Currently have a V50 with over 190k miles on it. Want to move away from diesel having had constant DPF hassle. I do 20k miles a year. Not fussed about performance. Budget of up to 10k. Would like 40k miles or less on the clock and a smallish estate (Focus rather than Mondeo size). What would you recommend for reliability and ability to do high mileage?

Octavia. Now on our second.

There is a 2011 Skoda Octavia on Autotrader, leather, dsg. 1.8T

But if i was looking around that sort of motor I’d look for a VRS..

Yep, Octavia is definitely worth a look. We had a VRS estate from new for nearly 5 years and it performed really well, totally reliable, comfortable (although if I was buying another, we definitely wouldn’t bother with 18″ wheels, as we felt they spoiled the ride quality), economical for the power, big easy access load area easliy swallowed 2 full sus 29ers plus three weeks biking and climbing gear. Running costs pretty good, with loads of independant VAG specialists about.

Bro in law has a boggo Octavia 1.2 estate and manages to lug around 3 kids, roof box and associated holiday kit on long journeys without too much trouble – I was surprised how good the 1.2 engine performs with just two of us in the car.

The Focus estate is also very nice, and we nearly bought one instead of the Octavia – but at the time, Skoda were doing a VAT free offer, which swung it. Personally, I preferred the ride and handling balance of the Focus, but preferred the additional spec and easy to use controls on the Octavia. Father in law has a 125bhp petrol Focus and it gets along really well. Loads of choice sencond hand too.

HTH

When did the 1.4TSI come out for he Octy? That’s the one I’d want if I didn’t want a diesel, did 20k a year and didn’t care about performe, but other than that the 220Bhp 35mpg VRS sounds perfect 😉

If the OP wants a small estate, is a Fabia not worth considering instead? Mate’s got one, seems happy with it. Looks a bit more “grandad” if that bothers you.

Is a full on estate required? I can’t think of much you’d get in the estate version of a focus that you wouldn’t in the hatch?

But it is a necessity then Golf R estate?

The Skoda Rapid 5dr has a very big boot. It’s a bit smaller that an Octavia hatch. The 1.4 turbo petrol is pretty nippy.
It might be small enough for day to day driving but has enough of a boot to throw the bike in with front wheel off.

The Skoda Rapid 5dr has a very big boot. It’s a bit smaller that an Octavia hatch.

Isn’t the Rapid the “more space for people, less for luggage” Fabia ? At least that was what a dealer told me when I was looking around in April.

Seat Leon estate? £10k should get you a nearly new motor with low miles.

The Rapid is very much built down to a price, and based on the last but one VW polo platform. As such it is a bit unsophisticated in the ride department but you do get a lot of car for the money.
How about a Focus estate with the ecoboost petrol?
Or the 1.4 Tsi Leon

Octavia’s really nice but the boot always put me right off- having a raised lip on an estate boot is really daft, and it’s not especially large. I used to have a Focus estate and my bike’d fit, complete, in the back of that but I rolled it out of mine and tried to get it into a mate’s octavia and had to take a wheel off.

Depends what you want from it of course.

There seems to be lots of Seat Leon estates around these day’s.

Focus would be good – though personally I can’t stand the interior design and turbocharged engines add another element to go wrong.

cp

Focus would be good – though personally I can’t stand the interior design and turbocharged engines add another element to go wrong.

No EGR, no DPF. Cast iron block. Timing belt immersed in oil bath behind cam cover with 100,000 mile replacement interval.

jimjam – Member
No EGR, no DPF. Cast iron block. Timing belt immersed in oil bath behind cam cover with 100,000 mile replacement interval.

That timing belt in oil probably wont last too long 😉

MrOvershoot

That timing belt in oil probably wont last too long

You’re probably thinking it’s a timing chain, and that you’re pretty smart, but it’s a different material from coventional engine belts. 😉

V60 T5

jimjam – Member
You’re probably thinking it’s a timing chain, and that you’re pretty smart, but it’s a different material from coventional engine belts.

