Bangernomics

[Jimi.K.]

916 said:

Hello all,
I’ve been lurking for a bit, but now after some advice.
Mrs 916 is due with our third soon and giving up work, so we are going to be skint for the next year or so.
We currently have a boring C Max but she wants a seven seater.
So a few questions for a high mileage 10 years + car.

1. Auto v’s Manuel, what’s more likely, clutch replacement or auto box gives up?

2. Diesel v’s petrol. Is it worth me getting an old petrol, we only do less than 5k a year so I’m not bothered about mpg. They seem to be a lot cheaper.

3. What shall I keep away from, mate said XC90 as they cost a fortune to repair, stick with a ford, someone else said Toyota are generally long lasting....?

4. Any other advice?

Cheers

(1) IMO, the chance of a Manual needing a clutch replacement during your ownership is significantly more likely than an autobox failing completely. The latter will obviously be a lot more expensive if it happens though.

It pays to do your research on a particular model and the reliability of its particular autobox (as well as other components of course)

(2) I'd definitely go for a petrol with your mileage - less to go wrong and you'll likely be able to get an ULEZ compliment one if that matters at all. You'll likely get a world of DPF problems with a modern diesel doing only 5k miles a year (which I assume are mainly short trips)

(3) If you haven't got much of a bork fund I'd agree with avoiding an XC90. I'd personally stick to a Japanese brand - maybe research the Honda Stream or Toyota Corolla Verso to see if they're generally reliable.

[916]

Thank you all for the advice, Much appreciated.

[kdri155]

916 said:

Hello all,
I’ve been lurking for a bit, but now after some advice.
Mrs 916 is due with our third soon and giving up work, so we are going to be skint for the next year or so.
We currently have a boring C Max but she wants a seven seater.
So a few questions for a high mileage 10 years + car.


Cheers

Purely on my experience but if you’re looking for a 7 seater I’d recommend a C4 Grand Picasso, I ran one for 3 years as a taxi, purchased with 32k miles on and sold with 172k, it was a 1.8 petrol, despite what is said very reliable, apart from usual service items tyres brakes etc I had to replace the clutch and a few little things such as boot switch, handbrake switch on dash, one door handle.

[jas xjr]

jas xjr said:

Bought this 12 months ago for £800. Just passed its mot yesterday. Zero spent over the year. Mot inspector commented on how good the condition was.
Yes it is only a 520, but beggars cannot be choosers

Passed mot a few weeks ago with no expense. It can be done

[rxe]

Scootersp said:

I'm with you on the late 90's stuff but I think you could probably run a V70 2004/05 like you have your 850 and it not be ruinous?

The 90's saw some big strides in rust prevention from the factory, no massive drive for efficiency and I think lower computer aided design input so often things were over engineered/had a higher safety factor. It's probably a little rose tinted glasses, but I too am less confident of current cars abilities to keep going for as long......but then as always it's probably our (in general - we are the odd ones here!) reluctance to keep them going, due to government incentives, image or the low price of far less used ones making scrapping easy/sensible.

I think we start to understand the modern tech after living with it for a while, people learn workarounds and tools get made.

I’m running a small fleet of Alfas, ranging from an M-reg (mid 90s) 155 V6 to a 04-reg 166 V6. If anyone had thought that you could run a 166 V6 with home spannering back in 2004, they’d have been laughed at - but I have dealer grade ECU diagnostics for €50, loads of s/h parts on eBay if needed, and forums like Alfaowner have detailed descriptions of work that are far better than the official documentation.

The main commuter bus is a 2001 156 Sportwagon 2.4 diesel that cost £300 and is currently doing 600 miles a week. I gave it a proper sorting when I got it (clutch, suspension refresh, belts etc), but now it gets routine servicing at about £80 a year in parts. Everything works, and it does 48 mpg - the recent record is 650 miles on a tank, somewhat aided by the current M4 average speed section,

The wife’s car is an 08 Alfa 159 - I don’t see a big problem maintaining that in the same way.

[strain]

my 2p's

I'm 18 months into owning a 2003 fiesta 'station car' which I paid £150 for.

apart from basic maintenance it needed a new clutch and core plugs, total cost around £50 (£21 clutch kit, £1.50 core plugs, gearbox oil and window runner)

Done 14k in it, due to get 4 new tyres, works out silly cheap motoring, manages 38mpg too

[Mr Tidy]

Jimi.K. said:

Toyota Corolla Verso to see if they're generally reliable.

Just don't even consider a petrol auto Verso - I got lumbered with one as a hire car in Denmark in 2008. It was the most miserable, hateful POS I've ever driven in over 40 years!

[magpie215]

magpie215 said:

Bangernomics enough?

Almost 2 years into this one.
267k on the odo and bodily RAF.

Purchased for 425
Last mot 100 to get through Inc the test cost
No servicing at all
One puncture repair at 10
Cambelt was due jan18..it won't be getting done cambelt roulette is the name of the game.
I've had a look over it I see no reason for it not to pass it's mot this year lol.

Absolutely love Bangernomics

Little update as this post just reappeared.

It did indeed pass the MOT....needed a little spend on some welding on the chassis..so 150 pound spend for another 12 months potentially.

However.....2 months later I had a complete brake failure due to the internals of the master cylinder failing!!!!

After a 2 week search managed to track down a nos master cylinder(£20) as the dealer price (£140+ iirc)was criterior for scrapping.

Anyway MC replaced and brakes bled.....all good and were still in the game.