diesel hatches (106, 206, 306, clio) £1500
Discussion
-sorted, thanks everyone
ello, looking at diesel hatches for around 1,500.
Preliminary bloke research puts the 306 and clio 1.5d near the top, as well as golf 4 (been reading that other thread).
Can anyone give more info on the 306 diesel? I have read a lot of good things on here about it in terms of driving fun, it's a decent size, looks nice and by most accounts sounds cheap to run. There are also a lot of clean examples with good mileage around.
however, rot/reliability? french electrics spring to mind.
the 01-04 Clio 1.5d has ridiculous MPG but seems a bit more expensive (~£2000), and from experience of (larger) Renaults of that era, the electrics are dodgy, the plastics break and parts can be costly.
I know the golf 4 is bulletproof but I'd rather not have to. It looks heavy and boring (s
t reason i know)
106 diesel seems harder to come by and having been in them in the past they seem pretty anemic.
206 diesel is lower down on the list because it's an ugly girl's car (although probably a good idea)
have been avoiding Fords because of the rot, can't really think of anything else.
any advice or wildcards appreciated! thanks!
ello, looking at diesel hatches for around 1,500.
Preliminary bloke research puts the 306 and clio 1.5d near the top, as well as golf 4 (been reading that other thread).
Can anyone give more info on the 306 diesel? I have read a lot of good things on here about it in terms of driving fun, it's a decent size, looks nice and by most accounts sounds cheap to run. There are also a lot of clean examples with good mileage around.
however, rot/reliability? french electrics spring to mind.
the 01-04 Clio 1.5d has ridiculous MPG but seems a bit more expensive (~£2000), and from experience of (larger) Renaults of that era, the electrics are dodgy, the plastics break and parts can be costly.
I know the golf 4 is bulletproof but I'd rather not have to. It looks heavy and boring (s
t reason i know)106 diesel seems harder to come by and having been in them in the past they seem pretty anemic.
206 diesel is lower down on the list because it's an ugly girl's car (although probably a good idea)
have been avoiding Fords because of the rot, can't really think of anything else.
any advice or wildcards appreciated! thanks!
Edited by pwrc on Sunday 24th June 12:22
IIRC the 306 diesel only achieved 42mpg on the combined cycle so it isn't as cheap to run as you would expect. The 106 1.5d is probably overall the cheapest car to buy and run in the UK (if your doing quite a lot of miles) they are extremely good on fuel no matter how hard you drive them and extremely cheap to fix.
Saying that, as your budget does allow for £1500, you can afford to run a much better car
Not sure what I'd suggest though.
Saying that, as your budget does allow for £1500, you can afford to run a much better car
Not sure what I'd suggest though.300bhp/ton said:
Think I'd be looking for a diesel MG ZR if in budget tbh.
I looked at these are while back, they aren't particularly good at anything. Infact a Golf Mk4 130 is better in pretty much every way.Edit:
I flicked on the Golf MK4 thread for the first time after posting this and the first response said "especially 300bhp/ton - he's got a real hatred of these". Bad timing for my suggestion I suppose Edited by StottyZr on Wednesday 6th June 15:32
Clio 1.5 DCi all the way. I had the 65 version, even with fairly high miles it was bulletproof in the year I had it. Crazy MPG, and much better to drive than a 1.5 106 would be. Interior is pretty nice, only fault I had was that the radio and clock display bulbs were broken. Only had a few tyres and the brakes sone in the time that I had it, along with a full service, but the parts were by no means more expensive than any others would have been. Sold it with 12 months MoT and tax for £1100, should have no problems finding one for £1500.
Felt quicker than it was on paper too. only thing to look out for is the sunroof leaking, but they all do that sir. Good luck
Felt quicker than it was on paper too. only thing to look out for is the sunroof leaking, but they all do that sir. Good luck
pwrc said:
ello, looking at diesel hatches for around 1,500.
Preliminary bloke research puts the 306 and clio 1.5d near the top, as well as golf 4 (been reading that other thread).
Can anyone give more info on the 306 diesel? I have read a lot of good things on here about it in terms of driving fun, it's a decent size, looks nice and by most accounts sounds cheap to run. There are also a lot of clean examples with good mileage around.
however, rot/reliability? french electrics spring to mind.
the 01-04 Clio 1.5d has ridiculous MPG but seems a bit more expensive (~£2000), and from experience of (larger) Renaults of that era, the electrics are dodgy, the plastics break and parts can be costly.
