lowlander

Will be looking for a new (secondhand) practical motor in the near future.

I've decided that sub 20 mpg just isn't an option as I'll soon get fed up with the fuel costs I need something no smaller than astra size and no larger than vetra size.

Thinking about a diesel (for the first time ever!)

I want performace, economy, comfort, good handling reasonable servicing costs and above all relaibility. Don't think the premium brands are worth the extra money to be honest so I'm looking at Fords, Vauxhalls, Peugeots, Citreons, Nissans, Toyotas, VW, Seat, Skoda, Mitsubishi, Mazda, etc

budget is approx. 9-10K.

Any and all advice welcome.

Current front runner is TDCI 130 Mondeo

Thanks.

Martin.

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

Dont discount MG diesels

FirebirdUK

I changed to VW Bora TDi 130 Highline last week...

Got a brand new one from the dealers for £12.5k

When I push the thing on a *ahem* private road (90-100mph) I've not not had it go below 40mpg. If I stick to 70, Im getting low 50's...

I was using a full tank every two days in my STi just go to work and back. So far this week I'm onto day four and I've still got 2/3 of a tank left

Lots of toys in the Bora too - 8 speaker sound system (which doesn't sound too bad), full leather seats (heated), electric windows all round, automatic windscreen wipers, reverse parking sensor, cruise control...

The downside is it's not very good round corners at Scooby speeds Ah well - can't have everything

corradoboy

The VW group high performance diesels are superb ! I'm currently looking at a Seat Ibiza PD160, possibly with a remap & zorst to get IRO 210bhp & 320lb/ft, and yet still retain 55mpg. It would be a struggle to find one at the £9-10k mark, but there might be some PD130's at that price. The Ibiza may be a bit small for your requirements, so have a look at the Leon PD130/150's. With a new model on the horizon the older shape may take a battering on the 2nd hand market before too long. It's also worth considering spending a bit more and getting new as they currently have a 0% deal on

brickboy

The just-replaced Passat saloons are very good value, all the toys and the punchy PD130 motor. The 6-speed Sport version is the best handling and quickest.

The Passat will NOT tick the good handling box -- even its best mate would say the handling is "safe" .... it understeers a bit and doesn't interact with you. But it's big and roomy and reliable, with an average of 45+ mpg easy to get.

Mondeos are still really good-handling cars but I have read the odd report that the economy isn't as good as Ford claim.

Don't overlook a Skoda either -- Octavia PD130 diesels can be picked up for 9-10K.

TurboMav

What's the diff between the Mondeo TDDI and TDCI?

Brendan Hughes

Why not? All the other dealers do...

scooby_99turbo

Well ive done it too brought a 2.2 vectra cdti sri 150bhp approx 50 mpg

And its ok its never going to set the world a light but i highly recommend

Ian

brickboy

The TDDI is the old-spec direct injection system, which was generally poorly rated in reviews and wasn't good power or economy.

TDCi is a new common-rail injection system, on exactly the same block as the TDDi. Different turbo too. TDCi = more power, torque, economy, smoothness.

Dai-Tec

I'm also in the game for finding a suitable warm diesel car. Prefer VAG's so they can be remapped for abit more poke but retaining fuel economy.

Driven the Ibiza 160 before, quite a nippy hot hatch but the ride and interior noise was terrible. :/

Whats the deal on the Bora with all the toys mate?

FirebirdUK

All VW dealers have got upto £2.5k off Boras at the moment...

The Bristol dealer had an extra deal on - an extra £2.5 off! Don't know if they've got any more left or if the deal is still on though...

I was quite chuffed - managed to pick it up for £5k off the normal list price

350 miles out of it so far and I'm still on half a tank left Would have been nearly ready for the third tank in my Scoob...

Dai-Tec

You definately got a good deal there no doubt.

Andy Porter

I sold my Scoob just before Xmas for a Bora TDI. Its only the 115BHP SE. Very comfy quiet car, cruise at 2500 RPM @ 90MPH in 6th, returns 50 MPG easily. The handling is, erm, ****. It wallows and unserteers and generally you dont feel in control pushing on. So I dont really bother pushing on now

It is a luxury not having to fill up every 2-3 days, I do a 60 mile round trip to work. I will buy another scoob when I dont do so many miles.

I paid £5900 for mine, Y 2001, but had 100k on it, 112k now and drives like new

NotoriousREV

I'm another Bora TDi owner, bought a 51 plate Sport 130 with 40k on the clock for £7500. A lot of car for the money, done 120-odd miles and only down to 3/4 on the fuel gauge. The Scoob would have been below the 1/2 marker by this stage.

