The XM is dead, (or on its deathbed anyway), long live the ????
My dad's 1993 Citroen XM 2.1 turbo diesel auto estate, which he has had from new, has been recently diagnosed with a myriad of faults that mean it is not cost effective for him to repair as it will probably fail the next MOT which is due in a few months time.
So the question is: what next? If I was he, I would be spending money getting it fixed or lining up an interesting series of cheap motors along bangeromics principles but alas, unlike me, he couldn't tell you which was the business end of a spanner. Plus, he is hitting 70 later this month so has slightly different priorities.
His long legs are getting stiffer (access is one of the very few gripes he has of the XM especially when the suspension is down on the bump stops), so I have been steering him toward considering small MPVs - Picasso and Zafira which are very easy to get in and out of, but a large hatch or mid-sized estate would also do. A seven seater would come in handy only a dozen times a year when we all visit. It does need to be able to sit five and still have a good sized boot for holiday luggage.
As a sports nut, he needs a radio with good reception (another XM gripe) and space enough for two sets of golf clubs with trolleys. The XM's lack of a/c has frustrated him on many occasions over the past 13 years but he has enjoyed the frugal and torquey diesel engine and, of course, the class leading comfort. An auto box is not a must-have, but it would certainly be a nice luxury, however many of the cars below are not available with automatic gearboxes. My Dad has been happily driving my sister's manual Punto on many occasions over the last months, after many auto-only years. (My mother's car is a 1995 Xantia auto).
His budget is between £6000 and £7000. His new car needs to be cheap to run (diesel) and reliable (so no Laguna nor 406). He still drives about 8 to 10 thousand miles a year.
Cars on the shortlist so far are:
Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 Hdi,
Vauxhall Zafira 2.0 Dti
Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4d
Ford Mondeo 2.0 Zetec Tdci 130 Bhp
Vauxhall Vectra 2.0dti
Skoda Octavia Hatchback (98-04)
Mazda 6 Hatchback 2.0 D (119bhp) S 5dr
Volkswagen Passat Estate (99-05) 1.9 Tdi Pd (128bhp)
What models I have missed? And are the engines I have selected above the ones to go for? Let's hear it from the BR collective!
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You've ruled out the 406 yet included a Citroen. Yet the engineering is the same.
I think the Octavia hits most of his needs.
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Xileno - is the engineering really the same?
I ruled OUT the 406 after reading up on it on the Whatcar website and HJ's car-by-car breakdown: (quote - 2004 Which? quote: "A sub-editing nightmare in the Which? Car office - there are more things wrong with the 406 than we could fit in our summaries.").
A Jan 2004 report in Which? summed up: "Peugeot's 406 has trouble spots so numerous, it's almost certain to let you down. The latest Renault Laguna has an exceptionally poor reliability record. The VW Sharan, Seat Alhambra and Ford Galaxy are essentially the same MPV and they share very poor ratings for reliability. Steer clear of them all." So I am!
Likewise I ruled IN the Picasso. HJ quote - "RECOMMENDED."
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Shame he needs Diesel - otherwise I would suggest a Honda Shuttle ;o) (am becoming biased as the our shuttle is superb!!!)
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TU - interesting suggestion, although they seem to be rarer than hen's teeth! What sort of MPG do you get from yours? What engine and g/box does it have?
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Only got it last week so a bit early to tell on mpg, but did a 140 mile run in it yesterday and got about 26mpg but only 10 miles was motorway, the rest was all A road and quite hilly. The engine is the 2.3 vtec(very nice) and is mated to a 4 speed auto colum shift. I have to say I am over the moon with it - only mpg seems to let it down, other then that it is superb - very, very comfy do drive and be a passanger in with lots of room, I wish we had bought one years ago, I am hoping it will be as reliable as the prelude we have on 180k ;o)
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Why not get a Citroen C5? You should be able to pick up a 3 year old automatic diesel for about £7k with 35-40k miles.
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Does he really need a diesel? 8-10k miles/yr will be pretty marginal in terms of fuel cost savings v cost to purchase.
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local yokel - Good question. I fully accept your point when it comes to buying new cars if there is a premium on diesel engines. One should always look at the "fuel cost savings v cost to purchase".
But does that argument apply so strongly with used cars in this price range? Can you perhaps illustrate your point?
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Billy - suggest you check price petrol v diesel on the models that yr dad might want. In that price btacket I'd expect to see about a 10% premium for diesel, maybe more, and always find that diesels will have done more miles by the same age, for obvious reasons.
So you might think you've got a good deal by buying a diesel, but only by accepting a three-year old car with 60k or more, against a 35k petrol equiv.
Now you might reasonably argue that a diesel engine is stronger then the petrol equiv., and so on, but it's only the engine that's different. Clutches, starters and other items will actually have had a harder life than they would in a petrol.
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Malcolm_L - actually the C5 was originally on the shortlist. (See the tell-tale gap? ;-)
Although HJ liked it in his test drive, I removed it from the shortlist after reading the less than encouraging Car-by-Car breakdown.
Not sure if he would like to own "an XM re-incarnated". The XM was not exactly a "blissfully smooth ownership experience", although not too bad.
He recently spent a day as a passenger in a C5 and remained quite impressed.
So it remains on the margin. Thanks for your vote.
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How about a Volvo V70 (XC 70 if you want a bit of extra height)? If not has he considered a 4x4 (im ready to be shot down here), maybe a Kia Sorrento?
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Or, how about a Seat Toledo/Altea with the 2.0TDI engine and DSG gearbox? Easy access, Auto, Diesel........
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Billy, you clearly favour Citroens. So a nice second-hand C5 2.2 HDI auto estate it should be, then.
If you (he) could live with the XMs 'quirks', I'm sure a C5 will be acceptable. Most faults seem to be minor electrical glitches.
Anything else will be far less comfortable than what he is accustomed to.
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Berlingo??????????????
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Phil
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Billy, summing up various posts...
8,000 - 10,000 miles pa - no point in buying a derv drinker unless you find the perfect car for you.
Automatic - much easier to find a petrol auto than a diesel.
Age of your father - my father is 71 and sold his superb Honda Accord 4WS to buy a Subaru Forester, for one reason - ease of access.
There are loads of cars to choose from, which are reliable, automatic, slightly higher than usual and less than £8,000. They are mainly Japanese, but as PhilW says, you cold go for a car dericed van with windows and the Renault Kangoo has an automatic version. A friend has a new automatic Picasso and loves it. We have two Foresters in our family and think they are great.
How about an old model Focus estate - very easy access, good boot and great to drive.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I think I'd be considering the Mondeo, the Octavia and the Mazda 6. The Laguna and 406 would be the stylish choices, but as you say, not as dependable as perhaps you may wish.
One I think that should be considered, is the Vauxhall Meriva CDTi. A 55-year old friend of my parents has one and she reckons it's the best diesel, and best handling car she's ever had (the past one's were a Kia Magentis, Hyundai Accent and before that a Honda Accord).
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