what about this one then?!

motorguy

sparkychris wrote: »

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505263790793/sort/priceasc/channel/cars/postcode/sy14yg/radius/10/usedcars/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/3000/page/3/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew?logcode=p

Far more than I wanted to pay..... But what do we think of this one team?

Go on..... Put me off

Bad engine, and a particularly bad year for that bad engine.

The petrol variants are fine though, as are the 2.0HDIs. Not sure if dual mass flywheels were fitted in this year, but worth checking out as its a common failing on later 2.0HDIs

forgotmyname

motorguy wrote: »

Its not lowered.

As has been said already, its ES spec so it gets sports suspension, which sits lower than standard. Also rear springs can be problematic so that could be the cause.

That appears to be lower than other similar vehicles.

Do they have a self levelling setup on those?

sparkychris

motorguy wrote: »

Unless you have a particular fetish, i dont see any reason to pay a premium to buy what is a poverty spec premium brand car. You would be better off with a Mondeo.

Also, do you do enough miles to warrant a diesel? You might be better off with a petrol variant - less problematic and cheaper.

I work about 25 miles away and very occasionally I need to get to other parts of the country. A couple of times a year I drive to holland

I have no fetish for anything... Quite the opposite. A car to me is a tool. I don't care what it looks like, I just want it to be cheap as chips, never ever break down and be economical.

I currently drive an audi a4 estate with 220000 miles which I bought for 800 quid two years ago and has done me proud bur I need to draw the line on how much I'm spending on repairs. Currently need a wheel bearing, new windscreen, two tyres and there's an odd noise coming from it. I also have to pump all the tyres up at least once a week because the alloys are s###

Still driving it but keeping one eye on the banger end if the market for a replacement.

I put money into a car fund every payday which currently stands at 2500 which covers everything except diesel...

sparkychris

I have to add... Whilst I stated that I don't care what it looks like, I wouldn't want to be openly laughed at, hit with sticks or spat at in the street.... So that rules out a fiat multipla.

force_ten

motorguy said you would be better off with a mondeo, and i would second that

I have owned three mondeos and i am more than happy with them, i am not a high mileage user and have always had petrol variants two 1.8L and one 2.0L

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505213669436/sort/default/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/channel/cars/postcode/sy11de/price-to/2500/price-from/1500/usedcars/make/ford/radius/200/maximum-mileage/up_to_50000_miles/page/1/model/mondeo?logcode=p

that is the sort of thing i would be looking for, very low miles full service history and a petrol variant so less troublesome than a diesel variant

that one i linked to subject to inspection and test drive looks to be worth every penny of the asking price but worth trying with a slightly lower offer but at that price range dont insult the guy

same sort of thing applies to a run of the mill vauxhall rep mobile but my first choice would be the mark 3 mondeo

harveybobbles

God that Mondeo is very miserable.. 1.8LX. Yawn.

You can get lots of Ghia X/Titaniums for that sort of money.

Avoid diesels unles you get the early, slower tddi which are bombproof.

another car which is generally seen as a 'tool' is the Accord estate.

force_ten

harveybobbles wrote: »

God that Mondeo is very miserable.. 1.8LX. Yawn.

You can get lots of Ghia X/Titaniums for that sort of money.

Avoid diesels unles you get the early, slower tddi which are bombproof.

another car which is generally seen as a 'tool' is the Accord estate.

it might be entry level with not a lot of toys and extras but it is a nice car in tidy condition with all the airbags and safety features that you could possibly need

I think less is more as a car gets older and the less toys and extra you have in a car the less there is to cost you money

that mondeo has everything you need to get from A to B in reasonable comfort, In a new car it is nice to have a vast array of extras but as the car gets older and they start to cause problems they are not going to get fixed as the cost becomes prohibitive compared to the cost of the car

My way of thinking is if you are buying an 8-10 year old car then KISS and the less the car has got the less it will cost to maintain as it gets on in the years

sparkychris

force_ten wrote: »

it might be entry level with not a lot of toys and extras but it is a nice car in tidy condition with all the airbags and safety features that you could possibly need

I think less is more as a car gets older and the less toys and extra you have in a car the less there is to cost you money

that mondeo has everything you need to get from A to B in reasonable comfort, In a new car it is nice to have a vast array of extras but as the car gets older and they start to cause problems they are not going to get fixed as the cost becomes prohibitive compared to the cost of the car

My way of thinking is if you are buying an 8-10 year old car then KISS and the less the car has got the less it will cost to maintain as it gets on in the years

Have to agree with this.

I think that Mondeo looks fine... Although I do think I want a diesel, and the fact its so far away makes it a no. Am working loads at the minute so need to find something more local as I don't have time to do 140 mile round trips to look at cars, sadly.

My current car was outside a house on a residential street with a sign in the window... So no forecourt overheads to pay. Just a family that had a new car and an old one to flog...

forgotmyname

1.8 petrol MK3 is the one to avoid. They canb have oil burning issues where the 2L petrol doesnt.
I sold my 2L petrol in 2009 with 150k miles and it was still running well and its still on the road now, I wonder what the mileage is.

harveybobbles

Mosty stuff on Mondeo's can be sorted pretty easy.

Still think the 1.8LX is a miserable car. Get a Ghia X - theres not much to go wrong with leather seats..

Or get a Passat TDi 2001-2004.