Diesel Options

aodh_rua

I'm changing jobs at the moment, and it looks like I'll be driving from Kildare rather than taking the train in the near future. My '05 A3 Ambition 1.6 seems a bit thirsty, and so I'm considering getting a diesel instead. I'm thinking of either a new S40 2.0, A3 TDi or maybe a 1.9 Passat, or else a second hand (maybe 03 or 04) A4 or 320d.

Any recommendations - or additions?

Thanks in advance.

unkel

What mileage are you going to do? Fuel savings, perhaps looking very significant, might still be less than the depreciation that will hit you when you change your '05 Audi A3. Also diesel means bigger engine, so more tax and insurance and typically more expensive servicing

Do your sums!

aodh_rua

The sums will be the biggie alright - potentially the drive could be as handy as Kildare Town to City West or as awkward as to Leopardstown.

ds20prefecture

aodh_rua wrote:

Any recommendations - or additions?

Saab 9-3 Diesel. Alfa 159 Diesel.

I agree with unkel. Definitely do not replace an almost new car with a new car - you lose most money in the first year. Unless of course your new job provides a company car.

CrowdedHouse

I traded an 04 A4 TDI 130 last Monday with less than 11K on the clock.
Very economical 45-50 mpg depending on type of driving,powerful enough too.

aodh_rua

ds20prefecture wrote:

Saab 9-3 Diesel. Alfa 159 Diesel.

I agree with unkel. Definitely do not replace an almost new car with a new car - you lose most money in the first year. Unless of course your new job provides a company car.

Good point - my plan is to see how it goes and if needs be, change. But it is always nice to take a look at the faraway hills!

Incidentally the A3's consumption is
Litres / 100KM (urban) 10
Litres / 100KM (extra-urban) 6
Litres / 100KM (combined) 7

Which compares with the others:

Volvo S40\BMW 320d\Passat 1.9\Passat 2.0

Litres / 100KM (urban) 8
Litres / 100KM (extra-urban) 5
Litres / 100KM (combined) 6

Audi A3 1.9

Litres / 100KM (urban) 7
Litres / 100KM (extra-urban) 4
Litres / 100KM (combined) 5

Audi A3 2.0

Litres / 100KM (urban) 7
Litres / 100KM (extra-urban) 5
Litres / 100KM (combined) 6

ds20prefecture

aodh_rua wrote:

The sums will be the biggie alright - potentially the drive could be as handy as Kildare Town to City West or as awkward as to Leopardstown.

What is that, about 100 miles per day?

100 miles x 200 working day = 20,000 miles per year. Say 25000 in total.

You should be averaging at least 30mpg in your Audi, thats 833 gallons, or 3750 litres or about €4000 at current prices

If the new car averages 40mpg that's 625 gallons or 2800 litres or €2940.
So you're saving €1060, which you will easily lose as soon as you register your new car, never mind what you've lost on the Audi.

The Diesel will be also more expensive to tax (539 for a 1.9 to 2.0 versis 391 for a 1.6)
It will probably cost the same to insure.

Big Nelly

unkel wrote:

typically more expensive servicing

Not sure how you make out a service on a diesel is more expensive? I had a 1.6 for years and a friend of mine does the servicing and it was costing about 100 quid per service and last service with Diesel was only 70 quid. Didn't see much difference in a service for a petrol and Diesel to be honest becasue done my BF 1.6 A3 the next week and he charged me the same when I bouhgt parts.


I have the Passat 1.9Tdi and at the moment on a full tank which costs about 50-55 euro at Tesco I get about 600 miles before I have to refill. Will get more if I don't drive fast or doing long trips. Got nearly 700 on a weekend drive to and from Kerry. Car is great and nice and comfortable. Friend likes so much is selling his Avensis and buying one.

Bro has an Audi A4 1.9Tdi and he is getting about the same milage but there is a few more Bhp in the A4, but they are more expensive

maidhc

Big Nelly wrote:

Not sure how you make out a service on a diesel is more expensive?

They used to need more regular servicing i.e 6000mls rather than 10,000, the timing belt often had to be done more frequently e.g. 36k rather than 80k. Most new diesels have the same intervals as the petrol.

Most main dealer servicing costs are a joke now anyway. e.g. charging for changing pollen filters (when perfect), topping up washer fluid, etc, etc, etc.

There is no doubt but that you should buy a Diesel, but perhaps you should wait another year at least. But on the otherhand you might get a new passat for reasonable enough money.

The new passat is far far nicer than the A4, especially if you go with the comfortline trim. It is a much bigger car too.

Big Nelly

maidhc wrote:

They used to need more regular servicing i.e 6000mls rather than 10,000, the timing belt often had to be done more frequently e.g. 36k rather than 80k. Most new diesels have the same intervals as the petrol.

10,000 for my Passat and same for the A4, no problem with timing belt on mine yet and with Petrol spark plugs have to be replaced.

maidhc wrote:

Most main dealer servicing costs are a joke now anyway. e.g. charging for changing pollen filters (when perfect), topping up washer fluid, etc, etc, etc.

