What estate car & engine size? £3k to spend

AlexLK

bodgerx - We've got a 2002 530i and it's been nothing but a great car, wife has had BMWs her whole driving career. In short we love them and have no horror stories to report.

Road tax band is not everything (ours is £280 per year), some of the smaller engined diesels are probably cheaper and no car is going to be 100% reliable.

attila_

Ford focus 1.6 tdci. V cheap, 60mpg+ and at that mileage diesel is more than adequate. The budget is £3k not a new car!

worried_jim

attila_ wrote: »

Ford focus 1.6 tdci. V cheap, 60mpg+ and at that mileage diesel is more than adequate. The budget is £3k not a new car!

But it has the dreaded P.S.A. engine which will fail. Avoid this car at all costs, but go for the 1.8tdci.

System

I recently picked up a volvo v50 in this price bracket, 1.8 petrol (which is fine for me) full leather interior/parking sensors etc, i think it's the same platform as the mondeo but it's not a mondeo

bodgerx

worried_jim wrote: »

But it has the dreaded P.S.A. engine which will fail. Avoid this car at all costs, but go for the 1.8tdci.

The 1.6 does have turbo problems, granted. But if anything the 1.8 diesel is worse. Suffers from a wider variety of problems and is far from the best Eco vs power. It is also is lacking torque big time below 2000rpm.

bodgerx

the_r_sole wrote: »

I recently picked up a volvo v50 in this price bracket, 1.8 petrol (which is fine for me) full leather interior/parking sensors etc, i think it's the same platform as the mondeo but it's not a mondeo

It is the Ford C1 platform, which basically means it's a Focus in Volvo drag.

bodgerx

AlexLK wrote: »

bodgerx - We've got a 2002 530i and it's been nothing but a great car, wife has had BMWs her whole driving career. In short we love them and have no horror stories to report.

Road tax band is not everything (ours is £280 per year), some of the smaller engined diesels are probably cheaper and no car is going to be 100% reliable.

A 530i?? Looking at Fuelly.com most people seem to be averaging about 25mpg. I note the OP's original brief:

"I'm looking for a reliable, economical replacement".

Despite you protests of reliability, there is no way I would be recommending a 12 year old German barge as a sure reliability bet. Just one significant problem on these things can effectively right them off - there is a reason why they are so relatively cheap at this age.

I put it to you that 25mpg is not classed as economical. At the OP's 10k a year, with petrol at the current prices, they will have worked their way through almost the entire value of the car in petrol costs IN THE FIRST YEAR.

You are nuts!!

Hintza

Here is one that I wouldn't have considered buy on image it should be quite cheap and a relatively good car. Our neighbours car went in for long term surgery and they borrowed a Primera Estate and think it is great.

Primera Estate?

OddballJamie

bodgerx wrote: »

The 1.6 does have turbo problems, granted. But if anything the 1.8 diesel is worse. Suffers from a wider variety of problems and is far from the best Eco vs power. It is also is lacking torque big time below 2000rpm.

The 1.6 for reliability is an awful engine, any fuel savings made over petrol will be used in repairs. At 10,000 miles a year the OP will also have the added fun of DPF and EGR issues along with known turbo faults.

Is it really worth the gamble?

bodgerx

OddballJamie wrote: »

The 1.6 for reliability is an awful engine, any fuel savings made over petrol will be used in repairs. At 10,000 miles a year the OP will also have the added fun of DPF and EGR issues along with known turbo faults.

Is it really worth the gamble?

I think you misunderstood. I was not advocating buying that. In fact I accepted that this is the case.

I drive a direct injection petrol and wouldn't consider a diesel for the reasons you state.

I was purely making the point that the 1.8 is probably worse than the 1.6.