So, what's the opinion on petrol cars with 45k mileage

Our new car (new to us) was hit and written off.

The insurance company have given us 7k to which we have an extra 1k to add.

We are after a 1.4 tsi Golf and I’ve found one with 45k on the clock. Is this high? It’s a 10 plate. Should I be looking for something with lower mileage?

Not much of a car bloke you see, usually I go newer and lower mileage but the Golf is a far better car than the competition.

My MX-5 has 120k on the clock. Engine is strong like bull.

5 years old so about average milage really.
I don’t know much about the engine though. I would be asking if it’s powerful enough for a car of that size.
(I’m going to look now)

10 to 12k miles is average miles for a car, allegedly, so the mileage seems about right.

That’s pretty average mileage.

Bought a 54 plate Audi last year with 77000 miles on the clock. It now has 103000 and it’s still lovely – and I expect it to be lovely for quite a few more miles yet. Looking for 150000 plus from this one with regular servicing!

Go for it!

Theres nothing inherently problematic about petrol engines and that sort of mileage.

That golf has done pretty much average mileage for its age.

Is the Tsi the small turbo/supercharged engine?

45k Ex company that spent life on motorway and serviced regularly, with premium tyres fitted as per contract etc etc, and it’s nowt.

45k spent on short journeys over the last 5 years and run on a budget, bit more of a risk.

It’s a minefield with oodles of variables to take into account when buying SH and even after due diligence, it could just be a ‘Friday afternoon’ job…or a car with no SH, that’s a belter that goes on for years without fault!

Cars are a PITA 🙂

123bhp 😯 I didn’t expect that!

At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.

What makes you think the vws are so much better than the competition?

When I had a fair bit of trouble with my first alfa 156 the sales guy at that garage said that the most troublesome car in their set of franchises was the vw passat.

45K is sod all on a car that age.bit of a daft question really

mitsumonkey – Member
123bhp I didn’t expect that!

I’m sure there’s an even ‘pokier’ version too.

The 1.4tsi is a very good engine. Better Bhp and torque than what it replaces.

Ok, well hopefully I’ll go for a test drive this weekend if it’s not gone

My a4 hit the 200k club. So that’s bugger all

Only daft if you know the answer.

At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.

I’m sure his ‘mate’ does. LOL

According to autotrader
Fuel consumption (urban)34.4 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban)55.4 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined)45.6 mpg
0 – 60 mph9.5 seconds
Top speed124 mph
Cylinders4
Valves16
Engine power123 bhp
Engine torque147.52 lbs/ft

Link to honest John
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/golf-vi-2009/

We’d considered the 1.2 tsi Seat Leon but I do a fair bit of motorway driving.

The VW 1.4 twin charger (turbo and supercharger) engines have a pretty poor reputation. The 1.4 single turbo engines on the other hand have a very good reputation and buying these with 45K on the clock should be not problem. I’d be just as concerned about the rest of the car – does it look well looked after.

This is the single turbo engine, the 122bhp.

I’ve not looked it fully over yet, that’s Wednesday’s job.

Anything else I should be considering?

as tonyg says. the twin charger engines are the ones in the polo gti and fabia vrs. they are tuned to the limit…or a bit beyond. they have terrible problems with burning and munching spark plugs and using oil almost as much as petrol. the single charged units as in the golf are not the same beast, reliable and nice to drive, wide torque band.

Anything else I should be considering?

Civics. Massively impressed with the one I bought at the weekend. 57 plate, 31,000 on clocks and £5200. comfy, fast, quiet and smooth. I park next to a Golf at home and it’s bigger and more spacious than the golf. 1.8 petrol I-shift auto, in the 200 miles I’ve had it up to now, 46.5mpg.

Civic seconded. The only issue I’m aware of is pre 2010 cars have a weak clutch which normally only affects the more powerful CDTi.

We’ve got a 2009 CDTi, 5 door (which has the clever rear seats), and most important, in Red. Its just had the new clutch a year after we bought it, however Honda were very good with a gentle nudge and we only contributed £200ish towards it…amazing considering we are the second owner, its way out of warranty and is on 80,000.

2010 cars and petrol engines don’t seem to have the problem so you can sleep easy.

Mileage is over-rated now, I’d probably choose (for diesel) 100k with full service history in preference to 50k with gaps in the history, and pocket the saving/put it to one side for any unforeseen repairs.

We’ve run most of our cars from around 60k to over 100k and they generally go because we want something newer/safer rather than repair bills, only one car went due to a repair bill and that was a Citroen ZX on 140,000 and in hindsight, I think the garage massively overquoted as they didn’t want the work.

Our civic hasn’t been without its problems.

2006 1.8 petrol. Rubber seal at the top of the windscreen pre 2011 is made of too hard a rubber. Rubs away at the roof edge. Eventually rusts. Covered under warranty for 6 years. So it was well out when discovered. “well known” issue apparantly. Lots on civinfo about it.

