Yet another "What Car" thread

[RetroPug]

The x-type uses the old mondeo engine, which is a piece of crap. Saabs are lovely, but everywhere is jacking parts prices up since the company went under. The 1.9 engine is the same as what goes in the vauxhalls and fiats, quite tunable too.

I've been looking at mondeos as well as they are pretty nice places to sit overall. I'm a bit put off by the 9999 problems my friend has been having with his petrol ST in just a couple of years though.

406 2.2 coupe? or a 406 2.2 estate?

406? Could easily find a clean 110 Executive for that money, 60mpg, AC, cruise, heated leather, bloody nice to drive too...

I'd be looking at a 406, the exec model (as Liam mentioned) is pretty well specced for the money and you get the bulletproof HDi engines.

A 406 coupe would be lovely. Do sort of fancy a change away from Peugeots but definitely worth a closer look.

What about a 607 not the best looking car but they have the 2.2 HDI and you can get a fully loaded one on your budget easily.

I'll take a look at them.

I never was a fan, but the megane 1.5dci??

Cheap to buy now and dirt cheap to run. My mate got given his by his grandad. It had done about 70k. He has done another 70k in about 3.5yrs and serviced it himself.

Been mapped all that time too. No clutch/turbo/injector issues at all.

Comfy too

Good suggestion but not sure I want to stay french. Not for any logical reason other than fancying a change really.

Alfa 156? Picked my 2.4 jtd up for 350 quid.. needed a few bits doing but still

Worth a look but Alfa ownership frightens me and I've never quite seen what other people seem to see in them a lot of the time! Some models are lovely though.

Not sure on prices because i haven't looked but Octavia TDi? I had one and it was the 1.9 PD. Rattly and noisy but i have to give it some credit, it was bullet proof, good on fuel considering its an old engine and cheap to service. The actual car was no thrills but was comfortable, drove well and was just typical VAG really. Boring as f*ck but good at cruising.
Nice thing about the Skoda as well is the interior is virtually identical to the equivalent Audi, its better spec'd for the equivalent price of an Audi and you don't get tarred with the Audi wanker brush!

I was looking at Skoda Octavias and they seem fairly nice. Are they really that rattly and noisy though?
I don't necessarily mind it being a bit boring as I am literally after something to slog up and down the motorway.

Saab 93? The 1.9diesel seems to get decent reviews. Or even a jag x-type, i was looking at some last month

I do like Saabs but am afraid of parts prices really.

Fiat Punto Grande 1.9 Mjet Sporting 6 speed?

Returns 53MPG (real figure I've recorded) all A/B-roads, occasional stretch of motorway (less than 20%).

Comfy, 130bhp out the box, remap to 170bhp all day long, FMIC and VNT as standard, have air-con, comfortable, handle surprisingly well.

Had a look, they look nice but not my cup of tea.
Perhaps I should consider getting one anyway though if they really are that good.

CDTI 150 vectra will do 50mpg with ease, check for noisy DMF, snapped springs, EGR faults & swirl flaps broken.

Had mine nearly 2yrs & it was bullet proof and I still miss it.

I've also had experience of vag diesels, they are decent too.

Be prepared for 6 pages of being told everything bar a HDI is shit though.

Thank you for your input.
For some reason I really do quite like Vectras, I am a bit worried about faults though.

Mk1 Ph2 Ford Focus TDCI sport. fantastic car! heated screens front and rear, heated mirrors and seats as standard, cheap parts, reliable for the money and simple to fix when they go wrong.

No thrills but more important no bills

I did look at those. Not sure I want a Mk.1 (for no real logical reason ) but it could be worthwhile.

No bills is definitely an advantage!

Didn't like my Vectra at all....and it wouldn't even average 50mpg with my driving! Poor ride, low quality interior, paintwork flakes and peels like a Peugeot, egr will break but can just be blanked. Heavy tax (180 a year iirc). But as you've seen, they are much cheaper to buy than smsller cars.

I wouldn't bother with a mk4 Golf 130/150 now, they're still holding too much value and will be getting tatty at this age, but much more refinement end a better ride than the vec. Tax is about 125 a year on the earlier ones. Could probably get a decent passat TDi though...

You could also probably get a 207 1.6 HDi 90 on your budget, no dpf on the 90s either. Ride isn't great though, and I felt cramped but that's a personal thing.

As Matt says, Focus is a good shout, the 1.8tdci would be well in your budget. Maybe even a mk2 2.0 HDi...

Agreed, golfs are tatty and rubbish for the money.

Don't want a 207 at all really. I just don't like them!

I couldn't see any mk2 focuses for the money really.

I've only seen red vectras having paint problems. Is the ride really that bad? My friend's astra rode perfectly well.

While it doesn't tick all your boxes, I had a Corsa CDTi and it was doing 64mpg week in week out on my commute...

Specifically which boxes doesn't it tick?
64MPG sounds attractive.

Got to echo Matt and Tom tbh, you'll find theres very little else in your price range worth having. The 1.8tdci is pretty unrefined, but similarly bomb proof.

Vags are epic for comfort cruisers, but have never been convinced the premium is worth it, especially on spares. I assume you will be servicing it yourself, in which case DO NOT buy a Renault lol.

Only other options I can think of that tick your boxes and are worth having imo are toyotas.

I would be servicing it myself yes.

Thanks for the input.

Vag all the way. Can pick up gt tdis for that money these days, great motorway cars imo.

Can you really?
I've only been able to see horrible, tatty SE spec Golfs at that price.

Seat Ibiza Sport (Diesel)

It's the same engine (same car being VAG) as the Fabia vRS (1.9PD) but crucially it's at least 500 quid cheaper, so easily available under 1500 notes.

Oddly the Seat's tend to have fewer miles on them, while alot of Fabia's have been to the moon and back (and still cost more)

Had a look, are you sure you can get them for this sort of price??




Thanks everyone!