Second Car Ideas

[Dave]

Ok, back on the radar for this one, except I'm getting rid of the Astra and going for a diesel...........

Budget is up to 6K, cash in hand so haggling to be had, I'd imagine I could get at least 500 off most cars with a wave of a wad of notes!!!

Any ideas?? I'm now thinking of a Pug 307 1.4 diesel, around 2005..........

On a side note, if anyone knows someone who wants a 2006 Opel Astra Life, 1.4 petrol, going reasonably cheap, going for €7750 (cheapest on carzone) I'd let it go for a good bit less than that!

[Muad_dib77]

Dave if you're going the 307hdi route I'd defo recommend that you do your damndest to get the 1.6version..much nippier than the 1.4 -its like night and day really..

test drove both when the golf was canged..cant remember what years they were but even then there was good value to be had in the pugs... Surprisingly comfy and spaceous.

Here's one.. it's a dealer so there's defo room for a haggle..

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Peugeot/30 ... annel=CARS

Im sure there's other cheaper ones out there..

[colm_mcm]

There are much better options than the 307 out there.

The 307 was placed 158th out of 159 cars tested in the Top Gear Survey of 2005,
It also ranked No.99 out of 113 2-3 year old cars tested by TÜV in 2007.

Added to this, the 1.4 HDI is very underpowered (70bhp or something) the 1.6 is much better - but also newer so more expensive.

[Dave]

Well I'm completely open to suggestions, anything and everything, as long as it's diesel and will chuck out a healthy MPG.... my brother has a 06 Focus diesel and it only gets about 45mpg, I have heard the smaller diesels get better economy, is this actually the case??

[colm_mcm]

Smaller CARS get better economy. In my experience of having different company cars, the engine size has very little bearing on the fuel economy. Factors I've found that make a difference.

Weight of the car
Gearing at high speeds

Generally big cars with small engines (407 1.6 HDI, Laguna 1.5 dCi, Corolla 1.4 D-4D etc) will do good enough fuel economy at 55mph, which is about the speed they're doing when tested for emissions figures etc, but get them above this speed to 75mph and the economy drops drastically. even if they have a 6th gear fitted, the engine is under pressure going up hills and overtaking.

I found this on autotrader, 2003 Avensis 2.0 D-4D with 40,000 miles, these are phenomonal on juice, and nippy too. this one has satnav and aircon.
would work out at €5065 plus travel costs.
Granted it's not as modern as a 307 (A lot of the design being based on the Carina E) but I reckon it's better than anything else for the money.

AD HERE

[Dave]

Ok Astra is gone now!!!

Going to go looking at a few cars tomorrow....

2005 Opel Corsa 1.3
2003 Honda Civic 1.7
2005 Citroen C3 1.4
05/06 Mitsi Colt 1.5
03/04 Clio 1.5


Any one got any final suggestions or warnings on the above??

(Colm, I'll still look into that Avensis, but it might just prove uneconomical on Jen's insurance and tax as it will be insured in her name because the RRS is in mine)

[colm_mcm]

C3 is scrap. avoid.

05 Corsa will be old shape which is tiny inside, and most only have 1 airbag. nice engine though.

[Dave]

I'll be the only one driving, no passengers, well rarely any way, don't want a car-van job though in case I take the RRS,

02 Skoda Octavia? 70K miles for €3K???

[Muad_dib77]

I'll be the only one driving, no passengers, well rarely any way, don't want a car-van job though in case I take the RRS,

02 Skoda Octavia? 70K miles for €3K???

1.6 (c)Octavia is heavy on juice and they seem to haveissues with headgaskets .. two of my friends have had these and both turned into mayomakers...

Wouldn't recommend them..

Besides if it's just you is it not a bit big?

