Disposable motoring

[Dr Bob]

Right chaps, could do with your SXOC thoughts. Sven the big diesel Saab is due an MOT, and I suspect given the smoking, rattly and dodgy brakes it's not going to be economical. Been a great big old barge though - bought for just under 2k in dec last year, done over 10k miles since and only needed diesel at the rate of 39mpg. Good work.

So, how to replace - the garage the Saab came from seem trustworthy, know the car and are local, and obvs I now know the salesboy, so possibility of negotiating a deal. Here's what's on offer apart from superminis under £1500. Need something reasonable sized as I do a hefty bit of motorway mileage seeing my kids every month.

W-reg Focus 1.6 petrol Ghia, 127k, MOT Oct 14 £590 - feels like the obvious out of the lot
'02 Pug 307 1.6 petrol Rapier SW 115k, MOT 6/14 £590 - tempting if they'll top up the ticket
04 Pug 406 HDI 90 £1000 140k MOT 8/14
'03 Vectra 1.8i ls petrol £1000 99k MOT 2/15 £1000
08 Chevy Tacuma £1390 102k MOT 10/14 £1390
and the curveball - galactic mileage 52 Audi A6 2.5TDI estate 260k MOT 10/14

Ladies and gents of the SXOC, give me your thoughts. I'm emphasising disposable here, but I'd like it to be reliable for reasonable miles. I know cheapness compromises, but the big Saab has been pretty immense despite some niggles. Not usually big on Audis but the pimpness is seriously pulling...

[Rubix_Cube]

For me I'd look at the 406 HDi or the A6.

[Slip_n_slide]

Another for the 406. I've never had a good experience with a petrol Pug and Petrol Vectra's

[Joe1989]

Are you sure there that good?

2k for a saab that lasted less than 1 year and not perticually high millage dosn't sound that good!

[Dr Bob]

lol. Saab was what it was, and did what it did - like I said, it's been pretty good for 10k miles in 5months. it's 10yrs old and 150k, and fitted perfectly what I needed at the time. I'll be asking for their oily hands guy to do a pre-mot check, but with the amount of sh1t it's throwing out the back on acceleration it's going to need some playing about with I reckon to get it through. Also will give me leeway in pxing now they know me as a punter.

Anyway, the leather and kit in the Audi is starting to play on my mind

[Delboy]

Go for the pug but find one that isn't overpriced like that is.

I recently picked up a 53 plate 406 hdi 90 for £800. 114k miles, Mot til July and Tax until Sept. Is slow as hell but actually an ok place to sit, stereo is reasonably decent and I got 800 miles out of its first full tank and half of that was done before I serviced it, the old fuel filter was manky too so I suspect this tank will be better

[Chriscooke]

Id go elsewhere and look at golf gt tdi's tbh.

[green_rs13]

for reference, my budget motoring car cost me £400 in 2011 and stuck me for a £38 wheel bearing last mot.

if I was looking for a mile muncher id be looking at octavia/Passat/mondeo etc.. I find old mans cars/ family cars are usually in better condition than the 'sporty' models as they get thrashed less.

[Ross.]

Dr Bob - I know this isn't what you want but I feel compelled to tell you anyway. My mum is selling her 2008 VW Polo. I see you're in Doune, we're in Stirling. If you/anyone you know would be interested then please let me know!! aha.

[Cosy]

Focus or the two pugs I would have thought.

[Mark]

1.6 Foci are horrendous on fuel (for what they are) and are dogshit slow. 2.0 Petrol and 1.8TDCi are the only ones i would entertain. A petrol Mondeo would be better on fuel and nicer to drive, avoid the diesels as most are money pits at that price.

[Hugh Janus]

Mark, i make you right on the 1.8 TDCi Focus' brilliant little cars, mines done 180+K and still returns 59MPG

[Jonny Wilkinson]

If you really want to use that garage (maybe due to a not being very hands-on mechanically ?), you could tell them what you are looking for and I bet they could go within the trade and buy a car to your spec.

I don't see anything in that list that sounds like what you want. Personally, I'd steer clear of old French stuff and the A6s (along with many luxo-barges) have a reputation for being scrap if they go wrong due to the cost of fixing.

What about a JTD Alfa 156 ? You'd get quite a nice one for £1500.

[Delboy]

Steers clear of old French stuff, seriously recommends an old Italian.... bahahahahaha

[Spence]

Id go elsewhere and look at golf gt tdi's tbh.

This. I picked up a 2000 W-plate GT TDI 6-speed with 150k in November for just under a grand. It's comfy, feels solid and reasonably well built and gives me 50+ mpg on my trips up and down the A34 and M40 every week.

[colinjy]

I had a 406 hdi rapier 90 bhp non turbo. As long as you were in 5 the it didn't matter if you were fully loaded / over loaded or empty doing 60 or 80 it always averaged 45 - 50 mpg. Had no guts to overtake any thing. But for blatting up and down meat with dh bikes strapped to the back it didn't matter

Did 60 k miles in it over 2 and a half years and it only needed tyres and brakes the odd oil change and mot's

[Dr Bob]

Looks like it's gonna be the big Audi... They're giving me a reasonable chunk against it for the Saab. Had a new engine at 200k after doing a timing belt/chain. Currently got a broken spring which they're gonna fix as well as just generally service and check it, but despite that it still feels more solid than the 9-5 and a shed-load better at going and stopping. Plenty of kit too - solar sunroof anyone

Jonny, points taken, essentially it's not so much a lack of mechanical ability, I have a reasonable knowledge and can lift a spanner, but with that knowledge and an internet I know there are specific niggles on the Saab (auto headlamp adjustment sensors is just one) that will mean it'll need time, space, effort and inclination to keep it going, and I'm not wanting to start on a slippery slope. Changing for something from the garage within walking distance that are long-established and known in the village means they'll be accommodating if anything does go wrong in terms of car loan, and sorting replacements as required. And like I said, disposable motoring -If I totally write of the purchase price of the Saab it's stood me about 30p/mile which isn't bad, esp when compared to what I used to be running when things were better for me.

Also, short-term solution - run it a few months and when it comes to MOT time if I know it's not gonna sail through, same story again, but now I'm back in work, there'll be a wee bit more in the bank hopefully to be thinking of more interesting stuff, or even something fun to run as a second car if the Audi will run on

For info, driving-wise it's a 90 mile round-trip motorway commute 2 days a week, big jaunt to Manc and back every month to see the kids, and general daily spinning about up here, so the wafty bargy luxuryness is a big plus just now

[Delboy]

I had a 406 hdi rapier 90 bhp non turbo. As long as you were in 5 the it didn't matter if you were fully loaded / over loaded or empty doing 60 or 80 it always averaged 45 - 50 mpg. Had no guts to overtake any thing. But for blatting up and down meat with dh bikes strapped to the back it didn't matter

Did 60 k miles in it over 2 and a half years and it only needed tyres and brakes the odd oil change and mot's

The 90 is turbo diesel as well, just doesn't have an IC

[def]

Just been down this road.

Theres a lot of shite out there for that money so its all about the road test and listening/looking for mechanicals. You will have to test all to get a good one.

I just landed a Volvo V40 with 79k for £700. The lack of miles is obvous compaired to the 100k plus cars I tested.

Buying a shitter you need to test a lot of cars.

Good luck pal