I’m entertaining the idea of trying to get to Sweden to ride some bikeparks later this summer.
I don’t have a car at the moment. I need a car to get me 1500 miles (possibly the same amount back, if I must)
I’d need to be able to sleep in it so need an estate.
I’ve had good luck with Volkswagens in the past, any other tips for a potentially reliable cheap estate car?
Ta

1.6 Honda civic aero deck
Pug 306 estate

Mondeo estate surely?

Just a question but how are you going to get here? I live in the south of sweden and it is 1000 km from here up to Åre. I was just thinking your millage seemed a bit out. Great place to come to though and loads of trails.

gotta be a Volvo innit

An old Toyota?

Mondeo or Avensis if you can stand the shame

bought a big old datsun for 150 did two years in it.. get the aa cover and they ll drag it home for you..

Done this trip to Varmland loads of times, which way are you going? Factor in the bridge/ferry crossing in Denmark, I always take the ferry Helsingor/Helsinborg. As said above by GEDA Sweden is very long and no motorways like we have here, well maybe aroud Stockholm. Its a fab place and the people are great when you get past the reserved bit.

Whatever car is in the best condition and has the longest mot. You can’t be too specific when buying cars for this money. Which probably means that you’ll end up with something boring and that would appeal to an octogenarian.

Blatant hijack: does any one know anything about mtb in Finland?

Hope you forgive the hijack aye-aye, also, I don’t know much about cars but have had VWs and they’re great for reliability. Also maybe consider a small van, I’ve got a fiesta van which I find great for carrying bikes, too small to.sleep in but something a bit bigger might suit you.

Finland is pretty flat untill you get way up north, lots of trails through the woods and there are a lot of woods 😀 where in Finland are you thinking of?

Volvo 850 or audi A6(C4)both bulletproof mile munchers 🙂

…. or Mercedes E class estate….

Helsinki, pigface. I’ve heard there’s a couple of trail centres a short train ride away? Do you know anything about those? I think i might mostly be on my cx bike though.

In the last 45000 miles my avensis estate has had some new tyres, lots of fuel and a new cam belt.

I snapped the cam belt while driving to a ride in the peak, turns out I need to do something bigger than that to get rid of the thing!

It’s a 2.0 petrol so can be a bit thirsty but it seems at it’s happiest at 60mph on the motorway and encourages you to take your time and enjoy the scenery 😀

Narrative causality demands that you buy a Volvo & take it back to where it was born.

It’s the right thing to do and will ensure that all manner of amusing yet heartwarming incidents occur on route.

There might be a book in it.

There is lots of singletrack stuff around Helsinki, I wouldn’t expect to use a long travel full susser but lots of good stuff to ride, lots and lots of rocks as well. I dont know specifically of any of the trail centres. Any bike shop will give you the info. Finns are very reserved untill you put beer in them then they go crazy 😆 you will support Jokerit 😉

Helsinki is a brilliant place have fun.

Cycling is huge in Finland as a way of transport. Nothing better that cycling home at 3 in the morning and its still light in the summer. Winters cn be testing for some but I loved them.

Volvo 240 / 740 / 850 loads of room, comfy easy mile eaters, flat back for sleeping, reliaible but shirley fixable in Sweden if you need anything.

aye-aye
I’ve got a 2002 Mondeo Estate sat doing nothing outside my house (MOT till Feb 2014, new battery, tyres are all virtually new). I’m too lazy to bother selling it, but did make a half hearted attempt here http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2002-ford-mondeo-20l-tddi-115bhp-zetec-diesel-estate-600-yorkshire-area
I’m willing to negotiate as it needs driving (it’s starting to go a bit musty inside having been sat there for months). The original alloys must be worth £100.
hopwood[dot]mail[at]gmail[dot]com

Christ – buy that Mondeo quick! Proper bargain, I’d have it, in fact I’m mighty tempted to buy it anyway!

Yeah get the Mondeo. Real bargain!

failing that i’d buy a Vauxhall Astra 1996 era (mk3) very basic, reliable and cheap. Either go for teh 1.4 petrol or the 1.7d (isuzu engine)

I did 1,800 miles in a 1.4 around Europe 2 summers ago and it never missed a beat! Sold it when I got back fr £50 more than I bought it for with 115,000 on the clock.

You would probably get a half tidy Octavia for that kind of money.

A petrol Focus, particularly the 2.0L can be had very cheaply and would be big enough to sleep in. Often the 2.0L models come with more toys. Diesel ones will cost considerably more.

The Mondeo above looks a decent buy as long as that whining noise upon start-up isn’t the dual mass fly wheel. Removing the sensor in the bellhousing (crank)I think is a good clue as if it is breaking up it will be covered in metal fillings.

Other recommendations would be some variant of the Japanese petrol estate – bland but reliable.

We had a 58 plate 2.0l petrol Focus estate for a few years and it had shockingly disappointing fuel consumption. Not recommended on that basis for a cross-Europe slog.

Here is your answer

Yeah – if you like going slower than a slow thing everywhere. And any berlingo for £500 will be an utter utter nail.

Cheap estate for that sort of money – buy that Mondeo before I do!

Just driven the Mondeo Estate to Halifax and back (ironically to fetch a part for my new car)and it’s all still good, heater on full as it’s getting a bit musty. No whining noise incidentally altho it’s always been intermittent, I assumed it was wearing bearings in one of the bits that runs off a belt, but no idea really. Everything still as per the advert, but it now needs a replacement rear brake caliper. It’s seized up being sat outside my house, the garage unseized it (common Mondeo fault according to them), but it needs replacing (£35 2ndhand or £70 new). I’ll take £300 with the caliper fault, or £400 if you insist on me sorting it.

I like the Ciroen Berlingo suggestion above, but must ditto scruff’s suggestion.

Get a Volvo 240 or 740. If it breaks down, fix it on the road with string and chewing gum.

Brilliant cars.

pug 406 bomb proof

couple of tidy examples here…low miles 😆
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/peugeot/406/postcode/la229rd/radius/1501/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/body-type/estate/price-to/500/sort/default#advert201305116715548

get a Suzuki baleno estate, you will easily get one for £400. My brother lives in Kiruna, Northern Sweden and he has made the return journey from Pembrokeshire to Kiruna twice now ( approaching 2000 miles each way). Not one mechanical issue ever since he has had it – it is totally bomb proof and suprisingly good on fuel for a 1.8 ptrol

/\/\/\/\The Mondeo/\/\/\/\

Thanks for all the info, lots of options.

I’m not sure which way i’ll be going but mappy reckoned fastest route is about 1500 miles to Jarvso, I’d definitely want to visit Are too though. Shimano trail looks ace.
I haven’t factored in bridge/ferries yet (in fact so far it’s just a drunken plan!)

Thanks for the info on the Mondeo B.A. unfortunately I can’t currently drive due to shoulder surgery, so won’t be buying for a while yet.

Sounds like a reasonable car for £400 is a possibility, which is very encouraging.

Thanks for the info on Helsinki, pigface.
Sounds perfect! Although I’m expecting be one of those who finds the winter testing 🙂

You could probably pick up a reasonable Volvo V70, around a P, R, S or T reg for something like £4-500. Loads of room in the back, good motors, and unlikely to have been thrashed. Just make sure previous owners have taken their string-backed driving gloves out of the glove box… 😉

Big engine Volvo all the way. People give them away because of the sh!tty mileage, bargain.

We sold our 1995 Audi A6 1.9 TDI for £450, 292k miles and I’d have had no doubts about driving it any distance.