[Closed] Big, cheapish, reliable estate car.

Omega.

2.2D the one to have - much cheaper and bigger than the Mondeo and a nice one will be ultra reliable.

A lovely place to be.

Still some very, very nice ones left.

Hire car perhaps?

Berlingo

BMW 530i Touring. Not the most efficient, but certainly one of the most reliable, and easiest to shift afterwards.

Passat Tdi, should be able to find one in that price range that will do the job for you.

As long as its clean and had all the services done, high mileage will not be an issue as long as the services have been done on time.

Should be easy enough to sell on afterwards, look out for the highline version with leather.

Citroen C5 diesel estate?

rob jackson - Member

Berlingo

Very good point.
Or a Doblo - cheaper, bigger, can get a very nice one for that money.

I'd look for a Toyota Avensis. Unfashionable hence cheap, but sound motors. Would be a much nicer place to be for an Alpine trip than a Berlingo etc.

My passat has done 160k and is still going strong. Will be taking family ads678 to the pyrenees again this summer. Great cars imo.

Oh mines an 03 plate aswell, so something like that will be well within your buget.

My choice would be an E class.

A good one will be a lovely place to be, a bad one will empty your wallet just as any other car would.

Your thread title should read "has anyone got a lucky penny I could rub please"

All 2nd hand cars are a gamble. Most engines are pretty good for high miles but the rest of the car needs to have attention too, its not just engines that leave you stranded.

Mundaneo, Avensis, Omega all good shouts.

Honda Accord Tourer - huge, comfortable, fast enough.

Any modern diesel estate will do the job. Don't get an A4 estate though as they really are compact executives.

My choice would be an E class.

Mine too. Nothing does huge mileage like a diesel Merc.

[i]I'd look for a Toyota Avensis[/i]

+1

First thought when I read the post.

Don't touch anything with an engine bigger than 2 litre if you want to be able to shift it on quickly - unless cheap.

[I]Nothing does huge mileage like a diesel Merc. [/I]

Hmm, 54 plates and on took a lot of warranty work, so I'd avoid them.

There are plenty of everyday diesels in 2.2 size. Doesn't impact fuel economy on a diesel and shouldn't be worried about.

A6 estate. Big, luxury for racking up miles in, reliable and dead easy to shift on when you're done.

I could be tempted to part with our Mk3 2.0TDCi Mondeo Estate for a lot less than that. Bar a split (now replaced) turbo boost hose and some smoke early on, it's not skipped a beat for 35,000 miles. Could snap in a big way tommorrow, but the could be said for something 4 times the value and half the mileage.

It would be nice to have a newer car, but why part with a good thing?

Like driving away from good surf...

Thanks all, some food for thought.
My worry with a diesel is buying something that needs a fortune spending on it when a) we only want it for a couple of months and b) don't really have the time for it to be off the road if it needs fixing.
So, are the problems with modern diesels a bit overhyped then?

Tinsy's side note on Mercs.
Its not the miles a Merc can take that attracts for me, its the way they drive, quite simply an old shit merc is a better drive than most middling new cars. Drive a 1000 miles, get out, have a cuppa & drive back.

Yeah, massively overhyped, all engines are good, diesel or petrol, as I said earlier your more likely to get stranded by something else than complete engine failure, suspension, electrics are more likely to be the issue.

Mine too. Nothing does huge mileage like a diesel Merc.

Hmmm. Not so sure about all old Mercs. My W123 will still be going after the apocalypse, but there were many 'mid-skool' old Mercs that were simply awful.

Aren't Mercs from 1998 to 2008 all Chryslers in disguise? In which case, can it be said that the Mercs that span that period share the same characteristics as Mercs before and after?

Dunno about that, I think Chryslers have some common drivtrain stuff from Merc's but its not the other way around.

Go to a dealer & get a drive in an E class, you will see what I mean.

My worry with a diesel is buying something that needs a fortune spending on

It's not as bad as the scare stories would have you believe. Look how many diesels are on the roads driving happily up and down the country.

Turbos are prone to failure if you run low on oil, DPFs need understanding and caring for, and DMFs are more likley to fail if you're rough with the clutch or labour the engine.

Generally though I would get a younger higher mileage car. More miles in a short space of time means more long trips, which means far less wear and tear. My sister's 105k mile 4 year old Golf Estate for example was £5k or so and looks and drives like new.

Stay away from anything french or italian, imo and go with anything german or ford at the very worst if you can't find anything in your price range for VAG. 1st choice would be a diesel passat.

Japanese rather than German i would say. Mazda 6 estate has a huge boot, had one up to 140k and not a single problem, really regret selling it for a Renault.

