Another car question....

[Pyro Tim]

I've done 70k miles in 2.5 years in my 2004 1.9 VAG TDi 150. I've had to change the cam belt, and alternator in that time, plus the usual, tyres, brakes etc. It's done 120k now, and still starts 1st time every time. I get about 50mpg out of her, and I have a heavy right foot. I do have a engine warning light on, about my glow plugs, but I've changed them, and it's still on. It went out for a few months when I changed a fuse. It's only just come back on and I need to check the fuse again.

 

[highlandsflyer]

70k in your VAG aye? Heidi Fleiss wants her cut!

 

[Grannygrinder]

I don't know much, but i do know that i have hated both mondeos i have owned with a passion :evil:

 

[raleighrider21]

maybe a estate?
ive now got a 2006 Vauxhall astra 1.3CDTI life estate
cost £1500 with 83,000 on the clock. have seen plenty of the 1.7`s and 1.3`s for less than 2k
ive put 20k on the clock so far and its doing fine, returning 39mpg with plenty of space in the boot for my tools and dead bodies and that sort of thing. its not the fastest of things but itll sit at motorway speed happily and is good around town. seen a few with 150k+ on the clock and owners have said apart from the usual stuff like tyres etc they've not had to replace anything.

 

[legrandefromage]

39mpg is terrible!

Been offered a Mondeo with all the naughty bits done (new DMF, new clutch, new discs and rear calipers) for £995 with 12 months MOT.

 

[Pyro Tim]

The hired Astra we had was so poor we used half a tank of fuel on a 60mile round trip, as we had to rag the tits off it just to keep up with the other cars in convoy, that were not caning it.

Personally I'd only consider German, (including Czech and Spanish). It'll have age, and probably some miles on it, but should be reliable and fun

 

[legrandefromage]

Those Fiat sourced 1.3 diesels seem to be a nightmare.

 

[raleighrider21]

the 39mpg is with tools loaded into boot I should of added, better than my focus ever was. not had it unloaded yet so cant comment on unloaded mpg.. ive not had any issues with it yet and im not ragging its tits off to get it anywhere, though suppose you do get a good one in a load of shit ones, mine must be the good one lol I thought 39mpg was good

 

[highlandsflyer]

We get around 40mpg in the Legacy, on a long easy run. Normal windy roads and tracks/fields 30 odds. The old trout has a new Beemer on order that will do even less. Life is too short to drive boring cars, but if I was going to be putting stellar miles in permanently I would look again at turbodiesels of the Ford variety. You can't beat the quality for the price.

 

[Elysarian]

My main problem with the Doblo was it's complete inability to travel at more than 60mph

That and poor handling and a gear shift that was like stirring a bucket of porridge - I can't fault it's reliability though to be fair, I dropped it into 3rd gear without noticing (apprentice had the radio right up!) and drove for 30 miles at 60 and it didn't blow up (unlike the Vectra which threw a cam belt under normal driving conditions).

Maybe I just don't like Fiats? - had a Scudo last year that got broken into and a load of gear nicked, thieving scum-bags broke the (plastic) passenger side door lock out and nicked a load of tools within the 5 minutes I was away from it in Leicester... Same van had a nasty tendency to overheat, flash all the lights on the dash and not start in the mornings.