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I'm willing to bet you have to pay a larger deposit though.
and please use their services
A car for a Yorkshireman!
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wakarimasen
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Try a Saab 9-3. Very cheap, but pretty robust and good fuel economy for the diesels. I had a 2007 model for three years and put 75K on it during that period. With a set of winter tyres, it never let me down once.
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My advice would to be leave all the boxes blank in the searches apart from how much money you want to spend
I've found some real bargains doing that , if you limit yourself to one make you might miss a steal
They are out there
OP
JohnN
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I know its good advice, but knowing nothing about cars it more than a little daunting and risky really - the last car I went for I paid £2500, which looked okay at the time and ints not been that bad really but looking round it seems they now go for about £500 - I know cars depreciate, but surely thats not normal, that said it went from 86k to 106k, so maybe it is - thats just it, I don't know.
As an aside I had been looking at ex-police after someone at work said they had one - any thoughts on that - presuming I went for a tidier one thats ex-CID or management or something rather the a standard one that had drunks and addicts in it
As an aside I had been looking at ex-police after someone at work said they had one - any thoughts on that - presuming I went for a tidier one thats ex-CID or management or something rather the a standard one that had drunks and addicts in it
dejongj
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Sorry but that is totally normal, supply and demand. A 10 year old Peugeot is just not worth much and there is plenty of choice about as well. I just looked, and of that model alone today there are 79 up for sale. Old, common, plenty available, great choice to buy, absolutely rubbish to sell. That is how the world works...
Hence my comments previously regarding total cost of ownership....
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Then may I suggest that £2.5k isn't a lot of money in the car scheme of things and it was worth those £2k for you, who knows nothing about cars, to buy one that "goes well" enough rather than fork out those £2k repairing and restoring a £500 horror!
BTW, your online Ford Focus advisors seem very excited about the Titanium-Ghia-X specification with lots of toys and gismos ... which can go wrong. If you don't need them, lower spec models stand to be cheaper to buy and maintain and stand to have all the equipment you need and more.
dejongj
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Ouch, didn't realise it was a year ago....One school of thought could be that you paid too much, but then again as Yves Geza says if it is a good one then why not, it was worth it to you....If it goes well, then why change? At that end of the market I would just keep it and keep driving it....But also buy unpopular cars as you get much better value for your money, opposed to everyone chasing the Focus and the likes....
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I've got a 2006 Passat Deisel and that's not bad - seems Eco ish - I get about 200 miles for £20. Big and quite comfy to drive!
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Although I've been involved with engineering of motor cars, this doesn't mean everything I say about them is right, but perhaps I know more than some.
Every mass-produced car made has seen a reduction in quality over the last 10 years or so - some were pretty poor to start with, too. Combine that with increasing complexity and performance and you've a huge potential for problems. I'd avoid all diesels post-2004 unless you rack up a mega mileage or tow heavy trailers a lot. They're exceedingly costly to fix and unlike old diesels, do routinely go wrong at vast expense, especially Fords, Vauxhalls and Renaults. (I wait for the "mine never has" indignation!). People will spend thousands extra just so they can tell their mates their car does 55mpg+, then have repair bills which run well into four figures for something which once upon a time would have cost £40, but which never needed replacing anyway.
Police vehicles are not all well maintained, it's a bit of a lottery. Many 'panda' cars can be quite worn out and relatively neglected, I've heard of traffic cop cars which are bad buys too - less maintenance than there used to be and often no longer in-house.
Skoda Octavias are well-sized, and better built than the VWs they're based on. The original (Mk1) is a very good choice, they were made up to 2007ish I think. Up to 2004 they had bomb-proof diesels (pre-PD) and often average 60mpg+, lasting well over 250,000 miles with little or nothing going wrong - provided they're serviced properly.
A Dacia Duster is a good buy - better than spending £6-8k on something second hand, if it suits. They're decent cars, better than many at twice the cost. I think Renault have sorted the diesel probs.
Whatever you choose, don't stretch the oil intervals much beyond 8,000 miles or a year - manufacturers find that in general engines outlast cars, so try to extend oil changes to daft extremes, it looks good for fleet purchasers. And change gearbox oil every 100,000, even if not specified.
I wouldn't have a car with less than 150k on the clock - too much money tied up unnecessarily - and all the teething problems will be properly sorted. Servicing is the key to longevity and reliability, if you start off with something decent.
