A later belt driven example with a manual gearbox would be ok but they are still relatively untested as yet with few big milers out there.

The belt drive TSI engine was first fitted to cars 5 years ago now (I had an early 2013 Leon) so hardly untested. Not seen a problem reported about one yet on any forum and problems have a habbit of propogating hugely long threads on forums.

Firstly when buying on a tight budget like this you need to keep things as simple as possible. Avoiding complex turbocharged engines

Turbcharged engines are not complexed. They are basically ordinary engines with a turbo bolted on to give more power. They have been around for years expecially on diesels.

and avoiding advanced but trouble prone automated manual gearboxes such as VW’s DSG or Ford’s Powershift is wise with reliability in mind.

VW's DSG has well documented problems but very few of these appear to be with the 1.2 variant. Its on the higher powered ones where they are at the limit of their design capacity (25nm torque) that most issues are reported espcially those were the ownered have had the engine mapped. But would I buy one, definitely not, they are pretty horrid to drive.

"I'm soon going back to VAG from Volvo - and a 2.0 TFSI with DSG at that. But when I was in the market for a used fun car, it wasn't going to be an Audi with DSG."

I suppose, Avant, that you do realise you'll be pelted with (virtual) rotten cabbages and told you'll need your marbles checked? Not only are Audi drivers the spawn of the devil and the new replacement for BMW drivers...no, not only that, it's a DSG! Yikes you've a strong constitution.

Forgive me a moment while I just switch to 'broken record mode'. Right I'm there - see below :-

I reckon my DSG is the best transmission in the thirty something cars I've owned. (OK, I'll admit that includes a brace of 100E three speeders and a Morris Minor). As for jerkiness, I regard the changes to be as near to imperceptible as makes no difference. Of course I can see the flaws.... the safety disconnect device that prevents you riding the clutch(es) if you're creeping really slowly up hill is sometimes a nuisance and very occasionally, if you're a bit careless, it'll spin the front wheels on, say, uphill loose gravel surfaces like a wet slippery uphill private driveway in a remote a country lane (not that I have a remote private driveway myself). Six or seven years on, my reliability is OK as we speak.

I hope you enjoy yours in the same way I do mine.

From the post above

I actually like the way DSG equipped cars drive

I have driven 3. DSG's. One was a diesel Golf with the 6 speed, one a petrol Octavia with the 7 speed and the last a deisel Octavia with the 6 speed. I like auto's but they have to be a big engined car. Hate CVT's with a passion, all revs and no go when you need it most. Thought a DSG might be OK (did not intend buying one first was a pool car at work, the others were the only demonstrators available) but they were all slow off the mark unless you really gave them some gas (nearly running into the back of another car) and difficult to manouvre at slow speeds. I particularly disliked the 7 speed, too many gears, 6 is fine in the manual so why add another. Better than a CVT I suppose but if you have 2 legs stick to a manual. Suppose the only Auto I have liked in a small car was a 3 speed Hondamatic dad had. That went really well for a 1300 with only about 70 bhp.

Edited by Avant on 18/01/2018 at 15:57