I know the golf 4 is bulletproof but I'd rather not have to. It looks heavy and boring (st reason i know)
106 diesel seems harder to come by and having been in them in the past they seem pretty anemic.
206 diesel is lower down on the list because it's an ugly girl's car (although probably a good idea)
have been avoiding Fords because of the rot, can't really think of anything else.
any advice or wildcards appreciated! thanks!
106 and 206 diesel, just no... The 106 sure is cheap to run but won't be any cheaper than the Clio and unlike the Clio does not qualify for £30 tax. It'll be alot slower too.Preliminary bloke research puts the 306 and clio 1.5d near the top, as well as golf 4 (been reading that other thread).
Can anyone give more info on the 306 diesel? I have read a lot of good things on here about it in terms of driving fun, it's a decent size, looks nice and by most accounts sounds cheap to run. There are also a lot of clean examples with good mileage around.
however, rot/reliability? french electrics spring to mind.
the 01-04 Clio 1.5d has ridiculous MPG but seems a bit more expensive (~£2000), and from experience of (larger) Renaults of that era, the electrics are dodgy, the plastics break and parts can be costly.
I know the golf 4 is bulletproof but I'd rather not have to. It looks heavy and boring (s
t reason i know)106 diesel seems harder to come by and having been in them in the past they seem pretty anemic.
206 diesel is lower down on the list because it's an ugly girl's car (although probably a good idea)
have been avoiding Fords because of the rot, can't really think of anything else.
any advice or wildcards appreciated! thanks!
The 306 was a fine car in it's day, the NA diesel is a real plodder but the turbo is lively enough. I didn't own mine long enough to encounter any problems but IIRC the rear torsion bar can sieze up through time and some electrics can be fiddly, the heater springs to mind for some reason. A good one will treat you well though.
Out of your choices it'd be the Clio for me. Nice enough to drive although most will suffer from leaky sunroofs, not anywhere near as bad as the Megane etc of the same vintage.
Perhaps you'd get a better petrol car for that budget?
StottyZr said:
300bhp/ton said:
Think I'd be looking for a diesel MG ZR if in budget tbh.
I looked at these are while back, they aren't particularly good at anything. Infact a Golf Mk4 130 is better in pretty much every way.Out of my last 6 cars, five have been French. The only one to suffer a catastrophic breakdown was the Ford.
Have had Renault 19, Scenic, Megane, 306, Focus, 306
Sure they can have their quirks but for a fun to drive whilst practical experience you will not go far wrong with a 306. I currently have a 1.9TD GLX which cost me £525 with 7 months ticket and 2 months tax. Has a fair amount of history and 130k on the clock. Doesn't smoke, pulls like a train.
My previous one was a 1.4 petrol and they are geared to feel nippy.
For your money you should be able to get the more economical 2.0HDI engine in a 306. I would look at Meridian trim as the half leathers are comfy yet supportive. Toying with the idea of getting a set and dropping them in mine tbh as the GLX interior is a bit too much like an armchair for me.
Old one had a dodgy earth which caused all sorts of gremlins - researched it and it cost me £30 to fix.
Current one has a few gremlins too which I need to get to the bottom of, but it's a cheap car with a strong engine, box, clutch etc. So i can cope with temperamental electric mirrors and one window that doesn't work for now.
Keep an eye on droplinks as these go pretty regularly, but they are only a few quid each.
Better looking and more room than a clio I would say personally
HTH
Have had Renault 19, Scenic, Megane, 306, Focus, 306
Sure they can have their quirks but for a fun to drive whilst practical experience you will not go far wrong with a 306. I currently have a 1.9TD GLX which cost me £525 with 7 months ticket and 2 months tax. Has a fair amount of history and 130k on the clock. Doesn't smoke, pulls like a train.
My previous one was a 1.4 petrol and they are geared to feel nippy.
For your money you should be able to get the more economical 2.0HDI engine in a 306. I would look at Meridian trim as the half leathers are comfy yet supportive. Toying with the idea of getting a set and dropping them in mine tbh as the GLX interior is a bit too much like an armchair for me.
Old one had a dodgy earth which caused all sorts of gremlins - researched it and it cost me £30 to fix.