I like Corsas...no nonsense car..bit girly though..NOI! (Opviously this doesn't apply to the new shape cough cough)

[Dave]

It'd be a diesel Janus, I'v now been offered a 05 Octavia, for about 6K, seems to be good money, might be a little big but as some people have said, doing 25-30K a year in a small small car might send me insane, at least with something like an Octavia I'd have some level of comfort, plus the majority of my driving is motor way, so 75mph, the smaller engined diesels may not return as a good mpg at that speed.... still nothing bought yet, but with the Astra gone, it's decision time this week!

[TopCat]

A brother of mine had one of the old shape octavia's in diesel. Used to do serious milage too and it never gave him a bit of bother. Drove it myself a couple times and was very surprised with the power and how solid the felt and it had upwards of 180k on the clock at that stage. Very underestimated car IMO.

[Dave]

Well they are basically a Volkswagon Passat, a lot of interchangeable parts by all accounts too...........

Just need to make the mind up, should I go for the 02 one with 70K on the clock @ €3K, or the 05 one with 70K on the clock @6K...........

[colm_mcm]

[nerd]While they look like the Passat, they're actually based on the Golf. they're also lighter than a Golf too despite having a bigger boot.


Passats have their engines mounted longitudinally, whereas Golf/Bora/Leon/Octavia etc are transverse[/nerd]

[Dave]

That is total nerd right there!!

[colm_mcm]

I'd go with the 02 one, the 05 is exactly the same car, and by the time you're finished with them, both will be worthless. If the 02 one goes wallop, you'll still have money left over for another one (or a remap)

[Dave]

02 is gone.... ah well!! Still think I might go for the 05 one, just waiting on pictures now!!

On a side note, I think I might have talked the old man into going halves on a track car, possibly a cheap FTO or something similar!!

[Myfeckin FTO]

Heres my toupence worth (keeping in mind you'll actually have to drive the soot-box) -

The fabled GT TDI -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen ... annel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen ... annel=CARS

Mazda 6 diesel -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/Mazd ... annel=CARS

Alfa 156 JTD -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo ... annel=CARS

Audi A3 -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Audi/A3/1. ... annel=CARS

BMW 320D -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Seri ... annel=CARS

Honda Civic (if you really want the sh1tbox to go on forever) -

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Civi ... annel=CARS

[Dave]

I had actually looked at all of these, apart from the Mazda.........

The golf, I've heard bad things about the engines of these, guy in work had one that went pop! Plus, I'm ideally looking for something with lower mileage, the lower the better!

The Civic was one I had considered too actually, if this other deal doesn't come through I might look at this one.........

[colm_mcm]

This is what you need to buy,

2002 SEAT Leon TDI 110 bhp. 11,100 miles. (hopefully not a misprint)

Up the north. £2,200 plus VRT. Same basic car as the Skoda (but with Audi A3 interior) much more your style than an Octavia I think?




(so bored, off sick from work)

The golf, I've heard bad things about the engines of these, guy in work had one that went pop! Plus, I'm ideally looking for something with lower mileage, the lower the better!

Golf engine same as Octavia...
Civic engine same as Astra
Mazda6 diesel is an absolute no go area, they're widely recognised as one of the least reliable diesel engines ever.

[Dave]

Ended up going with an 05 Octavia, with 70K the clock, got it for a song considering what most dealers are charging, decent enough spec on the inside and generally spotless, also returned a healthy 61mpg this morning on my first trip to work!!Two good chunks of motorway at 75mph and another stretch of road at 60mph... Can't complain with that!!!!

[TopCat]

Not bad at all Dave. Well ware.

[colm_mcm]

Good job Dave. New or old shape 05?

So... any plans for modifications?

[Dave]

It's the new shape!!

And zero modifications planned, maybe an iPod connection or something, but that's it.... the only thing is it will probably need a timing belt as they come up at about 120klms!

That was the great thing about the Zed, it had a timing chain so never needed to worry about that type of stuff!

[Muad_dib77]

Is that a twin exhaust?

You nut getting furry dice or something...Come on man!

[Dave]

I'm still really keen on getting a project track car though, I have needs after all!!