Finally not another What Car! (well.. actually, I lied..)
Discussion
Right.
As seems to be the general state of play at the minute, I'm thinking of changing my daily driver for something a little less fond of its drink, and something which will then last me the foreseeable next 5+ years..
I've done most of the work, would just appreciate opinions on each if possible..
(Budget tops out at around £3k)
I'm thinking diesel, probably VAG, around 100k miles, bout 10 years old or there abouts. Good combo of power and fuel economy (ideally 50mpg capable, but still a bit of grunt). More practical than current driver (Fiesta Zetec S), but nothing bigger than a saloon as insurance is a killer, being 21.
The current lineup is:
VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
Yes, I know pretty much all of the above are practically the same car underneath the bits and pieces. But it's the best combo of bits and pieces that I'm looking for. I know that if properly serviced the PD motors last for donkey's years, and the 120000 mile example I testdrove felt barely worn in, I'm just looking for the best of all worlds, really.
Oh and the reason I haven't gone for the 150bhp versions of the Golf/Bora is mainly the whole chocolate camshaft problem, and also that for that risk the extra 20 horses really aren't felt, to my knowledge.
Feel free to prove me wrong/offer advice, do what you like.
Cheers people..
As seems to be the general state of play at the minute, I'm thinking of changing my daily driver for something a little less fond of its drink, and something which will then last me the foreseeable next 5+ years..
I've done most of the work, would just appreciate opinions on each if possible..
(Budget tops out at around £3k)
I'm thinking diesel, probably VAG, around 100k miles, bout 10 years old or there abouts. Good combo of power and fuel economy (ideally 50mpg capable, but still a bit of grunt). More practical than current driver (Fiesta Zetec S), but nothing bigger than a saloon as insurance is a killer, being 21.
The current lineup is:
VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
Yes, I know pretty much all of the above are practically the same car underneath the bits and pieces. But it's the best combo of bits and pieces that I'm looking for. I know that if properly serviced the PD motors last for donkey's years, and the 120000 mile example I testdrove felt barely worn in, I'm just looking for the best of all worlds, really.
Oh and the reason I haven't gone for the 150bhp versions of the Golf/Bora is mainly the whole chocolate camshaft problem, and also that for that risk the extra 20 horses really aren't felt, to my knowledge.
Feel free to prove me wrong/offer advice, do what you like.
Cheers people..
Benedict101 said:
Right.
As seems to be the general state of play at the minute, I'm thinking of changing my daily driver for something a little less fond of its drink, and something which will then last me the foreseeable next 5+ years..
I've done most of the work, would just appreciate opinions on each if possible..
(Budget tops out at around £3k)
I'm thinking diesel, probably VAG, around 100k miles, bout 10 years old or there abouts. Good combo of power and fuel economy (ideally 50mpg capable, but still a bit of grunt). More practical than current driver (Fiesta Zetec S), but nothing bigger than a saloon as insurance is a killer, being 21.
The current lineup is:
VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
Yes, I know pretty much all of the above are practically the same car underneath the bits and pieces. But it's the best combo of bits and pieces that I'm looking for. I know that if properly serviced the PD motors last for donkey's years, and the 120000 mile example I testdrove felt barely worn in, I'm just looking for the best of all worlds, really.
Oh and the reason I haven't gone for the 150bhp versions of the Golf/Bora is mainly the whole chocolate camshaft problem, and also that for that risk the extra 20 horses really aren't felt, to my knowledge.
Feel free to prove me wrong/offer advice, do what you like.
Cheers people..
Bora everytime! I have the PD130 ST and I have loved it over the last 18 months. It hasn't come without its issues but those issues are easily and relatively cheaply resolved!As seems to be the general state of play at the minute, I'm thinking of changing my daily driver for something a little less fond of its drink, and something which will then last me the foreseeable next 5+ years..
I've done most of the work, would just appreciate opinions on each if possible..
(Budget tops out at around £3k)
I'm thinking diesel, probably VAG, around 100k miles, bout 10 years old or there abouts. Good combo of power and fuel economy (ideally 50mpg capable, but still a bit of grunt). More practical than current driver (Fiesta Zetec S), but nothing bigger than a saloon as insurance is a killer, being 21.
The current lineup is:
VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
Yes, I know pretty much all of the above are practically the same car underneath the bits and pieces. But it's the best combo of bits and pieces that I'm looking for. I know that if properly serviced the PD motors last for donkey's years, and the 120000 mile example I testdrove felt barely worn in, I'm just looking for the best of all worlds, really.
