Thinking long term

avantra

I was asked by our church elders to help finding a 2nd hand car for our minister.

The requirement is for an estate but it has to be without a clatch so pure automatic (T.converter), chain cam driven, can be petrol preferably or non dpf diesel.

car will do about 10k and his budget is up to 6-7k. Size is not an issue so small estate is also good.

Is there car like such for such tight budget?

forgotmyname

MK3 Mondeo estate. Get a 2L petrol automatic. £2000 - £3000 will get an immaculate one.

Made upto 2007. The later MK4 reverts back to a cambelt not a chain.

Manufacturers keep swapping backwards and forwards so one year maybe a chain but then a chain.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Kia Ceed estate, up to about late 09, Diesel if preferred has no DPF, bought well it will still have 2 or 3 years makers warranty to run.
Ceed warranty is 7 years max 100k miles.

After that point they gained a DPF but they don't feature in the usual suspects horror stories, i have no idea how to tell if DPF'd from outside the car so if around changeover point a poke nose under the bonnet is in order, do not ask the salesman about this for they, like politicians, will tell you what you want to hear, anything but the truth.

Obviously if you want petrol, then any age Ceed estate.

Or if preferred its cousin, Hyundai i30 estate, which has 5 years unlimited mileage warranty instead.

DKLS

Subaru Forester, that way he can tend to his flock in the worst conditions, if he went for the Turbo he would smile a lot more often.

AdrianC

I'm not quite sure why people have this huge mental block about cambelts, unless they know full well that they're planning to neglect maintenance.

avantra

AdrianC wrote: »

I'm not quite sure why people have this huge mental block about cambelts, unless they know full well that they're planning to neglect maintenance.

Because they cost a big wad to replace and well looked after chains don't.
The dear Rev need a car for the next ten years and there is simply no funds for so call 'high maintenance ' car.
The logic is: no clutch to replace, no cam belt to replace and no expensive fixes diesel style mainly DMF and DPF.

I am attracted to the Cee'd estate, how roomy is the boot?ū does it have a low loading bay?

AdrianC

avantra wrote: »

Because they cost a big wad to replace and well looked after chains don't.

Belts don't necessarily cost "a big wad" to change, and chains certainly do wear, stretch and jump teeth.

No clutch to replace, true, on a "traditional" auto - but autoboxes can and do fail, especially "sealed-for-life" ones which haven't had the fluid replaced additionally to the book maintenance schedule. No DMF, either. But if he's just locally bimbling, that's certainly a recipe for particulate filter issues. Might the small trade-off on fuel economy by going petrol be worthwhile for lower maintenance costs?

The_Biff

I have a feeling it's a hearse he wants!

avantra

AdrianC wrote: »

Belts don't necessarily cost "a big wad" to change, and chains certainly do wear, stretch and jump teeth.

No clutch to replace, true, on a "traditional" auto - but autoboxes can and do fail, especially "sealed-for-life" ones which haven't had the fluid replaced additionally to the book maintenance schedule. No DMF, either. But if he's just locally bimbling, that's certainly a recipe for particulate filter issues. Might the small trade-off on fuel economy by going petrol be worthwhile for lower maintenance costs?

I don't think that the chain driven cams are repair proof either, I just know there is no chain change intervals only regular servicing, so when planning a purchase like this in advanced I suppose he factors in the regular service but not necessarily future unknown repairs to the chain.

This is why the i30/Cee'd on the cards look like a good recommendation, these engines are non-interference chain-cam type and the auto box is a simple non-sealed for life auto. So he can think of this as a robust purchase.

No DPF is a must by the way if he does find a diesel tho a petrol is better for the 10k miles annually.

Even with the terrain we have here in the hills I never met anyone other than the farmers that really 'need' a 4x4, FWD is preferred tho.