Every mass-produced car made has seen a reduction in quality over the last 10 years or so - some were pretty poor to start with, too. Combine that with increasing complexity and performance and you've a huge potential for problems. I'd avoid all diesels post-2004 unless you rack up a mega mileage or tow heavy trailers a lot. They're exceedingly costly to fix and unlike old diesels, do routinely go wrong at vast expense, especially Fords, Vauxhalls and Renaults. (I wait for the "mine never has" indignation!). People will spend thousands extra just so they can tell their mates their car does 55mpg+, then have repair bills which run well into four figures for something which once upon a time would have cost £40, but which never needed replacing anyway.
Police vehicles are not all well maintained, it's a bit of a lottery. Many 'panda' cars can be quite worn out and relatively neglected, I've heard of traffic cop cars which are bad buys too - less maintenance than there used to be and often no longer in-house.
Skoda Octavias are well-sized, and better built than the VWs they're based on. The original (Mk1) is a very good choice, they were made up to 2007ish I think. Up to 2004 they had bomb-proof diesels (pre-PD) and often average 60mpg+, lasting well over 250,000 miles with little or nothing going wrong - provided they're serviced properly.
A Dacia Duster is a good buy - better than spending £6-8k on something second hand, if it suits. They're decent cars, better than many at twice the cost. I think Renault have sorted the diesel probs.
Whatever you choose, don't stretch the oil intervals much beyond 8,000 miles or a year - manufacturers find that in general engines outlast cars, so try to extend oil changes to daft extremes, it looks good for fleet purchasers. And change gearbox oil every 100,000, even if not specified.
I wouldn't have a car with less than 150k on the clock - too much money tied up unnecessarily - and all the teething problems will be properly sorted. Servicing is the key to longevity and reliability, if you start off with something decent.
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Until it comes to selling it back. Then life looks grim as it could be when nobody would touch a perfectly decent car at a sensible price. Audi and BMW may cost more initially but selling them is quicker, easier and more profitable. At the end of the day you may have spent the same but end up driving f*****g duster.
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If that is the 1.9TDI PD I fully agree. Great engine if a little noisy. 2.0L ones were grenades until late 2008 common rail version, hence they are insanely cheap to buy now. Passat suspension is a bit s***, or in other words not built for the 3rd world country quality roads as we have up here.
Mechanically they may be sound (they are not bullet proof though) but inside you find Greek levels of austerity. And it's probably an ex-taxi. Skoda must be a high spec Superb; I wouldn't have anything else.
If you factor in the whole new suspension and other wearables such as DMF then probably yes. Dealership will strip you to the bones for that; so you need DIY skills or a very good mate.
That's a rough guideline. 150k on M-way is next to nothing while 50k in London or Scottish countryside can do untold damage. And don't forget crooks can rewind the clock a little every year so it still appears genuine.
dejongj
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I think you totally misunderstood my point in the context I made it in. I wasn't talking about the duster anymore. When are shopping at the lower end of the market and you are after the cars like a focus and golf etc you are actually still paying a premium that you never get back. Let's face it, and I've been there a few times, you are much better driving them into the ground then reselling. This Peugeot is a very good example. It is unpopular, there are lots up for sale, hence the £2500 car is actually only worth about £500-750. Not good when you are selling but brilliant when you are buying.
Then take Audi and BMW as you mentioned them. You can fish in the popular pond of a3 and 1 series diesels, but you get much better value for money when you go for the larger vehicles with large engines. In my experience the money saved will easily pay for the fuel difference.
