Thanks to Llyods bank paying out very nicely on PPI, I can get rid of the lovely Renault Scenic DCi that I never wanted.
I’ve got a budget of £3.5k and looking for an medium sized estate around 10 years old or newer.
Its got to be reasonably economical and practical, around 140bhp. Not fussed whether its petrol or diesel, although I do like diesels, but have a feeling that Diesel owners are going to get bent over by taxation etc. Plus there aren’t that many decent petrol motors about for the age I’m looking at.
I guess the straight answer is an Octavia Esate, certainly vRS esates are available in budget. Im also looking at Volvo V50s and Golf Estates.
Anyone got any suggestions or cars to avoid?

Posted 1 year ago

Any reason a Focus estate isn’t on your list?

Posted 1 year ago

Happy with my Mazda 5, £3.5k would easily gets you a 10′ or newer version with leather seats, electric doors, satnav etc. Can carry up to 7 folks or four in comfort with massive bootspace. Six speed 2l engine pulls 146bhp, had the same in 1.8l with five gears and the difference is massive!

Posted 1 year ago

Sorry for hijack and that but what’s the 2l engine like on economy kazafaza? Looking to possibly get a Mazda 3 for the other half, the 1.6 is only 106bhp and not great on fuel so thinking the 2l might be a better bet

Posted 1 year ago

Not sure would be the shortest and most honest answer. Never looked into mpg as I tend to drive on my own or with five passengers and cargo, city and highways. Done Brum to Perth and back via Edinburgh on (almost) three tanks in summer without trying to drive like an eco granny and still had a quarter of the tank left.

Posted 1 year ago

Mazda 6

Mine does 36.3mpg on the commute n 44 52on a run

Posted 1 year ago

Focus Estate added to the list.
Dont want an MPV again, so that rules out the Mazda 5.

Posted 1 year ago

Autotrader has a couple of Audi A4 Avants in the 70-90k mileages in your price range. I had one for a few years and it was grand. Fuel consumptionometer once hit 59.9 mpg but was normally in the mid to high 40’s (diesel)

Posted 1 year ago

Any reason a Focus estate isn’t on your list?

Probably because they’re awful. My wife has a hatch version. It has no redeeming features.

Volvo V50 on the other hand is a great car. I’ve got the 2.0d and it’s quick enough and economical. Comfortable and well screwed together from decent quality parts. I’d have another.

Posted 1 year ago

Interesting, the V50 2.0 D is the one i’m considering. Seems to be plenty about.
How is the boot space for bike carrying duties?

Posted 1 year ago

Toyota Avensis estate 1.8 petrol

Posted 1 year ago

Another Mazda 6 here, 58 plate it’s a petrol 2.5 vvt jobbie, about 165bhp and quite quick, handles well and keeps up with the Vrs Octavia estate. Sport version has most of the toys you’d expect/want and it’s returning me about 31mpg, which is under book but I don’t do that many miles a year in it so not bothered. Bought it 18months ago with 117k on the odometer full Mazda sh and it was £2,200 IIRC.

I like it and local main dealer servicing is almost as cheap as the independents, although no specialist independent in this area, plus their service has been top notch so far. I’m impressed.

I wouldn’t regard the 6 as a medium sized car, I’m led to believe it’s based on a Mondeo platform but it’s big enough for bikes and people and proving utterly reliable as Mazdas do IME.

Posted 1 year ago

If it were mean I’d rather get a bigger estate, in particular a Mondeo.

Saying that, I would have lots of love for any Mazda too – I still drive an almost 13 year old Mazda 3 Sport (2.0l, 150bhp) that we have owned from new and apart from one warranty fix on faulty ABS sensors it has been faultless – nothing but normal consumable wear and tear stuff and it’s only two DNSs were when batteries died. It starts first time, every time and is still nice to drive.

Posted 1 year ago

Surprised no one has mentioned a Honda CRV or Civic.
There is a very good reason why there are so many still around. Not exciting but reliable and practical.

Posted 1 year ago

Honda Accord ctdi 2.2 . 07 models were the last without dpf’s . Can be had for £1500 ish and leaves a load of cash for running costs. Chain drive engine , watch for faulty tailgate motors
Audi A6 / Passat estate . Electric handbrakes fail to stuck on , not expensive and hundreds to choose from. DPf”s though
Volvo V70 . That budget would get you a really nice D5 , avoid geartronics and change the belts and tensioners
BMW 520d. Cable to boot electrics fail but its such a common fault i think there are aftermarket jobbies. Turbos can be trouble and injectors although the people with no problems dont shout on the net about not having problems as loudly as those who do. LCi desirable models as slightly better engines iirc
Mercedes benz C220? all autos, injector seals ffail on high milage models and deisel fills the wells and turns back to tar . common fault and specialists fix thm for a 1 off fee.

Posted 1 year ago

I really fancy a V50 D5. I have a similar budget to the OP, and can get a c70k miler for that money. Is there any reason to run a mile?

Posted 1 year ago

Think you pretty much nailed it when you said Skoda VRS, you could try a Golf or Audi estate, all pretty much the same mechanically just better trim levels, alloys, body styles etc…

I have a 2006 Audi Avant 2.0T Special Edition (Petrol, 220bhp) for the last 4 years, currently 126k on the clock, no real issues in the last 4 years or any in its life according to the FSH

Friend has a 2006 diesel Skoda VRS Estate, 195k on the clock, runs well, no issues in the last 3 years he has had it

With any car service history is key, do online research into known faults and see if they have been rectified in the service history and look for them when viewing

Posted 1 year ago

Interesting, the V50 2.0 D is the one i’m considering. Seems to be plenty about.
How is the boot space for bike carrying duties?

