doh! every time i forget somthing! 2.4 diesel, about 80mph cruising (on private roads officer…) and goes round the world on a fiver 🙂

Why chip in with "performance" models when the OP clearly is after something sensible?! Tsk, tsk. Bunch of frickin hoons 🙂

We've had a 2.0 MKiv for 5yrs. Beyond servicing, it's needed nothing and has literally never broken down. Top motor. Everyone recommending the the 1.8t Octavia needs to bear in mind that engine needs keeping up to and there are a lot about that have been caned.

Passat estate TDi. Possibly the V6 4motion?

Have to say that a 115k mile Golf isn't exactly on its last legs now is it.Why not bank the cash, keep the Golf & just run it till its totally fecked. Then chuck it away if something expensive goes wrong ?

We've just bought a 140k TDCi Mondeo to drag our caravan around. It drives superb, like a car half its miles / age & is doing 40+mpg no problem.

Have to say that a 115k mile Golf isn't exactly on its last legs now is it.Why not bank the cash, keep the Golf & just run it till its totally fecked. Then chuck it away if something expensive goes wrong ?

Is exactly my plan, however it's in for a service next week so I might be told that something expensive has gone (or is about to go) pop. Plus, you know, I was bored.

yawn

or similar

you might lose out a bit on the mpg tho

Seat Ibiza – you'd get either the petrol or diesel Sport model, which is now the FR. Petrol = 150bhp, diesel = 130bhp and plenty quick enough with 55mpg easily.
You'd probably also get one of the older FR's which was facelifted a bit.

My 130TDi Sport has done 80k miles in the 3yrs I've had it & only problems were a boost pipe popping off (£45 to fix) and it's recently had new front bushes. All the bits under the bonnet are VW/Audi labelled.

Or the Leon equivalents if you want something bigger.

Have to agree with takisawa2 – 115K is nothing for a Golf. Our current '98 Mk IV is up to 160K now and still going strong. Barring a couple of electrical problems and a new driveshaft it's been completely reliable and still drives box-fresh. Our previous Mk II 1.8 Driver (lovely car) did 190K without any problems before being retired to my father in laws farm as a general run-about. Only reason it's not running still is some local yokel nicked it, and although it was recovered, my father in law didn't want it back as apparently the culprit had been caught in the act of "doing unspeakable things with chickens" in it… and before you ask, No, I don't know either.

We're now looking to change it for something bigger due to expanding family, but I'll probably be looking to spend about 6K on a Passat estate or perhaps a bit more on an A4 Avant.

Love that White T4. I would suggest an Octavia. I've got an '51 plate 1.9TDi, 110ps. One of the most comfortable cars I've ever had, acres of space in the back, goes well, and on a 120mile run up the M4/M25 to get a replacement set of wheels, (pothole damage), I averaged 63.8/gal, at legal motorway speeds. Cost me 5k three years ago with 85k on the clock.

Octavia seems the natural progression with the 1.8T engine if you can find it. Chipped its LUVLEY.

Xipe Totec – Member

Love that White T4.

Now for sale in the classifieds….

I'd also recomend a Volvo, i now they're a bit boringly viewed but they are a cracking car, big, Safe, reliable and solid feeling. I've got a T plate V40 with 100k on it and it still feel nice and tight and solid. Never lets me down
🙂

Not that there is anything wrong with it, but the V40 is a Mitsubishi. Also, Saab = Vauxhall. I think it's a shame. Old Volvo's might be uninspiring, but they were bombproof.

Whats with the German number plate and non-standard font? On a field in a Dub/VW-meet it might be ok to display but on the road its illegal?!!

Whats with the German number plate and non-standard font? On a field in a Dub/VW-meet it might be ok to display but on the road its illegal?!!

Won't someone think of the children! 😉

It looks cool grandad.

Passat.

It looks cool grandad.

Along with tired old VW's with tyres too small for their rims? 😆

Cool to me is a Nissan GT-R not faking.

I did a few thousand miles in an Octy dizzle this summer. OK, it was an 09 plate one but it was excellent. Just needed a 6th gear as anything above 80 it didn't like.

£5k though might get you a Mondeo ST TDCi. I have one and currently do a 120mile daily commute. Returns 50+mpg and shifts when you want it to. Leather, all the toys, looks good (IMHO) and you can fit 2 bikes with the wheels off in the boot without putting the seats down. I love it!

Get a imported Mazda bongo, £5k will get a low mileage import, then you can throw bikes in the back and camp up top on your weekends away !

Cool to me is a Nissan

shush you! your opinion is CLEARLY invalid since you wrote that

Barring a couple of electrical problems and a new driveshaft it's been completely reliable and still drives box-fresh

other than a new driveshaft its box fresh?!

(they see me trollin, they hatin.)

What about a Saab. Admittedly the newer ones are based on Vauxhall, but if you get a petrol then the engine is Saab (which is a very good thing).

Serviced, they will go on to the end of time. A lot of people who look after their Saabs get 200k plus miles out of them. I bought a 90k car for £1300. Air con, 10disc changer and a 2ltr turbo. Imaculate condition. Returned about 30mpg, had grin inducing acceleration once the turbo was on boost. Made for safe and fun overtaking.

Apart from me giving it oil and air filter changes in the 30k miles I had it for, I did nothing else to it and it passed it's MOT's fine.

Near enough anything will return 30mpg plus if you do a lot of motorway miles and don't have a heavy foot.

What about a Saab. Admittedly the newer ones are based on Vauxhall,

Its only the newer 93 that is the 95 can still trace its roots right back to the fiat whatsit.
My dad has a 95 and it has been as good as gold with them and you will be hard pushed to find a bad word said about the older generation ones. I have been thinking about a 95 estate as our next car if i cna get 3 kids seats in the back.

