My opinion on modern diesels. Do you agree?

[DottyMR2]

apness said:

A mate of mine ran a 309gld (non turbo) and it handle amazing for a blandmobile. Plus it seemed quite nippy. On twisty B Roads he would leave so called faster stuff, though he could also do the same in a Fiat Panda 1.0 held together by string and duct tape (doors) and 1.4l Mk4 Escort that refused to do anything but go despite the thrashing. Bit of a come down from his first car (MK2 RS2000) daddy bought him but his dad was fed up of the bills. Insurance on one of those at 18. Eeek.

Makes me wonder what a 309 GTI would have been like, or a TD. Back in the day I'll bet they were wolfs in sheeps clothing.

Are you sure the faster stuff was even aware it was in a race? I love hearing people's tall tales about how the left X, Y or Z sports car in their dust in their 1.0 Saxo with a backbox. They usually entail some ridiculously impossible top speed they hit which warps the laws of physics and tales of out dragging a car with more than 5x the power.

I had someone come up to me in petrol stations and say "I thought those things were quick I totally had you coming off that roundabout". Thing is, the petrol gauge in the MR2 doesn't work below 1/3 (I call it the danger zone, could have 60 miles or 0.6 miles left, who knows....) so I was limping to a petrol station in "please don't cut out on me" mode. The chariot of the driving god that destroyed me off the roundabout?




A 1.4 Clio. Sure mate, "you had me"

Edited by DottyMR2 on Friday 26th June 10:32

[Ghost91]

This is making for rather interesting reading for me, and its good to hear of everyone's experiences!

Also to the post about Saabs, I've owned 4 previously - lesson learned! But as a young lad it was a good way to get decent power at an affordable insurance cost. I still own a classic 900 at the moment which I love though, but I wouldn't touch another 9-5, the dashboard was lit up constantly with some warning or other and my local specialist is rubbish

[apness]

DottyMR2 said:

Are you sure the faster stuff was even aware it was in a race? I love hearing people's tall tales about how the left X, Y or Z sports car in their dust in their 1.0 Saxo with a backbox. They usually entail some ridiculously impossible top speed they hit which warps the laws of physics and tales of out dragging a car with more than 5x the power.

I had someone come up to me in petrol stations and say "I thought those things were quick I totally had you coming off that roundabout". Thing is, the petrol gauge in the MR2 doesn't work below 1/3 (I call it the danger zone, could have 60 miles or 0.6 miles left, who knows....) so I was limping to a petrol station in "please don't cut out on me" mode. The chariot of the driving god that destroyed me off the roundabout?




A 1.4 Clio. Sure mate, "you had me"

Edited by DottyMR2 on Friday 26th June 10:32

He drove like a head case. Literally foot to the floor everywhere. Whatever he was in, he would be quick in. In our 'boy racer' days (a looooonnnnnng time ago now) we all had various cars of differing abilities and he made bland stboxes seem fast regardless of whatever else anyone else was driving. His older brother was the same and they were into rallying (which daddy paid for) which meant any time you got a lift anywhere you'd be sliding about in the back looking at your fellow passengers and wondering if you'd make it in one piece. We did, but the point applies to motorbikes as well. You can have the fastest thing out there, straight from the showroom, and someone else on a ratty deathtrap can leave you because they have no fear of binning it, know the road like the back of their hand and know the very limits of their vehicle and their own skill.

I'm not talking about straight line speed, am talking about flinging a car round twisty country roads. I don't mind admitting that while I have driven cars (and now bikes) at speeds that are stupid, I'll ride/drive within my limits and happily admit that there are people out there who are better drivers/riders than I am when it comes to driving quick over roads they do and don't know. Some people just have it. He was one.

Was, he's dead now, but it wasn't from driving.

So I'm not giving you a tall tale about how someone out dragged X with their pile of crap Y, just stating my experiences. We all drove like young lads did in the 80s/90s (before your Saxo etc piles of st came along) in our 70s/80s stuff before speed cameras were everywhere but he was the quickest driver in everything he owned, regardless of power.

[willmagrath]

I've had a diesel for 3 years now and yes I have had to change the DMF but most modern powerful petrols have them now too so it's no different. The cambelt has been changed, less than £350 and i've averaged 47mpg with very mixed driving. See 60mpg regularly on fast runs, close to 70 mpg in slower traffic.

