£5k Small diesel car for long daily commuting, any hints?

hareng

I wouldnt assume because it has a made in Germany badge its a quality item, some things are dog rough.

Have a mate who killed two GM 1.7 diesels plus another mate unrelated.

The VAG 1.9TDI are really economical more so in Skodas for some reason over equivalent Audi, Seat and VW badge.

I would also check in to repair and maintenance costs.

Quite agree dont want to stretch an engine hogging fast lane with no power to get out of trouble.

Lum

I didn't say VWs were unreliable, just that the perception that the modern ones are massively more reliable than similar modern cars from Ford or Vauxhall is false, and as a result you pay more for a VW for no real gain.

If looking at much older cars, I'd definitely consider a VW as the VWs of those days were superior to equivalent Fords and Vauxhalls. I'd love another Mk2 Golf at some point, but at the age of car the OP is looking at, Ford and VX have caught up just fine.

As this is a moneysaving forum, I therefore recommend something from Ford or VX as you still pay more for a VW.

mikey72

Lum wrote: »

I'd love another Mk2 Golf at some point

I had one, it was the most boring car ever, and the paint fell off.

hareng

Quite agree the gap between Ford, GM and VAG have closed considerably the last 12 years.

Always was a Ford man to 2002 always on them, then ran a ZE2.2 VX into the ground 137k from 3k.
This time went for old VW mark4 AUQ engine 60K FSH thinking quality it will last, needs more spending on this than the GM in 9 years. Its widely publicised by users that you need a code reader of some description or pay £20 to £100 a pop for diagnosis. The VAG reader is about £200 and pays for itself in no time.
Money for old rope, this car is fully stamped by genuine VW dealers around the country plus loads of other detailed repairs inc 2 cam belts! - It was still with original engine oil and plugs. Have had similar with VX and Ford though, therefore must all be at it.

Lum

mikey72 wrote: »

I had one, it was the most boring car ever, and the paint fell off.

You must've got the wrong one then.

The one I had was a 1.8 petrol (not GTI) on an F reg that I paid £250 car. It was a lovely nippy little thing and one of the few FWD cars I've had that hasn't caused my partner to complain about the handling.

Unfortunately the tyre came off the wheel on xmas eve so we had to leave it outside her work, and by the time we got back to it someone had already stolen it.

interstellaflyer

rodenal wrote: »

Just to throw my hat in the ring here - I had a 1.3cdti astra as a temporary car (for about 3 months) and I found it terrible to drive. The engine is keen, but it's a 1.3cdti pulling along a car the size of an astra, adequate performance it does not have. I found I was constantly changing gears, no fun when you just want to rumble along the motorway. It was dangerous when the notn in the rev range for the turbo (i.e pulling out at roundabouts) The engine would be fine in the corsa I would say, but it's not for the astra. The 1.7 is ok, a bit noisy, not fast or particularly slow - nothing special nor offensive

Complete and utter rubbish, mine spends a lot of time either on the A34 or driving round Oxford, never once have I had reason to doubt its' performance, maybe you didn't have the 90ps version, I can hit the A34 at Milton Interchange and not have to move from 6th gear until I come off at Botley Interchange unless of coarse there are trafic problems, but then I choose to stick to speed limits and allow time for the journey.

Weird_Nev

Nope, sorry, but the 1.3 Cdti engine is the wrong engine in a big-ish car. I do drive one, they are gutless and with a very narrow power band. Sure, they make the car move, but the OP mentions Rotherhithe Tunnel? For the cut and thrust of London Driving, the 1.3 engine barely cuts it in the Corsa, and in the astra it's just too slow. It's also unrefined on longer journeys. It's adequate, it works, don't get me wrong, but there are better cars out there. GM is in financial woe for a reason!
I've driven the 1.4 Fiesta, the 1.4 and 1.6 Focus, the 1.3 Corsa and astra and the 1.4 Skoda Fabia, all diesels ,extensively over the last few years.
My order of preference is: Skoda first (VW have the same engine in the polo), then ford, then vauxhall. Sorry.

interstellaflyer

Funny thing about my supposedly inadequate Astra, I live in a Rural area, at the top of a hill, the last 2 winters we have had bad snow and ice and we are off the gritters route yet my little car got me to work and back every day, a round trip of nearly 30 miles, it also got me to the shops and back (no shops in village) so we didn't go without food, milk bread etc.

Lum

Actually he described your car as "adequate" not "inadequate", though for London driving I wouldn't be so sure, it's a totally different world to where you live.

And yes it's a well known fact that low power, low torque FWD cars with skinny tyres tend to fare better in the snow than heavier torquier cars which are more likely to break traction

rodenal

interstellaflyer wrote: »

Complete and utter rubbish, mine spends a lot of time either on the A34 or driving round Oxford, never once have I had reason to doubt its' performance, maybe you didn't have the 90ps version, I can hit the A34 at Milton Interchange and not have to move from 6th gear until I come off at Botley Interchange unless of coarse there are trafic problems, but then I choose to stick to speed limits and allow time for the journey.

Odd attitude, if that's what you think then fair enough but I don't agree in any way shape or form, if the OP thinks the engine is worth considering one then the best thing they could do is go and find one to drive, but also drive other examples of the car. The 1.3 cdti is out of it's league in an Astra....IMO....having driven one for many miles (and swearing at it on a regular basis) and comparing it against similar cars.