which car ?

avfc1874

hi have about six grand to spend, was thinking of passat, mondeo, avensis, or octavia. need it for just family car no real long drives or commutes. Any advice on what yr car i should be looking at wether to go private or garage sale appreciated.thanks

jaspertheghost

<SNIP>

Alanstrainor

You can't post up your own car as a suggestion jaspertheghost.

jaspertheghost

i dont own a car!! used to have one and there great.....

darragh o meara

avfc1874 wrote: »

hi have about six grand to spend, was thinking of passat, mondeo, avensis, or octavia. need it for just family car no real long drives or commutes. Any advice on what yr car i should be looking at wether to go private or garage sale appreciated.thanks

Any of your suggestions would be fine family cars and you'd get a nice example for 6k. The passat and Octavia for sale over here tend to be a bit overpriced as everybody wants one and fine cars they both are too but have a close look at them and make sure they've been well cared for. If going for a passat you should really be looking at the last of the old shape ( up to 05) as he first of the new ones tended to give a lot of bother. You'll easily pick up a highline spec 05 passat for that kind of money.

As for the Octavia they are another fine car based on the vw golf so quality is gonna be good but as with the passat they do tend to be up in the money. If diesel isn't a must for you however I've seen some of the petrol Octavia vrs's the new shape coming down into the 7k area that could well be bought for 6k with some haggling. They have the leather and a few other nice upgrades plus they go like the clappers, the engine being the same as the Mk5 golf gti.

The mondeo would be a great car and they seem to be sensibly priced, I'd be fairly confident you'd be able to get yourself into the first of the new shape in diesel for that money, the old shape aren't that bad either as a family car. The 2.0 tdci engine did give some problems with injectors and injector pumps which can be a nice bill if it happens so check of these have been done. The newer model had a different engine and I think the problems have been ironed out.

Now to the avensis. Diesels seem to go forever if given a bit of tlc from time to time, a friend of mine bought a 1999 one recently with 310k on the clock, when he put it through the test it failed on 2 things a tyre and some bushings!! Both fixed for less than 100 quid. When his old car was back on the road he sold it for 200 more than he paid for it!! However some of the petrol avensis had problems. The 1.8 was prone to burn oil with the only option being to replace the bottom end of the engine ( a very big job ). But if diesel is your thing you should be fine. I've driven a few of these and the only downside I found is that they are a bit boring inside, full of plastic and very much going on. Never a problem selling one if you ever decide to change every itinerant in the country loves avensis. I've heard of people selling them within minutes of putting them up on donedeal.

Here is a bit if a general checklist as the same things generally apply to most diesel cars.

Check :
Timing belt ( you won't be able to see it so make sure there is evidence it's been done )

Service history ( check if there is any, although the Irish are not as good as the Brits for keeping it but you do find some who do ) all the above engines have specific oil grades that you must use to keep the engine happy.

Dual mass flywheel ( in all the above ) check for rattling noise from gearbox area, more noticeable when engine is cold and you press the clutch. An expensive fix if gone.

Diesel particle filter ( only in the mondeo I think ) check for lights on in the dash and ask the owner about has the fluid been topped up recently, he'll know if it has as its about €100 a fill.

Check around for play in suspension parts. A diesel for around 5-6k will be up in the region of 90-100 or more mileage wise and things will be starting to wear out ie. bushings and links.

Check for accident damage.

If in doubt get someone who knows cars to check it out first before you handover the cash. Any good seller won't have a problem with having the car checked.

As for private vs dealer your probably best going private as you'll save a few quid and get yourself into a better spec car. The warranty offered usually in these lower priced cars from dealers usually have loads of terms and conditions attached so really aren't worth much!! My advice is to buy privately and get someone to check over whichever one you like best.

bazz26

Great value in the Mazda 6 petrols out there. Very reliable and nice to drive.

A nice 07 1.8 litre model:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201209207120835

or if you could stretch your budget a 08 newer shape model which is actually cheaper to tax on the new system:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=5413312006954980

avfc1874

thanks for that