Current one has a few gremlins too which I need to get to the bottom of, but it's a cheap car with a strong engine, box, clutch etc. So i can cope with temperamental electric mirrors and one window that doesn't work for now.
Keep an eye on droplinks as these go pretty regularly, but they are only a few quid each.
Better looking and more room than a clio I would say personally
HTH
thanks everyone!
The clio does look like a good car but most reasonable examples seem to be out of budget.
The main thing about the 306 is that the majority advertised appear to have been treated well by their owners and have lower mileage than would be expected.
MG ZR is a nice wildcard but I can imagine insurance being a bit more. Also more likely to have been shagged (in) by some scrote. I'll keep it in mind though.
re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
The clio does look like a good car but most reasonable examples seem to be out of budget.
The main thing about the 306 is that the majority advertised appear to have been treated well by their owners and have lower mileage than would be expected.
MG ZR is a nice wildcard but I can imagine insurance being a bit more. Also more likely to have been shagged (in) by some scrote. I'll keep it in mind though.
v8will said:
The 306 was a fine car in it's day, the NA diesel is a real plodder but the turbo is lively enough. I didn't own mine long enough to encounter any problems but IIRC the rear torsion bar can sieze up through time and some electrics can be fiddly, the heater springs to mind for some reason. A good one will treat you well though.
cheers, do you know if the HDi is N/A or turbo? and yeah, a lot advertised seem to mention torsion bar replacements. I'm not afraid to spend time hunting down electrical issues, always enjoyable having an excuse to work on a car!ShawCrossShark said:
For your money you should be able to get the more economical 2.0HDI engine in a 306. I would look at Meridian trim as the half leathers are comfy yet supportive. Toying with the idea of getting a set and dropping them in mine tbh as the GLX interior is a bit too much like an armchair for me.
thanks, yeah there are a lot of Meridians in my area for some reason. re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
pwrc said:
thanks everyone!
re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
HDI is the newer common rail diesel (I think). I think V8Will is referring to the older non turbo diesels. My mate has one and it is slow beyond belief. HDI will be in 2000/01 models (ie the last ones) and the figures show much better MPG than the 1.9TD that I have. They did 90 and 110hp versions but I think the 306 only got the 90hp version with the higher output reserved for the 406, and then the 307 had both options.v8will said:
The 306 was a fine car in it's day, the NA diesel is a real plodder but the turbo is lively enough. I didn't own mine long enough to encounter any problems but IIRC the rear torsion bar can sieze up through time and some electrics can be fiddly, the heater springs to mind for some reason. A good one will treat you well though.
cheers, do you know if the HDi is N/A or turbo? and yeah, a lot advertised seem to mention torsion bar replacements. I'm not afraid to spend time hunting down electrical issues, always enjoyable having an excuse to work on a car!re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
Should still have plenty of torque though so will not feel slow.
Other wildcard might be the C5 or a Xsara. Same engine in there and a few of them about. I would stick to the Pug personally but it depends what you need.
Pug is very good on insurance too
pwrc said:
thanks, yeah there are a lot of Meridians in my area for some reason.
re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
HDI is 2.0 turbo. Many owners prefer the older XUD engine, less to go wrong and with the correct fuel pump will happily run on home made bio/veg oil. Both are 90BHP and to be honest I prefer the older lump although it's not as refined. Any 306 will probably need some money thrown at the suspension by this point.re: petrol; car will be doing 200+mi/week, bloke maths suggested diesel would be cheaper to run in terms of fuel and reliability. However, I'm more than happy to be set straight if petrol is a better idea.
I have no experience of the diesel MG but having driven a petrol engined ZR and a Landy Freelander with the L series I'm sure it would be a fine alternative. Not a fan of the MG interior and subjectively I think it's a lower quality fit and finish than the Pug (I know!!)
You need to sit down and work it out exactly but considering the PPL difference, the actual cost variance between a 35mpg petrol and a 45mpg diesel isn't that great now. £1500 will reveal all sorts of petrol options which will be potentially much better buys in the long run. The biggest myth is that a diesel is more reliable. A properly serviced petrol will easily match a diesel for longevity, I've had plenty of petrols, NA and turbo, with over 150K on the clock and no impending reliability issues.
v8will said:
You need to sit down and work it out exactly but considering the PPL difference, the actual cost variance between a 35mpg petrol and a 45mpg diesel isn't that great now. £1500 will reveal all sorts of petrol options which will be potentially much better buys in the long run. The biggest myth is that a diesel is more reliable. A properly serviced petrol will easily match a diesel for longevity, I've had plenty of petrols, NA and turbo, with over 150K on the clock and no impending reliability issues.
