2.2 CTDi EX

Brill!

13 years ago, I bought this 1 year old car for £15k at 15k miles. It had worn brake discs and superficial scratches indicative of a careless previous driver handing the keys back to the finance company. Touch up paint resolved the cosmetics and it has not had any bodywork repairs since - presenting today as almost immaculate.

Having fallen out of the dealership network, it saving me £3k at the time. Now at 257k miles, it has been brilliant, totally reliable and costing very little. By limiting depreciation, this car has effectively paid for itself and given me a £12k bonus ready to buy my next car. However, my next car is unlikely to be any time soon!

I am happier with this car than ever. It drives like new and it averages 51mpg against a book combined figure of 48mpg. In other words, I am getting brilliant economy and performance as good as new, if not better.

HJ'S comment on 16 inch wheels giving the best ride is questionnable in my experience of running both 16 and 17 inchers over 200k miles. I prefer the handling and looks of the 17s.

I have used 0/30 oil, changing every 12.5k miles - not more frequently as modern oils are great these days!

Clutches lasted 90k miles, which is OK given the masses of torque dealt with.

Second hand parts such a boot closer and fuse box have come off cars with around half the mileage that have been sc***ped. One forgot to put oil in which was hardly the car's fault. Indeed, mine uses hardly any oil.

Driving style, maintenance and car quality are all key, and my long-term road test indicates the quality is still there. Also, by not yet needing replacement by an EV, it is also saving the environmental costs of batteries!

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