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The Car Thread


MadManMike

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Trials forum (all 7 users) I need to call on your help, please.

 

Long story short, my LC went in for a cambelt/water pump and the garage has found coolant leaking from the head gasket. The car has 130k and apart from that there are no other problems.

 

I have come to the conclusion that I want to sell it and buy somethin economical. As much as I used to enjoy long nights in the freezing cold under the car, I just can't be doing with it anymore.

I commute 360 miles a week and I want to see 45+ mpg (preferably more). Therefore I assume I'm looking at a diesel. I think I can stretch to £5k (never spent more than 2.5k on a car before). In order to soften the blow, I may prefer to buy from a garage which has 0% finance (never bought from a garage before). The only requirements I really have are fuel economy, must be 5 doors, doesn't need to be "fast" however needs to drive comfortably on motorways etc, must be a manual, needs to have a good track record for reliability. 

I'm hoping you guys can help. Today is not going well (I need a new roof on the house...).

Cheers,

Dave

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12 minutes ago, george_seamons said:

You won't get a £5k car on 0% finance. The only way you'll get 0% is with a brand new car.

I've just realised this. I have the money in the account. Hmm maybe a 0% credit card would be a better idea and do it that way. 

Just been looking atMazda's 3's and 6's..

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If you're buying a Mazda around the 2008-2010 age, check the underneath for rust and around the arches. Mazda went through a phase of using crap metal that rotted away quite badly.

It's worth checking, if it's clean underneath I'd give it a good coat of underseal to keep it clean.

Engine wise I haven't heard of any issues though, Mazda's have a good reliability reputation.

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2 hours ago, AdamAllen said:

I see what you did there! ha

156 Sportwagon only the 1.8 t-spark but in all fairness its a cracking car for the £1000 I paid for it.

I still want one of these, except it would be the 2.4 jtd version. Knowing me though, I would be on the way to buy it and then do a u-turn to go look at an old Volvo. :P

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Thanks for the advice Mike. Having a scan through Autotrader (is Autotrader dead?) there don't seem to be many VAG cars that fit my criteria (perhaps I'm expecting too low a mileage for my money?). I was thinking along the lines of an A3 2.0T...

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4 hours ago, Tom Booth said:

That's better...

Are they still that bad?

I just know a few people that have Mazda's from 08 to 10 that rusted very quickly.

 

42 minutes ago, David said:

Mk2 Leon 2.0 TDI FR? Might be a stretch at my budget and not super economical?

Should be pretty good on fuel, even the mapped 1.9 TDI's were good on fuel - mine was super unreliable because it had been abused for 7 years, but I still got 45-50mpg at 199.6bhp.

Would have been cheaper to have a petrol drinking beast though, the amount I spent keeping that shed alive.

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1 hour ago, David said:

Mk2 Leon 2.0 TDI FR? Might be a stretch at my budget and not super economical?

I don't think my new leon* is much more economical than my old (mk1) leon.

*I guess the quoted figures are when you're on the eco setting (which is rubbish), can't remember what I'm using but its either normal or sport.

Personally I prefer the look of the mk1 to the mk2 (what did they do with the mk2?). A mk1 should be well within budget for a decent one and I reckon you could get 45mpg out of it if you drive sensibly.

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10 minutes ago, tomturd said:

I don't think my new leon* is much more economical than my old (mk1) leon.

*I guess the quoted figures are when you're on the eco setting (which is rubbish), can't remember what I'm using but its either normal or sport.

Personally I prefer the look of the mk1 to the mk2 (what did they do with the mk2?). A mk1 should be well within budget for a decent one and I reckon you could get 45mpg out of it if you drive sensibly.

I can completely agree on the looks side of things. I really like the way my mk1 looks! Which engine do you have? I have been tempted by the mk1 FR 1.9 TDI (150bhp). Exactly the same as I have now, just with a diesel engine as far as I can see. I have seen some 56 reg ones with Cupra R bodykits as standard too...

Only problem is finding a low mileage example.

Edited by David
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12 hours ago, Luke Rainbird said:

Ideal. Have always liked Tegs, maybe you should get the whole thing ;)

 

11 hours ago, isitafox said:

Agreed, sack the Civic and get a mans car! 

If only! DC2's are going for strong money, never mind insuring the thing. 

One day ;) 

Edited by SamKidney
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15 minutes ago, David said:

I can completely agree on the looks side of things. I really like the way my mk1 looks! Which engine do you have? I have been tempted by the mk1 FR 1.9 TDI (150bhp). Exactly the same as I have now, just with a diesel engine as far as I can see. I have seen some 56 reg ones with Cupra R bodykits as standard too...

Only problem is finding a low mileage example.

I had a 1.9 fr mk1 (diesel, but you know that as its 1.9)

Now I have a 2.0 fr mk3 (diesel again, not sure if there is a 2.0 petrol)

Before I got the mk3 one I was looking at getting another mk1, like you I found it difficult to find one that had low milage and hadn't been meddled with (I like cars that aren't modified or mapped 'cos I'm boring like that). I guess I was too blinded by the prices and wanted a low milage decent example for same price as the high milage rubbish/modified examples were going for. I wasn't looking at the ones that were £500 or £1000 more than what I thought was the going rate, in hindsight maybe I should have looked at the more expensive ones.

Can't say I've noticed that much difference in economy between all 3 of my last cars: mk1 leon, fabia vrs and a mk3 leon, they've all been 42 to 48 ish depending on how I'm driving, motorways, whether I've left the roofbars on etc.

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1.9tdi are generally the better engine than the 2.0tdi. Passats, a4's and superbs all have known problems circa 05-08. Later common rails are supposed to be solid.

Id be looking at an Audi A4 b6 1.9tdi sport 130bhp, one of the best vag derv engines they made.

In my mapped 6l Ibiza 1.9tdi ( 135 ish from a 100bhp ATD ) I'll never see less than 53 mpg and up to 60mpg.

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1 hour ago, Pashley26 said:

Bollocks.

Shut up and get a hair cut :P

Just going from personal experience. I have never ever seen a car that has 0% finance on it on a £5k car. Be interesting to see if there were some though! Maybe I've just been looking in the wrong places though...

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