new car with high miles or older car with less miles

My Daughter has just changed jobs & will now be driving 40 miles each way to work & home on mainly motorway.

She currently has a Suzuki Ignis, which she is unhappy with for this journey & has set her heart on buying a Volvo S40 1.6 diesel (or at a push an Astra 1.7 CDTI).

I have found 2 cars for her, both ex 1 owner leases, with full service history print-outs, a 2009 1.6 drive S Volvo S40 (112K miles) & a 2010 Astra 1.7 CDTI (92K miles) both for 5K.

She has rejected both, because as she says "with those mileages they must be shagged". She is looking to buy an older 2005/2006 car with either the same, or less miles (but some are more expensive) on the premise that these are likely, in her opinion, to be less knackered.

Could you please advise her what would be the better option ?

Also, could you suggest any other (under 1.7 ltr. mid-sized) comfortable / reliable diesel cars she should consider as an alternative please. Thanks, Jim

Asked on 16 January 2014 by abergavenny

Answered by Honest John

She's right. The PSA 1.6 110PS diesel in Fords, Citroens, Peugeots and Volvos has had a lot of problems. It's perfectly possible to have to pay £4,000 in repairs to DPF, turbo, turbo plumbing, EGR, and DMF in the first year. And that 1.7 engine in the Astra is a bit of an old dog anyway. But £5k will buy a mileagy KIA cee'd or Hyundai i30 1.6CRDI and they are more reliable.

Tags: owning

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