Following on from a number of articles recently, I would appreciate thoughts on the car position I am about to be in.
Currently drive a Porsche 968, but my annual mileage is increasing, and becoming more and more motorway based; it seems a shame to rack up miles inthe 968 (which is still low mileage at 65k miles), so it has to go (I have space for only one car). Having had the fun and engagement of the 968, I fancy something a bit more 'luxo barge' like, and given that I am up to about 15k miles per annum, diesel makes more sense.
But what to get - 5-6 year old diesels are going to have 80k miles on them, and so will be up to or over 100k within a couple of years of my ownership. While I am aware that people on this forum do run diesels to high mileage, there is a clearly a higher risk when I take on a car from someone at 5-6 years old.
Cars that float my boat are an A4 / A6 with the 2.5tdi engine, or a 330D - not only that, but they appear to have better reviews than comparable MB's at higher mileage. Am I simply asking for trouble buying this type of car at this age? If not, what would make sense? I have thought about sourcing a W124 MB (probably a petrol auto), which would of course be cheaper, but over 15k miles a year, I am looking at spending a good slice more on fuel - which could go on potential diesel maintenance costs!
Suggestions appreciated...
Jon
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330d what else ?
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I think you would find an Audi's handling unacceptable after a Porsche.. BM would be much nicer..
A diesel A8 would be nicer than both (imo) but £££££s
madf
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330d what else ?
Pugugly wins this thread. Done and dusted!
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The largest unseen problem will be if the engine has been misfuelled at some time in its past. This is a bigger problem for common rail diesels than conventional diesels. At present the AA recon that there are 110,000 misfuelling accidents per year due to more people having diesels. Some of these might only be minor - a few litres, which will do little harm, but if the tank has been filled and then driven away from the petrol station, big problems to the fuel system result. If someone tries to do a cheap fix and you buy this car, you might end up with an expensive repair.
Try to find a car with full service history, if needs be contact the dealer to check what is on their records. Personally you should be able to find a good diesel that will run for years with regular servicing.
I personally run a slightly older turbo diesel and have no major problems with the engine now it has done 90K. I will probably get the injectors cleaned as this has never been done and after 80K this is probably wise. Also you may need new glow plugs fitted as again around 75K they tend to burn out. You will find that the engine will use a little oil, mine used 3 litres over 15,000 miles. Also after a period of slower running, when you accelerate hard you will probably see a cloud of smoke from the exhaust - nothing unusal as this is a build up of dirt in the exhaust that needs clearing regularly.
As to cars try and find what is suitable to your needs and then try and find exactly what you want. You could also use an auction buyer if you are on a tighter budget than buying off a forecourt.
Some people will say buying a diesel does not make sense unless you do 20K a year. This does not apply to secondhand vehicles as the price difference will be far less than when new. You will certainly find the performance and handling will not be as good as your Porsche, but then the servicing, insurance and fuel bills will be smaller.
Do let us know what you buy and how it compares to your Porsche.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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The largest unseen problem will be if the engine has been misfuelled at some time in its past. This is a bigger problem for common rail diesels than conventional diesels. At present the AA recon that there are 110,000 misfuelling accidents per year due to more people having diesels. Some of these might only be minor - a few litres, which will do little harm, but if the tank has been filled and then driven away from the petrol station, big problems to the fuel system result. If someone tries to do a cheap fix and you buy this car, you might end up with an expensive repair.
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If it is not a common rail diesel, it need not be a problem at all. I filled the tank of our Xantia TD with petrol, over 7 years ago, and drove about 3 miles before it dawned on me that something was amiss. After having the tank drained, the engine was fine.
>> I personally run a slightly older turbo diesel and have nomajor problems with the engine now it has done 90K. I will probably get the injectors cleaned as this has never been done and after 80K this is probably wise. Also you may need new glow plugs fitted as again around 75K they tend to burn out. You will find that the engine will use a little oil, mine used 3 litres over 15,000 miles. Also after a period of slower running, when you accelerate hard you will probably see a cloud of smoke from the exhaust - nothing unusal as this is a build up of dirt in the exhaust that needs clearing regularly.
There is no reason to expect it will necessarily use a little oil. Our Xantia TD never needed an oil top up between 6K mile services, at any time during the twelve years we had it, during which it covered about 103K miles.
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Thanks all for responses.
Two questions raised in my mind -
1 - Where would you source a decent 330d from? My gut instinct says to go with an auction buyer looking for an example that has been fleet owned / maintained.
2 - Can these engines take higher miles........
Cheers
Jon
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15k per year? Is that desseil territory on mpg alone? How can you sell the 968? Get a lockup for the 968 and buy a .... cough .... Mundano 2.0 petrol!! No badge, no charisma, but you keep the porker for those early spring mornings. Or do the job properly and buy a 7.
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Micky,
Your point is fair - I would love to keep the 968, but have no garage at present. (Well, I have a garage, but it is full of washing machine, tumble drier, freezer, workbench, en-suite waiting to be fitted.....). And if I keep the 968, I will end up using it all the time, even if I have another car, unless it is fairly engaging.
Medium term plan is to sell '68, get something else and then in time get a kit car for some real fun.
Cheers
Jon
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A man must have a lock-up ... or two!!
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Until recently I was running a Mercedes C250TD auto. I bought it with 193,000 miles and ran it for another 24,000 miles over a year. Never gave any trouble and never needed any major work (either in my care or the previous owner). All it needed was a new viscous fan at 200k as the oil in the original had deteriorated, letting it run fractionally warm.
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Great cars those. Very simple engine design - not very powerful (by modern standards) but they will run forever.
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(en-suite waiting to be fitted.....)
I'll come and fix the en-suite..................................................Anyone else willing to help??
vbr.....................MD
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Your a true gent Martin - however, having sat in the garage for monhs, Mrs Jono has finally got around to getting someone in to install it next week!!
KR
Jon
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