Well I bought a 00 and the dealer said full service before I got my hands on it, done 10k and got it serviced. Pollen filter looked like it hadn't been changed since new. Same problem with my GF A4 which she bought at same time as my car.

Told this story before, bro was getting his A4 done at a garage, A4 dealer and paying over 200 quid. Got car service and less than 3000 miles later the timing belt went and car cost over a grand to fix. Garage asked him to pay it and he told them where to go. They never checked the thing even charging 200 quid where I know I get mine down properly off my mate and buy part myself that are needed. Alot cheaper

maidhc wrote:

There is no doubt but that you should buy a Diesel, but perhaps you should wait another year at least. But on the otherhand you might get a new passat for reasonable enough money.

The new passat is far far nicer than the A4, especially if you go with the comfortline trim. It is a much bigger car too.

I just have the flat Tdi and not comfortline, was looking at buyiong one and didn't bother because abit more expensive and I didnt want to go over the 10k mark when buying. Low milage on one I got as well. Brother GF bought the comfortline and you would notice the differnece to be honest, will prob change later this year for comfortline.

Tech Overhaul

maidhc wrote:

They used to need more regular servicing i.e 6000mls rather than 10,000, the timing belt often had to be done more frequently e.g. 36k rather than 80k. Most new diesels have the same intervals as the petrol.

My 04 VW Golf TDI only needs a service every 20k miles. Cost to fill a tank is €50 and that usually gets me between 500 and 550 miles. Great car and I highly recommend a test drive.

Tiger Jim

aodh_rua wrote:

I'm changing jobs at the moment, and it looks like I'll be driving from Kildare rather than taking the train in the near future. My '05 A3 Ambition 1.6 seems a bit thirsty, and so I'm considering getting a diesel instead. I'm thinking of either a new S40 2.0, A3 TDi or maybe a 1.9 Passat, or else a second hand (maybe 03 or 04) A4 or 320d.

Any recommendations - or additions?

Thanks in advance.

Getting back to the questions asked...

The S40D looks great and has a good interior. The 1.9 TDi from the VAG are all noisy by comparison. A 320d is nice but RWD is not to everyones taste.

The S40 2.0D is my choice.

glynf

Yeah, nice motor, have mine 16 months or so, but as mentioned above main dealer is a rob for servicing(every 20k kms).
Aprox €630 last time round, needed new brake discs as well:eek: ,so parts are saucy too, and the resale isn't great.
Will be selling mine soon and looking at aprox €25k private(34k new), and a lot less off dealer.
You might be better off going for a well specced A4 resale wise.

Also, I would not consider it a quiet car, friend has a 2.0 Tdi A6, and mine sounds as noisy, especially if you put the boot down, theres no mistaking it drinks from the black pump....

mike65

I dont belive it! This threads nearly 6 hours old and no-one has metioned the Skoda Octavia!

Mike.

maidhc

glynf wrote:

You might be better off going for a well specced A4 resale wise.

Relative sold an 03 A4 TDI 100 with 60k recently. Always serviced and very looked after. It only made 23k.

BrianD3

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the newer generation smaller capacity diesels.
110 bhp 1.6 in the Ford Focus, Peugeot 407, Citroen C4, Volvo S40
90 bhp 1.4 in the Toyota Corolla
100 bhp 1.5 in the Renault Megane

These cars are not balls of fire but neither is an A3 1.6. They are very economical and don't have the extra tax (and possibly insurance) of the bigger diesels.

ds20prefecture

mike65 wrote:

I dont belive it! This threads nearly 6 hours old and no-one has metioned the Skoda Octavia!

I make a point of never mentioning the Octavia to A3 owners.

HashSlinging

aodh_rua wrote:

I'm changing jobs at the moment, and it looks like I'll be driving from Kildare rather than taking the train in the near future. My '05 A3 Ambition 1.6 seems a bit thirsty, and so I'm considering getting a diesel instead. I'm thinking of either a new S40 2.0, A3 TDi or maybe a 1.9 Passat, or else a second hand (maybe 03 or 04) A4 or 320d.

Any recommendations - or additions?

Thanks in advance.

I'd say your better off sticking with what you have, your going to lose a packet trading in, why not sell every year, and just keep selling private.the 1.6 is a fine engine, would do 36 - 38mpg it only makes sense to go to diesel if you are doing 35K kilometers per year.. Theres a big market out there for A3 1.6's.

Big Balls

The car is drinking petrol as it's too underpowered.

Diesel servicing costs no more than petrol in a 2.0TDI - I had one for 17 months and serviced it once as per the computer. €400 in MSL.

There's plenty of well specced 2005 A3 TDIs out there.

prospect

Why does it have to be a 1.9 diesel,

The PSA 1.6L TD is a fine engine.

Henry Ford III

prospect wrote:

Why does it have to be a 1.9 diesel,

The PSA 1.6L TD is a fine engine.

110bhp version is excellent.

EIN

go for the s40... just bought one 2.0D SE lovely drive, seats are so comfortable , much better than a vw or its rivals...


spec wise its fully loaded leather cruise 17 inch alloys etc...

dont know what the resale values will be like

this car has nice power too 136bhp..

cant mention the fuel consumption yet, as still testing..