Car is dead, help us find a new one.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

joshmammoth wrote: »

Get a golf. I have had many cars in my time but i always seem to go back to a golf! Honestly if you test drive even one you will be hooked. Ignore everyone else test drive a golf! best car i have ever driven EVER.

dont ignore everyone else, he maybe hooked on a golf and think their best thing to come out of germany, but there are many options out there.

jase1

joshmammoth wrote: »

Get a golf. I have had many cars in my time but i always seem to go back to a golf! Honestly if you test drive even one you will be hooked. Ignore everyone else test drive a golf! best car i have ever driven EVER.

Funny that. I've driven a MK4 Golf and found it boring to the point of tedium.

Frankly, there are a lot of Korean cars more interesting.

Wongsky

jase1 wrote: »

Funny that. I've driven a MK4 Golf and found it boring to the point of tedium.

Where MkIV Golfs are concerned, I'd rather have a Focus from that era.

jase1 wrote: »

Frankly, there are a lot of Korean cars more interesting.

FSVO of interesting.

And I suppose it depends on how recent we're talking about.2 or 3 years old, I wouldn't discount the Korean marques, older than that, though, and I'm not so sure they age so well.

jase1

Wongsky wrote: »

And I suppose it depends on how recent we're talking about.2 or 3 years old, I would discount the Korean marques, older than that, though, and I'm not so sure they age so well.

And VWs do? Have you seen the list of faults on HJ's site for the MKIV Golf?

Older Korean interiors get tatty (though stuff rarely actually breaks). But the engines and transmissions run and run. VWs look OK but are no more reliable then Vauxhalls.

Wongsky

jase1 wrote: »

And VWs do? Have you seen the list of faults on HJ's site for the MKIV Golf?

Dunno - I'm no fan of the MkIV Golf - it's not like I was defending them.

If you read, I was actually suggesting the Focus.

jase1 wrote: »

Older Korean interiors get tatty (though stuff rarely actually breaks). But the engines and transmissions run and run. VWs look OK but are no more reliable then Vauxhalls.

I'm under no illusions that VW's once, perhaps reasonably ascribed, reliability reputaton, is probably no better than other similar marques these days.

As to the Korean thing, though, it rather depends, some of them have known issues with gearboxes, and engine electricals that can be rather fragile - not to mention issues with fundamental things like door handles - Kia, I'm looking your way...

jase1

I've had a few of them (mostly Hyundai -- wouldn't touch an older Kia to be honest they were awful pre-takeover, and a lot of the models were carried over to around 2006) and have experienced no issues with boxes or electricals.

Accents had a problem with clutches for a while (but then which manufacturer hasn't?), but otherwise it and the Elantra were as solid as they come. The Sonata was even better, although the large petrol engines did it no favours in Europe.

One or two of the Kias from the early 2000s are worth a second look (Cerato and Magentis mainly) as these were just Hyundais with Mitsubishi GEMA engines in them.

Wongsky

jase1 wrote: »

I've had a few of them (mostly Hyundai -- wouldn't touch an older Kia to be honest they were awful pre-takeover, and a lot of the models were carried over to around 2006) and have experienced no issues with boxes or electricals.

Accents had a problem with clutches for a while (but then which manufacturer hasn't?), but otherwise it and the Elantra were as solid as they come. The Sonata was even better, although the large petrol engines did it no favours in Europe.

One or two of the Kias from the early 2000s are worth a second look (Cerato and Magentis mainly) as these were just Hyundais with Mitsubishi GEMA engines in them.

I've only had one Korean car - that I'm aware of, at least... - and not for that long - a year. If nothing else, I've learned what to avoid - edit: that probably sounds overly harsh - it's not meant to, I just mean that some Korean cars older than say 2 or 3 years, can have some flaws, that aren't that apparent, but yet can still make ownership quite a pain.

Late model - ie very modern stuff, from the last 2 or 3 years, is a different thing, but if we're talking about cars that were peers to the MkIV Golf, then I wouldn't go with Korean. Doubt I'd go with a Golf, either. A Focus or something from Honda, Toyota or Nissan.

jase1

Let's hope not an early 2000s Nissan with the choice of an engine whose chain stretches, or a French diesel...

Indeed, any common-rail diesel from a Japanese manufacturer who isn't called Mitsubishi (as they bought PD engines in from VW).

Korean petrol over early CR diesel from any manufacturer actually, whatever the age or marque. Wouldn't touch the latter with a ten foot pole.

And not a MK2 Focus either. Had one, dreadful heap.

Wongsky

jase1 wrote: »

Let's hope not an early 2000s Nissan with the choice of an engine whose chain stretches, or a French diesel...

Think chain stretch was only really problematic with the smaller engines, and those that didn't get their oil changed regularly - still, they didn't tend to snap.

And not all Nissans's used Renault's diesel engine, they did have their own.

Anyways, can't stand diesels - I'd only have one, now, if I really had to.

jase1 wrote: »

Indeed, any common-rail diesel from a Japanese manufacturer who isn't called Mitsubishi (as they bought PD engines in from VW).

Korean petrol over early CR diesel from any manufacturer actually, whatever the age or marque. Wouldn't touch the latter with a ten foot pole.

Thing is, aging Korean just leaves me thinking lots of other little poor quality things going wrong, as well as all the normal things that can go wrong.

Sure, if you research most models, you'll create your own little set of worries about what might be wrong.

jase1 wrote: »

And not a MK2 Focus either. Had one, dreadful heap.

I think the original Focus was very good - after all, that's the peer to the MkIV Golf.

Sure, there are some minor suspension irritations, engines can use a little oil as they age, but drive very well, 1.6 (petrol, of course) may not be inspiring, but is certainly reasonably powered, and quite economical.

Less than 3 years old, is quite a different picture - very modern / up-to-date stuff has come on, I'll grant you. But some things age a lot worse than others - and true enough - as you point out, aging diesel from that era can be painful, too - injectors, sensors, and turbo (and ancilliaries).