pwhittle

currently I have a Mitsubish Challenger 2.8TD. I don't have to drive much thankfully, but when I do I'm often either towing a large caravan, towing a race bike with the considerable boot full of kit, or generally filling it with stuff.
I do like the 4x4 - apart from doing some pretty gnarly off roading, it's better for towing, and when doing landscape photograpy, I've parked in places other togs can't reach.

also, it doesn't depreciate much, as it's only worth about £1500 (hard to tell though, as they're so rare).

Only trouble is it's pricey to fix (import), uncomfortable, and averages 25 solo, 21 towing (a painful 15mpg towing 600 miles when I had a gearbox problem...).

I'll only have £1000 + the car, which is pretty limiting. for towing, I need 1500kg+, so nothing lighter than a Mondeo.

I've looked at old TDI Vectras, but they seem to have the same reliability issues which caused me to sell our Modeo TDCI.
I looked at Omega's which are nice and heavy, and well kitted-out, but I'd need an estate (saloon's no good), and they're, well, Vauxhalls.

I can't afford a more modern 4x4 with better economy (the early Freelanders really aren't reliable enough), or things like XC70 / Allroads.

To be worth changing, it'd need to do at least 30mpg, preferably much more. I wondered about getting a large petrol car (or 4x4) with an LPG conversion, to bring the price down to Diesel ish levels.

Maybe an old 5 series? DOn't know anything about them.

any thoughts?

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Something like this...?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1785150.htm

pwhittle

maybe, to pricey though
thought about Audi A6 or Passat, but likely to have high miles

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Fair enough, but you mention considering a petrol car....where i am, petrol is only 1-2p cheaper than diesel and yet MPG you get much better than petrol....knock the guy down a chunk and your laughing.

pwhittle

chaning to a TD certainly makes sense, it's just that older ones seem to come with huge repair bills - particulary the early common rail ones. we got rid of the Ford as the injectors kept going (which ford said was normal for a 7 year old car ). My mum's S70 T5 blow it's turbo with a £2k repair bill.
Don't know what older VAG TDIs are like for reliabilty - hopefully better than Ford and Vauxhall

pwhittle

actually there some interesting options on there. If I could live with a saloon, you can get the 2002 model A4 for £3.5k ish, or an A6 http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1570554.htm
the dog will have to go