Car longevity-Mazda v BMW v VW

Yorky1

I intend to purchase a two-year old car and keep for about ten years.

The three choices of car - disparate, I know - are:

BMW 1 series coupe diesel
Mazda 3 diesel
VW Scirocco diesel

Having reviewed the last few years' Which? reports, the Mazda seems to have the best track record but I really like the style of the BMW despite its average brand reliabilty record. The VW is also average but again, I like the style.

The BMW's 'most common faults' for cars aged 4-8 years are 'non-engine electrics' at 29% , which seems excessive. What might this mean and would it be expensive to fix?

Objectively, the Mazda seems to be the best buy but I'm almost seduced by the BMW and Scirocco looks.

Any advice would be appreciated.

motorguy

Yorky1 wrote: »

I intend to purchase a two-year old car and keep for about ten years.

The three choices of car - disparate, I know - are:

BMW 1 series coupe diesel
Mazda 3 diesel
VW Scirocco diesel

Having reviewed the last few years' Which? reports, the Mazda seems to have the best track record but I really like the style of the BMW despite its average brand reliabilty record. The VW is also average but again, I like the style.

The BMW's 'most common faults' for cars aged 4-8 years are 'non-engine electrics' at 29% , which seems excessive. What might this mean and would it be expensive to fix?

Objectively, the Mazda seems to be the best buy but I'm almost seduced by the BMW and Scirocco looks.

Any advice would be appreciated.

A lot of BMWs come with expensive SATNAV and electronic options which could skew the results. I think even they're auto boxes are primarily electronic these days.

Personally, of the three, i'd have the VW. Maybe the Mazda *might* be more reliable, but perceived reliabilty wouldnt be my deciding factor

Inactive

Mazda is far more reliable than the German options, any car that isn't reliable is an expensive nuisance in my book.

Horizon81

Given the general reliability of VW these days (not good) and the reports of BMW non engine electrics (above) I'd go for the Mazda, but drive a hard bargain when you buy it. The Mazda 3 is not really a popular or desirable car.

Strider590

Yorky1 wrote: »

I intend to purchase a two-year old car and keep for about ten years.

The three choices of car - disparate, I know - are:

BMW 1 series coupe diesel
Mazda 3 diesel
VW Scirocco diesel

If keeping a car THAT long, you really don't want to be buying Diesel....

When you count in the cost of DPF's, DMF's and all the other problems that modern diesels develop, your diesel related fuel savings will seem like a tiny drop in a very large ocean.

Yorky1

Strider590 wrote: »

If keeping a car THAT long, you really don't want to be buying Diesel....

When you count in the cost of DPF's, DMF's and all the other problems that modern diesels develop, your diesel related fuel savings will seem like a tiny drop in a very large ocean.

But a petrol engine won't do the mileage like a diesel will

motorguy

any of these cars will last an easy 10 years without a great deal of hassle.

I definitely wouldnt be proposing buying a car based on possible future reliability especially to drive 10 years.

Flying-High_2

Everyone bricks it at the thought of a modern Diesel:rotfl:and start wailing of DMF and DPF failure...

Over 10years with a Diesel hitting 55ish mpg I could save best part of £15k on fuel with the daily commute I'm currently doing... Plenty enough for a DMF or DPF but....

what baffles me... is with DMFs in a lot of cases Solid mass versions are available as replacements from LUK and the like.. ECPS usually list them if available.... But people stick another DMF in... priceless:rotfl:

And its possible in many cases to remove the DPF and deactivate its functions from the ECU.... Eliminating that problem aswell

Yorky1

pgilc1 wrote: »

I definitely wouldnt be proposing buying a car based on possible future reliability especially to drive 10 years.

Thanks. What do you mean by this?

motorguy

Yorky1 wrote: »

Thanks. What do you mean by this?

If your strongest preference is for the BMW, for example, then i wouldnt buy the Mazda just because it *might* be more reliable. 10 years is a long time to drive a car. You would be as well chosing the one you really want.

Lirin

I'd go less by the books and more by which actual car you look at. I've had plenty of cars- I'm currently driving a 15 year old Proton which is just over 130,000 miles.
I've had a Ford Encore before, which did 220,000, and a family car that has to be close to 20 years old is still going strong at almost 300,000 (you can press your finger on the bodywork, and push through, but local mechanic keeps it to get around his farm- hasn't been on the road in years....)

I would rather choose a car based on how easy it is to look after- modern cars have way more electrics/electronics which can be tricky and expensive to maintain.

I'd say choose the one you really like- you probably have one in mind out of the three. It's about how you maintain it as well- you could buy a year old car, but if you don't service it, maintain it, something's going to go. I've seen plenty of young cars destroyed because people can't do oil changes, watch belt conditions, check engines.

As long as you're prepared to maintain, each of those cars will easily do 10 years if properly looked after.