Does anybody else find looking for a new car extremely stressful & difficult?

Five_Star

Five_Star

Five_Star

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Does anybody else find looking for a new car extremely stressful and difficult? The wife really liked the whole experience but I've come back from the dealers with more questions and even more undecided than before. We had some idea of what we wanted before going to see a few garages over the weekend. The list was
  • Mondeo ST (both TDCI 155 and 220)
  • Focus Mk2 ST
  • Golf GT sport 170 (again both fuel types)
Coming from a diesel mk1 Focus five door we wanted a replacement with five doors, easy on the Mondeo but the others seem impossibly rare, and rarer still to find a good one.

Fuel type also isn't an issue really, the diesel cars were cheaper in some cases than the petrol equivalents with the garage I asked about servicing costs said they charge the same for both fuel types. I guess having had a diesel for a while now I like the way they can be driven too.

The Mondeo STTDCI we tested was good, much smoother than our current diesel but having since read about the multitude of issues (some exceedingly costly) that affect the engine in later life it's not at the top of the list any more. It was a 07 with 28K on the clock for £10.5K?

The ST was amazing, lots of fun but coming from a diesel the rate the fuel gauge dropped was horrifying. I don't see myself spending £150 - £200 a month on fuel. The one we tested was an ST-2 with 46K on the clock for £11k and had focus st oc stickers all over it, does this mean it's been pampered, thrashed or both? For these reasons I think the Focus ST is out too, even though it's my favourite it's probably not practical.

We didn't actually test a Golf, couldn't find any GT sports 170. The best we could find locally was a ex demo GT 140 which was rather tatty inside. We did have a really nice five door one as a hire car from help hire a while back which I really liked, but now after the Focus ST is it a bit bland?

I guess there are a few questions to this rather long post
  1. Will I get used to a massive fuel bill if we switch back to a petrol car (esp the Focus ST)?
  2. Is the Mondeo ST TDCI 155 really that bad reliability wise?
  3. Will I find the Golf GT sport too boring (if I can find a five door)?
Would really appreciate some ideas as I think I'll drive my wife crazy if I don't make a decision!
 
I don't find it at all stressful but then again I don't really buy from garages normally and therefore don't have to deal with salespeople which generally helps! To be honest it does sound like most of your questions could have been resovled by looking on the internet although of course when deciding what you like there's nothing better than seeing and driving cars in the flesh.

I'd go with what you like as long as you can afford it. With regards to that focus being thrashed, who knows? The good news is that they clearly took a strong interest in their car so hopefully it has been pampered. It may well have been driven quickly but then it's a Focus ST. Why would you buy it and then not hoon around in it? If you can be bothered then I would suggest you go on the owners club forum in question and do a bit of digging. You might be able to find the previous owner on there and see his posts which will probably explain a lot!

One final point- my parents always agonise over what car or which example to buy for months and invariably eventually make a totally random (and often bad) decision. Don't con yourself by doing this. Consider what you want, what you can afford, check what you are buying over carefully and make an informed purchase with confidence. Don't be like a rabbit caught in the headlights and then panic buy. Don't be rushed by salesmen, don't take what they tell you as gospel. Read up on it yourself, trust your eyes, enjoy your test pilot rights! :)
 
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Five_Star said:
I guess there are a few questions to this rather long post
  1. Will I get used to a massive fuel bill if we switch back to a petrol car (esp the Focus ST)?
  2. Is the Mondeo ST TDCI 155 really that bad reliability wise?
  3. Will I find the Golf GT sport too boring (if I can find a five door)?
Would really appreciate some ideas as I think I'll drive my wife crazy if I don't make a decision!
Click to expand...