Roof gutters can leak and channel water in to the deepest depths of the boot, without soaking the interior or boot lining. Discovered by accident when 3 inches had accumulated.

Until we bought our most recent car at IIRC 25k, last three cars (Golf, couple of Saabs) have been around the 45k – 55k mileage. The golf was bombproof despite the owner (my mate) reckoning it could fail any moment. I sold it at 115k I think and it ran for a while after that. The first Saab was a bit of a trouble but still ran on and on, the second again was good for 115k or so until it was beyond economic service..

Curent car as it happens is 1.4TSI (petrol) Octavia estate so similar engine I suspect, 60 plate. Bit less top end power than the old 900 (at least on paper) but shifts quick enough – in fact with the TSI rather than relying on 2l it is more able to take up quickly.

At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.

That sounds like twaddle. One person in one garage rebuilding 100-150 50k VAG engines a year. Multiply that by the amount of mechanics and garages across the UK and I am sure VAG reliability would be bigger news than ‘a mate I know down the road has…’

That sounds like twaddle

his ‘mate’ worked at the local VAG garage – why would he make that up ? He had no ‘agenda’ to play by telling me that – I have had 3 alfas on a trot now and his father used to service my fathers alfa.

where are VWs on the JD power type surveys now, they always used to be languishing further down than you might think because people bought them thinking they would be well built, and then find out they weren’t particularly.

biggest problem with VW, and Audi, for me is the staff at the franchised garages.

He had no ‘agenda’ to play by telling me that

Because he wasn’t telling you a fact, he was telling you a story and juiced it up a bit to make it sound a bit more interesting. Seriously – have you considered the maths if just one person rebuilds 150 engines every year! It would probably make the engine the most unreliable engine of all time. And I don’t doubt that VAG aren’t necessarily the most reliable, they may even be a bit unreliable, but certainly won’t have that amount of failures at such a low mileage.

Rubber seal at the top of the windscreen pre 2011 is made of too hard a rubber. Rubs away at the roof edge. Eventually rusts. Covered under warranty for 6 years.

£%%$&&&!!!!

Never thought it was covered, now I find out I’m 35 days out of warranty! Bugger! Ah well, they did well with the clutch… Its just at the ‘slightly mottled’ stage.

45k? I’ve done that in a year before now…

IME you’ll have less trouble with high mileage petrols than high mileage diesels – my highest was a 405Mi16 that went past 145k before been sold on.

worth asking the question Spooky.
To be fair to the honda garage, they took pictures and submitted the request to Honda.
I think the new seal was Sub £30quid. Edit – it was £22 from Honda. The respray (the roof, bonnet, 2 doors – fixing stone chips) was £600 mates rates.

The resealing of the roof gutter lap joint he did himself.

Just in passing, I’m trying to sell a 22k 10plate Twingo 🙂

Check my post history for more…

Because he wasn’t telling you a fact, he was telling you a story and juiced it up a bit to make it sound a bit more interesting. Seriously – have you considered the maths if just one person rebuilds 150 engines every year

maybe he is a rebuild specialist and they are all being shipped to him – who knows?

Maybe there was a batch of faulty engines pushed out that all leak oil and the owners didn’t think to check it – that surprised a lot of 156 owners who trashed their engines as well – or maybe they didn’t and that was just a story as well…

45k is nowt.

I’d be more concerned about service history and condition plus proof that any recalls have been done.

We bought our 330 with 67k on it (now 90k) and it’s been pretty good aside from one issue with the VANOS and things like tyres and brakes.

With regards to the German manufacturers reliability, I don’t think they’re as good as they used to be as they chase profits and down spec components / have them built to a price.

OP

45k on a 5 year old car is nothing. As long as it’s been serviced and looked after. I know it’s not the same engine but my Golf is 15 years old with 126k on a 2ltr petrol engine. All tickity boo.

My only reservation will by on the long term (100 to 150k) durability of the smaller turboed engines. Where the bigger engines are working less hard, and therefore less strain, the smaller engines are working harder and fizzing to get the same performance. We won’t know until that generation of smaller engines have passed, or not, the test of time.

Im 65k up on my Civic 1.8 , its as quiet as a mouses fart ,pulls like its new and ive seen 54mpg on a motorway run at 70 mph, There is a reason the last 4 cars weve had have all been Hondas

As for the 1.4TSI golf , make sure the chain and tensioners have been replaced as they are a known problem

maybe he is a rebuild specialist and they are all being shipped to him

Maybe. Then it isn’t a surprise that he is rebuilding engines then.

SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM.

Again, not the same engine but my focus 1.6 has just ticked over 82k and the Miss’ Fiesta 1.4 is about to go over 100k. Only fault so far has been a lambda sensor in the fiesta. I’d not worry about mileages unless there are know problems with that engine at that mileage, unless it’s diesel, I’d avoid any oil burner at 100k+, too many expensive ancillaries to go wrong.

We are after a 1.4 tsi Golf

I wouldn’t touch it.

My petrol car is on 85,000miles. It goes on another European roadtrip in a months time.