Advice on which car to buy.

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Tue 26 Jul 2011 13:57
Advice on which car to buy. - GazNicki

Hi all,

I have a dilema which I am hoping you can help me with. I currently have a Mondeo ST200 converted to LPG but I have had this for a number of years and now want to change cars. I am hoping to have a budget around £4000 (roughly a maximum of £4250) with the funds I will have saved and the ST as a part-ex.

I have my eye on a few cars - BMW 330D, Jaguar X-Type 2.0D, Vauxhall Vectra SRi CDTi 150, and a few others.

I need a diesel, as I do the miles. Going off what I currently get on LPG and with the price of LPG, I need around 41MPG average from my next car. So a diesel is the right option. Styling is something I do take into consideration. I don't want a bottom of the range (LX, Life, etc.) in my car - vain I know.

I know that £4250 isn't a massive amount of money, but there are plenty of cars out there at the right price. I am looking for less than 100,000 miles and less than 7yrs old. Ideally, less than 75,000 miles but I know I will have to raise my starting mileage on some of the cars I have my eye on.

I'm in this to save money - I need a reliable car which will give me trouble free motoring and be cheaper to insure and maintain as well as fuel.

What can you advise?

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:11
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

Four grand should be more than ample to get a decent set of wheels. It annoys me when people think they need to budget 15k to get a car which wont fall apart, i know people who bought cars for £400 and 5 years on they're still going faultless. Its all about doing your homework, research and making a good informed decision. Predictably im going to suggest the X Type 2.0D over the others you mentioned, as i own a 2004 S-Type 3.0 petrol myself and i have been a passenger in an X Type and its a very nice car to be in, well screwed together on the whole (avoid the expensive 4wd ones) and in SE trim gives a nice ride also. Good engines which should meet your economy spec. Im seeing some with under 80k on them on auto trader for 2-4k right now. I'd say its reliability ranks above the Vauxhall, Jaguar's quality standards were vastly improved during the Ford era (the X Type shares alot of parts with your current Mondeo) but probably in anything other than a good well maintained example the Germans/Japs might have the edge. But when buying a used diesel alot of reputation goes out the window and you buy on condition, service history etc. You'll find plenty of BMW 3 series which have been ragged, but plenty which will be superb also. I would say looking for a diesel 3 series with under 100k you're probably looking at a slightly older car than the X Type, maybe an 02 plate (where im seeing 54 plate X Types for the same money) and less choice to choose from.

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:17
Advice on which car to buy. - Bobbin Threadbare

I really enjoy queries like this! Ok, putting in Autotrader a search for a £4k big-engined diesel (manual transmission) throws up pre-DPF Mazda 6s (I have a petrol one and I love it), a handful of BMW 320d models, a lot of bog-standard Mondeos, a few Kia Sedonas, and some very high mileage X-types and Passats. A rather nice BMW 525d appeared, but the mileage was 115k. If you can hold off till you've got the other £750 you can open up the scope a bit more; at about £4900 ish I found an Audi A4 1.9TDI Quattro with leather seats.

Couple I found:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112840164...p

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112840298...p

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:19
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

I saw X Type saloon 2.0d manuals with 70-90k on them for 2 or 3 grand.

The OP stated style and you come back with a Kia?!!?

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:24
Advice on which car to buy. - Bobbin Threadbare

I was only saying what comes up on the search. There were a lot of French cars too :-P

I don't find Vauxhalls stylish either but they're there.

Oh there's this too which I quite liked: www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112940549...p

I tested one of these when I was looking for a new car but I ended up finding my Mazda and liking it more (not least because my insurance was £500 less on the Mazda at the time than on an Audi)

Edited by Bobbin Threadbare on 26/07/2011 at 14:31

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:34
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

I dont think i'd touch that Audi with a lamp post if you paid me.

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 14:44
Advice on which car to buy. - Bobbin Threadbare

You don't like Audis though! I think they have really comfy seats and there's something 'solid' about them. I personally find the shapes that Audi go for aesthetically pleasing (except for the Q-series).

OP - would you not like another ST, just diesel this time? There's some decent examples:www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112639565...p

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 15:18
Advice on which car to buy. - GazNicki

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Personally I am not a Vauxhall Fan, but the SRi CDTi 150 has some nice styling (only on the diamond shaped headlight version though). The X-Type is based on the Mk3 Mondeo - more or less all of it, which makes me consider buying a Mk3 Mondeo.