Yes its a bit dull to drive but after a remap its now a type r beater and still returns great mpg

[otolith]

Ghost91 said:

My parents had an AX and if I remember rightly it was a 1.0 diesel non turbo!! I could be wrong... But it ran on fresh air! Literally a fiver would last forever... It did blow about on the motorway though

1.4 or 1.5 depending on model year. We had one, very economical, even if you thrashed the arse off it.

[Dan_1981]

I bought a Sabb 9-3 1.9tdi on an 08 plate in September of 2013.

It was on 70k and had just had its belts & pump done, ex Black Horse Fleet car.

In the 18 months since i've put...... 80k on it.

3 services, (including one for pump & belt again) 2 front springs, an alternator and two sets of front tyres.

Returns 54mpg, comfortable, well specced. Very happy with my diesel.

[lostkiwi]

Ghost91 said:

This is making for rather interesting reading for me, and its good to hear of everyone's experiences!

Also to the post about Saabs, I've owned 4 previously - lesson learned! But as a young lad it was a good way to get decent power at an affordable insurance cost. I still own a classic 900 at the moment which I love though, but I wouldn't touch another 9-5, the dashboard was lit up constantly with some warning or other and my local specialist is rubbish

The only way to own a modern (ECU based Saab) is to own a Tech2 as well! At least then you can find what the damned warning light means and how to fix it.

[Ghost91]

willmagrath said:

I've had a diesel for 3 years now and yes I have had to change the DMF but most modern powerful petrols have them now too so it's no different. The cambelt has been changed, less than £350 and i've averaged 47mpg with very mixed driving. See 60mpg regularly on fast runs, close to 70 mpg in slower traffic.

Yes its a bit dull to drive but after a remap its now a type r beater and still returns great mpg

It is different because while new petrol cars have DMF's now, they aren't under the strain diesels are so they don't tend to ever need replacing like they do on a diesel

What car is this if you don't mind me asking? They do go well enough, a remap always helps!

[Spangles]

Mister3man said:

Working in the motor industry, seeing all the tat bolted onto to modern diesels, I won't be buying one any time soon.

If you think a ten year old common rail is unreliable, wait until there's 10 yr old euro 6 vehicles knocking about!

They'll be a nightmare.

Exactly this. Euro 6 diesels are more like a chemistry laboratory than an engine and there are very few people who know what's going on inside them and they're mainly scientists who don't get out much.

[Robert Elise]

i wonder whether diesels have hit rock bottom for reliability and are now getting better? From 2005 approx things started to hit the press as diesel reliability and big bills became common. Manufacturers desperately play catch up and *hopefully* the likes of Toyota have got this under control in last few years. Maybe we'll look back at 2005-2010 as a bad period for diesels. I don't know, i just hope as i may be getting a 2012 derv soon ;-(

[Ghost91]

Haven't heard of any honda diesels being too fragile

[Devil2575]

apness said:

Ghost91 said:

I am comparing them with typical petrols - I was just using the v8 to demonstrate how much money diesels have cost me in failed parts - It literally would of been cheaper to run a v8!

Aforementioned mates Charger did 8mpg before one of the pistons turned it into a v7. It's not cheap to run (then again it was an 8 litre, now 7. something). guys at work with v8s tip toe around to get low 20s to the gallon. If you want to run a V8 every day you need to live in Saudi. 9p a litre one of the lads over there said last week. They still make money at that so it shows how much we get fleeced.

Make money at 9p a litre? I bet they don't. It's probably subsided.

[ZX10R NIN]

Ghost91 said:

Haha!! Perhaps it's a bit of that.... Man maths at large!

But....

When you take into account original purchase price - 5k for a 270 cdi merc, or 2k for a bmw 740 with an enthusiast ower and refreshed suspension and lots of love and care, the 3k saved can also be used for fuel!

