Good choice of a car?

M1k3H

M1k3H

M1k3H

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Well, took my Ford KA for a service last week.

Mechanic said it won't pass an MOT (MOT due in November), as it's got a hole in the chassis due to rust.

So that needs doing, plus one front left link arm and the rear bushes.

Now, this is a 2001 vehicle, in good mechanical condition, but everything else is not that good.

I'm waiting for a quote on doing the work mentioned plus I will need to fix the stereo/speakers. Only one speaker works, so will take everything apart, might be the connections, if it is the speaker I'll buy something cheap to install.
Also the glove box is broken so I need a new lid which is not that expensive.

What worries me though is the rust. Even if the mechanic welds it together, it is bound to fail again next year at the very best.

Also, I hate it. I went from Mercedes W123--->Skoda Fabia Elegance--->Toyota Trueno AE111 to this "car". Horrible to drive, weak engine, horrible consumption (32MPG), expensive tax and too small to fit anything.


So I've been thinking of buying something else. My eye caught the new Ibiza 5dr FR with the 2.0 litre TDi engine. Very good consumption, very low tax, good performance, beautiful car with a lot of extras and relatively cheap!

1 year olds with less than 5-10,000 miles on the clock FRs go for around £11-£12,000.

Having just started working, and having very few savings, I am also thinking of taking up finance if the rate is low. So will go to the dealer and have a chat.

What do you think about this particular vehicle?

Any advice/comments is welcome!
 
I'd probably avoid the TDI one unless you do a lot of motorway mileage, the round-town consumption won't be a great deal more than your KA and you'd have the inherent problems with that come with modern diesels (albeit one with only 10,000 on it isn't likely to go west quite just yet).

I think the 1.4 petrol is actually nippier than the 2.0 TDI.
 
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I will not be doing many motorway miles. My daily commute to work is only 15miles there and back.

What attracted me to that engine is all the praise I heard from taxi drivers on the vw group's diesel engines, how reliable and economic they are.

What kind of problems do you mean?

I'll have a look at the 1.4.
 
Modern diesels have a diesel particulate filter which may clog up with short trips, which can be expensive to fix. They're designed for longer journeys but people are buying them for shopping trips and are surprised when they end up in the dealers with failed regeneration cycles and engine warning lights.
 
Minstadave said:
Modern diesels have a diesel particulate filter which may clog up with short trips, which can be expensive to fix. They're designed for longer journeys but people are buying them for shopping trips and are surprised when they end up in the dealers with failed regeneration cycles and engine warning lights.
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Agree with this. My Leon with the 2.0TDI was fine doing 100 miles a day but when my commute reduced to about a quarter of that, the DPF got very annoyed with me and regularly needed thrashing to get it cleared out.

I'd go petrol given your mileage, the 1.4T as suggested is a decent choice.
 
Trouble is, from what I can see the 120ps 1.4T isn't an option on the new Ibiza, which leaves the most powerful engine as the 1.2TSI, with 100hp.
 
Damn you modern diesel engines!!

I took a look at what's available, and the 1.4 produces 85bhp, while the 1.2TSI 100bhp.

Now, 85bhp I think is a bit too little, so the 1.4 is out. I was hoping they did the 1.4FSI which developes 100bhp, but they dont.

I heard bad things about the TSI engines. That they are not very reliable and they consume a lot of petrol if you dare go over 2,500rpm.

I'm torn now on what to do :(

I go lengthy journeys due to family in the UK living 5 hours away, but that's only twice or three times a year, mostly I drive to work, and when going out to Cardiff I take the train anyway.
 
NathWraith said:
no it isn't.

The twin charged 1.4TSI engines are horrific and break.

Unless you are going for the 1.4TSI turbo only (122PS) then avoid.
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I've heard that the Audi 185ps 1.4 TFSI problems have been sorted on all 2013+ cars with some parts that have been replaced/refined compared to the old engines. Solving the issues of high oil consumption etc that people were having. Assumed that would go for the other VAG car with that engine. :o
 
Apparently there's a 1.6 model with 100hp if you don't want the TSI.

How about a Fiesta? There's a 1.0T or a 1.6 with 120hp on those.
 
Not very fond of Ford.

No there isn't. There's no 1.6 apart from the TDi.

Well, on second look there is, but they seem to have discontinued it :p

Why is that?

I've been also thinking about Civic. 1.8 Petrol, although the emissions are a bit higher, but it is not that big a difference.
 
Civic is bigger, more comparable to the Leon than the Ibiza. I believe the Jazz is the direct competitor.

There's always the option to move up to a Leon? Should still get a good example plus there are a load more engine choices with much more "poke".
 
Tute said:
Civic is bigger, more comparable to the Leon than the Ibiza. I believe the Jazz is the direct competitor.

There's always the option to move up to a Leon? Should still get a good example plus there are a load more engine choices with much more "poke".
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I know, but the Jazz is not what I am looking for :p

The new Leon I like, but unfortunately they are not in my price range. The old Leon, a friend has one, and I did not like it at all.

I'm a bit fussy I know :(
 
Went to Seat showroom, got told they don't have any with the 2.0TDi engine, instead they offer the Fabia Monte Carlo brand new for £12,960 with the 1.6TDi.

Pretty cheap, and includes 3 years free servicing and roadside assistance with an APR of 7.9% on finance.

Didn't have any examples there so had a look online as soon as I got home, and the car does not have ESP/ASR/etc, no rear disc brakes, no rear electric windows (!!!), just navigation (which I do not need) and bluetooth along with the special trim and sports seats.

Pretty torn between buying it or going 2nd hand for something else.
 
No no no no no no no no no

Horrible engine - if you're daft enough to buy a diesel do not make it that one!

Also how can seat sell you a fabia?

7.9% isn't anything to shout about either, you can get that in quite a few places just now
 
I told him I wanted the 2.0l because it was a proven and reliable engine, but they didn't have anything with that there.

I test drove the 1.6 but the one outputting 75bhp. It seemed a bit... too slow, even for a diesel, a lot of turbo lag, but the guy re assured me that the one in the Monte Carlo that outputs 105bhp is going to be much better.

The showroom was both for seat and skoda.

Back to square one then.
 
Why can't you just buy a 1.2 or 1.4 single Turbo petrol? Either will suit you perfectly and be far less likely to give you grief

Its well.worth considering the 1.0t fiesta too BTW (I know you're not keen) - the facelifted car is excellent and the engine sounds like a very promising little unit.
 
NathWraith said:
I have driven the Ibiza with the 1.2 tsi and it is a very good engine, ample power for the car
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The Monte Carlo Fabia comes with the 1.2tsi 105bhp as well for £11,990 but by the time I add some extras it is going to go up to £13,000.

I am not too fond of tsi s due to people complaining about fuel economy.
 
You do about 4k miles per year, it wont do enough less to the gallon to make any real difference....even if you did double the distance
 
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