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Sept 13, 2016 20:42:32 GMT
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Hello all,
I have just moved to wonderful middle England for a grad job. I currently have a mk1 mx5 and a mk2 golf in loads of bits in a garage back up in Scotland.
I do a lot of mountain biking and general outdoor activities which was fine before as all my mates had practical cars and the outdoors wasn't as far away! Now spread out and far so need to drive 1.5hrs to get to any semi decent hillside.
Getting pretty sick of the constant worry of some sruffer stealing the mazda, it being terrible on fuel and pants at anything other than back road bashing. Basically at the ripe old age of 23 I want rid of the "sports" car and am after Diesel estate. Ill be in the area for about 3 years so if i can make something last that long it would be grand. I'm half handy with spanners and have a few pairs of helping hands about.
Requirements are:
1] Rear seats to fold flat
2] To be able to swallow a mountain bike, ideally fully built
3] 50+ mpg if being sensible
4] To be able to cruise at 70 (in a way that doesn't feel like its stressing it, I'm overly mechanically sympathetic, the mx5 would sit at 70 but pulling 3700rpm! so not exactly pleasant or relaxing)
5] To be able to park on the street and it blend in enough that I wont worry about it, or just be undesirable and curse word enough that no one will want a piece of it.
6] Ideally around (less) than £1000. Could be pushed but think if i paid much more i would get a little to protective as it would be the most I have spent on a car ever.
My thoughts so far are:
mk3 golf tdi estate
+'s, meets all the criteria, can up fuel and boost to make it less reliable and more sooty, can part it out for bits for the mk2 when its end comes
-'s, surprisingly hard to find, like to rot, easier to steal than something of a newer generation
Passat tdi estate (late 90's > early 2000's)
+'s, again meets criteria, more comfortable and quiet than mk3, very common
-'s, heavier so not so good in stop start style driving, parts more expensive (tyres, brakes etc), dual mass flywheels (on some newer ones i think)
Octavia tdi estate - same as passat but little cheaper and less common
320d touring
+'s, rwd, more engaging drive (i imagine)
-'s, not as good on fuel (from research), parts bit more expensive, not quite curse word enough
Very VAG based so far as that is more what i know, any suggestions or experience of suggestions welcomed! Positives and negatives are based on mix of research and opinion, please correct me if you know better.
Thanks!
P.S Will likely be getting a motorbike to scratch the fun itch hence why excitment isn't a high priority
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longman
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 506
Club RR Member Number: 3
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Boring maybe non retro dailylongman
@longman
Club Retro Rides Member 3
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Sept 13, 2016 20:57:33 GMT
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Mk2 Superb hatch ? massive cars... estates are a bit spendy
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Paul
98 500 SL
86 911 Carrera/sold
23 Octavia Phev
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Sept 13, 2016 21:04:12 GMT
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Last Edit: Sept 13, 2016 21:15:02 GMT by joem83
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Sept 13, 2016 21:10:49 GMT
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Any Peugeot with a non HDI turbodiesel. A Citroen if you want it still a bit cheaper.
And on a oddball. Alfa-Romeo 156 SW JTD, not a rubbish as one might think.
Early Volvo V40 had a the 1.9 Renault turbodiesel, non commonrail if I'm correct.
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 Click picture for more |
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Sept 13, 2016 21:15:20 GMT
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Superb's are a bit new and out of price range are they not?
Had heard similar about 320d's, thanks for confirming.
Yeah ill have a look into load space on polo estates, think a seat cordoba is a mk3 golf/polo estate with a different face.
I'm trying to avoid a van as insurance is a bit pricey from when I last looked, also be useful to have more than 2 seats. don't think mk4 golf estates have the same load space as the mk3's, think if I was to get something of the age a passat would make more sense?
Anyone has a kangoo/berlingo/doblo or similar? super practical and boring, just not sure of build quality or ride comfort/motorway friendly-ness haha
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Sept 13, 2016 21:18:03 GMT
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Any Peugeot with a non HDI turbodiesel. A Citroen if you want it still a bit cheaper. And on a oddball. Alfa-Romeo 156 SW JTD, not a rubbish as one might think. Early Volvo V40 had a the 1.9 Renault turbodiesel, non commonrail if I'm correct. Ill have a look into them tomorrow thanks  had seen posts about alfa's before but was a bit sceptical from what tv/internet tells you haha |
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Sept 13, 2016 21:24:43 GMT
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jonk
Part of things
Posts: 154 
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Sept 14, 2016 6:49:26 GMT
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mk iv tdi estate too new? They are excellent motorway cars.
I got one and haven't taken my mx5 on the motorway since.
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Last Edit: Sept 15, 2016 6:50:16 GMT by jonk
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rodit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,683
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Sept 14, 2016 7:21:08 GMT
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I know a few guys of this here parish run fiat multipla, might be worth a look for practicality.
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Low and slow
Why can't i tune it?