Already arranged a Jabbasport remap through a Briskoda group buy

Bubba po

I don't believe that, sorry.

dpb

.......Them diesels are good.

nor do i...

corradoboy

Like any turbo car, stay off boost and it will behave just like its non-turbo'd counterparts. I can quite easily achieve 33+mpg from my 265+bhp Scoob on a 70mph run on the m-way by staying off boost, so a lightweight Ibiza with oodles of torque should have no problem achieving its maximum fuel efficiency in this environment. As standard they are 160bhp with 230ish lb/ft, but with treatment from Jabba, Revo or a host of other tuners the figures I quote can and have been achieved. There are many Fabia VRs owners pushing 180bhp from their PD130 engines and over 250lb/ft whom report better efficiency at cruising speeds after the modifying, although it does drop when driving more spiritedly. A bit like a Scoob with PPP will get a few miles more mpg as the car work less hard to get the same results.

No need to apologise Bubba, I get called a liar all the time Especially by CG

ADP

Im in a Golf 110 tdi - 50 mpg driven with my foot glued to the floor -I love it - I would love a 150 it must be mad, loving the change and the cash in my pocket

MBK

Even the standard Ibiza 160PD won't get near 50mpg no matter how gentle you are (yes we do have one!), more like 44mpg on a very long and relaxed run, 40ish average and a terrible 35ish round town and in traffic and pushing on its easy to get into the late 20's which is still good but not 55mpg!!

The 150/160's are also far more noisy and expensive to insure than similar 130's - if economy is top of the list a 110 or 130 really will do 50+mpg in real driving conditions, and a chipped 130 gives you the best of both worlds, on it you have the speed and relaxing you have the mpg. Don't be fooled by the PD160 marketing guff!

logiclee

Currently running an Octavia 110TDi with Dragon tuning box giving around 140bhp.

It will do 50+mpg all day, the tank gives around 10 gallons between full and the red light coming on and I've broken 600miles a few times. Some owners oer on briskoda claim 700miles is possible on a tank but I cant be bothered to be that good for that long.

My Wife runs a Fabia 1.9Tdi PD100, It's an eighty mile trip to the coast for us and it averaged 68.9mpg on the fuel computer, so I would say around 65mpg genuine. The Fabia spends it's life around town and averages around 45mpg.

Check out the supermarkets such as www.mh2k.com and you should pick up a high spec 03 Octavia Elegance TDi for under £8k

Cheers
Lee

Christ

The Golf PD150 gets low fifties on a motorway cruise at 80, and around 44 average generally thrashing round, worst journey average Ive seen is 35..

Im sure the Ibiza will be similar when youve got a few more miles on it, how many has it done?

mattvortex

thats absolute rubbish! you would not get 50mpg with your foot glued to the floor. I regularly drive a new Golf 2.0 tdi and when its floored, the fuel computer drops to about 18-20 mpg and only returns to 50mpg plus on a light throttle. Just done a 150 mile motorway journey at 85-90mph and averaged 44mpg. Your always get people on here trying to justify there purchase of Tdis by claiming very optimistic mpg figures or having to drive very gently to acheive them which would drive me mad to be honest!

logiclee

The 90/110 engine still holds the record as the most thermally efficient engine fitted to production cars. It doesn't have the PD technology but an ultra efficient injector pump. The big downside is they sound like an old transit.
Driving normally and that for me means outside lane at traffic lights and overtaking when required I can easily see 55mpg. I've never averaged as low as 44mpg and if I want to be silly then it's 60mpg+

The new VAG 2.0TDi is smooth and powerfull but it's not an economy king.
Octavia 1.9TDi 110 Extra Urban 65.7mpg, Combined 54.5mpg
Octavia 2.0TDi 140 Extra Urban 56.5mpg, Combined 47.9mpg

The DSG box costs a few mpg as well.

Probably why you are getting mid 40's and others are seeing mid 50's

Cheers
Lee

NotoriousREV

TBH, my PD130 only sees high 40's when I drive it normally (currently 48.5 avg)

ADP

maybe yours is a duffer matt - Ive just driven to oxford and back - 150 miles round trip cruising between 90-100 - 51.4 mpg average(I know this as I was taking a mate and I zeroed it because he was interested in the mpg is also thinking of buying one) - I always get over 50 mpg, most of my driving is mway dual carriageway but I chug round town at the weekend etc. Even if I drive like a girl I only get upto 55 ish so dont bother for 3mpg

Jonto

I have a Ibiza 130tdi Pd Sport.

Get 53mpg round town, brilliant little car and can't see me ever selling it. With the money i save i may buy an STI5 Type R for the weekend.

TopBanana

When I had mine, I had Pirellis on the front and crappy remoulds on the back. Was really well balanced!

slim_boy_fat

I had an Ibiza TDI Sport 130pd

Custom remap, 192bhp and 332lbft

210 might be stretching the imagination a bit, but i thin the 50ld engines get close to that.

corradoboy

A few people quoting some before and after figures on this thread.

ChrisB

According to the trip comp' in my Ibiza trac'or (PD130 flavour), I can easily get 55 to 60mpg on motorways or A-road hacks. I'm not going full bore everywhere but I like to get from A to B smoothly and quickly. I reckon the engine (and MPG) has improved since 40k and I'm close to 60k now.