This is not a directly useful response but just throwing this information into the mix
I run a 1999 Golf gti Petrol 1.8T and it has just crossed 200,000 miles. The previous owner (who had it from about 10k miles, 18 years in total) had it serviced every year. The engine is perfectly happy.
Annual oil/filter changes really seem to be the key to longevity of a car.
I realise this is anecdotal, but hopefully a useful anecdote.
Also, I'm similarly always keeping my eyes wide open for a load lugger as I have a growing amount of equipment that a golf can't swallow.
Okaydokey, Megane failed MOT today as expected. Needs enough doing to make it not worth our while, as we need the bigger car within the next 4months anyway. Going to pop new pads in the rear so that it no longer has any "dangerous" fails and can be driven to find its replacement... It'll still have 2 major (steering related) and 1 minor (registration plate bulb) defects, if anyone is interested in a (very) cheap runabout with MOT until 10 January 2021, give me a shout - looks like WBAC would give us £300ish.
I have one week to find a replacement before a 500mile round trip to see the family over Christmas - South Manchester if anyone knows of anything suitable nearby!
Things like turbos, dpf, dmf/clutched, injectors seem like a real risk on higher mileage diesels.
IMHO, low mileage diesels are more at risk. Running around without getting properly up to temperature and properly re-gen'ing the filtration systems is a recipe for shagged DERV units. We had a 20,000 mile transit at work a couple of years ago. Scrapped mainly because the engine was knackered.
looks like WBAC would give us £300ish.
That might be what the website quotes, you'd be unlikely to get that once they've been round and kicked the tyres!
They actually said about £450, so I've knocked off a third for the classic WBAC mark-down haha
The Nissan i had (mentioned above) had standard CC with buttons on the wheel to adjust the speed and turn on/off. I guess its half way to adaptive where you can just flick the speed up/down/off as required with practically zero effort. Adaptive does sound good but having the control of speed on the wheel is the new minimum for me now.
Thats pretty much any car with CC.
You can adjust the speed with a flick/click of a button on the steering wheel or a stalk. Thats nowhere near as good as when you suddenly approach slower moving traffic when you're going much faster, flicking/clicking down wont slow you down as it'll just release the throttle and engine brake till you get to that lower speed.
CC with braking function is the halfway house, standard on most newer cars or the luxury brands, where if you flick down on speed it will slow you down quicker with the auto applying of brakes or if you're going downhill itll slow you down rather than just speed up till you eventually slow down again.
Thats pretty much any car with CC.
You can adjust the speed with a flick/click of a button on the steering wheel or a stalk. Thats nowhere near as good as when you suddenly approach slower moving traffic when you’re going much faster, flicking/clicking down wont slow you down as it’ll just release the throttle and engine brake till you get to that lower speed.
CC with braking function is the halfway house, standard on most newer cars or the luxury brands, where if you flick down on speed it will slow you down quicker with the auto applying of brakes or if you’re going downhill itll slow you down rather than just speed up till you eventually slow down again.
To be honest I would not want to be to reliant on the car doing the braking - i guess i'd have to try it but if i need to brake i'm going to brake. I've only ever tried the variant of CC that just holds a speed - ok and the the version with up/down/off on the wheel controls - that is the game changer.
cruise really comes into its own with lane keep assist (and I guess autopilot) - I had a rental hyundai with it and it just sat in its lane at a speed/behind a car for 2 hours with barely any intervention. Oddly the setup in a brand new e-class wasn't nearly as good.
either way, the value of cruise vs radar guided cruise comes down to how busy the roads are. I've only got normal cruise, but don't drive except for 'trips' (no commuting) which are normally late evening so the kids are asleep anyway. Lack of radar guided (which I could have retrofit instead of standard, at higher cost) isn't really a concern
Dont think you will get afaptive cruise estate in budget.
Have you looked at t the oddball Korean manufactures.
Hyundai i40 might sneak in or kia probably make something similar
Passat estate could ne worth a look, but they are mostly derv
V50 is a pretty long wheelbase, ditto v60, Alfa 159 for looks on the drive.
Jaguar x type, mondeo running gear but unloved so probably cheap
Saab93, its a Vauxhall in a pretty dress, state owner spare parts co. No meed to worry if you need a light unit
The engine (touch wood) has been great so far. Just replaced the clutch which was very reasonable. I think it shares the engine with Nissan.
We have an earlier 2007 version in herself's Note. It's needed a vacuum unit changing (£300) and an injector (£500) in its time with us. Seemingly indestructible as long as oil and filter are changed regularly. The rest of the car at 170k miles is hateful but it's the around town runabout.
