Spec me a Car 3-4k please

[smr]

Hi all,

Well the head gasket went on my Mondeo 2001 LX 1.8 Petrol MK3 on Friday (on the way to Lego land as well )

No point getting the car repaired so I'm looking for a new used car for between 3 and 4k.

I'm not sure whether I want another Mondeo. I've seen some really low mileage ones about for this budget and a Zetec going for less with 60k on the clock and FSH / Lovely clean condition inside and out.... or I'm wondering if I've had enough of the Mondeo (having owned her since 2008) do I really want to spend another 5 years driving basically the same car albeit with an improved trim ?

I'm a family man so I need a car with 5 doors.

This is probably a silly question but can you get decent Audi A4s for this budget and if so are they good cars?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[S@njay]

The Audi A4 is smaller than a Mondeo, and I am sure the back seats would feel cramped compared to the Mondeo.

At that end of the budget that would be an old Audi A4 which I believe is called the B6 model (<2004).

Have you thought about a Passat? Or a Octavia as its a hatchback?

A Mazda 6 is different to, not sure if that would get the Mk2 version.

 

[smr]

Thanks, not really too keen on those cars though.

Just found a mk4 petrol Mondeo - Edge trim 2007 2 litre with 109,000 miles. Is this too high a mileage ?

It has "documented service history" and two former keepers.

 

[rodenal]

Looked into a new engine? Should be cheap as chips in a Mondeo - I know you basically want rid but did you not stick a new clutch and fly in it recently?

The A4 is tiny in the back compared to a Mondeo btw, passat and even octavia are better.

The mk4 sounds ok but it depends how many miles you'll stick on it over the next couple of years and whether you expect to recover any value from it. It is unlikely to be significantly more expensive to find one with 20-30k less which would give you a bit more room to play with before getting into the "omg high miles" territory when you're trying to move it on again

 

[smr]

Well I bought the Mondeo in April 2008 at 69k on the clock, it's now done 115k before the head gasket went so that's about 45k miles in 5 years and 4 months which is about 9k a year.

 

[rodenal]

I guess if you get 5 years out of the new one it really won't matter if it's done 160k by then as you'll have had your moneys worth anyway. Plus it'll still be worth something, would just be difficult to shift

 

[smr]

I guess if you get 5 years out of the new one it really won't matter if it's done 160k by then as you'll have had your moneys worth anyway. Plus it'll still be worth something, would just be difficult to shift

It's spend £4k on a MK4 with a high mileage, whatever a high mileage is but the ones I'm looking at for that much money are 100k or so or go for another mk3, I could get something like...

mk3 Zetec 2006 model with 60k on the clock for £2.5k

or

mk3 LX 2006 model with 40k on the clock 2 years warranty for £3.5k

There is a 60k MK4 Mondeo for £4,485 in Slough... not sure if Slough is dodgy for car dealers and if that's a good deal / how much I could haggle if it is. It's the Edge trim and 110BHP so less performance from the 1.8's 125 but it is a newer car with more toys and a new look.

 

[danza]

Skoda Superb?

 

[rodenal]

For me the mk3 is a £1-2k car now unless you're looking at the st220, so I'd at least go and have a look at the newer model to see what you think then take it from there.

 

[smr]

I'm just a bit weary of the higher mileage - with my luck I'd buy it and the clutch would go next week lol.

the mk3s I'm looking at are very low mileage though, surely that negates the 1-2k tag?

 

[Duke]

Octavia?

 

[rodenal]

I'm just a bit weary of the higher mileage - with my luck I'd buy it and the clutch would go next week lol.

the mk3s I'm looking at are very low mileage though, surely that negates the 1-2k tag?

Not for me, its an old car now. I don't personally see what benefit a low mileage mk3 gives you

 

[smr]

Not a fan Duke :/

Rodenal... less things likely to get wrong if it's low mileage, big repair bills being due mainly to age related cars and with 40k on the clock the cars got a long way to go before any of that stuff happens?

 

[rodenal]

I've had a lot of cars with wildly varying mileages - almost without exception its age that breaks them not miles.

40k 7 year old car is worth not a lot more to me than an 80-100k one, certainly not 50%+ more which is what you're talking about with the mk3 mondeos you've found

 

[Monkeh]

Got my 94k 06 mk3 in Jan for £1.8k, so if the clutch dies tomorrow I still come home with change from the £1.7k I didn't spend on it.

 

[S@njay]

My Mondeo mk4 is ok, however comparing it against a Volkswagen group car i sometimes think i made the wrong choice.

As good as the Mondeo interior and looks are, a Skoda or VW still walks all over it.

I couldn't live with another Mondeo for another 5 years!

All reviews compare a New Mondeo against a New VW, and the Mondeo is almost on par.

If they compare a 3 year old Mondeo against a 3 year old VW i am sure the VW would walk all over the Mondeo.

Your a family man, i am sure you want to get into a car, drive it with no squeaks, rattles and annoyances. Such as open the MK4 Mondeo boot and get a free shower, and clean the boot contents for free!

I know the alternatives are boring compared to the Mondeo, but they might last longer!

 

[smr]

Although the Mk4 was voted family car of the year 2013 by Whatcar.

 

[smr]

Why are there so many Diesel Mk4 Mondeos and hardly any Petrol ones btw?

 

[smr]

The distances I do are relatively short ones (15 mins here - 20 mins there) so a Diesel would be a bad idea for me wouldn't it? I do 9k a year on average.

 

[S@njay]

I would have cried if i purchased a petrol Mondeo. Yes it would have been refined and silent, but Ford Petrol engines don't give the best MPG.

In fact i think the petrol versions are more expensive than the Diesel equivalents. Main reason is that most petrols will be for the higher end models such as Titanium X Sport.

Mine is a Titanium X 2.0 tdci, horrible noisy diesel engine for around town, perfect for the motorway. It feels slower than my MK3 2.0 tdci, but this is a bigger car.

A lot of Vag car are saloon, and the Mondeo is a very practical and cheap car, which makes it hard to look for alternatives.

Just got to live with the issues i guess!