Cheap, Reliable Commuter Car

[digit]

Diesels and Autos always hold on to values significantly higher than their petrol counterparts AND the servicing is always at a higher rate. I'd prefer to go with a more agricultural mid 90s 90horse or there abouts Diesel if I where really that interested in another 10mpg, they're lest costly to put right, much more economical and you can write off £300 of golf when the engine dies.

Be as slow as anything though. I've been far from impressed with the old breed of diesel engines. Modern diesel is far quieter as well!

[sleepyhead]

Not to sound like a git but....doesn't help me one bit

Still have outstanding questions in my own thread.

[Konan555]

Using Skoda as a shining example....

Our MK1 octavia 90bhp TDi at 300K (having had it's head rebuilt after the belt snapped a whole 30K early) is still returning 70mpg and is no less spritely than it's 130bhp PD MK2 replacement... which sits firmly around 50mpg. I'm just saying that, if I was going to resign myself to diesel, I'd personally just stick with an old one. If I wanted something I actually liked I'd get a petrol.

Oh.... and just ignore ford diesels from the outset. The cost of that dreaded pump failure is astronomical (had 2 go this year).


Towing the MX5.... please please please look closely at what your vehicle's plate tells you you're allowed on the gross train. And remember to factor in the transporter. It's surprisingly low on a lot of vehicles and I'd hazard a guess that well over half of caravans you see out there are being towed are overweight. It's not normally down to the engine, it's down to stability and flex in the chassis. I can pull a freelander on a trailer with my 2L petrol quite happily, but I'd be doing quite a bit of bending to the car's back end.

Also, if you happened to pass your test some time after 96, you won't have automatic entitlement to tow a trailer.

[sleepyhead]

Yep, am aware of the towing test required (for me anyhow, I passed in 1999). It was a train of thought before I narrowed the type of vehicle I would be aiming for. Anyhow, towing the MX5 really isn't an option anymore. I should edit my first post.

[Konan555]

The test is quite a tricky one to pass, I'm told. As it is, I just get my old man to sit next to me and tow with L plates. My Cherokee is cleared to tow 3.5ton and cheaper to run than most dervs

[sleepyhead]

OK...is there anything particular I need to check on 1999/2000 reg Honda Accords with 120,000 on the clock?

Anyone know the answers to the questions I posted earlier?

[GavinS]

The cost of that dreaded pump failure is astronomical (had 2 go this year).

Out of interest, how much did it cost on each occasion inc VAT/labour?

[Konan555]

Quoted from ford, over the £2K region if they replace the entire system,. Although we managed to source a reconditioned pump and get a bosh injection specialist to carry out the work which brought the whole thing well under £1K IIRC.

One of the big factors in price is the fact that when the bearing starts to break up, the swarf runs down the line and ends up messing up the injectors. Garages these days just diagnose symptoms rather than problems and will probably just swap out the injectors initially, then only wonder if something else is wrong when the next lot start to fail. This too is rather than expensive as the injectors need to be individually coded when installed.

We've come a long way from the days of £100 for a nice reconditioned set of injectors. That's progress

[sleepyhead]

The hunt for an Accord is failing miserably so been looking at other cars...

How about a Merc E320 V6 Avantegarde for less than £1400? A close work colleague jests that I'll look good in a Merc.

[Butuz]

Frankly can't see how a car could me more reliable than this!

Butuz

Haha got an interesting one for you here guys. My belts have been squeaking their little hearts out for a little while - I'll get round to fitting new ones.....sometime......

Well - last Weds I hopped in the faithful Mazda to drive to work as usual......a mile into the journey just got on the dual caridge way and..... TWANG, plink plink. Hmm that sounds worrying I thought. Hmm hang on the belt has stopped squeaking. Hmm the battery charge light has just come on. Ooh dear i think my alternator belt has snapped!! Ah well its a good halfords batery in there - I'll see how far I can get. I turned the lights, radio, heaters off and hoped for the best.

10 Miles later just as everything was going dim I parked her up, looked at the temp gague ..... wtf? Its on max!

Popped the bonnet and then I noticed something alarming...... the alternator belt also drives the water pump........

Can anyone spot the problem here?



Got the car towed to my mates garage - fitted new belts, refilled the header tank as it was empty. Fired her up...... all seems good.

Yep that was a week ago.....

So thats 10 miles, with no alternator and no waterpump.. And she still refuses to miss a beat. The car never ceases to amaze me. i thought 9 years and 100k miles on the original exhaust was good... no on 10 miles with no water pump - now THATS good

Butuz

[sleepyhead]

lol @ Butuz. Poor 323.

Found a BMW 740 v8 with alot of toys for less than £2k. Soooo tempted to check it out...insurance group 19 though!!!

[Howard]

You're obviously not worried about running costs then

[sleepyhead]

You're obviously not worried about running costs then

LoL! It does like 20MPG....who knows what the servicing costs will be like (astronomical no doubt like the insurance!!!).

Anyhow these are cars that are appearing in my search, all the Accords I've seen have been not so great and checking out Modeos, Focus etc. is eating up alot of time.

It's nice to dream Howard and who knows...I may like the 740i enough to buy it and run it for 6 months

[Howard]

Oh by all means buy one, but be prepared for yes, astronomical (compared to a "Normal" car anyway) running costs. Remember how much these cars costed new. Tyres, suspension components etc won't be cheap. BMW's servicing costs aren't too disasterous but you need to be prepared for the odd big bill when something goes wrong

[sleepyhead]

So very true. Other than purchase price, not alot else is cheap with the 740i. As I said, always nice to dream

The biggest problem at the moment are the dodgy forecourts/garages up my way; everytime I find a nice mondeo/accord/volvo I ask a couple of ex-car mechanics and they tell me such and such runs that place and high chance it'll be a bag of nails.

[sleepyhead]

Purchased a 2000 "V" reg Ford Mondeo Ghia-X 2.5 v6 for the princely sum of £1200. Driven about 700-800 miles in it already and it does the job, albeit with it's weird querks.

Oddly enough, for a car this spec, it has no CD player/multichanger!

Lets hope this car lasts for the year before I sell her on.