buying an older car for commuting.

2»

Comments

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,452 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Cashback Cashier
    jimjames wrote: »
    Fopr under £3k I'd get a car with the VW PD 130 engine. So that's cars like Passat 5.5, Golf mk4, Bora, Skoda, Seat.

    I think that's a good shout too, but don't be too fussy about the 130 hp variant of the 1.9pd

    A colleague of mine has an audi A3 with the 105hp engine - solid reliable car.
  • Rolandtheroadie
    Rolandtheroadie Posts: 5,102 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    I stopped short of the pd, last car was the last of the 110bhp Passats. Just checked mot history, it's on 236k now and MOT'd till March next year.
    Previous to that, had an Audi 80 and a different Passat, both on over 220k miles when sold on.
    Think the 110 was avaliable in Skodas and Seats up to around 2003/2004.
  • jimjames
    jimjames Posts: 17,588 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    fatbelly wrote: »
    I think that's a good shout too, but don't be too fussy about the 130 hp variant of the 1.9pd

    A colleague of mine has an audi A3 with the 105hp engine - solid reliable car.

    The only thing to watch is that there are some of the later PD engines that were very troublesome such as the BXE variant. The earlier PD130, 115 and non PD 90/100/110 engines were all very good but non PD ones are getting old.
    Remember the saying: if it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is.
  • FrankRizzo
    FrankRizzo Posts: 223 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    jimjames wrote: »
    Fopr under £3k I'd get a car with the VW PD 130 engine. So that's cars like Passat 5.5, Golf mk4, Bora, Skoda, Seat.

    Hugely economical engine that's very reliable. My Golf cost me £500, just done nearly 10,000 miles in it since Feb without missing a beat. Mine has 150k miles on clock so 70k is nothing at all. My last 2 had 190k and 250k on them when I sold, both are still going according to their MOT.

    On long journey you can get over 67mpg, not bad for a 15 year old car
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcT3KtTuSNA

    Thanks for this info!
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 20,452 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Cashback Cashier
    I hadn't thought to check on an MOT of an old car until you suggested it.

    I used to have a 2001 Fabia estate with the 100hp PD engine. Sold it a few years ago.

    Still going strong at 15 years old and 130k!
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    I've put about 1,300 miles on our main sensible car in the last week or so, without the slightest hiccup. It's 19yrs old, and cost us £250. Average of a snidge under 50mpg, with cruise altitude around 80-85mph.

    Herefordshire -> Paris -> London -> Herefordshire -> London -> Herefordshire.
  • kmb500
    kmb500 Posts: 656 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    For £2-3K I would get something small and German / Japanese. High mileage is OK but for £2K you can for example get a sub-50K Audi A3 or A2 which will give you 50+ mpg.

    Personally I bought my car at 100,000 miles on the dot, and it did need a significant service but other than that it's had no problems whatsoever. Drives like new. Only real concern is the level of rust (my car is 15 years old).
  • jimjames
    jimjames Posts: 17,588 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    kmb500 wrote: »
    Personally I bought my car at 100,000 miles on the dot, and it did need a significant service but other than that it's had no problems whatsoever. Drives like new. Only real concern is the level of rust (my car is 15 years old).
    Which car is that? I wouldn't expect any German car to be suffering rust at that age but my Ford and Mazda had some serious rust at a much younger point in their life. My Golf still has no rust at 15 years.
    Remember the saying: if it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    The 19yo car I referred to earlier is French - and has zero rust.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173K Life & Family
  • 247.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards