Toms306s HDi Replacement...Haterz Gonna Hate!

[Poodle]

Oh my days, there's some severe sense of humour failures in here! Of course there's bellends who make stupid, unnecessary comments, it's the internet, but don't go tarring everyone with the same brush. Expected better from you, Dan, and Curt, you used to be cool man! mans! men! Balls can i start again?

[Tom]

Lets just agree that all our cars are equally as good as eachother

[Niall]

Lets just agree that all our cars are equally as good as eachother

Have you not read the replies from people on this forum? Most on here are the most stuck up, ignorant people going and thats what makes it a place for epic banter*

Banter not allowed after 25/3/13 due to implementation of the Dan! Nazi nation program.

[Toms306]

Hope you're happy with yourself Tom...

Causing all this with your pipemobile'.

You should be ashamed.

(Disclaimer: sarcastic banter intended, not to be taken as evilfritzelnazishit)

I am ashamed, in fact I'm going out for a long hard look at things.........atleast I'll be able to with my automatic headlights that even light up verges and the road ahead...its a novelty coming from a 306!

Now, where are my slippers....

Lets just agree that all our cars are equally as good as eachother

But they're not.

[C.A.R.]

So do you feel ripped off, or was this one the only car within spitting distance of your doormat? :p

[THE_Liam]

Another over complicated, over priced, high miler car that'll save you a fortune despite costing 3 grand?































Righto then.

[Toms306]

So do you feel ripped off, or was this one the only car within spitting distance of your doormat? :p

Ripped off? The delares round here are offering P reg Fiesta 1.3s for £1,5k....no I certainly don't fee ripped off!

The other cars within a sensible distance that I looked at were -

2002 Polo 1.4 TDi - £2,500
2005 Corsa 1.3CDTi - £3,200
140k (but 200ks worth of wear!) 2004 Passat 1.9TDi 130 - £4,500 (yeah, really!)
2002 Audi A4 1.9 TDi 130 (100k, needing a major service, no cambelt) - £3,500
2006 Mondeo 2.2TDCi Titanium (not the 'X' with the leathers) - £4000
2003 Bora 1.9 TDi (170k, rusty arches) - £3,750

I was really surprised how much second hand cars are going for atm. I wasn't joking about the fiesta either, was the cheapest car I found at a dealer in the month or so that I was looking!

As I've said, it's not all about money saving. It's the compromise between many things including money saving, load and cabin space, comfort (inc toys/spec), easy access for elderly passengers, major parts having been changed recently which in theory means less to go wrong now, enough power for me, something I won't get bored of within a week as its uncomfortable and poverty spec (thats the corsa off the list) and something that will hold value for a year or so.

Add to that, that I can't travel far, and even if I could I have no way of picking cars up, dont exactly have lots of mates to give me lifts lol. So it was even more of a bonus when i found a well specced Vectra with the right engine, full service history, MOT, new DMF etc in Ipswich. And for what I consider a decent price, around average tbh, there were even a couple of 120's in lower spec going for higher prices on autotrader/ebay at the same time (but too far away anyway).

Yes if I wanted to drive hundreds of miles I'm sure there are cheaper ones. Yes if I wanted a poverty spec 120 I could've paid less but I know I'd get bored with that very quickly. Yes if I had time to look then I could've got a cheaper one, but the HDi decided to self destruct as it was old and shit and rust has taken it's toll, now I've started stripping it Im so glad I did after seeing the amount of rust in areas you wouldn't normally see! Yes I'm sure you're full of ads of cheaper ones but in all honesty I really couldn't care less.

In the end I decided it wasn't worth it to save a hundred quid a year by buying a car that was too small and that I didn;t like. So I settled on large sallon style cars, which had to have a hatch rear for access. There aren't many about, then I narrowed that list down to the ones with decent deisel engines, balancing performance and economy with cheap tax and insurance...yes I only pay £480 to insure this, rather than £650 for the HDi lol. I was basically left with Vectras and Mondeos, and a budget of £4k at a push. The TDCI 130 bored me tbh, it didn't feel powerful enough for the vehicle, the same with the 120CDTi in the Vectra. The spec list on the higher end models of both were about the same, but the price was a lot higher for an 'X' mondeo (leathers, ESP etc) or an elite Vectra (leathers, sat nav etc) so I settled for the second best spec which is still miles ahead of the 306 (and so it should be 6 years on!). So then I was left with the choice of 2.2TDCi Titanium/Ghia Mondeo, or a 150CDTi Vectra - the Vectra won on costs, better mpg, cheaper insurance, same to tax. To be honest as I was literally on the last few days on the 306s MOT I would've taken the Mondeo that I'd seen (but didn't want to pay £4k) so I still don't know whether or not I made the right decision. I doubt it as I never make the right desicsion....but I'll also never know....

[lolsteve]

Would have gone for the polo, high mpg's and stance it

[Toms306]

Would have gone for the polo, high mpg's and stance it

Boring as hell, slow and specless, I was really disappointed with it after the Golf, thought they'd be comparable but it really is as bad a as a 106 is to a 306! I also looked at Ibiza's too while I was looking in the small eco catergory, but again they lost a lot of spec, didn't even have cruise control or climate control ffs lol!


