Daft idea?

[monkeypants]

Hi guys, I need a bit if advice. Thinking of changing my car for something cheaper but I'm not sure what the best course of action is.

Currently I drive a 2007 Civic diesel, which I paid £6.5k for last year but it's probably going to need a new clutch soon (common issue) and I think in general the car isn't as cost effective as I'd hoped.

I do about 7500-8000 miles per year - about 50/50 urban/mway, I've worked out that running costs of a diesel and petrol are pretty much the same at that mileage, only purchase and repair costs will be different to any real degree.

I think I could get £6k for my car, and I'd be looking to buy something for around £2k or less. I've been looking at 10 year old things like focuses, Mazda 323/3, Corollas etc. Similarly spec'd diesels are £800-1000 more but will sell for more at the other end (if they're still working).

What I need to know is, with diesels being rather complex now, would repair costs on something 10 years old be or get ridiculous? I'd be fairly confident servicing and making repairs to a simple petrol but turbo diesels are a bit more advanced (turbo etc) and out of my league currently.

What kind of car would be a good shout? And diesel or petrol? I'd be looking to keep it 2-3 years depending on whether I get a decent job or get bored with it.

 

[rodenal]

Diesel is beyond pointless at your mileage imo - as you've already found out with the civic the urban consumption is fairly rubbish in a diesel anyway.

The clutch isn't such a big deal, the 2010 on part seems to be much better and should be fine for the next 60-80k. My car has done circa 20k on the revised part with a remap and is fine so far.

Don't take this the wrong way but I take it you're not particularly interested in cars? If not then something like a mazda 3/ focus or going a bit bigger mazda 6 / mondeo with any old petrol will suit you fine

 

[monkeypants]

I've averaged 48mpg over the last 1600 miles, mostly motorway, much more than usual. My computer says I've done 46mpg over 9000 miles since buying the car, so not bad really but not really enough to make diesel cost effective.

The clutch is just hassle and expense I can do without. If I can sell the car before it becomes an issue then it'd be a big bonus to the tune of around £1k. If I was keeping the car I'd get a CG paddle clutch and a remap, but it's a lot of money I don't want to spend.

Lol, they're not something I prioritise, no but I don't want a lemon. Having said that, I have been looking at Hyundai accents :/ when I get more money then I'll be more comfortable spending money on a 'fun' car but until then I want something cheap, reliable and easy to service.

 

[roadend1981]

Have you had a price for a new clutch fitted? Just had the Mrs meganne done for 300 quid.

 

[monkeypants]

It needs a DMF as well as the clutch plate, I've not had a quote personally as it doesn't need it yet but it is an inevitability on older diesel Civs. Others have cost £900-£1000 so a pretty hefty thwack in the wallet.

 

[rodenal]

Ok so hold on a minute - you're just assuming the car will need a clutch soon and that the flywheeel will need done too.

Yes its a common fault but without knowing when the two were last done on the car and what they were replaced with you could be worrying g about absolutely nothing. The clutch itself is far closer to a 400 quid repair for a start. Yes it will be more if it needs a flywheel but you're making massive assumptions.

I dont think your initial reasoning (I.e selling and buying something g cheaper and petrol) is a bad idea but just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons

 

[lordrobs]

If you are assuming that your car is going to need £1000 of work just because it is "inevitable" then you should bear in mind that you should allow a similar sized slush fund to sort out any potential issues with whatever you buy.

 

[monkeypants]

True, I am working on the assumption that it'll need a new DMF with the clutch as that's what others I've read about needed (I've read a lot) but granted, mine may not need it; I won't know until it's in pieces anyway hence why I've assumed the worst. AFAIK it's never been replaced.

I'm prepared for repair costs of something cheaper, I want to know if a 10 year old diesel is more of a liability than a petrol of similar age. Would repair costs be significantly more? It's somewhat of a moot point as already stated, diesel is silly with the number of miles I do but I'd like to know because I'm interested now

 

[rodenal]

If you were to buy a diesel without a turbo - something like an sdi golf then it would run forever with next to no maintenance.

Older turbo diesels like the pd tdi etc are fairly bomboroof but you will need todo things kike stick a turbo on it at some point (not particularly expensive but compared to the value of the car it'll be a lot) plus your general consumables like clutch etc.

A n/a petrol takes the turbo out of the equation and generally speaking puts less strain on the clutch too (especially when you're looking st something like a 1.6 mazda 3 or 1.8 mondeo etc). You'll get higher fuel consumption but not a massive difference unless you buy something with a decent engine

Any other common rail diesel and you'd be mad to change the civic which is likely only to need a clutch over the next few years for a car that's older but just as complicated

 

[andrewdodd13]

What I need to know is, with diesels being rather complex now, would repair costs on something 10 years old be or get ridiculous? I'd be fairly confident servicing and making repairs to a simple petrol but turbo diesels are a bit more advanced (turbo etc) and out of my league currently.

Turbo failures on diesels tend to be the least of your worries. I have the most experience with the VW PD engine, but stories of turbo failures are few and far between -- in fact this engine is pretty solid and you can get it as new as 2008 if you buy an A3. The list of expensive failures with modern diesels includes particulate filters (DPF), piezo injectors (on Common Rail diesels) and as you're predicting, dual mass flywheels.

For £2k you probably want a 2.0 petrol Mondeo though. Or perhaps a Skoda Octavia. Very small cars (e.g. Fiesta) tend to be actually more expensive than similarly specced larger cars at this price range.

 

[monkeypants]

The problem with non-turbo diesels is they're slow! 68bhp from a 1.9 engine would make me sad, 17 seconds to 60 would leave a lot to be desired.

I think a focus is the best choice as there are loads out there so I can take my time and pick one that ticks all the boxes. My problem with bigger cars is the higher tax bands, ideally I want to be paying £170 per year for a petrol and I don't need something large.

I could get one for less than £2k, have a grand spare to make repairs and still be happy. I will run a few calcs based on buying a larger car to see if they're worth it in the long run.

 

[monkeypants]

Here are my figures (from my own calcs, not an online thing):


Year------Focus 1.8 TDCi----Focus 1.6----Focus 1.8-----Mondeo 1.8
1---------£4,367.67---------£4,292.58----£4,272.25-----£4,281.83
2---------£6,502.48---------£6,423.47----£6,584.67-----£6,607.88
3---------£8,516.86---------£8,604.91----£8,949.67-----£8,985.61

Based on 7500miles p/a, current fuel costs of £1.32/£1.37 per litre increasing 6p per year, real MPG values I can find, real insurance quotes, tax (inc £5 p/a), service and MOT, and purchase costs of £2400, £2200, £2000 and £1995 respectively (cars found on AT) so not a lot in it. I suppose it just comes down to finding one in good condition that's going to generate the smallest repair bill.