In need of a bit of guidance

[Stefan_C]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could help me out as I'm in a spot of bother searching for new cars.
I currently own a 1.2 2002 plate Fiat Punto and I'm looking to upgrade to something a little faster.
My price range is anything up to about £2000 but I'm particularly interested in Diesel VW Golf's.
Could anyone tell me if the following car looks like a good deal:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...20aw?logcode=p

I don't really know anything about diesel engines but 175,000 miles on the clock seems a bit high to me.

Many thanks.

[Apex]

Does seem a bit on the high side for my own taste :/

But if it has been looked after then it might be worth a punt, what does parkers ect ect say about value ect ?

[Apex]

just spoke to a few m8s (one who works for a VAG garage....) 1.1k to 1.2k max for it if bodywork was good and fsh was real.

esp when you consider this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...ge/2?logcode=p

[Yosh]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could help me out as I'm in a spot of bother searching for new cars.
I currently own a 1.2 2002 plate Fiat Punto and I'm looking to upgrade to something a little faster.
My price range is anything up to about £2000 but I'm particularly interested in Diesel VW Golf's.
Could anyone tell me if the following car looks like a good deal:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...20aw?logcode=p

I don't really know anything about diesel engines but 175,000 miles on the clock seems a bit high to me.

Many thanks.

I must admit i have a weakness for VW's but you will pay a premium over other manufacturers because they are well sought after and have a strong following/community.

For a high mileage car i would be looking at a decent/recent service history and at least a recent cambelt change, and a long MOT (or New MOT).

For your £2000 budget, buy something with as low a mileage as possible with a decent service history, you can look for cars that have had work done recently as opposed to cars that need servicing etc, as the ones with work done are likely to have been looked after.

To get an idea of what to look out for when purchasing you can refer to the Parkers Guide for that car which can be found: Here

You can also try looking at MOT Status and History Check if you have an internet phone or the seller is willing to let you use their computer as you will need the car document in order to check.

Also Road Tax pricing can be found: Here


Here are some other good places to look for cars, don't forget to haggle on the classified sites or on Buy It Nows (and classifieds) on Ebay, every car for sale is worth asking for discount.

http://www.gumtree.com/
http://www.pistonheads.com/
http://www.ebay.co.uk/

PS. Remember to start with a low offer (a cheeky offer), you can always work your way up, don't be afraid of being cheeky, if they seem like they might play on the price, let them think it over and pop to the local cafe and give them a bit of thinking time.

If i go and look at a £2000 car, i look for cambelt done, service history, and common faults as per parkers website (other sites), if you think to yourself to set say £300-400 for a Cambelt (+Water Pump) change and service (if its not been done), you can ask to knock that off the price.

Also, don't be fooled by the "I've got 7 people coming to look at this car approach" if you have been looking for a couple of weeks on the sites you will see which cars sell and which cars don't, chances are the person could be telling the truth but more often than not its just a ploy to get you to buy.

I could go on but i won't, dont want to confuse you!

PPS. Remember when searching to look for cars priced above your maximum budget, so your budget is £2000, look for stuff upto £2500 for instance, then when you have found something that is over your price range, call them and ask if they will take £2000 cash if the car is what your looking for, again being cheeky can work because chances are the seller may already have a car or have their eye on a car and might need the cash to secure a purchase.

2003 Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI Elegance

2002 VOLKSWAGEN Bora 1.9 TDi 130 Sport

I cant believe how many nice cars are for sale where you live! There are literally hundreds of decent diesels.

You could also try: VW/Audi Group

VW
Bora, Golf, Passat

Audi
A3
A4

Seat
Ibiza
Leon
Toledo

Skoda
Fabia
Octavia

[kalniel]

Yeah that's a low end budget - beat up old mercs might be your best bet if you need a badge, otherwise go for the astras, mondeos and you're more likely to get something for your money. If you absolutely need a smaller car then Ibizas and Fabias are worth a look.

VW golfs have a huge mark up as everyone looks for one as their first choice - even my Audi A3 was cheaper than the equivalent golf second hand.

[Stefan_C]

Wow guys thanks so much for the help. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm a bit blown away to be honest

Having a badge really doesn't bother me I'm really just looking for something a bit faster and a lot more reliable than my Fiat.

I've had another trawl around and came across this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...s/10?logcode=p

I think I'm going to take a quick look at it now seeing as they're open til 8.

[dave87]

How many miles do you do a year Stefan?