No not smart at all & yes I thought it was a mistype. I had honestly never considered they would use oil with an HTD type belt as we have murder with them at work if they are contaminated with oil.

Having said that ours are under massive constant load rather than light load over a large variable rev range.

Good explanation here http://www.ngfglasscord.com

You’d get a brand new logan estate for that money, I think a 5 year warranty for peace of mind.

Alternately, Toyota auris hybrid? Makes sense with your milage, has the price drivetrain

Ford B-Max? Fiesta based, roofline is flatter to accommodate the sliding rear doors, which, with the front doors open, and the rear hatch up, allows amazing access all round the car, especially if there’s not much access room alongside.
Very nippy, as you’d expect from a Fiesta, terrific fun to drive, well equipped with heated screen as standard.
I’ve driven a bunch of them, as well as the C-Max, and S-Max but you don’t get the slidey doors unless you go up to the Grand B-Max; there’s no Grand S-Max, you’re getting into Galaxy territory at that point, same Mondeo platform.

B-Max

Grand C-Max

S-Max

Subaru Impreza WRX Sportwagon.
It’s a ‘smallish’ estate and if you’re not too bothered about fuel economy it’s a blast!

Another vote for SEAT Leon estate – cracking car.

Jag xf V6..?

Wife has a Focus, base model with the 100hp 1.0 engine. I expected it to be sluggish but it’s simply not. More than capable & smooth & quiet.. But I can’t stand the interior, especially th front. Seats are bloody awful. I travel in the back when I go in it. Half the interior seems to be dashboard. Your legs seem to disappear into a tunnel, with hardly any room to move around. It’s probably just me though, I’m used to my Galaxy where I can get up & walk around, like a ship. 🙂

Given your spec, I’d go with an Octavia. Lovely car, the Superb even more so, but that’s based on diesel models we have at work. Don’t know what the petrol models are like but the times I’ve used them I’ve really enjoyed them, especially the Superb. That’s a lovely car to drive.

Mk3 Toyota Avensis 1.8 vvti petrol auto estate. No Dpf EGR valve, Cam chain, CVT box so no DMF to worry about.

As above for something that will just keep going a Toyota. It won’t get the pulse racing around corners and interiors can not be to everyone’s tatse but they are superb reliable and the Japanese have always focused on petrol not diesel so imo their best engines / design work is focused there.

New Seat Leon estates are very stylish, not been in one though.

Smaller Volvo’s I like too (style, practicality, well made) but they won’t match a Toyota for reliability

CountZero – Member

Ford B-Max?

I’m by no means a big guy but I found it to be a bit cramped – my knees seems to whack off everything and my left leg permanently sat up against the transmission tunnel. It’s a shame because I really liked the idea of it, great for the kids. It’s a shame the standard C-Max doesn’t have that feature and you have to go all the way up to Grand C-Max to get sliding doors again.

I have a grand Cmax and love it but it is really slow.
If we beat someone away from the lights we have a party afterwards!
The sliding rear seats are excellent and my 6’4″ will happily sit in the back. Same for the sliding rear doors .
We thought the g Cmax would be too big to park easily once we discovered it was shorter than our mondeo saloon we bought straight away.
All our elderly parents comment on how easy it is to get into. The b max was really difficult as you have to lift your legs over the floor pillars.

Civic tourer.

Done 33,000 in mine now.

So far nothing has gone wrong, it can fit two people and a tandem, three people and two xl 29’rs.

I’ve got a 1.6 diesel, when I asked about dpf, the dealership told me Honda dont have a problem as they have this in a different position to VAG group cars. As a result of being closer to the engine they get hotter sooner and work as intended.

I work in Honda dealerships and they are struggling to sell diesels right now, you might get a bit more of a bargain than you would have last month.

Petrols also available.

We got a new Dacia Logan too as a second car. Have to say I quite like it.

Does it need to be an estate? Something like a golf sv might do the job? Flexible boot system + the boot is v tall.