Recommend a cheap and reliable diesel...

[Apex]

Rave - go cheaper and get the 2.2 engine in the Titanium X spec Mondeo; same 2.2 engine same 155bhp same trq iirc too but cheaper ins group but yeah the vRS is nice

I have a 2002 TDDi based Mk3 Mondeo and while it sounds like a tractor it has not let me down. It does have a dmf on this but thats a cost i know about, other then that the only other issues you have to be aware of are sticking rear calipers; you can free them off but they will stick again not long after the only option you have is replacement which should give a few years trouble free (anything from 50 to 100 quid each). The rear subframe bushes - again this is a known issue and not that hard to solve (lot of people swap out the rubber bushes for the polly bushes which last a hell of a lot longer and tighten the car up a bit) - other then that i don't remember seeing many "common" issues that are gotchas on this everything else is fairly cheap to sort.

[PowerPie5000]

Rave - go cheaper and get the 2.2 engine in the Titanium X spec Mondeo; same 2.2 engine same 155bhp same trq iirc too but cheaper ins group but yeah the vRS is nice

I have a 2002 TDDi based Mk3 Mondeo and while it sounds like a tractor it has not let me down. It does have a dmf on this but thats a cost i know about, other then that the only other issues you have to be aware of are sticking rear calipers; you can free them off but they will stick again not long after the only option you have is replacement which should give a few years trouble free (anything from 50 to 100 quid each). The rear subframe bushes - again this is a known issue and not that hard to solve (lot of people swap out the rubber bushes for the polly bushes which last a hell of a lot longer and tighten the car up a bit) - other then that i don't remember seeing many "common" issues that are gotchas on this everything else is fairly cheap to sort.

I've had a look at a few MK3 Mondeo's (02-04) and they all had rust along the bottom inside of the doors (much like the rear doors on my Focus). I'm definitely staying away from common rail diesels as a friend of mine has just spent over £900 getting his 2006 VW Passat fixed! Even our mechanic and a couple of cabbies we know say to stick with the older TDDI, DTI and PD engines. I recently had a go at driving a 2003 Ford Focus estate with a 1.8 TDDI engine and it was fine (not too noisy on the inside), not sure if it has a DMF though?

Anyway i'm still keeping my eyes peeled for anything that catches my interest and my partner says she would prefer an estate. I would still consider a newer MK1.5 Focus with a 1.6 petrol engine (it has enough grunt for me and is still more economical than the MK2 1.6). I would also consider a TDDI Focus, PD Skoda or DTI Astra (although i'm now hearing issues about the DTI fuel pump... Does this only affect the early Astra G or all of them upto 2005?).

Cheers guys

[Apex]

Thats a big issue now with most if not all of them being CRi based very few are the old TDi system

The 1.8 TDDi engine in the Mk1 Focus is good but it's let down by the bosch pump (common issue) if you get a golden one keep it if not get shut.

DMF's are fitted to all modern devs that i know of; it's the dpf thats not fitted to all.

The problem with the face lifted focus is that i think all of the engines are now TDCi based and not TDDi.

I think VW are the only ones that have done any work on the TDi systems they have but even they have issues guess it's come to end of it's life and thats the thing that is putting me off the newer cars

Also am not sure if it's me but it seems the cars with the most issues are the small engined dev units, the 2L and above ones don't seem to suffer so much

[DanceswithUnix]

DMF's are fitted to all modern devs that i know of; it's the dpf thats not fitted to all.

Isn't that the other way around? Thought you couldn't get past emission regs without some sort of dpf now.

Also am not sure if it's me but it seems the cars with the most issues are the small engined dev units, the 2L and above ones don't seem to suffer so much

Justification for an Audi 4.0l then

[hnosyalnif]

In a similar situation myself. Going back to Uni therefore needing something more economical that what I drive at the moment (a Freelander :/).

Looking at the 1.6 HDI 206/7's at the moment which seem likes good cars but they are quite a bit more expensive than the 1.4 petrol equivalent which would no doubt work equally well.

Would be a mix of motorway driving (to get to Uni) and then town/country driving once there to get to placements etc. Diesel in the long run will likely be cheaper but short term petrol is a lot cheaper to buy if not to tax/insure (depending on group).

[Apex]

Isn't that the other way around? Thought you couldn't get past emission regs without some sort of dpf now.



Justification for an Audi 4.0l then

Should have said more....

The DMF's are fitted to all modern devs that i know of from 2000 onwards.

DPF's only started in around 2005 but i have known of some cars on 04 plates with them fitted.

Also am not sure if the DPF's are fitted no matter what - i have seen some later model dev's without them (2L and 3L VAG Units spring to mind)

Guess its hit and miss.