Which car would you buy?

ButterCheese

It's a toss of a coin really if both have full service history.  You could look on the MOT and see what miles have been covered over the years - lots in one year would suggest fewer but longer trips which is arguably better. 

I'd have a look at both sets of receipts and see if any are on the original clutch and flywheel, or has it been replaced?  At 100k miles you're looking at £1200 for a new clutch and flywheel kit.  Or sooner if it's done a lot of towing.  Mine went at 120k and never towed anything, but city traffic also strains the clutch a great deal too

FlorayG

sheslookinhot said:

Have you looked at the MoT history ?

Has either car had a recent cam belt change ? 

I will check both, thank you. They are both with a dealer been traded in for new

fatbelly

sheslookinhot said:

Has either car had a recent cam belt change ? 

Could be belt or chain depending on the engine

If chain, both will be on the originals

If belt, ideally they would have had two changes. If only one, budget for doing it or negotiate with the dealer for doing it.

If it's a belt and never done, I'd be worried but if main dealer serviced, should have been done 2018-20 and just now!

FlorayG

They are both chain driven

paul_c123

Go for the one with a towbar, if you need a towbar. It costs money to fit them and doesn't add any value to the car, so its a bonus to find one with.

CliveOfIndia

paul_c123 said:

Go for the one with a towbar, if you need a towbar. It costs money to fit them and doesn't add any value to the car, so its a bonus to find one with.

You make a very valid point.  My niggling worry is always "what sort of towing has the car done previously" ?  If it's done a lot of heavy-duty towing, especially with a less-than-sympathetic driver, is the clutch, gearbox etc. on its last legs and is there an expensive repair bill looming in the very near future?

It's nigh-on impossible to tell, of course, and it may have done nothing more than towed a caravan for 20 miles once a year, or taken a couple of loads of garden waste to the local tip.  But it's just something that's always in the back of my mind when buying used cars.

jimjames

paul_c123 said:

Go for the one with a towbar, if you need a towbar. It costs money to fit them and doesn't add any value to the car, so its a bonus to find one with.

I agree. If the car has had a hard life it will probably show in the interior and exterior of the car. If both look in a similar condition then the tow bar might have been used for light work. I've got a tow bar but it's used for a bike rack for example.

forgotmyname

Missing the important information...   Where is the service history?   Which one comes with receipts for work done?

Without those neither of them.

photome

re the cam belt …looks like these models are chains but if it was a belt VW have changed the interval to something like 150000 miles or 15 years …can’t remember the exact interval

Herzlos

The good thing with the 2014 with the towbar is that it's a private seller who seems to look after it, and it's an automatic so they can't have done much damage towing. It's also the 177bhp diesel so shouldn't have much hassle towing.

Since it's private, you should be able to get a good idea of what they towed when you go to look at it. You can always ask if they can demonstrate the towbar electrics and see what they connect it to.

So I'd go for that.

Though I will say, being MSE and a tight budget, VW are a premium brand, you'd get a younger car with less miles if you went for something less fancy like the Dacia Duster. They aren't quite as powerful though so may not be suitable if you're towing something heavy.

This duster is well specced, £500 less, 3 years and 24k miles younger, will be cheaper to maintain but doesn't have a tow bar; https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501218237437