To diesel or not to diesel?

ryanpetit

ryanpetit

ryanpetit

Associate
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Posts
392
Location
Brighton
Hi all,

Been a reader of this forum for many years now and finally thought I would actually register and post something.

Have lived in the states for the last 3 years and planning to move back to blighty in the next few months and will need a car.

I'll be commuting 55 miles to work, and with what I keep reading about fuel tax going up I am painfully thinking diesel, however if a decent diesel car cost more to buy and maintain it might not be worth it.

Budget is 4k, needs to be big enough to accomodate 6 month old sprog.

Currently got in mind:

Renault Megane 1.9dci (fat arse shape)
Toyota Corolla T-sport (Like it but will it drink?)
E46 BMW 320d (might be a bit ropey at this price)
Mondeo TDCI Zetec (good car but a little boring...)

Any other suggestions would be good.
Oh and here is a pic of my current car for any who is interested, might not be everyones cup of tea but its been a hoot to drive in the snow :D

 
55 miles - is that round trip or each way?

If the latter, it puts your mileage to circa 25k which is the sort of mileage where it does really make sense.

Cant comment on the megane, but I would say you've got 2 different size classes of cars there - for big mileage (and kid requirement) you want a car in the E46/Mondeo size which puts you into the Laguna/Avensis territory for Renault and Toyota. The former is terrible but the Avensis is pretty decent, comfy and reliable but very dull - makes the Mondeo look exciting!

The BMW has the best engine out of the lot, although it's not without it's issues - it'll also cost you the most to buy and service and I'm not sure if 4k buys a really good one.

It's a myth that modern diesels cost a lot more to service, while some places charge a bit more, it's not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Ford charge a flat rate for all Mondeos, except STs. So the only real inrease in running costs is the potential for something going wrong, but that is by no means guaranteed so difficult to do the sums on that basis.

I've had my Mondeo TDCi more than 2 years and it's needed a DMF/clutch replacement at £650 but that's been the only non service repair it's needed. So I'd personally reccomend one, it's also worth looking at the Volvo S60 D5 and, dare I say it, the Passat.
 
55 miles is round trip so might be worth taking a closer look at some decent petrols.

Would an E46 320 be a waste of time or am I likely to find a good one? I'm not massively concerned about having 200+bhp but its got to be good to drive in the twisties (commute is mainly country roads)
 
A skoda octavia might also suit your needs quite well. Other than that I actually do a 47 miles trip (each way) every day in a 1.8 petrol mondeo and its not to bad it costs me circa £300 a month but it is pretty much all motorway miles.
 
Have a look at the Seat Toledo
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1551298.htm

Good value for money and the 1.9 PD engine is pretty good.

-edit, just seen 55 miles return.
The only decent petrol engines in the Toledo are the V5 (maybe) and the 1.8T..

As above, the Octavia is worth a look too. Not particularly exciting perhaps, but good value.
 
Aero said:
A skoda octavia might also suit your needs quite well. Other than that I actually do a 47 miles trip (each way) every day in a 1.8 petrol mondeo and its not to bad it costs me circa £300 a month but it is pretty much all motorway miles.
Click to expand...

Call me a badge snob, but I can't help thinking taxi when I see an octavia.
 
I wouldnt either.

I know they say its holiday blues and all that,but america has such a better standard of living than we do. And the people are so much nicer too. You can have a conversation with just about anybody. Half the people in shops / public services in england just grunt at you. Gosh dont get me started !

yes we get free healthcare, but tbh it isnt even that good half the time.

Whats making you want to move ?
 
MrLOL said:
I wouldnt either.

I know they say its holiday blues and all that,but america has such a better standard of living than we do. And the people are so much nicer too. You can have a conversation with just about anybody. Half the people in shops / public services in england just grunt at you. Gosh dont get me started !

yes we get free healthcare, but tbh it isnt even that good half the time.

Whats making you want to move ?
Click to expand...

Mainly we don't want our daughter to grow up without being with family, when me and my wife left we were glad to see the back of England but after a while its odd what you miss. What I would give right now for a chip butty in a greasy spoon :D
 
I suppose if you've come from a big family thats a concern.

I'm an only child, my mother was an only child, and ive now lost my mum to cancer and no longer in contact with my dad. My dad's family all emmigrated to australia so the only real family ive got is my grandmother who is in her 80s. My partner does have family, but her uncles have emmigrated to spain and her dad wants to do the same, Shes only really got her sister so once my gran goes we've not got much left to leave behind.
 
MrLOL said:
genuinely interested here

how so ?
Click to expand...

The insurance companies are massively sneaky with co-pays (your excess) and will wriggle out of covering if they can (quite like car insurance). A collegue at work had twins that both had to go into intensive care for 5 days, she was handed a bill of $89,000 before insurance. I'm not entirely sure what she had to pay out of pocket but normally its around 20%
 
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