Japanese or Skoda Octavia.

Similar to Capt Flasheart, I have a diesel W124 from '94 that still looks and runs good, my mate has a W210 from '98 that's a rust-bucket and has about 7 faults from the BIT on startup.

Zafira? Dull to drive but pretty reliable

BMW 525 petrol/Audi A6 2.0T petrol - cheap to buy and will resell for the amount you paid.

OP is ridiculous. 4k is such a genourous budget that you may as well just say 'what car do you irrationally prefer over other cars?' There is an absolute multitude (theres a thought; Multipla?) of cars that would fit the bill with cash to spare. Now if you said what reliable estate car for £400, then we'd be talking...

And the answer would be as low a mileage Pug diesel estate as you can get your hands on...

Mine too. Nothing does huge mileage like a diesel Merc

(And I love em; W202 250TD estate still <100k miles here...)

2nd for C5 estate.Loads of room can drop or raise the car for loading. Vehicle stays level whatever the load. Get the 2.0 litre HDI and you'll get a cracker for 4K

BMW 5 series - soo easy to sell on.

Vectra.

One of my frequently used taxi drivers has a E220cdi (54plate) with 450K on the clock. Same engine, one gearbox. Still drives fine. Around 4K try to get a post 2003 facelift eclass estate 220cdi or 270cdi. Galvanised and reliable engines. Post 2006 all the electrical probelems were sorted but you will not get that on your budget.

Merc's are Chryslers 2003-2008? are you kidding! Chrysler 300c were old merc parts bin jobs. Eg 5 speed gearboxes when Merc's are 7 speed.

Any yes they are great places to sit. 300miles today - no problem.

C5 estate, I am on my 3rd

Maazda6 deisels had an injector seal issue
Merc manual 6 speed boxes are awful when cold
Citroen C5s are not the most reliable car for road trips dpf issues.
Mundano diesel injectors go wonky at some point in their life
Vauxhall/Alfa 1.9 unit can suffer swirl flap issues
BMW 320/ 520d see above.

Honda Accord
Passat B6 with a PD engine
Audi A6
All good without lots of common faults
If you could find a late model 406 they were pretty good as french cars go.

We've just sold an 07 plate Saab 9-3 sports wagon to my parents for £3,500 and we weren't really doing them a huge favour on the price. 😳 It'd done about 120k miles and according to the mechanic we used to service said it had years of life left in it.

We took it to the Alps on a few occasions and would've had no worries taking it with us this year when we go again (replaced it with a van for additional load carrying duties).

[i]C5 estate, I am on my 3rd[/i]

Dunno if that's good or bad...
Anyway my vote (cos I'm biased) is for a 1.9 TDI Passat with a 130bhp motor. I've just traded in my 51 estate for a 54 plate. Got the old one in 2005 with 94K on, It had 235K on yesterday & the engine was as sweet as sugar. The 'new' one has 72k on.
Two words for them,
Bomb.
Proof.
Keep clear of the newer models with the electric handbrake & 2.0ltr diesel engines. (but you probly wouldn't find a decent one in your budget anyway)
Big old cars too, we go on holiday with bikes & gear, fishing gear, dog paraphernalia, spotting scopes, food for a week...blah blah blah & I can still see out of the back window!

+1 for passat B5.5 in highline flavour. Very good cars for not a lot of monies, reliable and frugal. Passat B6 only after facelift 2008 onwards. But for 4k best option would be passat B5,5

B5.5 Passat is a good shout. Especially a Highline. Fair few B6s knocking about for sub £4k as well with 100k+ on them but like people have mentioned, the early 2.0 TDI is the victim of internet scaremongering... the 1.9TDI in the B5.5 isn't.

Or if you're scared of the diesel going wrong, may I present: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201303215883410/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/body-type/estate/price-to/4000/model/passat/make/volkswagen/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/hx30dl/page/2/radius/1500?logcode=p

Or a 1.8T for a grand under budget: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201301285085678/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/price-to/4000/fuel-type/petrol/body-type/estate/model/passat/make/volkswagen/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1500/page/1/postcode/hx30dl?logcode=p

like people have mentioned, the early 2.0 TDI is the victim of internet scaremongering

Yeah the earlier 2.0 TDI 2006-2008 is a PD engine and had two issues early on. A fairly small production run had an oil pump issue which resulted in sudden engine death at about 40-60k miles. And there were also injector issues which have also been recalled but fairly recently - mine was done a year or two ago.

They should all have been fixed by now in any case. It's a much better engine than the 1.9 imo. I get well over 60mpg on motorway runs now in mine, got 67.4mpg between Warwick and Cardiff the other day 😯 The PD 2.0s are also available without DPF, if you think that's a good thing or not...