Skills – Love that T4! I'd be seriously tempted if I had some spare cash! Also the plates are cool! Official! I'm yet to get the balls to put some on mine, as if you get caught it's a little bit of trouble 🙄

As again, seems that myself and Stumpy have the only option:

A Seat Ibiza, I think the below image will convince you to purchase one:

But really they are good cars. A Lean does sound like it may fit you bill a little more, so you'll be able to pick 110tdi for around 3-4K with good miles. Or if you fancy a bit of fun a 150tdi cupra can be had for a little more money!

Lets not forget the Fabia VRS (same engine as the Seat Ibiza TDI Sport/FR). A decent spec'd car and with 130bhp in a smaller car its a lot of fun and returns great economy (or easily chipped to circa 170bhp and 65+MPG). Should get a fairly good one for £5k and being diesel they've held their value a lot better than the Mk1 Octavia VRS.

Although I'll add another vote for the Octavia VRS….I do miss mine.

hora – Member

Whats with the German number plate and non-standard font? On a field in a Dub/VW-meet it might be ok to display but on the road its illegal?!!
Passed 3 MOT's with them on and never had a problem with the long arm, mates a traffic cop as well. Passed the MOT with them so road legal as far as they're concerned, font size and spacing is correct.

I want some french versions of them SkillsGuiding.

dunno why :s

theyre cool as cool 🙂

skills guiding- Sorry to get on my high-horse but I think all altered plates like yours can deceive at an accident/hit and run etc. They shouldnt be allowed full stop.

A witness might say 'it had a D in the corner of the plate and looked funny/foreign'.. then assume its a foreign car/driver who has left the scene.

What is wrong with a normal number plate? If its in a field at a VW-meet fine. Not on the road. Again all in my opinion. I wouldnt think about altering something that might identify me/my car.

Its passed its MOT- Is that an MOT item? Sorry again (I dont want to receive a warning for being anti-something but I dont agree with it. Full stop).

Another vote for the Octy VRS here. You *might* be able to pick up one of the MkII versions for around £5k – I bought a high motorway mile 55 plate estate for a smidge under £7k last year. Only thing which has needed doing other than usual wear and tear/servicing is one injector (this is quite a common thing on high-mile VW FSI engines so I'm told) cost about £250-300 all in from a specialist IIRC.

It shifts when you want it to, but one of the things I really like about it is that it's a very comfortable, discreete drive for something which can also be GTI hooning type car. It will jut waft happily along in comfort if you want it to. Alternatively or shift down and plant the right foot for some fun.

Easily chip to ~250bhp if you're that way inclined 🙂

I'm very surprised they passed an MOT! That just makes me want them even more 😆

You might get an early Mondeo ST TDCI for £5k.

We bought a 55 plate estate a year ago. Very nice car in every way. Fast enough, lots of toys, handles well for a big car and its fairly economical. I've never seen the 50mpg claimed, but 40+ all the time, no matter how you drive it.

We looked at the Octavia VRS diesel as well at the same time, great car but not worth the extra over the mondeo IMO.

If I was being ultra sensible:
VW Passat TDI estate

If I was being sensible:
55 plate Ford Focus 1.8TDCI.

If I was being reasonbly sensible:
Skoda Octavia VRS estate

If I bought the car that I gave me goosebumps and had me twitching the curtain at night just to glimpse:

Subaru Imprezza WRX sportswagon in black. 8)

Focus C-max. Big enough for lots, but not too big.
But avoid the 1.6TDCi. Nightmare engine – go for the 2 litre.

Loving my Diesel Skoda Octavia Vrs it averages 50mpg

Mondeo 130 brake TDCi before that was great too – but not as much fun of as the Vrs of course. Always did 56mpg av

I do lots of motorway driving and rarely go much over 70mph

Golf Plus for me

I bought a Vivaro van to put the bikes in the back
and best of all crash out for the weekend and no more
crap/dodgy B&Bs around Wales

Just testdriven a VRS estate (as Im casually looking for something new). Not my thing. Prefer my Forester. Found the engine 'edgy' and not smooth much like my thoughts on the pre-chipped S3 I had the use of a while ago. The TDI Octavia would be better. Saying that I still have fond memories of my Altea TDI.

Who cares what these 'taxis' do to the gallon – its the overall ownership cost that counts.

If both sold today, my 535i (auto 20mpg) will have worked out at 58ppm while my wifes' diesel (auto 35mpg) comes in at 64ppm. And hers has a lot more depreciation left, while mine is pretty near zero.

Also makes me laugh that while my car tax was £185, hers is now more than £400!

If you facy something a bit more engaging to drive there are stacks of 320 diesel BMW's around and you can 50mpg out of them.

b r you are a connaisseur. Thing is E39's(its one of these?) are very very capable but fugly?

330D BMW (or a Fait Panda a a lovely new hardtail for general riding a an even nicer full suss).
As for me VW Passat Estate Tdi (I have an old R reg 150000 on the clock so far 100000 put on it by me). Never get below 48 mpg even with three bikes on the roof carrier at motorway speeds and not being driven frugally either.
The BMW 330 diesels are very very impressive on perfomance.
My car of desire at the moment is however a Mazda 6 MPS-lovely to drive, wow performance and roadholding but not a filling rattler either.

yes, an early standard E39 without all that M-sport bollocks and hard ride – only bought it as I couldn't get another decent Omega (people move out of the way of these on motorways, especially when they are dark coloured and have Xenon's…)

very impressed with it so far, and parts/servicing are Ford/Vauxhall price now