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tofufi
South West
Posts: 1,454
Member is Online
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Sept 14, 2016 8:03:45 GMT
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My vaguely retro daily does everything on your list except one point...  Good points: Comfy (I sometimes do 400 miles in a day in it). Straight 6 diesel, RWD. Easily tuned apparently. Bad points - mine is stock except an electric cooling fan, and over the last 7000 miles of ownership I've averaged 44MPG. That's almost only on long journeys though. I'd not want to use the D24T engine in frequent short trips. |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Boring maybe non retro dailyChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Sept 14, 2016 8:25:38 GMT
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I have seen a few 320ds last a while with no major issues as long as the servicing is adhered to. Quite a few of the blue smoke issues tend to be down to the breather filter blocking up, which is a serviceable item. Admittedly the clutch and flywheel can be expensive to change. That said, any E46 except maybe a 316/8i will be a dog under £1500-2k IME ; I almost bought a 'run of the mill' E46 over mine, and TBH I saw alot of curse word out there below £2k, with rusty arches, tired bushes, shot interiors and lack of servicing which from past experience BMWs don't tend to tolerate well.
If I were in your shoes I'd probably discount the Passat, as much as I like the PD engines ; they are torquey, driveable and will do 50MPG MPG without a hitch.
What I would look at is a Mk1 Ford Focus TDDi Estate which satisfies the criteria well You should get a half decent one in that budget. You *could* get a MkII 1.6 TDCi or 1.8 TDCi with a lowish spec with searching, but when I was looking £1.5k was more like the mark, and on a 1.6 I'd want a DPF delete package put on for longevity and further MPG improvements, which of course is more ££££.
From what I have seen alot of good condition estates now command a premium, due to the tipping stations charging vans to dump stuff ; my friend has just gone from a van to an estate for this very reason.
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Last Edit: Sept 14, 2016 8:27:44 GMT by ChasR
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Sept 14, 2016 8:49:08 GMT
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I inherited a mitsubishi spacestar 1.9did (renault diesel) from my dad when he bought a 1 series bm. Only really kept hold of it because we had always used it to ferry fishing gear around all the time and we've got a massive roof box for it. I stuck it on my trade policy and expected it to sit idle between fishing trips. I ended using it as a daily. Decat and a remap saw real good gains and I tore a$$ off it constantly and never got less than 36mpg. Could easily achieve 65mpg on a motorway run without trying. Surprising large inside, blends in well in a carpark, cheap as chips. I killed the turbo on mine when I cranked the boost alittle too high, otherwise it would still be here.
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Its not broken, its resting!
Max signature image height: 80px
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Sept 14, 2016 8:52:39 GMT
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Its not broken, its resting!
Max signature image height: 80px
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thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,648
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Sept 14, 2016 9:18:54 GMT
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You have plenty of good options above and I'd personally like to give the Alfa a try as reports are positive.
What I would suggest is that you base it on the "bike in the back" criteria.
You are trading a sports car for functionality so make sure that you can get the bike in there in one piece.
I have an Audi B7 Avant and there is no way my bike is going in there in one piece (some may challenge that but I don't want to spend 3 hours cleaning oil and mud off my windows and roof liner after every trip). As a result it goes on the roof which really means little difference to my old e39. The boards will fit in there in the winter though which will make a difference.
I was knocking around in a Legacy estate while waiting to find the right B7 and it had a truly cavernous boot which swallowed the MTB whole with ease. These are no good for you though as petrol and very thirsty.
If it were me and I was dealing with your requirements I'd probably go for either a Mondeo or any Volvo from 240 up to V70 (depending upon your retro to mpg mix)
.... in all honesty I'd buy a Turbo Forester but then I'm not very good at sensible decisions.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Sept 14, 2016 9:24:29 GMT
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I'm not sure it was polo rear seats from what I remember, perhaps it was Cordoba Estate or something like that I think. Either way you can install rear seats! Can do the same in a lot of small car derived vans. I had a MK2 caddy van, 1.9 TDI, about 150bhp, returned 60+mpg. Easily modified and very handy. Although if you use local recycling sites and toll roads you will end up paying a penance for having a comercial. |
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Sept 14, 2016 9:47:34 GMT
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Hi there I have been given a works van with my new job that starts at the end of the month. And I,ll be selling my 1996 audi a6 / 100 avant it's a 2.5 tdi 6 speed manual has 186,000 just now just been M.o.t. For a year and had a service too. It's great on the fuel and is way big enough as I used it for the same purpose. All the belts were done about 35,000 miles ago I.ll double check it's had 3 previous owners too condition not bad. The wings are OK. And it is very comfy big estate oh it's dark blue.contact me if your interested I.m over in Glasgow if your up this way soon. Can email you photos. All the electrics work Aswell. Hope this helps
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Sept 14, 2016 9:52:10 GMT
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I have a 306 1.9 turbo estate for the dogs, great car for the money
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njw
Part of things
Posts: 226
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Sept 14, 2016 12:25:34 GMT
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I had an '06 mk3 Mondeo hatch as a runabout for a while and it turned out to be one of the best cars I've ever owned, it would tick all your boxes easily, it was like a van with the seats down, I had my mountain bike in it numerous times, mpg around town was around 38, 50 on a run was easily acheivable, it was quite happy cruising at 100 on the motorway (not that I ever did of course!), never mind 70 and it only cost me £800 too even though it was a top spec 2.2 tdci Titanium X.
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paul99
Part of things
Posts: 410
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Sept 14, 2016 12:58:38 GMT
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Would avoid the mondeo. at that price it's an injector or a DMF waiting to happen. Would look at the V40, better than the sum of it's parts, and the grandad image will mean it'll get little attention and be insurable. Possible a Saab 9-3 if you can insure it. Both capable cars and reliable if looked after.
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had seen posts about alfa's before but was a bit sceptical from what tv/internet tells you haha