1 - Depends how you drive it I guess. I think the focus st is capable of respectable mpg if you dont thrash it everywhere. If you can drive it nicely on your commute and thrash it when you want some fun then it shoudlnt be too bad. Have a look at the forum in question and see what the general attitude is, if they're a bunch of chavs then avoid, I reckon it means the car has been looked after

2 - The mondeos arent bad reliability wise at all. The 2 common problems specific to the diesel are injectors and flywheels, both very costly as you say. DMF (dual mass flywheel) failure manifests itself as a rattle at idle, clutch problems or problems starting. Mine was starting to go at 48k and cost me £650 to sort (new clutch and flywheel) - however, its VERY rare for them to go at that sort of mileage. I think (may be wrong on this one) the 2.2 has a stronger flywheel than the 2.0 so problems arent as common. Injector problems are much less common and seem to happen much later in life (100k upwards), the problem appears as a glowplug light and the car going into limp home mode. I've heard of people paying 1k upwards to replace injectors. Dont let this put you off though, both problems are much less common on newer cars from 06 onwards, so I cant see you having a problem. If you like the car, get a 3 year warranty with it and extend it if you keep the car longer as both problems should be covered under a decent warranty.

3- This is really down to your opinion, I personally really like the Golf GT sport. A friend has had a 140 diesel 5 door since new (a year) and its been brilliant for him. The 140 pulls very well indeed and apparently the 170 is even better. Good levels of trim and superb build - the look really nice too with the GT grille and 17" alloys. The boss has a 1.4TSI 140 too, which he's had for 3 years and thats never missed a beat either. Suprisingly quick, a nice noise and he averages mid 40s mpg.

If it was me I'd try and find a 1.4 170 golf and test drive it. The main criticism is that its a bit rough so see if it bothers you. You'll have a quick, economic and very well built car. If it does bother you, go with the mondeo. Both are great cars and at that age/mileage, both should serve you well for several years :)
 
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Thanks for both replies so far. I think a test of the Golf GT is defiantly on the cards although thats another dealer to work with. I have to say buying from dealerships is not my usual thing but the we really need to trade our focus for ease as I doubt it would be easy to shift for much otherwise.

Unfortunately for me mattpc described my usual buying technique as that of his parents, look for ages, get confused and just get something. I really want to avoid doing that this time.
Yes we could afford the Focus and I'm sure it would be fun. I know it's going to be a change from diesel , but this is me just worrying over one bad point when there are lots of good points.

For research on other cars I find it a bit difficult to know where to look. I've read up on Parkers about the cars but apart from this very good forum I'm a little stuck.

Thanks to iaind I'm also back considering that Mondeo ST TDCI, it was nice and not too much of a culture shock compared to the Focus.

In terms of getting an warranty is it best to go with the garage that sold the car (60 miles away from home) or get an independent one?
Also with the independent warranty do the car need to be fully dealer stamped up as I think the Mondeo is a bit patchy.
 
For some good advice and information on mondeos, have a look at www.fordmondeo.org

If you're buying from a dealer chances are they will give you at least a year with it. A main dealer will tend to do the warranty themselves but most independents will give you an aftermarket one. Find out what they are offering and where you can repair your car and negotiate 3 years of the most suitable warranty for you into the price.

Generally the warranties will just ask that the car has been serviced on time, they wont speculate that its main dealer. If its an 07 car there'll be some manufacturers warranty left on it anyway
 
The problem I'm currently having is getting to view the car(s) I want before they're sold! Unless it's going to be on my doorstep, and it isn't, I find that the car is gone before it gets to the forecourt :(
 
ive driven variants of all three, mk3 mondeo st tdci, mk2 focus ST and a golf 1.9TDi, for me i really liked the focus. Of course a bit hard to compare the golf as it was only the basic 110hp engine, but I really didnt get on with the car.

mondeo was nice but i'd still prefer the Focus personally! Don't hammer it everywhere and you should get some decent mpg from it too, not diesel decent, but then it doesn't drive like one either! :p Plus a nice reliable volvo engine under the bonnet and ford prices if anything does break.
 
rG-tom, how would you say the Focus ST compares to your BMW? That would be our idealy choice of car but have had trouble finding a nice five door?
 
different kind of car really! The BMW is a far better allrounder though, hense buying one in the end :) Focus could be defined as being more fun, but that's mainly because it does it all with little tact and more brute force, and it's a bit louder.

The BMW is far better made, similar in pace, imo handles tighter and gives more feedback, and, bar servicing, will cost less to run (fuel etc), but you'll get an older car for the same money.

For me it was a no brainer after driving both but try it!

Tom.
 
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