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the problem with ex cop cars is they do a lot of stop start driving and a lot of town work
I'd sooner have a 3 year old car with 80k motorway miles that the same car with 30k round town , some of my best bargains have had intergalactic mileage but they've been great
Worst was a low mileage focus 1.6 diesel , luckily not for me, sold it to a guy through the garage when I had it serviced
DPF
clutch & flywheel
Pas pump
Engine developed a knock and had to be replaced
Dodged a bullet there
I've had 3 subarus legacy,Impreza 2.0 non turbo and a WRX currently
The other two are still owned by family members, apart from a clutch none have needed anything doing in 5 years for the 2 and 2 yrs on my WRX
I'm always amazed how gullible people are when it comes to running costs , they look at leasing a brand new golf at £7000 over 3 years because it does 60mpg but they only do 5k a year
The biggest running cost is depreciation , people wince when I tell them I own a car that does 22mpg and costs £500 a year to tax but it's been one of the cheapest cars I've ever owned, no repairs and 2 years on its still worth 90% of what I paid for it
I'd sooner have a 3 year old car with 80k motorway miles that the same car with 30k round town , some of my best bargains have had intergalactic mileage but they've been great
Worst was a low mileage focus 1.6 diesel , luckily not for me, sold it to a guy through the garage when I had it serviced
DPF
clutch & flywheel
Pas pump
Engine developed a knock and had to be replaced
Dodged a bullet there
I've had 3 subarus legacy,Impreza 2.0 non turbo and a WRX currently
The other two are still owned by family members, apart from a clutch none have needed anything doing in 5 years for the 2 and 2 yrs on my WRX
I'm always amazed how gullible people are when it comes to running costs , they look at leasing a brand new golf at £7000 over 3 years because it does 60mpg but they only do 5k a year
The biggest running cost is depreciation , people wince when I tell them I own a car that does 22mpg and costs £500 a year to tax but it's been one of the cheapest cars I've ever owned, no repairs and 2 years on its still worth 90% of what I paid for it
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dejongj
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Indeed, many moons ago I bought a BMW 750i. Advertised as a 740 V8 but it was actually the V12. Double glazing, electric seats front and back, the works. I paid only £1150 as nobody liked a big engined car like that. From the capital saved you can fund a heck of a lot of fuel
It is not that long ago that diesel wasn't preferred at all in the UK. Yet now people hardly ever seem to want anything else even when it is not suitable. Very odd.
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Aye, its the 1.9 liter engine, but its the newish shape (where they're big and bouncy is how I'd describe it, no the old old style shape from like mid 90s. I can't complain, the parking break has been worrying me sometimes as I sometimes forget and press it on when its still slightly moving when parking and then it will come up with error messages, but apart from that quite happy! Seem very cheap as well, I on;y paid 3k for mine last year with 60k on it and 1 owner.
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I have had old and new cars and none have had teething troubles. To buy a decent car with 150k miles, you could still end up paying a £2-3K possibly even more depending on the car. I'd much rather buy new or nearly new on a pcp and keep trading the car in, before the next service is due and the only money you have tied up is the £200-300 you pay out each month. I paid cash for my current car I have no problem in the money being tied up in it. Interest rates are that low, I wouldn't be getting much in the way in interest on it and I'm not worried about depreciation, I buy a car to enjoy it as well as a means of getting from A-B.
Oh and by the way, I am one of those people you have been waiting to comment who had a post 2004 Ford diesel, I had it for 4yrs and did 60k miles in it and it wasn't expensive to run nor repair.
I would recommend something like this.
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classi...hannel=cars&page=6&fuel-type=diesel&logcode=p
I wouldn't be worried about the mileage, and I don't think that engine (the same as mine) has a DPF. If the dual mass flywheel fails then it is easy and sensible to have it replaced with a solid flywheel/clutch kit (had mine done 40K miles ago).
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classi...hannel=cars&page=6&fuel-type=diesel&logcode=p
I wouldn't be worried about the mileage, and I don't think that engine (the same as mine) has a DPF. If the dual mass flywheel fails then it is easy and sensible to have it replaced with a solid flywheel/clutch kit (had mine done 40K miles ago).
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I managed 49mpg driving diesel Kuga through Glasgow. I get similar in diesel Passat 2L. What would petrol mpg be like considering it is now more expensive than diesel?
dejongj
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And that is most likely because you did 15k miles per annum. Most people that I know with diesel issues are the ones that hardly use them. Basically in my limited technical understanding of engines, I bet it is lack of regeneration of the dpf and associated system.I have had old and new cars and none have had teething troubles. To buy a decent car with 150k miles, you could still end up paying a £2-3K possibly even more depending on the car. I'd much rather buy new or nearly new on a pcp and keep trading the car in, before the next service is due and the only money you have tied up is the £200-300 you pay out each month. I paid cash for my current car I have no problem in the money being tied up in it. Interest rates are that low, I wouldn't be getting much in the way in interest on it and I'm not worried about depreciation, I buy a car to enjoy it as well as a means of getting from A-B.
Oh and by the way, I am one of those people you have been waiting to comment who had a post 2004 Ford diesel, I had it for 4yrs and did 60k miles in it and it wasn't expensive to run nor repair.
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DPF's were optional extras at the time, fortunately whoever specced my car didn't request one.
