Used Cars with over 100K miles?

gazfocus

I am currently looking for a used car on a tight budget and I must say I'm really struggling. I want something reasonably economical so was thinking of getting a Diesel, and it needs to be an Automatic as I've only got an automatic license, but everything that looks half decent has over 100,000 miles on the clock otherwise is out of my price range (about £1500 max).

I want to avoid Ford cars (because their automatics are awful), so can anyone advise what cars to look out for?

I'm going to look at a 2005 Vectra on Sunday but that has 137k on it so really not sure, although it's only £1000.

BeenThroughItAll

gazfocus wrote: »

I am currently looking for a used car on a tight budget and I must say I'm really struggling. I want something reasonably economical so was thinking of getting a Diesel, and it needs to be an Automatic as I've only got an automatic license, but everything that looks half decent has over 100,000 miles on the clock otherwise is out of my price range (about £1500 max).

I want to avoid Ford cars (because their automatics are awful), so can anyone advise what cars to look out for?

I'm going to look at a 2005 Vectra on Sunday but that has 137k on it so really not sure, although it's only £1000.

What sort of driving do you do? How many miles per year? What kind of trips? What kind of car do you need?

Tilt

Probably been thrashed up and down the motorway all it's life. I'm sure you can find something else better for the same money knocking around.

harveybobbles

Vauxhall auto is a nice box. Pity it's mated to the awful diesel engine..

do you really need diesel? Are you doing over 30,000 miles a year? Or just one trip a month thats about 100 miles?

gazfocus

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

What sort of driving do you do? How many miles per year? What kind of trips? What kind of car do you need?

Mainly motorway driving. I only work 11 miles from home and about 7 miles of that is motorway. Annual mileage is a bit unknown at the moment as my wife has started driving and she has a 2010 C4 Picasso Diesel so she may end up doing most of the driving, but I don't know at the moment.

Normally, my car gets the most use (because I like driving). My current car is a Ford Fiesta 1.4 Automatic, and I've been doing about 16,000 miles per year in it, but it's awful to drive and uneconomical.

Tilt wrote: »

Probably been thrashed up and down the motorway all it's life. I'm sure you can find something else better for the same money knocking around.

I've seen a couple of Petrol Vectra Automatics with about 80k on them but I couldn't afford to run a 2.2 Petrol engine

harveybobbles wrote: »

Vauxhall auto is a nice box. Pity it's mated to the awful diesel engine..

do you really need diesel? Are you doing over 30,000 miles a year? Or just one trip a month thats about 100 miles?

Can you expand on the 'awful diesel engine'? I have seen some Petrol Automatic Vectra's but a 2.2L petrol engine isn't going to be cheap to run.

I mainly want a car that's economical and comfortable. I don't do over 30,000 miles a year, but on top of to/from work, I would say I currently do 1 x 100 mile trip per week.

harveybobbles

Well the Vauxhall/Fiat/Saab/Alfa 1.9 diesel engine is just shocking.

Not enough room on here to lis the faults. Don't be fooled into thinking diesels are economical.. as a diesel auto the Vectra will do mid to late 30's to be honest. The 2.2 petrol auto maybe early 30's in the real world.

Also, the Vectra has quite firm seats.

fivetide

Old Merc.


Those guys know how to put a autobox together. You'll be wafted along and a diesel will be spot on.


Likeyhood is it will have been well looked after too at this point as anything that hasn't wouldn't be on the road.


See here 160,000 miles on it but you can run it on chip fat.


1999 C250 TD
Owned since 2011
2.5L 5 cylinder Turbo Diesel
5 Speed Auto
161,700 miles
MOT until Feb 2015
Cruise Control, Speed Limiter.
Bluetooth Handsfree, Radio/CD
Electric Windows
Power Steering
Air Conditioning
PDC
HID Lights
Recent Service (next due approx 11k miles).
All tyres excellent (1 new due to puncture)
Factory fit detachable tow bar.
Recent battery.
Loads of Service History
2x Keys



https://www.flickr.com/photos/115650227@N06/sets/72157648474700558/


Once it dies you can weigh it in for £300 of scrap so £600 for the whole thing.


Look around. There is a reason so many places use these as taxis and there are plenty of them still tramming around Africa!

BeenThroughItAll

I wouldn't worry about 100k+ on a modern diesel. My Auto V70 2.4D5 does 45MPG average, and has around 133K on it now. I've done 12K trouble-free miles in the eight months I've had it. Interior and exterior are in VGC too, even the leather hasn't worn on the driver's bolster.

For my money, I'd be looking for an S80/V70 D5, or something from VAG with the 1.9TDI PD in it. Either will do over 250K easily and you can find them for less than £1500 easily. A Skoda Superb 1.9TDI 130 Auto would do you.

gazfocus

harveybobbles wrote: »

Well the Vauxhall/Fiat/Saab/Alfa 1.9 diesel engine is just shocking.

Not enough room on here to lis the faults. Don't be fooled into thinking diesels are economical.. as a diesel auto the Vectra will do mid to late 30's to be honest. The 2.2 petrol auto maybe early 30's in the real world.

Also, the Vectra has quite firm seats.

Thanks - I guess it's all down to taste really. We read reviews saying the C4 Picasso Automatic was awful but both my wife and I love it.

I had an old 1999 Vectra when I was learning to drive and really liked it, but it was a petrol engine.

I won't dismiss petrol engines and will go and take a look at a couple over the weekend

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about 100k+ on a modern diesel. My Auto V70 2.4D5 does 45MPG average, and has around 133K on it now. I've done 12K trouble-free miles in the eight months I've had it. Interior and exterior are in VGC too, even the leather hasn't worn on the driver's bolster.

For my money, I'd be looking for an S80/V70 D5, or something from VAG with the 1.9TDI PD in it. Either will do over 250K easily and you can find them for less than £1500 easily. A Skoda Superb 1.9TDI 130 Auto would do you.

Thanks. I've just has a look and the only Skoda Superb Auto within 25 miles of my postcode has 161k miles and is £1590, so more miles than the vectra I was considering.

BeenThroughItAll

gazfocus wrote: »

Thanks. I've just has a look and the only Skoda Superb Auto within 25 miles of my postcode has 161k miles and is £1590, so more miles than the vectra I was considering.

Considerably better car, though, with a bulletproof engine and a decent auto box. There's plenty of them around with well over 300K on, still happily churning out 40+MPG in comfort.

I forget most people won't travel a decent distance to buy a car!

Angry_Bear

harveybobbles wrote: »

Well the Vauxhall/Fiat/Saab/Alfa 1.9 diesel engine is just shocking.

Which model/year? My OH has a Vauxhall 1.9 diesel that runs great and gets over 70 to the gallon on mortoway driving. The specific engine variety makes quite a big difference.

I'm no expert, but my understanding is that a chain-driven diesel engine can be expected to last a good 200k, so 100k shouldn't really be a worry.

However, if you're doing a lot of miles, the extra to get a newer car might pay for itself in terms of fuel economy as this has changed so much over the last 10 years.