Need to buy a petrolheads diesel car for £2k - any ideas?

[Sbloxxy]

Ok this is the scenario: as the title says, I need to buy a diesel hack for under £2000. I'm going to chuck all sorts of stuff in the back so it needs to be a hatchback or an estate. However, it definetly needs to handle reasonably well as lots of my driving is on the fast B roads of the Scottish borders. Something with a bit of decent power would be good though I have a Boxster S for my speed fix.
The diesel is going to replace a 1999 Golf Gti 1.8 Turbo, which was reasonably quick and I did consider a Gold TDi but my Golf had slightly sloppy handling and I can only imagine a diesel being worse.
Has anyone got any interesting suggestions? Is there any such thing as a performance diesel for this sort of money?

[essexplumber]

Vauxhall Omega? Not sporty but a decent barge and you should be able to find on within your budget.

[IanMorewood]

Alfa 156 JTD 2.4 Estate, just about in your price range.

[interloper]

The old Peugeot 306 D Turbo was a good hack but they are getting long in the tooth. Or how about one of these...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2002954.htm
Sadly I cant find the wagon variant with a derv engine in your price bracket.

[chrisispringles]

Audi A6 2.5 TDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

E39 BMW 530d: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Mercedes E320 CDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Volvo 850 2.5 TDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Volvo V70 2.5D: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[captainzep]

chrisispringles said:

Mercedes E320 CDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Something wrong with that E-class surely?

[pilchardthecat]

Lots of people will disagree with and possibly deride me, but;


Citroen ZX Volcane TD plus £1500 change


/get me coat

[Sbloxxy]

Had considered an Alfa 156 - quite fancy one of them. Mind you, the BMW 530d looks interesting. Even see the sense of the Citroen ZX...
Thanks everyone, please keep them coming.

[Kitchski]

pilchardthecat said:

Lots of people will disagree with and possibly deride me, but;


Citroen ZX Volcane TD plus £1500 change


/get me coat

+1! Only with £1700 change.

[busta]

Why diesel? Plenty of petrol cars fit the bill for less than £1500, leaving more than enough to make up the fuel difference. If it has to be diesel I'd be looking at 306 HDIs and Focus TDIs.

[EDLT]

captainzep said:

chrisispringles said:

Mercedes E320 CDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Something wrong with that E-class surely?

Its of the rust and electrical issues era, so there will be a few things wrong with it or the owner has just spent a fortune fixing the thing and wants to get rid.

[ChrisRS]

Can you get a TDCI Mondeo for 2k these days, used to drive them at work when they were new and there really good for the money, handle great and loads of room.

[eltax91]

Octavia TDi

[Rollcage]

ChrisRS said:

Can you get a TDCI Mondeo for 2k these days, used to drive them at work when they were new and there really good for the money, handle great and loads of room.

You can get any number of them for much less than that - bought one myself a few months ago for £500 quid!

[redgriff500]

I'd look into an LPG converted car.

I run a Leon Cupra 1.8T 180bhp and with LPG equates to over 50mpg

I can't imagine a diesel is anything like as good BUT I've heard a remapped Leon TDi is also fast and economical.

[vit4]

Kitchski said:

pilchardthecat said:

Lots of people will disagree with and possibly deride me, but;


Citroen ZX Volcane TD plus £1500 change


/get me coat

+1! Only with £1700 change.

+1. If (God forbid) the Astra were to die next week this is what I would get tbh.

[Mr Obertshaw]

vit4 said:

Kitchski said:

pilchardthecat said:

Lots of people will disagree with and possibly deride me, but;


Citroen ZX Volcane TD plus £1500 change


/get me coat

+1! Only with £1700 change.

+1. If (God forbid) the Astra were to die next week this is what I would get tbh.

This was my initial thought too, was considering one a few weeks ago. Strangely insurance was cheaper on one of these than the normal td zx.

[davidspooner]

Focus mk1 tdi, as I've said elsewhere I was really surprised by them as a white good that feels tight and is pleasant to drive. They seem to have no issues, and our one was perfectly comfortable driving 120 miles away and back in a day recently, making good mpg at the same time.

Ford parts for this and the puma in the family seem to be buttons compared to the other cars we have run, including other run of the mill stuff.

[Turkey]

I love my MG ZS turbo Diesel. For the money I don't think you could find a car to tick your boxes that offers the same level of handling and reliability. Compared to the MG ZR, it rides and handles better. The interior is a bit old fashioned, but other than that it's spot on. Tiff Needell or Jason Plato described the (petrol) MG ZS 180 as a great handling FWD car. The Diesel versions have the same suspension setup (shocks and springs).

Youtube links for the Topgear ZS180 test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grqmMpcf3z8&fea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADR1tcpgocI&fea... (0m45s+)

There are 99bhp models and 111bhp models. You want the + spec with electric windows and aircon. For around £50 you can fit different injectors for around 20-25bhp increase in power (and lose about 3mpg on average). Add a couple of cheap DIY mods (boost and DIY decat), then you have a very respectable warm Diesel hatch. The only common engine faults are the MAF sensor playing up, like a lot of other modern Diesels, which can be sorted for good for around £100, and a £35 intercooler pipe splitting.

No dual mass flywheel, injector failures, and the engine electrics are robust.

Edited by Turkey on Sunday 26th September 23:42

[CinqAbarth]

interloper said:

The old Peugeot 306 D Turbo was a good hack but they are getting long in the tooth. Or how about one of these...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2002954.htm
Sadly I cant find the wagon variant with a derv engine in your price bracket.

Good call - but not from there, for reasons that naming and shaming probably wouldn't allow.