I used to have a 2.5 V6 Zetec-S Mondeo Mk3, then a Mk3 Mondeo ST-TDCi 2.2 Diesel. I swapped the ST-TDCi for the ST200 as I wanted to go back to Petrol and because the Turbo kept cutting out when the Cruise Control was on (motorway).

The BMW are a good drive (wife has a 318i SE on a T-Reg with a private plate) and the ride is comfortable - but it lacks power or oomph. Good for her, not for me though.

I would have an ST-TDCi again, but it would have to be Performance Blue. Picky I know but that's just the way I am. I just want a car that will look after me if I look after it, and not cost me an arm and a leg like the ST200 has done in the 3 years I have owned it lol.

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 17:37
Advice on which car to buy. - concrete

You have all missed the excellent Skoda cars. I would have thought that money would have gotten you a good Superb or Octavia with decent trim levels. The 1.9TDi 130PD diesel engines are nearly bulletproof, why would taxis use them otherwise? Worth considering so go and have a look at some. Best to all. Concrete

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 17:46
Advice on which car to buy. - GazNicki

Thanks for that.

There are a few Skoda's knocking about now-a-days. I love the VRS - just a shame they don't do a Diesel version of the VRS lol. But are the Skoda's not based on the VW, which in turn is what the Audi's are based on? I was led to believe that the Skoda Octavia/Superb is basically just a VW Passat - which I was led to believe is all that an A4 is.

Similar to the way the X-Type Jag is essentially a Ford Mondeo, or a Lexus is a Toyota ...

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 17:52
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

VW Group is a perfect example of badge engineering amongst its brands. Skoda's cant look as nice as VW's, VW's cant look as nice as Audi's etc. Seat are thrown in as well. All share most of the same parts but their image is controlled in a means to alter the prices between badges.

On the subject of the Jaguar, when people say "yeah but its build on a Ford Mondeo" i ask you this. Whats wrong with that?

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 18:18
Advice on which car to buy. - GazNicki

Absolutly nothing is wrong with that at all. I LOVE Mondeo's and only the fact that I have owned 4 in my 9 years of driving makes me want to change.

The Jag offers a nice classic yet upper-class feel while the Mondeo base makes it a drivers car still. Makes me wonder though, is the Jag my style or the Zetec-S/ST TDCi more mine?

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 18:23
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

Well ive got an S-Type and ive already been told its a car for someone much older than what i am, but i dont care! :D

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 23:55
Advice on which car to buy. - Roly93

On the subject of the Jaguar, when people say "yeah but its build on a Ford Mondeo" i ask you this. Whats wrong with that?

I understand you are not a VAG fan and to be honest your comments on inter-badge branding are correct really, however dont forget the hideous common rail pump and injector problems diesel Mondeos/X-types of the £4000 era used to suffer from.

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 19:01
Advice on which car to buy. - corax

There are a few Skoda's knocking about now-a-days. I love the VRS - just a shame they don't do a Diesel version of the VRS lol. .

There is a diesel VRS - with the PD170 engine. But they have well publicised problems concerning the oil pump drive and failing injectors. Unless you can guarantee that Skoda will pay up when the inevitable happens I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 23:52
Advice on which car to buy. - Roly93

I dont think i'd touch that Audi with a lamp post if you paid me.

Whys this ?

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Tue 26 Jul 2011 19:47
Advice on which car to buy. - tanvir

What about a 'onda?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-05-HONDA-ACCORD-2-2-CTDi-DIESEL-SPORT-TDI-GOLF-/350479149247?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item519a2f68bf#ht_1755wt_1037

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 08:59
Advice on which car to buy. - GazNicki

Honda's are nice and Jap so they should last.

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112940383...0 is one I would prefer but I think the price is a little high imo.

Do Accords hold their value well?

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 14:48
Advice on which car to buy. - jamie745

For a 7 year old diesel Accord in what looks like very good nick with 70 odd k on the clock thats a fair price i'd say.

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 22:22
Advice on which car to buy. - Bobbin Threadbare

They're nice looking too. I happened to travel in one the other day; the inside is really quite plush.

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