Which diesel estate?

[r896neo]

Hey y'all I need a bigger car for work and am looking mainly at diesel estates. Read all the parkers etc reviews but looking for some personal testimonies!

I am looking to spend up to 3K maybe 3 and a half. I am 25 so no rs4 avants recommended please. I dont care about style just looking for value for money especially in how long it will last!

Any thoughts experiences on reliability, servicing costs, MPG, max milage have yours done/ how far did it get before death etc.

Particularly interested to hear about octavias, golfs, focus' (plural perhaps foci??) and astras

Many thanks.

 

[Softus]

960/S90/V90.

 

[Belle427]

i went for a passat recently,spent around 5 grand on a 52 plate,very impressed with it,one of the nicest cars ive driven for a while,plenty of space and the build quality is excellent,ive also heard a lot of good reports on the octavias,good value too

 

[djheath]

Pug 406. Great cars.

that or a xantia estate if you can afford it when it breaks!!

 

[Strevs]

Over the last five or six years have driven Passat, Laguna and peugeot 406 estates for around 70,000 miles each. Depending on your priority the following may help (all have been diesel options)

406- Great Ride but a bit "saggy" when car pushed. Fuel economy the best at higher speeds. Huge estate but back seats not as big as some. The slowest off the line of all of them.

Passat-Tight car, good launch, holds line well, good driver position apart from windscreen edge, fuel economy not that great (but partly due to car being responsive!) Good size estate section but wheel arch intrudes.

Laguna- Good ride, better than 406 but not as quick as VW. 6th gear fuel economy at 70 mph phenomenal but decreases markedly over 75. Good size estate but larger rear passenger area than others.

Hope this helps...

 

[simoniris]

I had a '99 Volvo V40 1.9D for a couple of years.
It was a nice enough car and I loved it but as an estate it was rubbish!
I could only get 4 boxes of carpet tiles in the boot with the seats up. Our CM could get about 15 in his mondeo!
Handled nicely and was quite 'pretty' - in XS form - but steering was hugely over servoed, engine was a bit agricultural and gearshift was like an NHS walking stick. Even made from the same stuff!

 

[Vee239]

Is this for carrying around loads (tools, materials, etc) or just general commuting.
If the former, I'd say consider a van.
If the latter, take your pick from Ford Mondeo, VW Passat, Peugeot 406.

 

[John M]

I'd go Petrol with a LPG conversion ...... Hate diesels ..... Rattley smelly taxi sounding things

 

[Sureitsoff?]

I'd go Petrol with a LPG conversion ...... Hate diesels ..... Rattley smelly taxi sounding things

have you driven a modern turbo diesel recently?

much nicer to drive than a petrol version and i dont fancy driving around with a big tank of LPG in the boot

 

[John M]

Yeah

& Its a matter of opinion

 

[timtheenchanter]

406, had mine about 3 months, and love it, good fuel consumption (about 35mpg round town, and approx 55-60 on a good steady run) and its huge with the seats down.
Also pulls a caravan like a dream.

 

[r896neo]

what year 406?

 

[Softus]

Also pulls a caravan like a dream.

That's odd - caravans are pulled only in most people's nightmares.

 

[timtheenchanter]

mines an 53 plate. so one of the newer ones, I know people with Wreg onwards, and none have had any mechanical problems.

 

[r.bartlett]

I use a Zafira which is a great estate for work ..I'm on my 4th one now.

I buy second hand around 50k and keep it 6 months whack 20+K on it and then my Mrs uses it for the next 6 months which balances the mileage. Never broken down gets around 500 per tank.

Well recommended.

Cheers

Richard