Hello everyone,
My first post here and I spent hours reading! :)
Because of a change in Jobs I sold my car in September (2006 Golf V SDI and definitely the slowest gutless car I ever owned) Before that a 2001 Mercedes A140 which I replaced for the Golf for the Gas Mileage and the size.
Before that I lived 11 years in the United States where I drove mostly Subarus which I love dearly. (Had an 2003 Outback, a 2001 Legacy L Wagon, a 2000 Legacy GT, a 1998 Forester S, a 1998 Outback, a 1996, Legacy L Wagon and a 1995 Legacy Brighton Wagon) (All of them with the EJ25 (2.5) except the 95 and 96 which had the 2.2. In the US I also had a 1990 4Runner, a 1992 Audi 100S, a 1992 Volvo 940 GL Sedan, a 1993 Audi 100CS, a 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage, a 1996 VW Jetta, a 1994 Ford Ranger and a 1996 Ford Ranger.
I am now on the market to buy a budget car. Hopefully in the £2500 range and I will be commuting about 2500 miles per month.
My initial thought was to get a diesel. My experience with the SDI was fairly good but I would not want that carriage again. Overtake on that car is an adventure that I do not wish to entertain again. However the SDI, does not have a Turbo or a DMF or a DPF. All the things that apparently I wish to avoid.
Before opening the discussion is important to mention that I do most of the work on my own cars and after succesfully tackling the Head Gaskets on my 2003 outback, I am confident to do most jobs that wont require two people, a specialized place or specialized tools.
I really don't care much for the way the plastics on the dash feel to the touch or minor electrical faults such as windows switches and the likes.
The car I will be buying will be an esential part of my job and I know that a low budget is not the ideal scenario but I am confident it can be done.
Having said so I am swinging from what the heart wants to what the reason dictates.
The heart definitely wants a Sunroof and that will narrow my search and limit the available cars but a sunroof is a must.
From heart to reason this is the list of cars I have been considering:
1) Audi A4 TDI 1.9 130 Estate/Saloon (B6)
(Dont care for the B7s or newer)
2) Subaru Legacy Estate/Saloon (4th gen) Freshly converted to LPG with the addition of Valve protection
3) Mercedes C220 CDI Estate/Saloon (W203)
4) BMW 320D Touring (E46)
5) 7th Gen Honda Accord 2.2 cdti Executive Saloon (Not the Touring! That thing looks like a vessel!)
6) Any Volvo Sedan or Estate with the 2.4 D5
7) BMW 1 Series (E87 either the 118D or the 120d)
8) VW Golf IV/V GT TDI Up to 130. (Don't need more)
9) Toyota Rav4 XA20/XA30 (if I am lucky) but not to crazy about the MPG
10) Mercedes B150 CDI (W245)
Transtioning to more logical and less likable (to me anyway)
1) Astra H 1.7cdti Van/Hatch
2) 7th Gen Honda Civic 1.7cdti (Basically same Isuzu engine as the Astra right?) Although I don't think they came with sunroof in the DIesel version)
3) Toyota Corolla 2.0 D-4D (Ninth Gen) Also the post 2005 Verso Version
4) Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D Estate/Saloon
5) Toyota Auris Altough apparently the only one that comes with Sunroof is the T180 which I don't need want and aparently does not return great MPG.
6) Hyundai i30/Kia Cee'd with the 1.6 crdi (if I can find one)
7) 2005 Honda Civic Executive 1.6 VTEC Petrol (To LPG)
8) Auris 1.33 vvt-i
For what I read I should stay clear of pretty much every make that uses a PSA derived engine so No Mazda, Ford, Peugeout, Citroen and some Volvos. I should also stay clear of Renault and also stay clear of any make using Fiat derived engines so no Saabs, 1.9cdti Vauxhalss, Fiats, or Alfas.
Finally I would like to have an opinion on the current state of affairs about LPG. Most references I find online are outdated by 6 years or more and the prices for certified installs is in the £700 region now. As I orginally stated I am inclined to find a Subaru in the 100k region and have an LPG kit installed on it. Looks like if properly mantained and if I add the valve protection It should give reliable and enjoyable motoring.
Also availability of parts and spares is an important aspect of my decision. One that favors finding a good VAG candidate which are as popular here as Subarus were in the Midwest where I had them. (Not so much here)
I am looking for cars at Autotrader, Gumtree and ebay. If I am missing a big one please chime in. I don't care to drive a few hundred miles to pick the right one.
If you got all the way here, thanks for not falling asleep!
Looking forward to get some feedback!
Cheers!
Edited by lleiro on 29/12/2016 at 14:08
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