And the idea of buying newer is so that I don't modify it lol...

[Niall]

Tom dont forget people want cars that cost 2-3k at the moment. A lot of people are being hit by this supposed recession we are having so instead of leasing a new car or spending 10k, they are buying much lower budget cars which is bad for the likes of you because dealers put their prices up, bad for us 6 owners because who the hell wants a 25mpg 2.0 petrol? Its only good for the dealers!

[Toms306]

Tom dont forget people want cars that cost 2-3k at the moment. A lot of people are being hit by this supposed recession we are having so instead of leasing a new car or spending 10k, they are buying much lower budget cars which is bad for the likes of you because dealers put their prices up, bad for us 6 owners because who the hell wants a 25mpg 2.0 petrol? Its only good for the dealers!

Yeah very true Niall. I just couldn't believe how much small, poverty spec cars with tiny engines that actually arent great on fuel either (~45mpg for ~60bhp is shit!) were up for. I actually did a huge spreadsheet (which I won't bore you with) working out the costs of loads of cars per year for myself and it turned out that the supposed 'Eco' cars only really saved in tax, fuel and insurance for the year was pretty much the same, and they have higher purchase prices as well. Doesn't make sense to why anyone would still be buying small petrols (why save £5 a month in tax and have to drive something horrible?) over diesels. The only reason I can think of is DPFs (which thankfully Vectra CDTi hatches dont have, a plus point over the mondeo!) and part costs which are higher for diesels than petrols often.

And as for big petrols, I could've done what my Dad does and buys big petrol engine cars for cheap (he currently drives a V6 Mondeo estate doing 20mpg average lol) but I know I'd never be able to sell on a big petrol as no-one wants them and the fuel bill would cripple me. I really did consider a £1000 GTi6 and spend the rest on fuel....but after working it out that wouldn't have been a wise choice lol. I do still hope to own a '6 one day, it certainly won't be as a daily though!

[Niall]

A lot of people are still under the impression though that diesels are noisy, dirty and unreliable when in reality, its quite the opposite. Dont forget, derv engines in your typical passenger car is quite a new thing.
The skoda had a old PD engine in from the early 00's. The kia has a modern common rail in it. Probably less than 8 years difference in the design dates of these engines and the difference is remarkable. The comparison was like comparing a John Deere and a Bentley.

[Toms306]

A lot of people are still under the impression though that diesels are noisy, dirty and unreliable when in reality, its quite the opposite. Dont forget, derv engines in your typical passenger car is quite a new thing.
The skoda had a old PD engine in from the early 00's. The kia has a modern common rail in it. Probably less than 8 years difference in the design dates of these engines and the difference is remarkable. The comparison was like comparing a John Deere and a Bentley.

Yeah you're right there actually, I was quite surprised with the CDTi tbh, diesels have come a long way in the last decade or so! It's so much quieter and smoother than both the HDi and the PD130. The noisiest part is the turbo spooling rather than a knocking diesel drone of the previous DERVs I've owned, due to it being 16 Valve maybe (but swirl flaps make it only 8V at idle anyway afaik), or newer injector design, or just simply better fuel metering and timings? I dunno, but my neighbour started up her PD115 Bora earlier and completely drowned out the Vec lol...and it didnt seem loud at all compared to the HDi lol!

[Jake]

A lot of people are still under the impression though that diesels are noisy, dirty and unreliable when in reality, its quite the opposite.

Agreed, my golf is a prime example the 2.0tfsi direct injection is a f*cking noisy engine for a petrol!

My friend has a gttdi MK V and honestly they sound the same at idle!

[C.A.R.]

So what is significantly different about the CDTi engine in the Vec from the JTDM badged Alfa Romeo 156s? As I was led to believe the engines were not vastly different, so I wouldn't call it a 'modern' engine as such, about the equivalent to a 16v HDi in fact. Hence the replacement of the 1.9 with the new 2.0 recently. Just saying, the 1.9 CDTi isn't as new as you might think.

You found the speed limiter yet?

[Just Sean]

is this lowered on clones yet?

[Toms306]

So what is significantly different about the CDTi engine in the Vec from the JTDM badged Alfa Romeo 156s? As I was led to believe the engines were not vastly different, so I wouldn't call it a 'modern' engine as such, about the equivalent to a 16v HDi in fact. Hence the replacement of the 1.9 with the new 2.0 recently. Just saying, the 1.9 CDTi isn't as new as you might think.

You found the speed limiter yet?

They are exactly the same aren't they, just a different engine cover afaik? But I didnt mean 'new' as such, just more modern tech, the PD for example is over 12 years old. And I don't know about 16v HDis, cant say I know anyone thats had one even, maybe they're better than the old 8v in 306s as well....

And no I haven't found the limiter yet. It's illegal to travel above 70mph on any road in the UK.

is this lowered on clones yet?

I wish! 5 stud unfortunately.

[Just Sean]

rota grids!!

[Toms306]

Lol. It's staying completely standard in all honesty. Mods are just a waste of time and money, I wish I'd realised this years ago!

Well, except my slippers in the footwell, picnic blanket on the parcel shelf and tissue box on the rear arm rest....