Calculations will be ongoing, I'm certainly going to reconsider though. I think it wasn't so much reliability but availability and fuel cost - and I know insurance covers a load of factors but does fuel type play a considerable role?I know what you're saying about reliability, the escort (1.4 petrol) is taking a break after 25 years and 140,000 miles - aside from the usual service items the only big job it's needed was a head gasket and valve seals.
Had four 306's. Two disease-all, one early one and one of the last ones, one very early 1.4 and a late 1.8 16v.
The 1.4 ate a gearbox but was a first car and fairly rough at best.
The first 1.9DTurbo survived until 240k when the rear suspension/wishbones/general shabbiness persuaded me to part with it. No issues with the engine/gearbox and still started first turn until it went.
Third was the 1.8 which at one time was doing 25k a year. I did around 70k in it and apart from routine stuff everything worked and the only thing that ever failed was a driveshaft. Sold with 130k and still no issues.
The last DTurbo we still have. It's been fiddled with by the previous owner so is nippy for a canal boat and handles very well for what it is. Although we've spent a little on tidying it up and making it tighter in three years and my good ladies destruction derby driving style the following have broken:
Wheel bearing
Boot catch
Door speaker
Drop links
Aux belt tensioner failed in the middle of Wales. That was fun.
None of the cars have had any particular electrical problems. It's a bit of a myth to be honest. We did have an interior fan break up in one (can't remember which) but a £20 scrap yard part sorted it.
Still, not too bad for an old knacker with 140k on the clocks. If you can find a good one it'll serve you well whilst being good fun to drive for a run of the mill car. Finding a god one will not be easy though...
I have had a couple of Clios. I wouldn't buy a diesel one. French car myths about reliability and build quality are all Renaults fault.
The 1.4 ate a gearbox but was a first car and fairly rough at best.
The first 1.9DTurbo survived until 240k when the rear suspension/wishbones/general shabbiness persuaded me to part with it. No issues with the engine/gearbox and still started first turn until it went.
Third was the 1.8 which at one time was doing 25k a year. I did around 70k in it and apart from routine stuff everything worked and the only thing that ever failed was a driveshaft. Sold with 130k and still no issues.
The last DTurbo we still have. It's been fiddled with by the previous owner so is nippy for a canal boat and handles very well for what it is. Although we've spent a little on tidying it up and making it tighter in three years and my good ladies destruction derby driving style the following have broken:
Wheel bearing
Boot catch
Door speaker
Drop links
Aux belt tensioner failed in the middle of Wales. That was fun.
None of the cars have had any particular electrical problems. It's a bit of a myth to be honest. We did have an interior fan break up in one (can't remember which) but a £20 scrap yard part sorted it.
Still, not too bad for an old knacker with 140k on the clocks. If you can find a good one it'll serve you well whilst being good fun to drive for a run of the mill car. Finding a god one will not be easy though...
I have had a couple of Clios. I wouldn't buy a diesel one. French car myths about reliability and build quality are all Renaults fault.
Edited by StoatInACoat on Wednesday 6th June 16:28
thanks for the info stoat!
GHW said:
If you're considering the Peugeots, don't forget to give the equivalent Citroens a look too. The Saxo and ZX are pretty much equivalent to the 106/306, and IME are a little cheaper to buy.
I have looked at them, they'll stick to backup though as I've simply never heard a good thing about a citroen before. I know that's no proper indicator of quality but I'd rather avoid them for nowHighway Star said:
Fabia diesel float your boat? Perhaps not the TDI, but the non-turbo SDI might well be in your budget.
I had the TDI version and it was certainly good on fuel and felt better built than my mum's Clio of a similar age does. More spacious inside also.
1.4TDI will do 65-70mpg if driven with care and has decent amount of go. SDI is glacially slow by all accounts.I had the TDI version and it was certainly good on fuel and felt better built than my mum's Clio of a similar age does. More spacious inside also.
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