With the rear seats down, just chuck it in whole. Seats up it’s a wheel off job.

Posted 1 year ago

I really fancy a V50 D5. I have a similar budget to the OP, and can get a c70k miler for that money. Is there any reason to run a mile?

I’m not familiar with the D5 engine, but the general opinion seems to be that it’s pretty good. Just make sure you choose some decent tyres. Even my 2.0d has too much power for the budgets to sensibly cope with, especially on a wet road.

Posted 1 year ago

Oh, and if going D5 I’d pick auto over manual.

Posted 1 year ago

How about an Insignia if you want a bigger car
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910133264477
2015 106k 138bhp

Astra is supposed to be a tidy handler
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201909051898193
2015 101k but only 109bhp they do a similar price version with 136bhp

TBH I would try to get into a facelift focus as the most, erm, focussed car.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201909252613896
2015 140k 118 bhp

I’d take a 100k 4 year old car over a 80k 10 year old car.

Posted 1 year ago

How about a SEAT Exeo? it’s a rebadged Audi A4 with the convertible’s dashboard. I had an estate version (2.0T petrol) one for a couple of years and it was ace. Not well known so a bit of a hidden gem.

Posted 1 year ago

^^^^ That Focus seems great value and I love the colour.

Posted 1 year ago

I buy 7yr old Mondeo’s for work. So the best one you can get for your money. This is an example of whats out there.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F113921924251

Posted 1 year ago

How about an Insignia if you want a bigger car

Driven quite a few, had one for a month or so when my car got bashed, mostly driving back and forth to work, had a full tank on delivery and I got nearly 900* miles out of it! SRi diesel, 170bhp, so pretty pokey, very comfy and easy to drive, but it is a big car!
Personally, I wouldn’t have one now, just ‘cos it’s big, and I have no need any longer for a big car, but I loved driving it, just a nice space to be in.
*It did cost me £72 to fill it up for the bloke to take away, though, which is twenty more than my Octavia, but I get around 520 from a tank so roughly the same consumption. I reckon that extended motorway runs would get around 1000 miles out of a tank.

Posted 1 year ago

Saab 93 Sportwagon 1.9 TTiD?

Posted 1 year ago

Saabs are an outside possibility.
Vauxhalls, just no.
A Mondeo, whilst nice, is just a bit bigger than we need / want.
Thinking about it, I’m leaning more towards petrol than diesel. For the age of cars I’m looking at, most diesels will have DPFs fitted, not a problem per-se, BUT, our car doesn’t do many long journeys and most of the use is short trips (15 miles or less) and we have NO motorways here, so getting a DPF regen cycle is going to be a PITA. Diesels don’t like short trips and their economy isn’t going to save a lot given our annual mileage is only about 6k.

Posted 1 year ago

Another +1 for the Exeo. I’ve got a 2.0 TDI. Mines at nearly 130k and bar timing belts and a fuel pump failure last year it’s been spot on

they are going super cheap now

Posted 1 year ago

How about a SEAT Exeo? it’s a rebadged Audi A4 with the convertible’s dashboard. I had an estate version (2.0T petrol) one for a couple of years and it was ace. Not well known so a bit of a hidden gem.

This is a good call.

See if you can find a petrol estate, rocking horse ** and cheap as chips. Golf GTI engine, great interior.

Posted 1 year ago

A4s are on the list, so that should include Exeo’s too. From what I can see they’re very well spec’d. Whether I can find a petrol one in budget is another matter….

Posted 1 year ago

Theres 1 petrol Exeo in the UK for sale and its a saloon.

Posted 1 year ago

Had a 59 plate Mazda 6 diesel sport estate until 3 years ago, we’d had it 4 years when I sold it. It was simply brilliant in every area.

Posted 1 year ago

I’ve had Mazdas before, but a 6 is just a little bit TOO big for what I need.

Posted 1 year ago

Diesel estate for £2.5k here SEAT Exeo

Posted 1 year ago

After lots of reading and searching, I’ve narrowed my choices down further. Both petrols because of the limited annual mileage and the short nature of the majority of journeys mean diesels don’t make a lot of sense financially and they’re not going to like plodding around the town.
So the choices are:-
Skoda Octavia Estate 1.8T Petrol
Volvo V50 2.0l Petrol
I’ve found a couple of examples that look good and have a decent history, not to mention fully specc’d out.
Just waiting for the cheque to pop through the letterbox is killing me!

Posted 1 year ago

Diesel estate for £2.5k here SEAT Exeo

Consider this is the same car but older, loads more money and has a lesser interior
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910233624009

The exeo is a bargain(?)

Posted 1 year ago

The Exeo is a bargain, no arguement.
BUT
I
DONT
WANT
A
DIESEL!

Posted 1 year ago

Off to look at a V50 2.0 litre petrol tomorrow in Peterborough.
2008 full Volvo service history, 114k miles for £3.3k, so hoping to haggle them down to £3k or less.

Posted 1 year ago

Buy a petrol if you want to be able to drive it into city centres in the next few years. /Awaits STW eco keyboard warriors who will say that you shouldn’t drive into city centres.

JP

Posted 1 year ago

2008 should a facelift model, so you’ll get front cup holders and usable door pockets too! Auto or manual?

Posted 1 year ago