Cheap estate car for long European trip?

[993kimbo]

Hi all,

I’m planning on a long euro trip with wife, son and dog.

I’d appreciate your recommendations for an estate car up to £5000 that’s going to be reliable, not cost a fortune to run or repair if it breaks down.

I’ve previously had a Merc e class 320cdi diesel estate but that cost a bomb in injectors and an sbc pump. 30mpg.

After reading the many helpful threads on here, a Volvo V70 D5 seems to be the obvious choice for reliability, low running costs and comfort.

Interested in what you’d go for. I’m not really a Volvo man but it does seem to fit the bill, especially with the world’s comfiest seats, but it is a big beast.

Appreciate any replies.

Cheers.

[993kimbo]

Many thanks.
I had a bmw 330i estate se in the past and have to say the ride was way too firm, so I hadn’t considered another. Is there a soft version or would the 5 series be better?

[993kimbo]

Thanks for those links - appreciated.

[993kimbo]

Thanks again for your suggestions. I may stay clear of BM's as the tyre walls all seem to be fairly skinny and the back seats don't look that comfortable, and the word Sport on anything makes me think 'hard ride'.

The Audi A6 appeals, and maybe the Saab and Mazda 6.

The next stage - and the difficult one - is trying to get a test drive in a few different models to see which one suits me best.

When I last bought a car from a village car dealer they were reluctant to let me have a test drive without putting down some form of deposit. I understand it's their petrol and I'd be prepared to pay for it.

I was told to try different models at a main Dealer, then come back to them when I had chosen what I wanted.

Is that normal these days?

[993kimbo]

Yes, I agree on the spend. Ideally I'd like to spend about £2500 but worry slightly that at that price you maybe looking for trouble and obviously I don't want to break down.

I suppose if I got the car thoroughly checked over before I left then it should give me a few months trouble-free motoring if I'm lucky. I'm nervous because my 2005 E-Class estate left me at the side of the road one day after the brakes failed - only 120,000 miles - and cost £1200 to repair.

[993kimbo]

Osinjak said:

I suppose the other thing to consider is that main dealers will not have the cars in the price bracket you're talking about, I just can't see main franchised dealers with £5k cars on their books so it would be a pretty pointless exercise really.

Yes, that's the problem. So where does one go to try out a car?

[993kimbo]

I'm not sure, we're doing a recce for a holiday/permanent house in either France or Spain and visiting different areas to see what we like. Open-ended ticket. Sounds luxurious, but it's not. Simply cannot afford to live in the South East of this country.

[993kimbo]

ElectricSoup said:

I had the same experience as you with my Merc, you can add the torque converter and the air springs to the list of expensive failures you had though.

That's nasty, bad luck. I love older Mercs but would never buy another. The actual engines might 'go on for ever' but the rest doesn't.

I did have a Saab on the list and I'll give one a try. Thanks.

Edited by 993kimbo on Wednesday 11th December 09:40

[993kimbo]

ElectricSoup said:

Eek. Have you considered no-deal Brexit is still a possibility, meaning you'll only be able to stay in France or Spain for three months at a time? Assuming you only hold British nationality. In fact there's a risk with any form of Brexit to our right to live in EU countries unhindered.

Apols if that's not the case, but worth pointing out at the moment, as it's a big risk for a lot of people.

Eek back!

No, I had not even considered this. Thanks for pointing that out. That would put a spanner in whatever car I get.

Edited by 993kimbo on Wednesday 11th December 10:36

[993kimbo]

Pothole said:

This will do the job in immense comfort. This era of Volvo seats are some of the comfiest I've ever used

Thanks for the link. I can see where you're coming from but I think it feels like a step too far in terms of age, performance and handling for me. My wife kills all my spirited driving but there will be times (I hope) when I'm on my own up some twisty mountain Spanish road...

[993kimbo]

vaud said:

A6 SE Quattro for 5k- will give 33-36mpg
A6 SE Quattro

That should do the job.

I like the seller's blurb: "... with more extras than I've known what to do with."

[993kimbo]

Anything stolen is indeed gutting. Sorry to hear that.

Yes, the difference between 17 and 18" wheels is noticeable, especially with the taller sidewalls. My BMW estate was on 17's which certainly gave a firm ride. I tried one on 16's and that was ten times better.

[993kimbo]

I've just read this:

"Full turbo rebuild at last service".

110,000 miles only. Not what you want.

Was that just unlucky or expected on these big Audis?

[993kimbo]

Thanks for the link.

The problem (I've had) with these Mercs is the SBC pump, which can fail without warning and left me and the family stranded at the side of the road, followed by a £1200 bill from a local guy to fix it.

Love the cars but never again. Having said that, I think versions from 2007 have done away with it.

[993kimbo]

joshcowin said:

I have just ruled an 3.0 tdi c6 a6 out, tax is £250 + a year, servicing is expensive, tyre wear can be high, little niggles happen and cost a fair bit to put right! I can buy a £5000 car but cant afford/justify to maintain a £40,000 decade old one it seems!

My little Polo costs more than that to tax.

So what would anyone recommend if going the A6 route, in terms of lowish running costs and reliability?

[993kimbo]

Thanks for that link. That looks a cracking car.

[993kimbo]

Yes you're right - 20mpg-ish around town and (eek) £555 yearly tax.

[993kimbo]

Thanks for the link. Looks a great car.

In terms of actual buying something like this, private or dealer? As mentioned before, I know dealers don't like test rides without committing to buy.

Would cars like this be a pretty safe bet to buy privately with a minimum of mechanical knowledge?

[993kimbo]

I’m thinking about a Saab 95 now. Seem amazing value for around £2500 and the aero version is 250bhp.

Any thoughts on Saab’s?