Simon – im still waiting for a definitive how they can test for dpf existance under current mot proceedures….

Assuming you dont do it redneck style 🙂

I see where you’re coming from.

Well the Astra needs to go whilst it is still running well enough to get a good trade in price.

I’m happy paying £100 for the year it’s the 6 month cost of the Astra that gets me.

For my mileage I figure a diesel would be better.

What would you recommend reliability wise, must be economical for the motorway miles.

trail_rat – Member

Simon – im still waiting for a definitive how they can test for dpf existance under current mot proceedures….

I haven’t seen the new book, but I’ve heard it’s just a visual check. Mine is de-catted and never any problems with that (the cat’s nicely tucked away, which was a pain in the arse when removing it but does mean you need to really, really want to check it’s still there)

So I’d be better with an older non dpf engine?

I have been looking at the same kind of thing. Currently have a 2005 Astra 2.0l turbo and the £280 tax every year is horrible.

Have looked at same cars as you and have settled on a new shape Astra 2010 1.7 diesel for about 6500, less if I can find one from a private seller. Took one out yesterday and it was spot on. Felt like a solid car and great to drive. £30 VED per year and low ins group.

Exactly northwind.

My vans been decatted for years- shit me self whenthe new riles aboutthe cat came in ….. How ever my cat was removed from the casing – so visually i have a cat. You get similar for dpf systems

I realise it makes the air cleaner but until they can make them cheap enough to be a service item they need to understand that all they are doing is forcing perfecty servicable cars off the road because dpfs are not fit for purpose inturn creating more polution building new cars

Tbh mosey i dont blame you on the astra tax. That must be sole destroyig the astras not very good at anything – piss poor engine and not luxury either ……. My vans the same 200quid a year and only 69bhp…. But it carrys stuff well

Mosey- quality , service history and the owner all rank higher than a car having a dpf or not for me.

Cheers trail. I’ll be buying from a trader so hopefully get a warranty.

The 5k budget is tops really so I’ll keep looking.

Guess I’ll leave the C4 I found. 2008 48000 miles so seemed like a good option.

Is there a way to find out if a car is fitted with a dpf?

MoseyMTB – Member

Is there a way to find out if a car is fitted with a dpf?

Do lots of short journeys and see if it shits itself.

Ha fair enough.

I keep getting Hyundai i30’s recommended but there is no way to get one in budget.

Depreciation is not a cost. The purchase price is the cost.

Is it not this year that the tax disc is no more? They are doing it electronically, and also via direct debit too, so the big outlay is less of an issue.

Go and test drive a civic, then get them to stick the cantilevered seats down in the back…..SOLD!

Depreciation is not a cost.

It definitely is.

The price you paid for it minus the price you sell it for (i.e. depreciation) equals the cost to you of that car.

Purchase price is the outlay, depreciation is the cost IMO.

A shrewd outlay can lead to the car actually costing very little.

Nobeer are we talking the new shape civic?

I can’t find one in budget at all.

Autotrader. Loads of them.

here

molgrips – Member

Depreciation is not a cost

Provided you intend to throw the car in the bin when you’re done with it. Otherwise, it is.

Hmmmmm yeah, don’t fancy travelling 400 miles if it goes wrong ha.

I’m looking nearer the 50,000 miles mark.

Cheers though I’ll add the civic to the short list.

Aye, but that’s my postcode, not yours!

I’m looking nearer the 50,000 miles mark.

You’re looking for a car that’s 6 years old but that has done 50k miles. Who buys a diesel to do 8k miles a year? People buy them because they’re doing commutes like yours – I’m guessing 40 mins of mostly motorway will be 70+ miles a day, or 17.5k miles a year just of commuting, more like 20k with a bit of weekend use.

Cars don’t self-destruct when they hit 100k, and even if you find yourself a sub-50k miler you’ll be putting it over 100k in less than 3 years anyway. Get over the “low mileage” fixation and just buy on condition.

MoseyMTB – Member
Cheers trail. I’ll be buying from a trader so hopefully get a warranty.

Lol… Make sure it’s a paper one as it might be worth something as a notepad.

Also my older diesels were all going near 250k miles.

Fair enough.

I guess I’m used to thinking the lower mileage the better.

Top priority is running costs.

It’s a net cost when you sell, not part of your monthly budget. Most people get paid monthly. Plus you don’t change your car in a set schedule so you have no idea how much money you will get for it since you don’t know when you are going to sell it. No point in budgeting for the net cost of your car if you are having to actually fork out the gross cost.

