Help me pick a car

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Discussion

StopStealingMyUsernames

Original Poster:

19 posts

84 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
So had terrible luck with cars lately, bought a Discovery that's dissolving on the drive with no MOT, had to buy a cheap runabout, Seat Leon 1.9tdi MK1 for 300quid! It's ratty and the fuel gauge is optimistic (runs out at 1/4 tank, guess how I know) but goes and gets me to work, however as cars go I'm not to keen and neither is the missus, so I would like some suggestions on what to look for. Some considerations:

My absolute budget is £3000

My commute is 40 miles a day in total, mostly fast B roads with very little traffic, a lot of hills (peak district).

Where I live gets bad (for the UK) snow in the colder months.

I occasionally drive 150 miles to Birmingham, mostly motorway, I do this 3 times a month.

I have 2 dogs, German Shepherd, need to be able to get them around conveniently and safely.

I've considered a Pickup, Navara or L200, but am hearing hit and miss things about these.

So what would your recommendations be?


covmutley

3,012 posts

189 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Subaru forester or a v70 cross country?

waynedear

2,157 posts

166 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Subaru Forester.

Prizam

2,335 posts

140 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Petrol, ford mondeo. 2008 ish.

waynedear

2,157 posts

166 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
covmutley said:
Subaru forester or a v70 cross country?
Great minds..

Torquey

1,888 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
waynedear said:
covmutley said:
Subaru forester or a v70 cross country?
Great minds..
Good suggestion.
I couldn't think up anything better than that.

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
With that budget in mind it's hard to beat one of these:

2.2d Mondeo ST

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Mondeo Titanium

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The VFM option is the Insignia but make sure you get the oil flushed asap as their pick up pipes can clog up due to the long service intervals so I recommend a flush once you've purchased & then on the next service:

Insignia Exclusive:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

If you can get past the looks the 407SW is a cracking buy:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Citroen C5

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Volvo V50 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

V70

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

This would be my pick:

C220cdi these are pretty much bulletproof, make sure the gearbox oil has been changed (you'll want to see receipts) if not haggle £200 off the price.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I'd check the one below fully if they can't be arsed to wash it then I'd be looking to make them pay by haggling hard.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Subaru Forrester

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Ford Maverick.

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Mondeo estate diesel and a set of winter tyres.
Avoid Insignia diesels like the plague unless you own an engine rebuilders!

defblade

7,392 posts

212 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
Legacy and CrossClimates.
(Or an Outback. Or a Forester wink )

iwantagta

1,323 posts

144 months

Tuesday 16th October 2018
quotequote all
9-5 Aero estate.

Under budget & looks smart (i think!).

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

StopStealingMyUsernames

Original Poster:

19 posts

84 months

Wednesday 17th October 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for the suggestions! Very much like the look of the Forester Outback and the Merc C220! Not overly keen on the Ford's, owned two before and whilst they were decent I kind of fancy something different for a change,

Anything to look out for on the Subarus? Turbo or non turbo?

Edited by StopStealingMyUsernames on Wednesday 17th October 13:29

RTB

8,273 posts

257 months

Wednesday 17th October 2018
quotequote all
StopStealingMyUsernames said:
Anything to look out for on the Subarus? Turbo or non turbo?

Edited by StopStealingMyUsernames on Wednesday 17th October 13:29
We have a 2.5XT Forester (2005) and it has been very good. The turbos are pretty quick but do like a drink. The non-turbos also like a drink......

A lot of people will warn you off the 2.5 EJ25 engine due to various failures (head gasket, cracking blocks, ringland failure etc) and other known issues. My personal opinion is that the EJ25 is more fragile in cars running higher boost, I've never worried about my stock Forester. TI've owned 2 Subarus with the EJ25 engine (Impreza STI running 316bhp and the Forester XT running ~225bhp) and had no engine issues at all over the 110000miles I've covered. Then again I keep the oil well topped up and clean

We've had ours for 5 years, bought it on 58000 miles and it's now on 98000. In the last 5 years it's had new disks and pads, a new radiator (previous one sprung a pin hole leak on the plastic elbow) and a cam belt and water pump change. It now requires a suspension refresh and a new back box.

I also live in the Peak District and have had some interesting journeys over of the higher routes (I go over the Cat road every day) and the Forester, on snow tyres, has never had any problems getting where it needed to go (including pushing through a drift that came up to the bonnet during the beast from the east). If you can stand the MPG (~25) then the Foresters are cracking cars.