But you are right the way in which a car is used can determine whether an engine is likely to suffer problems of some sort. I'm aware that Ford do try to simulate a lot of different scenarios that engines may well encounter with different peoples uses and I would imagine other manufacturers must do similar, but it would be very expensive to go too far. Which is why some engines will suffer a failure in one car but not in an identical car. As for RfusG's comment about reduction in quality, I find that hard to believe because production methods are ever evolving making it more accurate and easier to replicate things.
RufusG
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To buy a decent car with 150k miles, you could still end up paying a £2-3K possibly even more depending on the car.... I buy a car to enjoy it as well as a means of getting from A-B.
Oh and by the way, I am one of those people you have been waiting to comment who had a post 2004 Ford diesel, I had it for 4yrs and did 60k miles in it and it wasn't expensive to run nor repair.
Well in just 60k, there's not a great deal which should go wrong with a car which was obviously relatively new. Why do you think values are so low for cars which still look like new, but which are 8 or 9 years old? It's because third and fourth owners know the chances of something very expensive going wrong are high, so will only pay what they think a disposable product is worth. On the other hand, an older Fiat Panda will lose much less value in the same time, percentage-wise as well as in the folding.
That's a good suggestion, but be aware some cars with DPFs will automatically lunch their gearbox pretty quickly if you do this. Even on those which shouldn't, there is some risk since the gearbox internals are lighter and more fragile than if designed to take the power thumps through a solid fw. I had my parent's car dmf replaced with a solid Valeo one which was specially designed to replace a dmf - my Dad was having kittens while the geartrain rattled like a skelton in a biscuit tin for the first hundred miles or so, as the cogs and shafts sorted themselves out. Well worth replacing the 'box oil at the same time.
Thing is, if you start racking up the miles, the chances of the lift pump, injectors and injector pump needing replacement rises considerably. Things which used to go on for ever are now almost regarded as service items. Look on ebay and see cars for sale as spares/repair, because the fuel pump needs doing and it would cost almost as much as the car is worth. Audi A6 V6 diesels are a favourite. Even replacing the thermostat on them can take half a day. Absolutely nuts. But there aren't many cars engineered to be much good anymore, they're simply intended to appeal to the new car buyer, who often knows little about cars.
DPF's were optional extras at the time, fortunately whoever specced my car didn't request one.
But you are right the way in which a car is used can determine whether an engine is likely to suffer problems of some sort. I'm aware that Ford do try to simulate a lot of different scenarios that engines may well encounter with different peoples uses and I would imagine other manufacturers must do similar, but it would be very expensive to go too far. Which is why some engines will suffer a failure in one car but not in an identical car. As for RfusG's comment about reduction in quality, I find that hard to believe because production methods are ever evolving making it more accurate and easier to replicate things.
!!! Ford takes cars apart and anything which isn't showing signs of wear after x miles is redesigned so it wears more rapidly. It's the first rule of making money, besides, why send a car to the scrapyard with lots of like-new parts in it?
Exactly. Why people don't search out intrinsically reliable cars I'll never know - gears instead of cambelts like on a Yaris or older Mercedes, or belts which don't wreck engines like on smaller-engined Pandas. To be fair, it's not easy finding a medium or larger car today which is anywhere near likely to not cause financial hardship at some random point. I think the manufacturers are moving closer and closer to forcing 99% of folk to rent their cars and change them often. Thing is, if nobody wants them when they're 6 years old, they'll be worth even less than they are now, so depreciation costs will be even higher.
Who'd think, given money-obsessed modern England, that people would be taking out loans to buy one of the fastest-depreciating assets in existance?
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dejongj
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Funny how two people can live in the same world have such widely varying experiences and outlooks. Sorry but I just have not experienced your doomsday scenarios about cars. But hey enjoy your old simple sheds.
Oh and my Audi V6 fuel pump replacement was just £230, and cambelt, pulleys and thermostat was just £450 at an Audi specialist. Super easy access as well as the whole of the front of the car comes off easily.
Oh and my Audi V6 fuel pump replacement was just £230, and cambelt, pulleys and thermostat was just £450 at an Audi specialist. Super easy access as well as the whole of the front of the car comes off easily.
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I may have only done 60k miles in the car but it had done almost 110k miles when I part ex'd it on my current car. It was showing no signs of anything breaking or wearing out even though it was producing around 40 bhp and 60lb torque more than standard.