Unless you are paying out of a big money pot, in which case great.

And unfortunantly most folk think monthly. – they see the number they pay monthly without thinking how many months they pay that for…..

Got to play the long game.

I would be willing to bet that if you tally up everything you spend on your new car over the next two years (including accounting for depreciation) and compare to just keeping your astra and coughing up more for fuel – it’ll be about the same.

But that doesn’t take into account the money spent on keeping the Astra going.

Issues are starting to come up. Faults here and there.

I’d go with the Kia Cee’d, you’ll still have a year or two manufacturers warranty left to make sure everything goes OK.

paid £3200 for a 2.0 dtci 2004 focus c max around 6 months ago and its been excellent upto now. 45000 miles and like brand new interior and 1 tiny dink on the rear quarter panel.just over 2000rpm at 80mph and get about 50mpg or more.corners like its on rails and doesnt hang around.(it will most likely self destruct now).be carefull though most of the ones i looked at on forecourts looked really abused

Kia Cee’d and the I30 are the two that came up before.

Now with the honda I’ve got plenty to go at.

Might look at shifting the xbox one and a few guitars to add to the budget.

You are looking at cars that are 6 years old and have done a few miles. There is no guarantee that it will be appreciably more reliable than your current (older, but considerably simpler) car. And don’t expect a warranty to cover anything: the two most common problems with modern turbodiesels- dpf’s and dmf’s- are generally not covered by warranties.

If I go for a 2008/9 I should be pre dpf I think.

I’ll keep looking and see what becomes available.

I picked up a cheap Renault Laguna for my. Missus, cheap as chips, no dpf as it’s a basic model and it’s now done 40,000 with us and 65,000 miles with no problems s at all.

It might well be worth looking at the next size up, you can get a better car for the same money.
Think Mondeo rather than Focus, Accord instead of Civic, Avensis not Auris etc.
I went out to buy a Mazda 3 and ended up with a much nicer Mazda 6 for the same money.
I wouldn’t recommend a vw, skoda or audi at your price point as they will all have the 2.0 pd engine which is plagued with injector faults (older 1.9 and newer common rail engines are fine however).

That’s definitely true, I upsized Focus to Mondeo and got a newer, lower mile, better spec car for the same money. Mind you, every time I have to park the ****er I have fond memories of my old Focus, the Mondeo’s physically bigger than a lot of parking spaces…

Yep, when I ws looking at cars I went in asking about Golfs etc but the Passat was cheaper. People don’t want then because they are considered rep mobiles, or are too big. This class of car is better equipped and built, with more sound insulation etc, and needn’t be any less economical on the motorway. Also nicer to do a long way in. You get fully independent rear suspension for instance.

Issues are starting to come up. Faults here and there

Remember that a car is not one thing, it’s a collection of components, most of which are not inter related. So if an EGR valve fails for instance that does not mean your rear shocks are going to fail soon, or anything else at all will happen.

It’s an opportunity to upgrade, in my opinion, and save some money in the long run.

I’ve drove the parents mondeo and it doesn’t fit in works car park ha.

I must say I’ve never had any problems with my Passat, it just feels like a normal sized car now.

Passat is a normal sized car, closer to the Focus in size according to Parkers. Mondeo is a chunk bigger in all dimensions- which is why, frinstance, at my local Asda the tyres touch the white lines on both sides of the parking spaces, and with the nose touching the fence the boot still sticks a foot into the road.

I’m finally rid of the Focus from hell and am now the proud owner of an ’10 Skoda Octavia Estate 1.9TDI (no DPF 😉 ). Under 40k on the clock but i’ve seen them with around 90-100k going for around £5k. A big comfy cruiser that’ll be cheap enough to keep on the road – £100 VED and hopefully around 45-50mpg. Cheaper to insure than the focus too and best of all it actually moves forward when you press the ‘fast’ pedal.

“It’s an opportunity to upgrade, in my opinion, and save some money in the long run.”

unless your running a v8 you will save fack all.

^^^This^^^

If you want a nicer car (lets face it, you’ve got an old Astra- I don’t blame you) then fair enough.
However, if you are looking to actully save money overall trail rat is right. Spending £5k up front to save future fuel bills probably won’t work. Astras aren’t that thirsty and are pretty cheap to fix if they break. Your new car would have to be exceptionally economical and totally reliable to make the difference.