Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Buying an old diesel estate - which is best?
What do you think of Elon Musk? Have your say | No thanks

Buying an old diesel estate - which is best?

I am looking to buy old diesel estate, that’s around eight to ten years old. I know all will have some issues, but I'm on a tight budget. I have whittled my list down to a Volkswagen Passat 1.9, a Honda Accord 2.2 TDCI, a Toyota Avensis 2.2D and a Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI. Which would you buy?

Asked on 1 October 2013 by Joe99

Answered by Honest John
The B6 Passat is better than the 2005-2011 Passat that has a list of faults as long as your arm. Mondeos were good but seem to have been built to a life of around nine years. The Avensis would be a belt cam 2.0, not the chain cam 2.2 that did not arrive until 2006 and had some cylinder head problems.

Our Fuel Cost Calculator shows you which will be the best choice for you.

Compare the running costs of petrol, diesel and electric cars to make the right choice for you.

Petrol or diesel ... or even electric?
Similar questions
I have £3500 to spend on a diesel estate. I’m not worried about age, but need something reliable and without a DPF. What do you recommend?
I'm a private hire taxi driver and I need to buy a uses estate. Which would you recommend from the: - 2012 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI vRS estate - 2012 Toyota Avensis 1.8i automatic estate
I am looking to buy a second hand diesel estate to replace my Volvo V50. I am looking for something that’s four years old or less, with 45,000 miles on the clock. Ideally, the car will have leather seats...
Related models
Long load bed. Good Japanese build quality, all chain-cam engines.
Solid car. Sophisticated multi-link suspension deliberately unstressed for long life. Quite quick T180 diesel from July 2006.
A better drive and better equipped than the previous Passat. Comfortable and has more status than, say, a Ford Mondeo.