Another what car thread - Not my first (or last?)

[Mr POD]

Or my requirements are 45 to 55 mpg (so a diesel), large 5 seater, fast(ish) - its all relative, so probabally slow in PH terms, biggish boot, and some pistonhead cred. Best car for £5K oh and nothing french, or "average" (as in no vectras)

My wife's requirements are : Not a skoda, not too high miles, and low risk. (By that she means likely to be reliable for 5 or 6 years with home servicing (of which I'm usually capable if I can be arsed) and not a mondeo.

So started looking at 156 JTD's, evenually looking at 4, before deciding that I really couldn't. All had minor faults, and full service histories turned out to be erm not as full as I wanted.

Then a bloke at work adverised a 320d Estate for £6K (He'd take £5K) with 98K and then for a week or so I thought I might go an look at a few 330d's but I decided that I didn't need the extra performance, so I started googling common 320D faults and decided that I'd be best to steer clear. (Plus I'm not a fan of RWD if I'm honest)

Then a guy I work with is selling a 56K mile 1.9 120 BHP laguna, for £2200 and I google that, and the internet is a scarey place. The fact that people have been asking VOSA to force Renault to recall cars with turbo faults sort of put me off.

Then (Today) another guy at work advertised a 2006 2.0 TDi TDV SE Audi A6 with 117K for £5200. and I'm thinking
"Heart says BUY it, Heart says it's got another 80K in it, head says ask the pistonhead massive"

So
a) would this be a cool car, reliable, fast (0-60 in 10 seconds is fast enough for me), and how do I 'sell' the miles to my wife who thinks 100K is too much?
b) If not, then what other sensible alternatives
c) WHO makes the most reliable 1.9 or 2.0 Tdi ?

[Mr POD]

Mr POD said:

Then (Today) another guy at work advertised a 2006 2.0 TDi TDV SE Audi A6 with 117K for £5200. and I'm thinking
"Heart says BUY it, Heart says it's got another 80K in it, head says ask the pistonhead massive"

So
a) would this be a cool car, reliable, fast (0-60 in 10 seconds is fast enough for me), and how do I 'sell' the miles to my wife who thinks 100K is too much?
b) If not, then what other sensible alternatives
c) WHO makes the most reliable 1.9 or 2.0 Tdi ?

Turns out he "mistyped £5295 instead of £5695. Doh.

[Old Gregg]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3167274.htm

[james_gt3rs]

I'd want some kind of 3 series.

[New POD]

I picked up a 75K mile Honda Accord 2.2.i Cdti Saloon in Black with Leather for about £4700, which I found on Piston heads classified section, in Wrexham (All credit to John Horton Cars Ltd)

Interestingly I decided on an Accord, and then Put the data, of age, mileage, model, and Body style, and private or dealer, into Minitab (which I use at work for statistical analysis alot) and worked out that miles vs price was a very flat slope until 100K, age vs price was barely noticable at my 5k limit, estate's are cheaper than saloon's but only marginally(wife insisted on a saloon). Sport vs Executive has no effect.
and Private sales are marginally more expensive than dealer advertised price.

Then I saw a nice one in a local car supermarket, so I arranged a test drive, to find that they'd sold it before I had a chance to view it (not that they were actually going to tell me). Then I popped in again a week later (I go past and I like a laugh) and "the buyer was refused finance" ----- How ? and it was still for sale.... So I went and bought the one that was older with lower miles.

Before I picked it up I googled the previous owner, and found him, and linked to him on linkedin, where he explained that he'd part exed it because having got a second dog, he couldn't put them both in the footwell, and had bought a hatchback instead.