Daveboywonder two nice autotrader finds there.

When does very low mileage become a problem, such as this?

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201305307031550/sort/default/usedcars/price-to/5000/body-type/estate/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1500/page/2/postcode/wr12ew?logcode=p ]BMW 320i tourer 14k on the clock for £5k[/url]

Used to have a 320i tourer and it was great to drive, but found the boot space small for an estate.

Saying that, would love to drive round the Alps in something like this 😉

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201306047108163/sort/default/usedcars/price-to/5000/body-type/estate/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/wr12ew/page/1/radius/1500?logcode=p ]http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201306047108163/sort/default/usedcars/price-to/5000/body-type/estate/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/wr12ew/page/1/radius/1500?logcode=p[/url]

so, the concensus vehicles seem to be A6/Passat/5 series.
Are any of these likely to be difficult to quickly move on with minimal loss on purchase price?

Been looking on autotrader this morning. Is this reasonably priced, or is it a bit basic spec/compromosed by being manual?

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201305297001369/sort/default/usedcars/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/5000/body-type/estate/model/5_series/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/page/4/postcode/al55qt/radius/1500?logcode=p ]http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201305297001369/sort/default/usedcars/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/5000/body-type/estate/model/5_series/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/page/4/postcode/al55qt/radius/1500?logcode=p[/url]

The BMW looks like a winner. One owner, good nick and fsh should help sell on

C5 estate, I am on my 3rd

In three years? 😉

That 330 estate - lovely!

signum

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/saab/9-3/postcode/al55qt/radius/1500/price-to/4000/body-type/estate/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/sort/pricedesc/page/1

I`ve got a 2005 Megane 1.5 DCi estate for sale if you didnt want to blow your budget, was the Mrs DAily so its always been well looked after/ serviced etc.
Taxed and MOTed, decent tyres.
Its just had an Aircon compressor replaced and re-gassed, huge inside and has a towbar for a bikerack.
Done 120K but drives fine, cheap to run, surplus to requirements now as replaced with a 535D Touring
£1950 if interested, mail in profile

[i]so, the concensus vehicles seem to be A6/Passat/5 series.
Are any of these likely to be difficult to quickly move on with minimal loss on purchase price? [/i]

The Passat will be easier to sell on, as the BMW and Audi are seen as 'premium' so you'll be looking at a smaller audience.

FWIW I bought a B5 Passat recently, 12m MOT and £500 - only had to replace the window regulator, which they seem notorious for.

Accord tourer I just got one and it's perfect for what you describe.

4k will bag a 06 with a reasonable mileage, bombproof chain cam vtec engine, all the toys and a full history, not the most attractive but for reliable transport you'll sell on in seconds there is nothing better. I've had a few VAG cars and I'd take a Honda over them any day.

Please you see...

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/honda/accord/tourer-2003/

The MKVII Accord petrols are great for reliability. I had two 2.2 diesels and they weren't the most reliable. That's why we have a petrol 2.4 MKVIII. All the toys - you bet - except the voice regcongition only works for MrsG's voice and not mine 🙁

I know of a 54 plate B5.5 Passat 1.9td with around 88K on the clock that might be available soon for around £3750. Pretty sure its a manual Highline .
If your getting a Passat try for a 130 6 speed. Much nicer to drive to the Alps in and will probably use half the fuel of that BM.

I've just got my newest vag car to date an 04 golf estate 130 tdi
And it has to be the worst build one so far

1997 passat bomb proof tdi 197k
2000 Audi a4 20v very nice but high fuel bills

And this golf rattles crashes and the seats are crap 50 ish mpg though

Can't see me keepin this one very long

I've got a 2006 Mazda 6 estate 2.0 petrol, picked it up for 1300 quid. Got 150k on it but drives and looks better than many lower mileage cars I've had. Out of the 15 cars I've owned in the last 10 years though the only one I regret selling is a volvo 850 t5. Now looking for a nice v70.....

[i]I know of a 54 plate B5.5 Passat 1.9td with around 88K on the clock that might be available soon for around £3750. Pretty sure its a manual Highline[/i]
That would have been of interest had I not got one already! Paid £4295 for mine on Monday less 1K off my old B5 one.
I even said 4 or 5 years ago, 'my next car will be another Passat'.
Low (ish) mileage B5.5's are like rocking horse poo though.

C5 estate, I am on my 3rd

In three years?

