Good Reliable Used Manual Diesel Car

psarinuk

Hi,
I am looking to buy a used MANUAL diesel car ASAP with good fuel economy and low emissions preferably. Mainly town driven with occasional motorway, about 15-20K miles per annum.

I've been badly stung in the past by DMFs (Dual Mass Flywheel), so need to find a car without DMF and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter).

I used to own a 2001 Mk4 Astra G 1.7 DTI ECO4 that had a solid flywheel and no DPF, yet emissions were 118g CO2 leading to a road tax of £30 per year. It was one of my best cars ever.
Wonder what similar cars are out there at the moment.

I've been advised these so far by colleagues:
1. Citroen C1 1.4Hdi or Toyota Aygo 1.4 diesel. You can get these in 5 doors with air-con but I think they are too small!!
2. Kia Ceed 1.6 diesel: These look good, although emissions are slightly higher than my Astra 1.7 Dti.
3. Honda Civic 1.7 diesel: Available up to 2004 like my previous Astra, same engine as my Astra but higher emissions.

Can you please comment on these or advise any others?

Your help would be highly appreciated.

Ebe_Scrooge

Pretty much any modern-ish diesel will have a DPF - work of the devil, if you ask me ! From your description of your mileage and driving habits, you're going to be asking for trouble with a diesel. A small petrol-engined car would probably be a more sensible option - apart from anything else, you need to be doing significantly in excess of 20K per year to justify the extra initial cost of a diesel.

fivetide

psarinuk wrote: »

Hi,
I am looking to buy a used MANUAL diesel car ASAP with good fuel economy and low emissions preferably. Mainly town driven with occasional motorway, about 15-20K miles per annum.
.

This is what kills a DPF. Modern diesels don't like being run round town.

As above, get a small petrol motor and you should have a lot less grief.

psarinuk

My driving pattern does not just kill a DPF, it kills a DMF too. I always like to drive on the low revs in high gear (within reason), diesels give you the torque for that but the DMFs don't like that. Such expensive repairs for being green!!
For 20,000 miles pa, diesel makes more sense to me. Petrol running costs are simply too much week on week!!

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

psarinuk wrote: »

My driving pattern does not just kill a DPF, it kills a DMF too. I always like to drive on the low revs in high gear (within reason), diesels give you the torque for that but the DMFs don't like that. Such expensive repairs for being green!!
For 20,000 miles pa, diesel makes more sense to me. Petrol running costs are simply too much week on week!!

As an aside, IAM and RoSPA tend to suggest not driving like that. The mpg gains aren't massive, grinding along at low revs is not running the engine at its most efficient, and more revs give more control. In a manual, I'll now drive in 3rd in a 30 (sticking rigidly to the limit), though. On my speed awareness course a few years ago, one of the feeble excuses for not sticking to the limit was the inability of the car to do less than 35 in 5th, therefore going fast was the right thing to do. The extra control does make a difference to the ease of driving.

fivetide

psarinuk wrote: »

My driving pattern does not just kill a DPF, it kills a DMF too. I always like to drive on the low revs in high gear (within reason), diesels give you the torque for that but the DMFs don't like that. Such expensive repairs for being green!!
For 20,000 miles pa, diesel makes more sense to me. Petrol running costs are simply too much week on week!!

Well i think as pointed out, you might not find that much difference.

some of the new small petrols will get good performance and still turn in 50mpg.

You admit the way you drive is not good for modern diesels so I would say paying less for the fuel and perhaps using a tiny bit more of it (remember you'll only really see the economy on a long run which you admit to not doing) is a lot cheaper than a new DMF/DPF/engine.

Each to their own I guess.

getmore4less

Change the driving style.

A solid conversion is not that expensive if a DMF goes

go for a 1.9PD from the VAG Stable should be OK

Octavia is what the TAXI driver like and they are doing what you do but even more.


15k is a lot of town stuff( like 300pw) if only a bit of motorway say 5k.