VW Golf 5 GT TDi 170PS

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 15:53

iaind said:
Or save some wonga

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1234044.htm

I love the look of the Leon but why did they give up with the interior? It's just so fugly compared to the rest of the VAG family.

Here's the next problem. I might very well have to commute between Hampshire and Cardiff for the next 4-6 months, thus pushing my mileage up to a ridiculous 5940 miles per month. The train isn't an option as the closest station on that line is Reading which is 12 miles from where I'd be staying and takes the same amount of time to get to Cardiff as driving, and that DOESN'T include the trip from my house to Reading which is 14 miles each way.

Should this happen, it would be a bit daft to buy a £16k Golf only to push the mileage up so high that the resale value is ruined.

£2k Mondeo TDCi? Har

[TW]Fox · 23 Sep 2009 at 15:54

Why not just spend £11k on a nice GTI? This leaves you loads of change for running costs.

If you are going to do 6000 miles a month though you dont want either - buy a cheapo car and chuck it in the bin afterwards. Thats insane mileage and it'll destroy residuals of anything half decent.

OllyM · 23 Sep 2009 at 15:56

Indeed, 6000 miles a month :eek:

jamief · 23 Sep 2009 at 15:57

Bloomin 'eck. 6000 miles a month. I think I'd rather stay in a hotel than do that kind of commute.

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:00

OllyM said:
What about a 120d? Better engine than the Golf, and with its Efficient Dynamics trickery it should be very economical.

Can't say I'm mad about the looks however I do like the coupe version. Will take a look before committing to yet another VW

[TW]Fox;14948032 said:
Why not just spend £11k on a nice GTI? This leaves you loads of change for running costs.

If you are going to do 6000 miles a month though you dont want either - buy a cheapo car and chuck it in the bin afterwards. Thats insane mileage and it'll destroy residuals of anything half decent.

Already looked at cheapo GTis. You can get a decent one for about £12k with the extras I'd like. Wish I could buy my old one back! It had everything I liked and I sold it for £12.5k. Oh well, such is life.

Indeed about the cheapo car. The Hampshire to Cardiff thing is up in the air at the moment. I'd love not to drive 6000 miles a month, but having got married recently and the wife possibly getting a permanent job in London means living in Cardiff away from her is proving to be problematic. I can get a job in Camberley from May 2010 so I'll be moving there at that point.

jamief said:
Bloomin 'eck. 6000 miles a month. I think I'd rather stay in a hotel than do that kind of commute.

Wives 'eh

We have a flat in Cardiff at the moment but she's staying at her mom's in Hampshire while she works in London and it's putting a strain on things.

iaind · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:00

[TW]Fox;14948032 said:
Why not just spend £11k on a nice GTI? This leaves you loads of change for running costs.

It wouldnt last long with that sort of mileage!

I'd be inclined to think about what has been suggested - buying something cheap and killing it. Mondeo TDCI

iaind · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:01

thewanted said:
Can't say I'm mad about the looks however I do like the coupe version. Will take a look before committing to yet another VW

Probably the closest equivalent to the VW apart from the 2 I already posted - will cost a bit more to buy though

jamief · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:03

I'd go for something dirt cheap just now, drive it until it falls apart OR you don't need to do such a long commute. Once you're doing less miles, you can look at getting something a bit more interesting.

After all, if you spend £2-3k on a car now, kill it, you've lost £2-3k. If you buy a Golf for £17k, put 40000 miles on it in no time, you'll lose more than £3k!

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:09

jamief said:
I'd go for something dirt cheap just now, drive it until it falls apart OR you don't need to do such a long commute. Once you're doing less miles, you can look at getting something a bit more interesting.

After all, if you spend £2-3k on a car now, kill it, you've lost £2-3k. If you buy a Golf for £17k, put 40000 miles on it in no time, you'll lose more than £3k!

That's the sad reality unfortunately. My main worry is buying something cheap and it being unreliable due to that sort of mileage.

iaind · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:11

thewanted said:
That's the sad reality unfortunately. My main worry is buying something cheap and it being unreliable due to that sort of mileage.

Is your concern about the cost of the repairs or the inconveniece?

If its the former, the total cost is unlikely to match the depreciation. If its the latter, a new car can still go wrong, so its by no means an insurance policy

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:12

The latter really. When you need the car 5 hours a day....reliability becomes paramount.

[TW]Fox · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:35

thewanted said:
The latter really. When you need the car 5 hours a day....reliability becomes paramount.

It's not particularly difficult driving for the car though - I presume most of it is going to be spent sat on the M4. This is not car busting work, infact other than routine consumables I bet it doesn't do that much wear to the car at all.

What it does do, however, is utterly nuke the residual value of whatever you have.

6000 miles a month = comfy uber barge. I'm even thinking something like an older Mercedes of some description? You want to just waft along with an unstressed engine.

peterattheboro · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:37

My mate just picked up an old Merc C220 CDI with 80,000 miles on it for £1500. Absolute bargain!

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:38

peterattheboro said:
My mate just picked up an old Merc C220 CDI with 80,000 miles on it for £1500. Absolute bargain!

Which year is that? The shape before the new one?

[TW]Fox · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:39

thewanted said:
Which year is that? The shape before the new one?

It'll be the 94-00 shape for that money, not what I had in mind. You want a barge not a small saloon. I'm thinking 1998 S280 or similar

peterattheboro · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:41

thewanted said:
Which year is that? The shape before the new one?

T reg so what, 1999?

This was off a friend though who offered him it for what the garage offered him as part ex.

This guys new car is a brand new C320 CDI. Lush!

thewanted · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:42

[TW]Fox;14948388 said:
It'll be the 94-00 shape for that money, not what I had in mind. You want a barge not a small saloon. I'm thinking 1998 S280 or similar

Yeah I figured that. Never been a fan of large cars, but I guess the situation dictates at the moment.

Argh, could really do without this hassle. It's going to suck the big one going from a GTi to a £2-3k diesel. I like my cars too much to compromise

However, I might just have to this time.

If only the train ran directly from Fleet to Cardiff Central

mjt · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:43

i agree with fox.
get an old luxobarge for a tiny part of your budget, and send the rest on fuel and repairs

shame you they didn't bring the E38 730d to the UK..

an E60 diesel should fit in your budget easily though (if you can live with the SE)

[TW]Fox · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:45

It doesn't neccesarily need to be a diesel, a decent petrol will be pretty economical at constant Motorway speeds. Infact diesel is quite limiting as the sort of cars I'm thinking would suit didn't have diesel options until 'recently' which would be outside of budget.

mjt · 23 Sep 2009 at 16:46

what are you thinking of?

you can get E320 CDIs for ~£10k too

didn't realise the 'new' A8s had come down in price so much.. although they are already 6 years old..
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1230998.htm