As the topic suggest looking for a diesel (cheap on insurance for me) that will travel the welsh countryside for over 1000miles a month. Looked at an awful lot including golfs, audis, astras but your opinions count
There is a lot available about there within that price range so its hard to say. The key bit is getting something that has been well looked after so will be reliable (nothing worse than worrying about if it'll break down) I had a Focus Zetec 1.8 tdCI before and that was a great little car, and very reliable. For that budget that is where I would be looking as you should be able to get something low (ish) mileage and with decent features. Golfs at that range are a little over priced as you are paying for the badge. Another option is Seat who have the same chasis as the golfs.
If it were my money I'd try and find a leon 1.9 with the pd 130 engine or an ibiza. Fabia VRS can be picked up cheap too and depending on age don't cost an awful lot on insurance.
Saw a decent civic not too bad, checked the Seat's 1.9 really good on insurance just a tad higher then the hyundia i10 I currently drive. I really like the Seats look to be fair
Skoda Octavia I SDI - runs forever I personally have a PD130 which is VAG Group (seat/audi etc). Just fewer bells and whistles.
Also worth a look is a Kia C'eed. I've recently picked up a 1,6 CRDi for that kind of money. Lowish miles for a 57 plate car, and a long run this weekend gave me 53 mpg. Very reliable car as my Dad had one too and he had no issues with his at all.
I went for the fabia vrs when I was looking. Lots of fun to drive, economic (ish) cheap enough (ish) , reliable, same engine as the golf, plenty of spares, good following. If you want more economic than the vrs, there is also an sdi option if I remember correctly, better economy but less fun to hoon around the countryside in. The vrs isn't a hoon-mobile to insure either, for me it is under 300 a year, for 2 drivers fully comp including business use. If you go for the vrs I can tell you what issues I have had with mine in the time I have had it.
Interesting note on these, my mum has one and it needed a new battery last week. Found out it uses a special shaped battery (it has a lip on it which helps secure it) and there are currently zero available to buy in the UK and no date of availability on any coming.
Maybe not as cool/desirable but 3.5K would get you a 5 or 6 year old Clio with the 1.5 DCi lump which is prob the most common diesel unit around, solid too.
I would say go for a VAG car with a PD130 or a PD150, my girlfriend has a Skoda Superb with a PD130 lump in it and for a large heavy car it pulls really well. For me I find that fiestas/clios etc have no character to them and i find them a bit bland, there's just something about VAG cars that feel nicer to me but I am biased after owning mostly VAGs in my life I've had a few Fabia dervs destroy my 218bhp 1.8T on a straight road, love the way they chuck out massive black clouds as they squat away from me
I also agree with the general VAG sentiment here. Or a bmw if you can handle looking like a nob. I have a friend with a 3-series with over 140k on it (admittedly Petrol) and while yeah he's replaced loads of little bits on it over the years it's still running, good body work etc.
Wow guys, cheers for the help. I'm looking at these cars on my list now. Should be soon when I pick one up
Just to throw my £0.02 in here, I'm not sure that a diesel at this money and annual mileage is worth it. Generally speaking, a diesel has more bits to go wrong (DPF, DMF, turbo, injectors) than most petrols (although the more modern the car, the more of these things will be fitted to both anyway, though this is less true at your budget), and will cost more to maintain, more than offsetting any fuel saving you make at average mileages. The threshold where diesel makes sense is usually north of 15k a year.
You're forgetting one important thing: driving a turbo diesel is so much more fun than a flat petrol. I nearly bought the 90bhp petrol version of my car and I'm soooooo glad I didn't, it was slow, and boring. I drive only 3 miles each way to work every day and I still do it in a 130bhp diesel and I enjoy it so much more The fuel stuff ... I get low 40s to the gallon ... and diesel is currently 1p cheaper. I've yet to personally drive a petrol gar that's gotten better fuel economy for the same bhp, so far they've all lagged around 5 - 10 mpg behind so I still come out on top. Add to that the tax is also cheaper for my car on the diesel version. Plus, Kwik Fit = flat rate servicing whether petrol or diesel. I'm not seeing this extra cost you are putting in there.
It really depends on the car. My wife's Fiat Panda 1.2 petrol is as fun to drive as my Merc C class 2.1 diesel. Power isn't everything The little petrol engine in the little car is much more engaging and nippy in the city backroads than the heavy diesel in the heavy car. For a small car, I wouldn't buy a diesel, especially not for city driving of a few miles. For a bigger car that does mostly motorway/A road driving, diesel makes sense.
Thing is for me I live on the coast in a rural location with 16 degree hills to go upand down everyday. Petrols strain a lot, I know because i can only go up on the hill by my house in second lol
I also have a 130 BHP turbo diesel (a 2.0l Ford Modeo) and can concur the same, much more fun to drive! All that extra torque and and the kick of the turbo when needed, very nice. I get 43-45 MPG on my short hop journeys and up to 65 mpg on motorway trips. I get why people would be put off diesels though, with the potentially higher maintenance costs and impending tax changes related to NOX output, they might not be a good option in the next few years.
That tax issue really only relates to those in London or anyone who is buying one new from a certain point next year, any car already purchased or registered before that date will still get charged on the original taxation system.
Ah, but I'm not talking about a big heavy Merc here, I drive a Meriva. You're right that power to weight ratio matters and I'm on the right side of it for fun. A 1.4 TDI in a Skoda Superb would suck for example. Put a 1.4 TDI in a Fiesta and you're going to have much more joy. My Meriva is a 1.7l CDTI which is available in the 110bhp and the 130bhp version, I have the latter I'm getting high 40s sometimes low 50s for longer motorway trips low 40s city and that's fine for me