If you are not doing high mileage a petrol engine might be a good idea - simpler (no turbos/high pressure injectors to cause issue) and more readily available. Also, because the wider public has the idea that diesels are always going to be cheaper, there is less demand for petrol engined cars. Something like a Focus or Astra 1.8 or 2.0 petrol will give you good performance, good mpg if driven carefully and a smaller potential repair bill, whilst being cheaper in the first place.

Edit - this one is oop North but gives you an idea what can be achieved:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3147595.htm

Focus 2.0 Ghia, full leather and good level of toys Has had the waterpump & timing belt changed, so big bills should be out of the way for the moment.

[Konan555]

I've driven a 1.9TDi with over 300,000 on the clock. It'd developed a couple of flat spots, no doubt the classic MAF problem, but other than that it didn't feel much different from new.

Just watch the cam belt, it's known to snap well before changes are due and it will bend things.

[Stefan_C]

How many miles do you do a year Stefan?

I do about 10-12k miles per year. Do you think that's enough to warrant going for a diesel engine? MY Fiat does around 50mpg and that's a 1.2 petrol engine. I'm looking for similar fuel economy from a faster car.

That ghia certainly looks pretty impressive. It's a shame it's so far away.

[dave87]

I wouldn't have said so - especially not at the age of car we'd be looking at to get you something decently spec'd within budget.

As long as you don't go mad in terms of engine size then your fuel consumption can be very good. I run a 530i Sport Auto which is an example of how not to get MPG - 3 litre with an automatic gearbox. Thankfully I do so little mileage atm it makes largely no odds.

If you get a manual car, with a 1.8 or 2.0 litre engine you can get good fuel economy without the hassle of diesel and the complications it brings.

Do you do much motorway miles? If it is mainly around town stuff or 50mph during rush hour then the 1.6 Focus is a peach - lots about because they were a sound buy new.

[Stefan_C]

Well my daily commute is 24 miles each way and most of those are motorway miles. The traffic is generally good. Usually at least 60-80mph with the occasional massive traffic jam. Comparatively I do very little town driving.

[Yosh]

I wouldn't have said so - especially not at the age of car we'd be looking at to get you something decently spec'd within budget.

As long as you don't go mad in terms of engine size then your fuel consumption can be very good. I run a 530i Sport Auto which is an example of how not to get MPG - 3 litre with an automatic gearbox. Thankfully I do so little mileage atm it makes largely no odds.

If you get a manual car, with a 1.8 or 2.0 litre engine you can get good fuel economy without the hassle of diesel and the complications it brings.

Do you do much motorway miles? If it is mainly around town stuff or 50mph during rush hour then the 1.6 Focus is a peach - lots about because they were a sound buy new.

I would agree with Dave, i decided to go for a 2003 Astra SXI 1.6 which i purchased for £1000 and is cheap enough for the driving i do, i'm only now looking to change because i have several long distance trips planned in the next year so i'll move over to diesel when i find the right car.

Just to add as well for your price range, Vauxhall made a fair few LPG Astra's from 1999 ish onwards, they come in both 1.6 or 1.8 petrol engine usually but you are talking large savings on fuel, they are usually harder to find some you might have to travel a bit to buy one but its also an option.

[Jay]

You need to know when that belt was done, it could be due again as could the alternator belt. VW, Audi etc need the belt doing every 5 years or 60K I think

[Bagnaj97]

You need to know when that belt was done, it could be due again as could the alternator belt. VW, Audi etc need the belt doing every 5 years or 60K I think

Skoda say 4 years/60k and I'm fairly sure that's the same across the VW group.

As you're ideally after a Golf it's worth, as others have said, looking Skoda Octavias, Audi A3s and Seat Leons as they're built on the same platform.
It may also be worth looking at Skoda Fabias, Seat Ibizas and VW Polos. Again all sharing the same platform, but they're smaller and cheaper than the group above.

If you do get a VW group diesel I wouldn't be too concerned about mileage, there's a reason there are so many Octavia taxis around. Properly looked after they go on for years. Skodas tend to be cheaper than VWs but I have no idea about Seats. If I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a Fabia of some sort, ideally a VRS version or, failing that, a 1.9TDI.

[kalniel]

Skoda say 4 years/60k and I'm fairly sure that's the same across the VW group.

Depends on the engine. My A3 is 5yrs/75k. Some are chain driven as well.

My astra 1.7 dti was 5yrs/100k - they actually extended the recommended due by mileage, as opposed to most manufacturers lowering it. That was a very mechanically sympathetic car (and the 67mpg I used to get kind of backs that up).