Diesel Cars

amc1

Hi, looking for advice on diesel cars - they seem to be quite a bit more expensive so do you really save on the fuel consumption ? Which make/models have good reputations (looking for low mileage (but not new), 1.6+, aircon, hatchback) ?

Also, would potentially be looking to part-ex at a garage for my existing petrol car - any tips for this type of transaction ? or would I better selling/buying in the private market ?

thanks,

John_3:16

If you can sell private go for that. then go to a car suppermarket if you don't ant the hassle of non warenty etc.

Lots of questions
How many miles do you do a year
how much have you got to spend?

The focus has a good name diesel wise at the moment?

daymo

We have 2.0 Hdi Xsara Picasso,it is very economical and due to low emmisions only costs £115 a year tax.Its a great family car.They are also cheap to buy...

sexy_fufu

Ive got a diesel Astra, Great im saving about £15 per month in fuel.

i do about 200 miles a week i think.

simes

i also have a Picasso HDI 2 litre diesel.
I can easily get 50+ MPG. Thats much better than i ever achieved in a 1 litre petrol Micra.
Get an SX model and you get aircon ( as well as remote C/L , elec windows/mirrors , heated mirrors/ ABS).

Look for a Citroen or Peugeot car with a HDI engine , or a Seat/ Volkswagon / Skoda with a TDI engine or a Ford with a TDCI engine.
These are the best diesels that are widely available.
Don't buy an old ford TD or any old standard diesel engines car. They are much slower and less economical. You need the newer engines i mentioned above. A peugeot/ citroen HDI will be cheapest as they have been out longer.

By far the best way is to sell yours private and then go to a large car supermarket. If you part-exchange you will loose hundreds. most dealer will only give less than the lowest book price ( trade) for part-ex cars nowdays even if its A1 with FSH .

amc1

John_3:16 wrote:

If you can sell private go for that. then go to a car suppermarket if you don't ant the hassle of non warenty etc.

Lots of questions
How many miles do you do a year
how much have you got to spend?

The focus has a good name diesel wise at the moment?

Probably about 15000 miles per year and approx. £6k.

how's the reliability of the citroen ?

moonrakerz

The more miles you drive the more you save.

I went from a 2.0L petrol Mondeo to a 2.0L TDCI Mondeo, the petrol averaged 36 mpg, the diesel 47. I will never buy another petrol car. a modern diesel is far superior in all ways apart from top speed, I think the "book" speeds for the two Mondeos were 128mph and 125 - never had the chance to see if that was true.

A diesel Focus is a good car, but as someone has already said don't buy the old TDI engine, it came out of a tractor I think !

balsingh

Let me throw a spanner into the works. I have recently bought an LPG BMW 318i. It returns about 32mpg on LPG ... but remember that LPG is almost half the price of petrol ... so that almost 64mpg equivalent.

Quinny_2

The only down side to HDi engined French cars,is that they are good when they are working,but can be expensive to repair,when they go wrong.

How do I know?

I have a 99 406 HDi,and the common weakspot on them,is the bottom crank pulley.Dealer price for the part=£142. (Spurious ones are available for half that.) Labour is extra.I had to have mine replaced on Friday.If you don't replace it when it is tick tick ticking,then kiss goodbye to your engine when the pulley disintergrates.

Also a problem,although not as often,is the high pressure fuel pump.I have heard that it can be up to £1k to replace,but as that hasn't happened to me yet,I can't confirm it.

On the plus side,when they run right,I don't think anything can beat them.I do love mine to bits,and would probably replace it with another,when the time comes.

Ken.

code-a-holic

I have a 1.9 Sharan TDI. Spending so little on diesel compared to 1.6 petrol scenic. Do 43mpg, usually better and do narrow windy roads. My husbands Bors TDI does the same.

schmooser

... I've just gone through this myself and opted for a Skoda Octavia estate 1.9TDi, it's four and a half years old and slightly higher mileage but it's a good size (huge boot), does easily 55mpg and tax is much less than the petrol version (110 per year instead of 190) it cost me around 5K privately. (I lost out by a couple of days on a very similar one at a Skoda Dealer for 6K)

If you don't want that size car maybe opt for the Fabia, that should probably get better economy. But nowadays they are one of the most reliable makes (along with a couple of the japanese makes).

I would go diesel over petrol all the time now, even though my mileage is right down now, they are generally more reliable and go longer than their petrol counterparts. A definite choice if you're planning on keeping a car for a long time, rather then planning on selling it on in a couple of years.