Oh and the reason I haven't gone for the 150bhp versions of the Golf/Bora is mainly the whole chocolate camshaft problem, and also that for that risk the extra 20 horses really aren't felt, to my knowledge.
Feel free to prove me wrong/offer advice, do what you like.
Cheers people..
I will be getting rid of mine soon
as need something estatey. If you are going to get one, I would get the "Highline" spec - Heated leather seats, Climate Control, Cruise Control, 6 CD Changer the works! Although if you want a Desert Beige one with a Comic strip on the wing and 145k miles on the clock, then PM me
I'm sure we could come to "some arrangement" 
Seriously though, Bora all the way. So much cheaper and more practical than a Golf GT TDI - cheaper insurance, cheaper to buy and I agree, I prefer the looks and exclusivity of them!
ETA - spelling
Benedict101 said:
I'm thinking of changing my daily driver for something a little less fond of its drink
Benedict101 said:
I'm thinking diesel
Benedict101 said:
probably VAG
Benedict101 said:
around 100k miles, bout 10 years old
Benedict101 said:
Good combo of power and fuel economy
Benedict101 said:
ideally 50mpg capable
Benedict101 said:
More practical than current driver (Fiesta Zetec S)
Benedict101 said:
nothing bigger than a saloon
Benedict101 said:
as insurance is a killer
Benedict101 said:
being 21.
21 and this car boring?? 
Benedict101 said:
The current lineup is:
VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
Wow VW Bora TDi PD130 - driven one, lovely thing. Acres of torque. Actually prefer the looks to a Golf (sacrilege), and there're fewer around, thus more interesting.
VW Golf GT Tdi 130 - See above but with hatchback body. Hopefully going to try one next week but shouldn't feel too much different from the Bora. Insurance heftier though, and boot seems smaller.
Skoda Octavia Tdi 110 - Big fan of how well Skoda is doing these days, although a 10-year-old car might flag up reliability issues. On the upside, family friend owns a chain of Skoda garages. Kaching.
Audi A3 Tdi 130 - Not a huge fan of pre-facelift versions of this, and newer ones are beyond budget, but worth chucking in as a wildcard.
x 50Benedict101 said:
Feel free to prove me wrong/offer advice, do what you like.
Are you a car person?If yes - then WTF are you doing????
If no, then ok. But maybe PH isn't quite the place to be looking for advice.
Benedict101 said:
(Budget tops out at around £3k)
Serious questions.How many miles a year or a month do you do?
And what sort of mpg are you getting now?
The reason for asking this is, if you don't do huge mileage, then a more economical car may not save you as much money as you may think. And assuming you are a car person, it's likely to be a pretty poor trade off overall.
e.g.
If you do 7000 miles a year.
Then a car doing 30mpg on petrol would cost £118 per month.
A diesel car doing 45mpg (you'd have to drive gentle for true 50mpg) would cost £83 per month.
A huge total of £35 saving.
This small amount might be enough to sway you???
Of course, if you are doing more miles or have a wider difference of mpg then there are greater savings to be had too.
In terms of insurance, well as a rule classic and kit cars tend to be the cheapest. So maybe this is worth bearing in mind if you are prepared to look outside the box a little.
Also worth looking at is total cost of ownership.
A £3000 Skoda today, will be worth all of £300-500 in 5 years time. Or at least not a lot. Buy something a little more niche and in 5 years time it could be worth £3000-4000.
So for what it's worth, if I was a car enthusiast at 21 and not doing mega mileage, I'd much rather have one of these for £3k than a diesel Golf/Skoda.
LOTUS EXCEL (1987) 2.2 HC ESSEX BLUE (1987)
96,000 miles £3,300
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3041444.htm
Quantum H4
£3,250
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3068971.htm
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Friday 12th August 15:52
Well, you're nothing if not frank.
Cheers for the overwhelming barrage of yawns. Exceedingly helpful there..
As a recently-graduated student, if I can save £35 I don't really have to spend on fuel, on fuel, then I will happily do so. This is designed to be an everyday mile muncher for the motorway commutes of the years to come, ergo I'm not looking for something with a raspy V12 exhaust note, or a 'sideways round every B-road bender'.
Honestly, if I was looking for fun, do you think I'd be after VAG diesels? I have other toys that I can satisfy more baser instincts with if I fancy it. My 21-year-old-car-enthusiast boxes are definitely ticked by the more weekend-based things I drive.
