Diesel estate £6k max...any suggestions?

[ozvaldinho]

I'm looking for a long-term addition for my shoestring charity fleet, I have a maximum budget of £6000 and it has to be diesel. The car will be used as a workhorse, covering 30k miles per year until it's dead.
Any suggestions welcome, at the moment I'm thinking of a Skoda Octavia ( but not a former taxi hack!) or a Focus estate.
Reliability and longetivity are more important to us than looks or performance.

Cheers! :beer:

[AdrianHi]

Given your criteria, I think you've already found the answer without any help from here ;)
I cannot think of anything better than a Skoda Octavia Diesel.

[harveybobbles]

Scud's are ok, cheap to buy. Just watch out for turbo failure on the 2.0TDi ones.
Tho you can't really argue with the humble Mondingo. does what it needs. Ask any RAC/Aa man what car they go out to the least - Mondingo and focus.

[michael1983!!]

how about a mazda 6 estate?

[harveybobbles]

Heard lots of problems with people getting back ache in them...

[ozvaldinho]

I got burned on the Mazda 6 estate I bought 18 months back, turbo oil seal failure led to the engine seizing solid, no warning. 1 week outside the warranty. £8.5 k quote from Mazda for a new engine!
I worry about the clutch/dmf failure on the Mondeo diesel.

[harveybobbles]

I worry about the clutch/dmf failure on the Mondeo diesel.

Would that be the same unit they fit in the Mazda?

If you listen to the problems with every car, you'd never own another car in your life...!

[kiddy guy]

Volvo V70 - good for 200k miles without problem.

[smcaul]

Rover 75 Tourer! It uses the BMW 2.0 engine so virtually bullet proof. Very comfortable and cheap for what you get a well.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

At 30,000 miles per year I wouldn't buy anything that didn't have a 6 cylinder engine. Not if you value your hearing.

[MJAllen88]

Can't go wrong with Ford Modeo or Focus estates. Also Volvo's are solid :).

One thing i'd suggest is checking salvage yards. I'm not sure if you are familiar with them but they contain 100's of cars that are customs seizures etc. and you can get some very good deals. My uncle recently purchased a 2.0TDi 2005 Mondeo Estate for around £5k, with 80k on the clock.

It looks a bit like a hearse but it's solid and very reliable. Alot of salvage diesel cars are used for your kind of distance requirement by their previous owners generally, such as travelling reps. So they already have good, solid milage.

If that makes sense? :)

[AdrianHi]

I got burned on the Mazda 6 estate I bought 18 months back, turbo oil seal failure led to the engine seizing solid, no warning. 1 week outside the warranty. £8.5 k quote from Mazda for a new engine!
I worry about the clutch/dmf failure on the Mondeo diesel.
My wife has had a Mazda 6 petrol from new now 5.5 years old which we love so I do follow what goes on with this car.
I was about to say don't even think about the Mazda 6 diesel you can buy for £6K not that economical and do have well documented relaibility problems. The newer diesel engine fitted to the "facelift" Mazda 6 is great, not sure if £6K is enough to get one though. Still have that nasty £700-£800 service bill at 72K miles, so no cost advanatege with diesel in the long run and the eptrol engine raspy exhaust note suits the character of the 6 so well petrol really is the best way to have one.