What diesel with variable servicing?

wonder_lander

wonder_lander

wonder_lander

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Joined
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Stone, Staffordshire
My 2006 Alfa GT will be going in for its 96k service during April and it got me thinking about what I'll replace it with when it dies.

The only practical issue I have with the GT is that it's on fixed 12k service intervals which as I trundle up and down the M6 each day (100 miles per day) I am having to service the car at least twice a year. (I am currently averaging around 28k miles per year)

With my type of driving use I feel a car with v****ble servicing should be high on my next priority list so am looking for ideas of cars that would fit this brief.

I still don't know what I should do about my next car in respect of purchasing cost. The GT was literally a gift and so I've had nearly 3.5 yrs of depreciation free motoring.

So with a budget of say £10k and my usage pattern and brief what would you recommend? (For reference the GT is returning around 44mpg for my current usage pattern.)
 
Golf GT TDI would be a sensible (and very boring) choice. I think the service intervals on those can be 20k miles if you so wish.

Edit: Do you have the 1.9 diesel in your alfa? I'm fairly sure that is a general motors/fiat engine that they also used in the old vecta - they ran easily past 100k miles, ok the engine isn't the only component in your alfa but I reckon you've got a while till your alfa dies yet...
 
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Keep it. I can think of nothing appreciably better that wont be older and higher mileage.

Could you really drive a diesel Golf after your Alfa?
 
Not looking to change just for the sake of it because as you say I wouldn't be upgrading in any way shape or form!

For me and my commute reliability is key. If I can't drive to work then I am kind of stuck!

When reliability becomes an issue the need to change will be forced and so am thinking for at that time what should I be looking for.
 
Just out of interest have you had much go wrong with your car? I would love an Alfa however as I need my car to get me to work having it in the garage all the time would really be a bad thing.

Saying that I am putting my faith in a 11 year old ST24 with patchy service history to get me to work and back every day!
 
GinG said:
Just out of interest have you had much go wrong with your car? I would love an Alfa however as I need my car to get me to work having it in the garage all the time would really be a bad thing.

Saying that I am putting my faith in a 11 year old ST24 with patchy service history to get me to work and back every day!
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It's been very reliable in my experience.

Apart from servicing it's needed a new hose for the trubo which, a headlight leveller motor, new passanger seat base (warranty), new door handles (I think they only needed lubricating but they replaced under warranty), Door straps that stop the door ripping off the hinges (again I think needed lubricating but they replaced under warranty), adjustment to the gear linkage as engaging 6th was difficult (under warranty)

I've had it since 6 months and 19k miles and as I say it's now 4 years old (well it will be on its birthday tomorrow) and 95k miles.
 
You car won't explode at 100k. Yes, it's an Alfa but unless it actually has opened up the gates to Alfa hell and burnt itself down then I wouldn't want to just change for the sake of it. It's a car you know and buying an equally complex BMW or other car could just as much of a problem. Threads like this will always have a "stick to what you know" vibe, it makes little sense to jump ship due to high milage. If you're not paying for the car other than two services a year then that's not a huge deal surely?

You say "When reliability becomes an issue". What makes you think its going to be? Do you know of expensive parts that are known to need replacing around your upcoming milage or are you just worried over nothing?

Modern cars can go on and on if you look after them and if you're servicing twice a year that's a good thing. I've seen owners of Type-Rs on various forums go from new to way past 100k miles and they exclaim the car just gets better and better the more miles they do, oddly. If you're not having problems you've obviously got a car worth keeping. There's nothing stopping any other older and equivalent cars giving you more hassle regardless of service schedule. Servicing only covers the obvious consumables and doesn't stop other key components failing.
 
Dup said:
You car won't explode at 100k. Yes, it's an Alfa but unless it actually has opened up the gates to Alfa hell and burnt itself down then I wouldn't want to just change for the sake of it. It's a car you know and buying an equally complex BMW or other car could just as much of a problem. Threads like this will always have a "stick to what you know" vibe, it makes little sense to jump ship due to high milage. If you're not paying for the car other than two services a year then that's not a huge deal surely?

You say "When reliability becomes an issue". What makes you think its going to be? Do you know of expensive parts that are known to need replacing around your upcoming milage or are you just worried over nothing?

Modern cars can go on and on if you look after them and if you're servicing twice a year that's a good thing. I've seen owners of Type-Rs on various forums go from new to way past 100k miles and they exclaim the car just gets better and better the more miles they do, oddly. If you're not having problems you've obviously got a car worth keeping. There's nothing stopping any other older and equivalent cars giving you more hassle regardless of service schedule. Servicing only covers the obvious consumables and doesn't stop other key components failing.
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I assume a car is very important to OP for work, over 100,000 miles does make it more likely that it will let him down - doesn't mean it will, but it increases the chances, my mondeo had its first breakdown yesterday ( :( :( ) at 130,000 miles. In the garage today and I am hoping its nothing big...
 
It's all a game of luck I think, I vote keep the car.

Both my cars are well over 100k, and while they aren't faultless a lot less has gone wrong than with my friend's supposedly 'reliable' lower mileage motors. :)

BTW, car looks lovely. Om nom nom :D
 
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