Appallingly, as well as generally falling to bits, my Fiesta is averaging a pitiful 25-29mpg over the last few months. (Yes, I know..), and I simply can't afford to run it, hence why I posted. And on average I tend to drive 15000 miles a year, which will be dramatically increasing over the next few years due to changes of circumstance, so I do think the saving will be worth it.
Sorry you think that PH isn't the place for me to ask other like-minded people for advice. That's a shame, isn't it
Cheers
Cheers for the overwhelming barrage of yawns. Exceedingly helpful there..
As a recently-graduated student, if I can save £35 I don't really have to spend on fuel, on fuel, then I will happily do so. This is designed to be an everyday mile muncher for the motorway commutes of the years to come, ergo I'm not looking for something with a raspy V12 exhaust note, or a 'sideways round every B-road bender'.
Honestly, if I was looking for fun, do you think I'd be after VAG diesels? I have other toys that I can satisfy more baser instincts with if I fancy it. My 21-year-old-car-enthusiast boxes are definitely ticked by the more weekend-based things I drive.
Appallingly, as well as generally falling to bits, my Fiesta is averaging a pitiful 25-29mpg over the last few months. (Yes, I know..), and I simply can't afford to run it, hence why I posted. And on average I tend to drive 15000 miles a year, which will be dramatically increasing over the next few years due to changes of circumstance, so I do think the saving will be worth it.
Sorry you think that PH isn't the place for me to ask other like-minded people for advice. That's a shame, isn't it
Cheers
Benedict101 said:
Well, you're nothing if not frank.
Cheers for the overwhelming barrage of yawns. Exceedingly helpful there..
As a recently-graduated student, if I can save £35 I don't really have to spend on fuel, on fuel, then I will happily do so. This is designed to be an everyday mile muncher for the motorway commutes of the years to come, ergo I'm not looking for something with a raspy V12 exhaust note, or a 'sideways round every B-road bender'.
Honestly, if I was looking for fun, do you think I'd be after VAG diesels? I have other toys that I can satisfy more baser instincts with if I fancy it. My 21-year-old-car-enthusiast boxes are definitely ticked by the more weekend-based things I drive.
Appallingly, as well as generally falling to bits, my Fiesta is averaging a pitiful 25-29mpg over the last few months. (Yes, I know..), and I simply can't afford to run it, hence why I posted. And on average I tend to drive 15000 miles a year, which will be dramatically increasing over the next few years due to changes of circumstance, so I do think the saving will be worth it.
Sorry you think that PH isn't the place for me to ask other like-minded people for advice. That's a shame, isn't it
Cheers
Lol, the Cheers for the overwhelming barrage of yawns. Exceedingly helpful there..
As a recently-graduated student, if I can save £35 I don't really have to spend on fuel, on fuel, then I will happily do so. This is designed to be an everyday mile muncher for the motorway commutes of the years to come, ergo I'm not looking for something with a raspy V12 exhaust note, or a 'sideways round every B-road bender'.
Honestly, if I was looking for fun, do you think I'd be after VAG diesels? I have other toys that I can satisfy more baser instincts with if I fancy it. My 21-year-old-car-enthusiast boxes are definitely ticked by the more weekend-based things I drive.
Appallingly, as well as generally falling to bits, my Fiesta is averaging a pitiful 25-29mpg over the last few months. (Yes, I know..), and I simply can't afford to run it, hence why I posted. And on average I tend to drive 15000 miles a year, which will be dramatically increasing over the next few years due to changes of circumstance, so I do think the saving will be worth it.
Sorry you think that PH isn't the place for me to ask other like-minded people for advice. That's a shame, isn't it
Cheers
was just having a laugh.But on a more serious note, i dont know anything about you, hence why I asked you some questions. Your profile is empty so I have no info other than your OP.
So I have no idea what you drive at the weekend. What do you drive at the weekend then?
I'd have thought 5 years is long time to plan for at only 21. Even more so on a car like this of this value. In short they could all do the job. But are maybe a little boring while doing it.
If you current car is only doing 25-29mpg then anything would be an improvement. How about something like an e36 318IS? 30's littering about and around 40mpg on a run. Not sure on insurance though.
You mention practical. Do you really need practical? this is a question again, as I don't know without askin or you saying up front
If you don't need to carry any more than 2 people and don't haul anything large then £4k (just over budget) will get you a smart Roadster. Lots of fun and comfy enough on the motorway. They'll do mid 40's all day long and easy 50mph on the motorway. Best I've clocked out of mine was 67mpg.
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