Sensible tintop required, any advice??

[brianm]

QUOTE

asking for advice on what car to buy  will always fetch some varying options.. opinions are like arses we all have one and yours is always sweeter

Yup, opinions are like aresoles, we all have one, but some fart sweeter than others,

On a serious note I'm more than open to anyones opinions on choice of car, which is why I asked, please keep 'em coming.

           

[JeffC]

we had a succession of Foci for swmbo and she liked them and I reckon for the money they drive nice, engine is very harsh and noisy in the diesel but fantastic mpg and quite lively , tddi Is a tried and tested engine not as quick as the later tdci , but the later engine has a down side of electrical /pump problems and that would put me off owning one . Petrols wouldnt pull a soldier off your sister and if its economy your after forget them  

would take the Leon tdi over it all day and every day  ,

If in budget one of the best smaller  cars Ive driven is the latest generation Vw golf , at the mo Ive got swmbo a 2.0 gttdi and its fantastic, boat loads of  room / very economical and goes like foooook    

cut me in half and I have audi stamped through me like a stick of candyrock.. but I reckon the golf is a better car than the equivalant A3/ Sportback        

havent driven the tdi 170 but if its better than the 140 it will be good      

[MVS]

Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDi with a DSG gearbox    

- the boot is massive on the hatchback never mind the estate, it'll cost a huge amount less than the equivalent VW or Audi but uses the same engine and box with 20k service intervals (3 yrs free servicing if you're buying new...) and a lot of trim and other parts too, has the chassis of the Mk5 Golf, the aftersales is better than most (Skoda get a lot of awards for customer service) and you'll get 50mpg easily

how do I know? 'cos I just swapped my horrendously unreliable BMW 330d for one, that's why      

Have to agree with this, see the one in the background

and this replaced 3x unreliable £35 Disco 3's.

50mpg may be stretching it a bit, 45 easily, maybe I have a lead right boot . Very happy with it so far, 10k miles in just over 6months with no probs and very friendly dealers.

Edited to add- It's an estate (due to hound), just only pic I had handy

[JeffC]

my only concern with the dsg gearbox is how reliable it will be in 10 years time  would love to be proved wrong on that , but think it will be very expensive should it ever have problems    

[MVS]

my only concern with the dsg gearbox is how reliable it will be in 10 years time  would love to be proved wrong on that , but think it will be very expensive should it ever have problems    

Very true, but then would you need a clutch on a manual in ten years?

Are there any big technological skeletons in VAG's old cupboard? Golf synchro perhaps?

[lespaul]

Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDi with a DSG gearbox    

- the boot is massive on the hatchback never mind the estate, it'll cost a huge amount less than the equivalent VW or Audi but uses the same engine and box with 20k service intervals (3 yrs free servicing if you're buying new...) and a lot of trim and other parts too, has the chassis of the Mk5 Golf, the aftersales is better than most (Skoda get a lot of awards for customer service) and you'll get 50mpg easily

how do I know? 'cos I just swapped my horrendously unreliable BMW 330d for one, that's why      

2nd vote for a Skoda Octavia 2.0TDI.

I'm on my second Octavia first was a vRS, my current one is 18 months old Elegance TDI with 15k on the clock, due to being on variable servicing it's still not had it's first service yet (the vRS had 18k when it had it's first service and cost £180, not bad for 2 years).

My local Skoda dealer is very good, which helps.

I chose the 6 speed manual over the DSG due to reading a few bad things about the DSG box and getting better economy from the manual, also the extra cost when buying and I belive it's in the higher road tax bracket.

Darren

[lespaul]

have I read somewhere the Octavia is on the same floor plan as the New Golf  

It is  

New vRS is a better equiped Golf GTI for less, also available with a 170bhp TDI engine which I sadly can't afford  

Darren

[MVS]

have I read somewhere the Octavia is on the same floor plan as the New Golf  

It is  

New vRS is a better equiped Golf GTI for less, also available with a 170bhp TDI engine which I sadly can't afford  

Darren

and the tow bar is the same fit as for an A3 sportback, so theirs been other parts bins been raided as well  

[JeffC]

caught out speed reading  

One thing I have noticed with all VAG dieselswithout exception  , In the A3/Golf/  Fabia the engine is transverse and quite noisy/ harsh , when they put the same engine  in the Passat/A4 /A6 Superb they mount it inline with the box on the back and it makes such a difference to the drive, much more refined / quieter.    

Is the octavia the same as the golf with the box on the side

[MVS]

QUOTE

Is the octavia the same as the golf with the box on the side

Believe so, not looked that hard though, been too busy in the garage this last 6 months

[Guest]

Jeff surprisingly enough after being a great advocate of vag dismals for a long while and i can highly recomend the leon tdi especialy in 150 form , however i was disapointed by the new 140 engine ,however the 170 feels like they have put the bar right back where is was with the pd150 engine.

However i have suddenly realised that i am about (next friday) to take delivery of a non vag dismal , and for that matter an oriental one , i was truely blown away by the lexus treatment , and have got a new IS diesel comming. and it was tested up against a 5 series BM ,and a sportline 170 A4 ............    stiff competition indeed .

however , for a 10 year investment i would say seat leon or skoda octavia , however i would not go for the VRs as tbh when i test drove one the ride was somewhat crashy,and i drove more than 1 to compare them.

[jago]

honda civic diesel magic motor better write up then bmw nearly 38 to gallon performs like a petrol car loads of extras as standard reliability 100% . take a test drive its brilliant  

[Gromit]

Another vote here for skoda/seat tdi. My dads had a good few skodas and has just traded in his Octavia for a Superb. Build quality is a good as anything else, ride is v.good as is economy. I had a 130pd Golf mkV estate a little while ago and the economy was staggering, average was 51mpg and on a steady run I was into the high 50`s and low 60`s on occasions. Get the Skoda equivalent with the 130 engine and you`ll be laughing.

   

[Barry Ashcroft]

QUOTE

havent driven the tdi 170 but if its better than the 140 it will be good  

Jeff it is a peach you have to try one  

Superchips have got it up to 213bhp and 416nm @2800rpm  

We are waiting for the newTT in 170diesel then the cheque book is coming out  

Oh and my vote A4 Avant tdi every time like Jeff I have Audi through the middle.

Skoda is good but still a Skoda why oh why did they not rename the company.

[Derby Allen]

I have awlays in the past had Renault's and Mazda cars, all have been reliable and good to drive cars, However, I have recently changed the car and went for a new Audi 2.0TDi, I will never have anything else other than a German built car again, I currently do around 40K a year so the car gets changed probably every 18 months, having already covered 18K in five months in the Audi (still not even been serviced) I still enjoy getting in the car to drive it, Avg MPG is over 50, build quaility is superb, I sometimes cover over 600 miles in a day and the Audi is the only car i have owned where i can get out at the end of the day and still walk. As Jeff stated the noise at tickover is a bit load but you soon leave this behind when moving, also the power for a diesel i think is superb, 140BHP in a small A3 , this will probably apply to all the VW's and Skoda's as well.

"Have seen the light and will never turn back"