id say its quashqui / xtrail / antara /freelander competitor rather – yes you can get a used one cheap but my point still stands that for 17 grand you wont get a new car thats similar in spec.

True, we spent twice that on a Freelander, but it’s a totally different vehicle to a Duster – loaded to the nines, loads of power, auto and it’ll tow plenty. And you won’t be constantly telling everyone how cheap it was…

Well you might tell the AA man about it … 😉

The smax was brilliant in every way except the one I was looking at was near 26k

😯

Paid £10k for mine. 3 years old. 34,000 miles, mint condition.

flap_jack – Member
I would recommend a Mercedes 124 estate (the one from the 80’s and early 90’s) The 3.0 24v diesel or a 6 cylinder petrol.
Not the best on fuel but they are very reliable and will clock up 4 or 5 hundred thousand miles.

You will have to pay quite a few thousand for one but they hold there value.

I’ve got one of these. Now at 198000 miles.

30 mpg. No performance. Not as reliable as people think.

However, massive, comfortable and the most relaxing drive imaginable. We did 350 miles non-stop on the way to Morzine this year and only stopped because we needed fuel. (60 litres, BTW)

It’s fine, because when it goes wrong I borrow my wife’s Golf. Would not recommend one as your only car.

I have a 2.3 four cylinder and 3 litre 4 matic. both around 180,000 miles and around 24mpg average. Neither have let me down.
Have an old Merc V8 and its nudging 260,000 now with just a timing chain replacement. Probably the most solid cars Ive ever had (that inlcudes old Land Cruisers and Patrols)

Fantastic – cheers fellas. So an old MR2 and a roof rack it is then……

Just take a panel out so you bike pokes out the top!

To clarify, the electrical quirks are it ‘binging’ at you and telling you that the lights have ‘no fault’. Which is bloody annoying, but fixable with an emery board.

It has also complained about the abs being broken, this was fixed by taking the wheels off and cleaning the road crud off the sensors.

In my experience the auto box is solid (mine has a porsche tiptronic) unit, especially as my ex had a habit of going from reverse to drive/drive to reverse before the car had actually stopped.

It returns 38-50ish mpg depending on how you drive it.

My Dad (it’s his old car) prefers it to his newer SEAT Altea XL (make of that what you will)

I test drove a Seat Altea, didn’t like it despite wanting to.

@jamesfuller

where do you get yours fixed / serviced ? My favourite independent retired recently and I’ve not had much luck since…so I’d go quite a long way for a good one. Hopefully you’re in the home counties.

thanks

Thanks fellas. Good to get the collective view as the Golden Love Barge (3l Omega) is tragically wheezing its last.

If you’re spending 10k on a car its going to be a fairly recent one unless its a fully specced BMW or Merc. Modern diesels because of the very tight emission regs in my opinion are prone to expensive replacement parts circa 100k. DPF’s , Dual mass flywheel/ clutches and possibly injectors. Any one of these can easily negate any fuel savings made by having a diesel. Having said that I do like the way they drive on a long run. Agree with the comments about dull drive, what do you want! If you are looking for small fun diesel estate there is only the 330D touring really.

Mazda 6 diesel is what I was going to get, but I know several people who have had endless issues with DPF, engine management etc. Rest of them are great though!

V70 D5 (pick any, though my ideal would be a P2 Euro iv D5 manual), the original and best modern estate going.

Had an I40 as a hire car recently, around town and rural roads I was actually very surprised by it, almost liked it, but driving long distance was a chore, seats are pretty cheap, steering is too light & vague etc.

Recent vectra & insignia estates are worth a look if you get the chance, they have absolutely nothing to do with the old vectra’s and cavaliers of old.

If you can find one. SUBARU LEGACY BOXER DIESEL!
find one, try it, chances are you’ll like it, they are pretty sweet but they are few and far between and hold their value annoyingly well

A certain motor industry employee on here seems to think that DMFs etc are becoming more reliable nowadays. I guess we will have to wait a few years to see how the current crop of new cars fare.

Friend has a Skoda Superb Estate, Lovely car!

Wife has a V70 petrol that she uses for her business. 130k miles and gets abused daily carrying stock. Wearing really well–interior still like new. Built like a tank-had to rebuild the front end panelwork when she hit a wall in it, huge underneath. Fully galvanised bodywork so no rust anywhere. Not huge fun to hoon around in but a massively capable loaded up continent crosser.Parts surprisingly cheap as well.
would replace it immediately with another or an Xc90.

wouldn’t buy a diesel if i could help it nowadays, run a Tdci transit as well and am dreading the inevitable pump/injector replacement, running two stroke oil in it and keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks fellas – went with a VW Touran for £8500 in the end, tried Mondeo, V50, Toyota Avensis but in terms of value for money and wifely acceptablility it wound up being VW. Coluldn’t being myself to do a 60k+ mileage car, albeitk the agent put in a valiant effort to get me to buy an Audi A6 and A BMW 5 series, on the grounds they’d be more fun. She was also cloer in age to my daughters than me. Kids these days…..The remaining £1500 is nearly right for a bike to work Croix De Fer with some upgrades!

Well done, if thats the correct thing to say. What year is the Touran? The earlier ones, pre 2008 (I think) had problems with the ESP failing. Should have mentioned it earlier! Sorry.

Well that’s not helpful 🙂