Car help needed - What to go for.......Please help :-(

[letmetalktomark]

Sadly it looks like our valiant 206 is not much longer for this world having just stranded Mrs LMTTM some 150miles from home :shock: :roll:

Thankfully recovered by the good peeps through Tesco insurance.

Pending a once over from a local garage I think we are going to be told the worst Not what we need to hear.

Now, bit of an admission here but I know very little about cars Older cars I am okay with but anything post 90's stumps me somewhat

There is only the two of us and dog.

Probably looking at a diesel and not looking to spend mega bucks......just don't have it.

I expect to get /hope to get a plethora of suggestions but our only criteria really would be; reliable, efficient to run (not necessarily cheap), capable of 20k a year.

It has been suggested that we look at a Focus (not the most recent shape) and a 2.0 diesel.

The 206 is a naturally aspirated diesel 1.9 that has (only) managed 135k so not swung on the diesels last forever thing!

Please help!

 

[al]

Audi A4 1.9 tdi Avant should fit the bill.

 

[lewis1641]

very nice cars but bnot particularly cheap.

when i was looking for a diesel my criteria was sub £1000 and estate. i was looking at non turbo skoda octavia or peugeot 406 (as suggested by lgf) you can get a decent peugeot for £700. they are not ugly either.

i toyed with a focus but a mechanic friend told me they suffer from fuel pumps which is a £700 repair. he also suggested to avoid vauxhall as they have water pump problems. apparently the water pump shares the same shaft with something else (power steering?) so when on egoes you have to replace both and its a big job.

as always i would like to recommend a mk2 golf gti. doesnt fit your criteria at all but they are the best cars ever made!

 

[legrandefromage]

should have bought the Bravo


I wouldnt let one bad moment with a diesel put you off, consider it again for absolute MPG espesh with a TDI.

My Ford diesel only broke down once where I was not able to drive it home but it was very expensive for parts - it had 420,000 miles on the clock and would still be going if somebody hadnt crashed into it.

My VW diesel has never broken down in a way that has prevented me from driving it, just niggling electrical faults.

The missus' Fiat diesel has been fault free and a full service and cambelt came in under £250 all in. It has also halved her fuel bill going from a 1.2 16v petrol to a 1.9 TDI

both our cars do around 25 to 35k a year

 

[IDB1]

French diesels have a good rep according to a few used car dealers I've known in the past (that's all one sold for over 10 years)..

Prefer Vauxhall cars myself.. get a decent, late, Mk3 Astra for under £500.
Even an early Mk3 for about the same money.

The 1.7td Isuzu engine in the mk3 is a good'n historically.

Price of diesel now though :shock:

Wife's just picked up an R reg mk3 Astra 1.4, needs an engine (£50) but has tax and mot, for £150.
Cheaper tax being under 1400 and should get 40+ to the gallon unless I rag the tits out of it.

 

[legrandefromage]

French diesels have a good rep according to a few used car dealers I've known in the past (that's all one sold for over 10 years)..

Prefer Vauxhall cars myself.. get a decent, late, Mk3 Astra for under £500.
Even an early Mk3 for about the same money.

The 1.7td Isuzu engine in the mk3 is a good'n historically.

Price of diesel now though :shock:

Wife's just picked up an R reg mk3 Astra 1.4, needs an engine (£50) but has tax and mot, for £150.
Cheaper tax being under 1400 and should get 40+ to the gallon unless I rag the tits out of it.

The french diesels around my way tend to have put a piston through the engine wall ala Citroen Xsara and a 306, both were low ish milages

 

[djoptix]

I had a Citroen AX 1.5D. It was slow, but had loads of charm, bits were dirt cheap, and it did about a thousand miles to the gallon. 1.5 is much better than the 1.4 though.

 

[MikeC]

Loving fat bummed diesel Meganes. Used to have a 1.5d which was sluggish but never dropped below 62mpg no matter how hard I drove it. I now have a 1.9d which is way faster and is 6 speed but the mpg tends to be around 43. Do similar mileage to you and my old one never broke down and my current one hasn't either. It's on 88,000 miles, 05 plate. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again but might go for a 1.5d again to save running costs. Had 2 adults, 1 child and all our bikes in the boot yesterday too