£5k Estate without egr's dpf's dmf's modules ecu's etc etc !
Discussion
Looking for a daily driver estate car without all the modern technology that breaks the bank every time something goes wrong.
I'm more or less set on a BMW E30 325 touring if I can find a decent one. I'm sure you guys will have some decent suggestions that I may not have thought of. I don't want anything too dull, but I do like 'different' & would like to stick to my £5k budget. Cheers, Neil.
I'm more or less set on a BMW E30 325 touring if I can find a decent one. I'm sure you guys will have some decent suggestions that I may not have thought of. I don't want anything too dull, but I do like 'different' & would like to stick to my £5k budget. Cheers, Neil.
I racked up over 200k miles in a Mk3 Mondeo & to be honest I never want to sit in another one, ever. But I take your point about the price. Perhaps I should be looking for a sub £1k car with a years ticket & scrap it when I get the first big bill or it dies.
Just don't fancy the Accord.
Just don't fancy the Accord.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
To be honest, to avoid DPFs, DMFs, modules etc, you are going to need to go mid-90s at the latest. That means a lot of examples will be sheds.
One car from this era stands out to me as a car you could still use daily, and thats a W124 Merc.
Example:
£4,695
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V-CLEAN-MERCEDES-E300-D-...
Or an E280 petrol:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-MERCEDES-E280-AUTO-...
It still has ECU's and modules, go earlier to the 80s and lower down the food chain. Maybe a Peugeot 405 or old Volvo, if you can find one in good order.One car from this era stands out to me as a car you could still use daily, and thats a W124 Merc.
Example:
£4,695
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/V-CLEAN-MERCEDES-E300-D-...
Or an E280 petrol:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-MERCEDES-E280-AUTO-...
I paid around £4k for this so I'd imagine an estate version would come within budget. This is an 03 E320 CDI so has the 3.2 straight six diesel and as far as I am aware, no DPF.
It's not built for short drivers really, my mpg drops into the 20s when the engine is cold but will do an easy 50mpg on a steady run. As for the car itself, this one has 107k on the clock, runs brilliantly, everything works and after 6 months I'm still over the moon with it.
It's not built for short drivers really, my mpg drops into the 20s when the engine is cold but will do an easy 50mpg on a steady run. As for the car itself, this one has 107k on the clock, runs brilliantly, everything works and after 6 months I'm still over the moon with it.
Whereas I have an '53 E320CDI and it's proven to be one of the most unreliable cars I've ever bought. And I've had Citroens. Cam and crank sensors, bootlock failed (£££!!!), wheelnuts needed drilling out (ok so not necessarily a Merc fault), and now a red warning light SRS fault. Yes 50mpg but I'm always nervous that it won't start. Add to that the optic fibre stereo system, the fact everything is electric and it's covered in sensors, and it's a recipe for disaster.
It's very Chasey Lane (i.e. it'll swallow anything) and it's a comfy mile muncher but it's not a car I'd recommend.
It's very Chasey Lane (i.e. it'll swallow anything) and it's a comfy mile muncher but it's not a car I'd recommend.
OpulentBob said:
Whereas I have an '53 E320CDI and it's proven to be one of the most unreliable cars I've ever bought. And I've had Citroens. Cam and crank sensors, bootlock failed (£££!!!), wheelnuts needed drilling out (ok so not necessarily a Merc fault), and now a red warning light SRS fault. Yes 50mpg but I'm always nervous that it won't start. Add to that the optic fibre stereo system, the fact everything is electric and it's covered in sensors, and it's a recipe for disaster.
It's very Chasey Lane (i.e. it'll swallow anything) and it's a comfy mile muncher but it's not a car I'd recommend.
Tis a real shame to hear that Bob. So far mine has been faultless and although I don't piles of receipts for repairs mine may have had things done to it prior to my ownership. It's very Chasey Lane (i.e. it'll swallow anything) and it's a comfy mile muncher but it's not a car I'd recommend.
The only thing I had play up on mine was the battery of which I had no idea of it's age, so had that replaced and literally no issues since.
MDMA . said:
how about a Legacy?
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
+1 for the Legacy. I did 60k in 3.5 years in one just normal servicing consumables etc. Try for a Spec B with the Bilstein shocks. http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
27ish mpg in mixed use over the 3 yrs so don't believe the horror stories about mpg. Not great but it's a 3l boxer so not shocking...
Oil change every 10k is a must
I had thought about a W124 & it is growing on me, but I'm not a fan of autos & I haven't seen a manual for sale. I prefer the W123 but are there any good ones left ? I've had a Peugeot 405, a 406 & a Volvo 240 (still got the Haynes manuals) but want to try something different.
The Legacy's will be too new & full of expensive fixes, as is the E320. A friend had one & much as he loved driving it, he dreaded taking it in for a repair.
The Legacy's will be too new & full of expensive fixes, as is the E320. A friend had one & much as he loved driving it, he dreaded taking it in for a repair.
Any car from the less complicated era you mention will need money spending on age related replacement parts. As someone else has mentioned you can achieve what you want with a MK3 Mondeo, I had one with the 2.0 Duratec (Mazda L series engine so dead reliable) for a commuter car and it was faultless, parts were really cheap too.
I would also look at Accord Tourer Type-S, Legacy 3.0R, E39 530i if you can stomach more expensive parts (sounds like you dont want to spend much/anything)
I would also look at Accord Tourer Type-S, Legacy 3.0R, E39 530i if you can stomach more expensive parts (sounds like you dont want to spend much/anything)
MDMA . said:
you might be better with a push bike then. you've got a 5k budget. at some point you will need to spend on it. service consumables etc. what are you planning to do? put fuel in and drive forever?
Got one of them, but my wife & 2 dogs can't get on it ! I realise that I will will need to spend money on any car, but the older the car the more likely it is that I can do a lot of the work myself. For the first 20 + years of my driving life I rarely, if ever, had to use a garage. I like the look of the Legacy & was thinking of going to see one, but another eye watering repair bill (corroded wiring loom) on my 10 year old Ford has put me off anything too modern. That car has cost me over 2 grand in the last year, I could have bought 2 or 3 cars for that.MDMA . said:
Not as many as ECU's as later cars but still plenty and stuff like pneumatic central locking. Does it have to be an estate or can a flat bed work!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1949-CHEVROLET-PICK-UP-s...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1949-CHEVROLET-PICK-UP-s...
Baron Greenback said:
Does it have to be an estate or can a flat bed work!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1949-CHEVROLET-PICK-UP-s...
Good call, over budget. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1949-CHEVROLET-PICK-UP-s...
PositronicRay said:
Good call, over budget.
Always fancied one of those old yank pickups, but as you say a tad over budget.The Audi might be a sensible choice but they just don't float my boat.
Thanks for your suggestions, although I'm no closer to making a decision.
I'll let you know what I end up with. Time's running out
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