Car dilemma - advice / flames welcome

Furbs

Furbs

Furbs

Associate
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
2,488
Ok this thread comes with a health warning, I am torn between my head and my heart on a car purchase, so yes the models I am looking at are a world apart in terms of performance I don't know which way to go.

So my flame proof hat is on and I am a big boy that can take it.....

Currently drive a 2006 Mondy STTDCI, car was purchased 5 years ago when my mileage was far higher and included a lot of motorway munching. I bought the car back then because I wanted something comfy with some poke that wouldn't ruin me in running costs.

The car has now served its time with me and needs to be retired, I no longer do the motorway miles and my daily commute is about 9 miles each way, with roundabouts, traffic lights and sometimes stop start traffic.

My budget for a new car is no higher than £10,000 as I am currently saving for a house deposit and that is all I am willing to spend.

So, the options:

Option 1 (Head) - looking at a mid sized hatchback, that is nice to drive and has reasonable running costs with decent levels of equip. Which straight away puts me onto focuses. For my budget and a bit less I can get a nice spec 2ish year old car albeit with slightly lackluster performance. My head is saying this is a sensible choice with cheaper insurance, comfier ride, warranty still remaining and a safe bet for the next 4-5 years in terms of reliability.

Option 2 (Heart) - I have always had a love for the Golf GTI MkV. There is one locally from a franchised dealer within my budget on a 2006 plate. It does have the dreaded cloth seat pattern which I have to say has grown on my a lot after plenty of time looking. This car has nice touches like dual sided climate and DSG which after driving it was amazing which wouldn't be available on the focuses I am looking at.

So what I am asking is:

1. Am I crazy to be considering a 6 year old performance golf when thinking about holding onto it for the next 4 or so years giving my daily commute and its fuel economy?

2. Is a 1.6 focus going to bore me to death driving it everyday and make me regret going for something so bland just because it was 3-4 years newer.

Basically I need you guys to act as my common sense.

NB: I AM NOT INTERESTED IN A FOCUS ST, If I am going the performance hatch route it would have to be the golf due to no real quantitative reason other than personal preference.

Cheers for any replies and for getting this far without giving up.
 
Furbs said:
1. Am I crazy to be considering a 6 year old performance golf when thinking about holding onto it for the next 4 or so years giving my daily commute and its fuel economy?
Click to expand...

No.

2. Is a 1.6 focus going to bore me to death driving it everyday and make me regret going for something so bland just because it was 3-4 years newer.
Click to expand...

Yes.

You bought a 2006 Mondeo ST TDCi when it was 1-2 years old so you are presumably not skint, therefore a Mk5 GTI is, whilst not cheap to run, not going to cause you undue hardship.
 
Fox thanks for the reply, I was holding my breath in anticipation of your comments :D

Yeah running costs won't cause hardship, would imagine tyres will be comparable, tax is only about £60 a year different. Insurance does way in a few hundred more but hey if I can afford to fill it up I can afford to insure it or I wouldn't even consider it.

The age stigma is the thing that got me thinking the most. As I would be swapping for a car of the same age that is not getting any younger and cars do tend to have wobbles later in their lives.

And should I go for the golf I would need to sell it to the misses and she won't understand the fun vs newness thing easily.
 
Last edited:
[TW]Fox;21164944 said:
Put a private plate on it and tell her its nearly new.
Click to expand...

A cunning plan but I very much doubt I could get it past her, she is the master of the sneaky purchase.
 
Go for the mk5 - But do NOT buy a DSG car unless it comes with a fantastic warranty (which it wont) - there are far too many cases of them breaking and it's not a cheap box to fix
 
I don't think DSG boxes are that fragile. They certainly don't eat clutches like the manuals after a remap.

Dealer repairs are expensive as you say but specialist DSG recons are not too bad nowadays.
 
Forget a 1.6 Focus coming from an ST TDCi. You'll be revving the hell out of it to get it to go anywhere. Other than the 2.5, the petrol engines in the previous gen Focus are old hat - underpowered and not very economical. You'd be better with the 2.0 TDCi if you want a Focus.

The Golf GTI is a good car. Be careful of DSG without a warranty - they are generally reliable but a failure can be very expensive. Have you considered an Octavia vRS? Generally a couple of grand cheaper than the Golf, largely the same running gear and a bit more practical.
 
blueboy2001 said:
Forget a 1.6 Focus coming from an ST TDCi. You'll be revving the hell out of it to get it to go anywhere. Other than the 2.5, the petrol engines in the previous gen Focus are old hat - underpowered and not very economical. You'd be better with the 2.0 TDCi if you want a Focus.

The Golf GTI is a good car. Be careful of DSG without a warranty - they are generally reliable but a failure can be very expensive. Have you considered an Octavia vRS? Generally a couple of grand cheaper than the Golf, largely the same running gear and a bit more practical.
Click to expand...

Cheers for the comments, I had read about DSG issues on forums but was taking them with a pinch of salt as it is normally the disgruntled few that voice opinions rather than the happy masses. It is a concern I had though especially with the age and not knowing how it had been driven before.

I had actually considered the Octavia, and that could be the only option I would consider over the golf. I do have issues with the front lights on the pre 2008 (i hink) models, the front looks very bland.... the blue paintwork does help though.
 
As a matter of interest why does the ST have to go?

I went from an ST TDCi to a 2.0T vRS and back to the ST TDCi. The ST is very much the better cruiser - it's smoother, quieter and steers better, the vRS is faster, brakes better and is easier to drive in stop-start traffic.

My ST is getting on a bit now and I'm worried it's going to start throwing up bills, but given it's trade in value I've decided that even if it takes me for a grand a year in repairs it'll still be cheaper than buying something else, particularly given that I'm not convinced that the newer alternatives will be as good, let alone better to drive. It'll have to be petrol because I can't run a diesel with a DPF as I sometimes go a couple of weeks without doing more than 5 mile trips. The only thing that appeals is a BMW but that'll be expensive to buy and needs a warranty at £50 a month. VAG need to learn how to provide decent damping. I like the Mazda 6 but there are no decent petrol engines and they are very basic inside. MkIV Mondeo is too big and does nothing for me really. I think I'll keep it another 2 years and get a current Focus turbo petrol if they prove to be decent.
 
Interesting info thanks Blueboy, I want rid of the ST due to to my mileage now allowing me to return to petrol without huge fuel costs and after 5 years I'd like a change. I also have a few sneaky ideas the injectors are heading south.

Reading what you said it sounds the like the VRS is more suited to my current driving needs but the ST has been a happy home the last 5 years. Just seen a 2007 VRS locally I may check out tomorrow. Was offered 4.5k for my ST from another garage and based on its condition I was pretty happy.
 
blueboy2001 said:
As a matter of interest why does the ST have to go?
Click to expand...

Because he does low mileage and the ST TDCi is a car thats compromised in the name of fuel economy. For what its for its very good, but whats it for is low company car (Now irrelevent given the age of them) and reasonable fuel economy. With limited mileage there is simply no reason to continue to run one. If the Mondeo ST still holds appeal to you then the obvious choice would be a Mondeo ST220. Everything you like about the ST TDCi but with a really decent engine thats smooth, responsive, quieter in traffic but more aurally pleasing on the open road, etc etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom