Recommend me an estate

Stratos · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:03

My dad is unable to continue work due to heart problems, so the company vehicle has to go back. We have around 3k for a car, needs to be an estate and fairly large, big boot etc due to a big family.

Was looking at mondeo estates, any info on these fox?

cheers

James_N · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:07

was gonna say an ST200 estate. they are the dogs, but im guessing you need twice as much - closer to 6k.

Anyway im sure fox will comment

PeterNem · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:14

An St200 would be pushing it for that budget, but you'd get a decent condition Mk2 2.5V6 Ghia X for that price (or if fuel consumption/insurance is likely to be a problem, a 1.8/2.0).

Whatever you do though, avoid the old Mondeo diesel.

[TW]Fox · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:27

Stratos said:
My dad is unable to continue work due to heart problems, so the company vehicle has to go back. We have around 3k for a car, needs to be an estate and fairly large, big boot etc due to a big family.

Was looking at mondeo estates, any info on these fox?

You'd get a nice 2.0 16v or 2.5 V6 Ghia X Estate for this money.

Bags of room in the back, and the Ghia X also has self levelling rear suspension. Plus all the usual toys - full leather, heated electric seats, cruise, climate, onboard computer, etc etc.

Stratos · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:52

what are the volvo v40 and v70 like?

[TW]Fox · 31 Mar 2006 at 19:54

Stratos said:
what are the volvo v40 and v70 like?

V70 is a proper Volvo, big, solid and dependable. Will be quite old for this money though. Infact, can you actually get a good V70 for this?

V40 is a Mitsubishi Carisma Estate

whitecrook · 31 Mar 2006 at 20:05

Does anyone have comments on a C5? I think they look quite good.

Dogbreath · 31 Mar 2006 at 21:08

[TW]Fox said:
V70 is a proper Volvo, big, solid and dependable. Will be quite old for this money though. Infact, can you actually get a good V70 for this?

V40 is a Mitsubishi Carisma Estate

A friend bought an P plate V70 with 150k odd miles on it for £1700 and it is in exceptional condition considering it's age, certainly doesn't look like a banger. Only got the relatively sluggish 2.5 10v though and it's auto. He got £1400 for his L plate 850 so had a good deal IMO.

kippermitten · 31 Mar 2006 at 21:21

Cool thread.

Im looking at possibly a mondy estate for my run around when the wife gets her new car...

Whats wrong with the diesel(td) on these from 2000 reg?

Kipp.

[TW]Fox · 31 Mar 2006 at 21:26

kippermitten said:
Cool thread.

Im looking at possibly a mondy estate for my run around when the wife gets her new car...

Whats wrong with the diesel(td) on these from 2000 reg?

Kipp.

It's noisy, unrefined and slow unless its a TDCi, introduced in 2001.

dadofsam · 31 Mar 2006 at 23:01

If not a V70, which i am not convinced you will be able to get a good one for that price then the 850's are worth a look at, especially the T5 variety and can be picked up for probably less than your budget, also nothing ever seems to go wrong with them, my dad had a T5 and it was indestructible, its just hard finindg a manual one thats not been "farmered" as a fair few use them round here to move various things

Dogbreath · 1 Apr 2006 at 01:16

[TW]Fox said:
It's noisy, unrefined and slow unless its a TDCi, introduced in 2001.

Not so, the TDDi uses the same 16v 2.0L engine but with mechanical injection instead of common rail. Only has 115bhp instead of the TDCi 130, but still goes well and dosen't sound too bad (for a diesel). The old 1.8 8v engine was a dog though.

[TW]Fox · 1 Apr 2006 at 01:17

Dogbreath said:
Not so, the TDDi uses the same 16v 2.0L engine but with mechanical injection instead of common rail. Only has 115bhp instead of the TDCi 130, but still goes well and dosen't sound too bad (for a diesel). The old 1.8 8v engine was a dog though.

I appreciate it's better than the 1.8TD in the Mk2 Mondeo and the Focus, but IMHO it's not a patch on the TDCi.

Mind you, if its cheap enough that the rest of the competition *is* old-skool style diesel engines it could make sense..

Dogbreath · 1 Apr 2006 at 14:34

A friend bought one a few weeks back, and I have to say that it goes surprisingly well, not quite up to the TDCi's I've driven but not far off. Certainly not an engine to be confused with the 8v junk. Only downer is that fuel economy is not as good as the TDCi, but then again you pay a hefty premium for the common rail engine.

It cost him £3400 for a 2001 Ghia X with ~100k miles on it and full Ford service history.

[TW]Fox · 1 Apr 2006 at 17:37

Dogbreath said:
It cost him £3400 for a 2001 Ghia X with ~100k miles on it and full Ford service history.

Can't argue with that for the money. Sure the TDCi is better but a TDCi Ghia X you are looking at well over 5 grand.