First one bought in 2006 with 50,000 on clock (took to 100,000 with no real problems (was actually Hatchback)
Second one bought in 2010 with 60,000 on clock (took to 90,000 with no real issues) (was an estate,massive)
last one was bought in january this year at 1,600 miles now at 5,500 is an estate slightly smaller than the older one

Pretty much any diesel estate will do the job and hold its value. If its just for a short time I'd be tempted to get something a bit silly maybe a huge old citroen xm don't know if they can be found at 4k a mg zt rover 75 in v8 flavour.

My experience of the B5 Passat is a little different: I had the TDI 130 bhp model estate for 12 years and in many ways it was a great car; it was a joiners van and a family car; pretty rugged really.
It did have some pretty serious design flaws however:
-Front suspension ridiculously over complicated; needed replacement parts every 18 months (still understeered badly).
-Hiding the drain holes for the plenium chamber where you can't even get a hand in to remove leaves etc was catastrophic; lots of people suffered drowned main computers (in passenger footwell). I had my brake servo rotted through resulting in my brakes seizing on and rusty water being sucked into the engine by the servo pump!
-On the PD engine the injectors were controlled by not very heat resistant wires, which was unfortunate as they resided inside the cylinder head; not much fun driving home from Italy with an intermittent misfire!
-Head gasket blew last year at 120,000 miles.
-electric window cable snapped.
-both front coil springs snapped.

Have bought a Mazda 6 diesel (which have a known issue with the dpf cleaning procedure resulting in diesel ending up in the engine sump; I am keeping my eye on it though.
2 observations: Cornering is so much better than the Passat. Rear seats fold flat to leave a 2m long bay, much better than the Passat.

Finally if you google reliability index of the new Passat against the Mazda 6 the results are quite interesting

Sport model BMWs are easier to sell on, as are the Autos.

FWIW, the Auto is a lovely box, and there's no appreciable difference in fuel economy in the 528i over the 530i. The 530i sport is a better buy. If you're happy to have a little less space, you get get a FANTASTIC 330i for under £5k.

Mine was a little more, but has pretty much EVERY optional extra.

My 330i Sport Touring:

[URL= http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u161/Razors_kiss/3E9C6F83-A2C9-4ADA-A508-B04B3ADF37CF-555-00000078DC1DB4A3_zps2249fbd4.jp g" target="_blank">http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u161/Razors_kiss/3E9C6F83-A2C9-4ADA-A508-B04B3ADF37CF-555-00000078DC1DB4A3_zps2249fbd4.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

German! I had 2 Peugeot 406 estates, the old one was brilliant(261000)
died of a rusty sill. The second newer one was a bag of knackers, the airbag worked ok though,as I found out, having had mainly French cars I vowed the next one would be German I ended up with an Audi A4,
not the most roomy but boy do I like it!.
I also have a Peugeot Partner van(only because it was silly cheap)
complete with lots of usual Peugeot problems, exploding crankshaft pulleys etc. However I don't take the van seriously, It did pass its Mot yesterday without needing further expenditure.
As someone else said a second hand car is an unknown quantity until you own it.
Hope whatever you end up with is fine 🙂

Daffy that is noice. Any issues like sensors etc?

The only problem with beemers is they really can hide clocking very very well visually.

3 series BMW isn't big like the OP was asking for though. Compared to Mondeo, Passat and 5 series it's very small.

Daffy that is noice. Any issues like sensors etc?

Front wishbone bushes wear very quickly on the E46's.
Cooling system is prone to issues on E46's.
Rust on E46's is also very common.

(Previously owned two E46 330ci Sports)

Agree with Craig above...E46 Tourer is not a big car / boot.

Rust on E46's is also very common.

Sills are prob aren't they?

Rust on E46's is also very common.

Sills are prob aren't they?

Mainly the arches but can also affect the sills:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=72&t=1243705&mid=49649&i=-17&nmt=e46+rust&mid=49649

Audi A6 all the way, huge boot and cofortable cruiser. German engineering so no need to worry about reliability or high mileages as long as its got good history. 🙂

Edit: Same goes for BMW 5 series touring or Volvo V70

dooosuk - Member

Daffy that is noice. Any issues like sensors etc?

Front wishbone bushes wear very quickly on the E46's.
Cooling system is prone to issues on E46's.
Rust on E46's is also very common.

(Previously owned two E46 330ci Sports)

Agree with Craig above...E46 Tourer is not a big car / boot.

I did say "if your happy for a little less space"

Front wishbones are a £250 repair and can be done at home, The coolant system replacement is a £400 change, which can be done at home if you wish. As for corrosion, mine has been inspected by BMW at each service point in order to maintain the 12 year anti corrosion warranty.

There's nothing major to go wrong on the 330i except the cooling system... If the engine temp goes above 1/2way STOP the car!

Daffy - I'm not saying they're bad cars. I like them. Just not sure it fits the OP's brief.

signum!