I'll be honest, theres a bora highline that's caught my eye for the right price and I'm in need of another car - classic Saab needs to be for weekends really, panda 100hp is a bone shaker (Mrs car) and I got rid of my Alfa so I want every excuse possible not to buy the bland mobile and buy something more interesting, after being stung by diesels before! A merc might be a good compromise - and perhaps I'll get a v8 for occasional use if I find a daily that's cheap enough! I still maintain though that in the past I'd of been better off with petrol and this leads me to believe this will be true with my next car... Maybe I've been particularly unlucky but there does seem to be a trend

Edited by Ghost91 on Friday 26th June 09:18

Here's a good daily option still a 270 but a C Class so not as expensive (2.5K but haggle & you should get that down) as with the CLK, again no DPF or DMF to worry about.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Friday 26th June 19:39

[Willy Nilly]

Ghost91 said:

Haven't heard of any honda diesels being too fragile

Isn't it nice when things just work?

[Ghost91]

ZX10R NIN said:

Here's a good daily option still a 270 but a C Class so not as expensive (2.5K but haggle & you should get that down) as the CLK, again no DPF or DMF to worry about.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Thanks! Do you have any experience of driving a merc of this era yourself?

I'm not keen on the interior but then nor am I on the bora for roughly the same money, and more chance of having diesel-y problems.. It does seem like a good possible daily option, maybe not the best to drive but a compromise for the economy... Thinking carefully now about replacing my Saab 900 with something massive for a bit of fun driving at weekends and trips away, so that leaves me with a few more daily options.

I spend so much time driving that I can't decide whether A. Buy an economical car, as it will be a workhorse, try and get something comfy and not annoying to drive or B. I spend so much time driving so get something brilliant to drive/insanely comfy and refined, but obviously with option B, economy is at stake here.

[Ghost91]

Willy Nilly said:

Isn't it nice when things just work?

It certainly is! Maybe this is something I could think about as well.

The garage where I've seen a bora tdi has a civic 2.2 diesel type S for a few hundred quid more (and about 55k miles more too).... The mileage put me off but I've literally never heard or read of any problems with these

[SteveS Cup]

I totally agree with you.

My dad bought a 525d e60 on a 55 plate but with only 40k miles. I did say be careful as I'm guessing it's not been used properly. It's in perfect condition. 3 months in the turbo and waste gate went. £1500 bill from a friend who's an Indy specialist.

I wanted to save money and had the choice of chucking £10k at a second hand e90 diesel / a3 / a4 tdi or leasing a new car through my work on an outrageously attractive scheme. I ended up getting a new A1 TDI S Line. It's now done 3000 miles in a month and I'll have a new a3 in 5 months. The cost of leasing for a year is roughly one big bill from an older TDI. Makes sense.

[ZX10R NIN]

Ghost91 said:

ZX10R NIN said:

Here's a good daily option still a 270 but a C Class so not as expensive (2.5K but haggle & you should get that down) as the CLK, again no DPF or DMF to worry about.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Thanks! Do you have any experience of driving a merc of this era yourself?

I'm not keen on the interior but then nor am I on the bora for roughly the same money, and more chance of having diesel-y problems.. It does seem like a good possible daily option, maybe not the best to drive but a compromise for the economy... Thinking carefully now about replacing my Saab 900 with something massive for a bit of fun driving at weekends and trips away, so that leaves me with a few more daily options.

I spend so much time driving that I can't decide whether A. Buy an economical car, as it will be a workhorse, try and get something comfy and not annoying to drive or B. I spend so much time driving so get something brilliant to drive/insanely comfy and refined, but obviously with option B, economy is at stake here.

Yes I do have experience of the 270 I put 60K on my CLK 270 & had no issues I had to do the Gearbox service & changed the suspension for coilovers (I just couldn't help myself all I had to do was replace the £30 drop links) they are good cruisers, the interiors are nice & comfortable.

If you could find the extra then a facelifted 04 onwards version has a nicer interior.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

[SuperHangOn]

Most minicabbers round my way inflict themselves with a Prius rather than a modern diesel, they must know best.

[Pistom]

Modern motoring has turned to white goods economics but going off fleet reports, diesels still wipe the floor of petrol economics.

Yes you can get the odd rogue which throws up a big bill but with complexity has come quality control. I know it doesn't look like it when you look under the average 3 year old motor these days but as far as reliability is concerned, these products have a life and as long as you don't insist on running the car beyond its economic limit, overall cost benefits trend towards diesel.