible and hang the condition of the car.
I could be wrong and it could have been immaculately looked after doing regular motorway runs, but I wouldn't bet £1,500 on it.
Octavias are good cars but you'd buy this one beacuse you really didn't care what you drove as long as it was fairly new, economical and cheap. Even though they are very reliable, "very reliable by the standards of a car that's been thrashed for 100 miles a day since 2003" may not be as reliable, stylish or fun as the car you already have.
Basically you want to scratch an itch and buy a newer car without spending too much money. I do all the time but this sounds like a case of better the devil you know if your car is clean and reliable.
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A 3 year itch at that, is a combination of 1. Fancying a change 2. Knowing that with a tiny drop in performance (getting under a 1.6 engine) I will be saving £100 per year on tax approx and 3. The possibility of not being at that petrol pump every other day
Know it could all go wrong and the new car could end up as an expensive ornament outside the house!
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Am going to view a mazda 323 fastback, any thing I should look out for or any ownership experiences?
Ticks most of the boxes as far as I can tell!
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