As for your comments about Ford redesigning components to fail. I work at Ford's Dunton Research and Development in the powertrain development labs. In the main part the engines are tested to improve on economy but also meet future emissions requirements. Various components are evaluated to see how much of an improvement can be made and then decide if the extra cost of the components will actually benefit the customer. The engine I am currently testing, due to appear in cars in 2017, is an upgrade of a current engine. They are normally tested for around 1000 hrs before they are replaced with a new one to continue testing. My engine should hit 2000 hrs tomorrow. That is roughly the equivalent of 120k miles, all in 7 months and at extremes an engine is never likely to encounter in a car. The engine is getting further improvements not being redesigned to make things fail. Ford also buy other manufacturers vehicles to test and pull apart.
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^^ Engines can never be built to fail at the same level as other components like wheel bearings, suspension bushes and so on - reputation is anchored to their 'longevity' a bit too much, given the cost of replacement. Besides, doing things like towing caravans and so on stress them up massively compared with normal use. A lot of reliability can be built in to engines with the electronic systems, today.
It's not just Ford who analyse components for wear and adjust accordingly - VW Group cars have become much more parts needy in the last decade. Making a car just good enough not to incur a reputation for unreliability is the goal, with the ideal of having a blockbuster car once in a generation to maintain the perception of the masses - like the Focus Mk1, which received just when Ford sales were dropping right off the scale, in continental Europe at least.
It's not just Ford who analyse components for wear and adjust accordingly - VW Group cars have become much more parts needy in the last decade. Making a car just good enough not to incur a reputation for unreliability is the goal, with the ideal of having a blockbuster car once in a generation to maintain the perception of the masses - like the Focus Mk1, which received just when Ford sales were dropping right off the scale, in continental Europe at least.
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I've only owned Fords and in over 34yrs of motoring other than a Mk3 Cortina which would destroy void bushes every 3 months although I suspect that was more me being 18/19 and wheel spinning a lot, I've never yet had one that was unreliable, never had wheel bearings replaced, nor suspension bushes apart from those mentioned on the Cortina. I've only had two clutches go as well but again, down to my driving. I had a Mondeo at one point where everything mechanical, including the clutch was all original and still on the car when I sold it with almost 270k miles on the clock, all it had was brake pads and shock absorbers, plus normal service items.
As for stresses from towing caravans, Ford (and I'm sure other manufacturers too) hook their vehicles up to a steel post bury into the ground and attempt to pull that, towing a caravan will be nothing compared to that.
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The Mondeo I had that I sold with almost 270k miles on the clock, I bought with 140k miles on the clock, it had been regularly serviced and spent it's 4yr life, up to that point, pretty much on motorways. If you can be sure of a cars service history, I'd have no problem going for a higher mileage car, but if in any doubt and you are not really sure of the mechanics of a car and what to look for, I'd avoid them. Do as much of a background check on the car as possible to check that what mileage is shown is authentic.
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What V6 engine did your Audi have? Because if you had the fuel pump on the 2.5 TDi 24v replaced with a new one for £230, someone left a zero off of the end of the invoice.
They cost £1800 from Audi for the part (and I think that is excluding VAT, you can never be sure when anyone in the motor trade tells you a price if they are including it or not unless you ask). A recon one from a decent diesel specialist will be in the order of £900.
dejongj
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3.0 ASN engine, Tiptronic gearbox, proper Quattro drive. I think the fuel pump price itself was £124 and the remainder fitting.
onomatopoeia
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The problem with fuel pump replacement on V6 Audis is, as RufusG stated when he mentioned it, on the diesels (Vokswagen and Skoda cars fitted with the same engine are similarly affected, this isn't one of those cases where you buy the part from Skoda as their main dealer charges less for exactly the same item when fitted to a Superb rather than an A6). My A6 is a diesel, also a proper quattro and needed a new fuel pump, so I have direct experience of this.
Fuel pumps for petrol cars cost buttons compared to those for some diesels.
RufusG
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I'm pleased you've found a make you like - and work for. That Mondeo's mileage should be a lesson to all of us in Britain - a modern car, well serviced and properly looked after can cover the sort of miles most people struggle to imagine. In France, Xantias and 406s are frequently seen for sale with 300-400k (km) on the clock. We do seem to like changing cars to impress the neighbours - or because potential repair bills are enormous, thanks to our 'high value' economy.
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Overexposed
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I think for £4k id be looking at Japanese Motors as mechanically they tend to be bulletproof - if you are looking mileage Fords and Vauxhalls you are asking for trouble.
dejongj
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Or how about just because we can and fancy a new one. Heck where do you think your secondhand cars come from if people didn't like buying new ones. But hey keep up the prejudices.
