What

[twosmoke300]

9-5 always seems a better made more reliable car . The 9-3 is a vectra c underneath but th 9-5 is the older vectra b

[chaseracer]

True but those Passat's have a few well known issues .

Water leaks from pollen filter / scuttle / door trims that flood the convienience control unit and rot wiring . Also fucks the side airbag sensors.

Alt clutch goes and takes out tensioner

Injector wiring loom fails

If the wrong oils used it wears the cams away.

12 ball joints on the front end ! There is always one buggered esp if you use cheap replacements.

Door locks made of brie.

Etc etc etc

 

Ah, yes, the much-vaunted VAG quality* and reliability*... 

[SiC]

To be fair you could name any car and it'll have a whole list of common faults.

 

As I said in your other thread, buy gm's Civic. Pretty much same sized boot, good economy and more reliable.

[omegod]

Bren, any interest in an 06 1.8 primera with 80k, very tidy and just needs a clutch , mate has one going cheeps, located in Knowsley 

[sierraman]

Plenty of late Vectra with the 1.8 about. It’s no roadburner but shouldn’t give you too much trouble. Should say £1200 will get you a really tidy one. If it had been a Vectra B you were after someone on our street had an exceptionally tidy one for £500. If you could find a 2.0 DTi that might be ok, but on the other hand might be worn out rubbish.

 

Passat could be ok if you get one that’s had only a few owners in the last decade. Chances of finding a PD one that hasn’t been cabbed are slim and in all honesty your chance of diesel trouble are as great as in any other car.

 

£1200 would see you in a late Mondeo Mk3, is avoid the 1.8 as prone to the rings wearing, a 2.0 isn’t much worse on fuel and feels fairly quick. Calipers can seize on the back at MOT time but easy job and it’s £50 exchange on a decent caliper. You can usually tell this early when there will be a bit of slack at the base of the handbrake. Again I’d avoid the diesels.

 

Any car will have its weaknesses though so you just have to be mindful of it.

[scdan4]

406. Ideally hdi.

I'm a convert. Even by bangernomics standards so much car for no money. The saloons are particularly vfm.

And they are comfier and drive better than anything mentioned above.

[sierraman]

I like the 406 but a lot of them that’s left are old nails, either falling apart or done 200k. If you can find a tidy one though...

[Royale80]

Nicest 1800 cc car I ever had was  T reg 406. One of the best Peugeots ever! Good on juice-bought it for £3000 at 3 years old.

 

Quiet and supremely comfortable.

 

Steve

[Liggle]

Another vote for MK3 Mondeo 2.0 Petrol. I had one and it was a decent motor, 37-38mpg and 40-42 on a steady 65mph run. 145bhp so won’t set the world alight but it never felt underpowered

[Cavcraft]

Avoid the Passats like the plague, bloody awful cars. Mondeos are DMF shitting nightmares and not pleasant inside. The most common Vectra 1.8 fault seems to be the gearbox, but they're actually nice to drive (if no ball of fire) and very good on fuel, plus parts are cheap and plentiful.  

[twosmoke300]

They do break springs and wear out rear arms for fun tho

[Cavcraft]

In the middle of doing the rear bushes on my 'C' estate, bit fiddly but getting there slowly.

[sierraman]

DMF rarely goes on a petrol Mondeo. The diesel ones go but no more than anything else of that era. Wouldn’t bother with the diesel on any of them if I could help it unless I was paying a few hundred.

[Kiltox]

Bren, any interest in an 06 1.8 primera with 80k, very tidy and just needs a clutch , mate has one going cheeps, located in Knowsley 

 

 GIB and get a clutch into the cunt - as long as it's been reasonably well maintained oil change wise it'll be good to you, OP.

[SiC]

Not considered this?

http://autoshite.com/topic/30390-for-sale-2004-mondeo-tdci-ghia-estate-£500-update-pics/

 

Good tyres mean that you can make good progress getting it home in this crap weather.

[Cavcraft]

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-vectra/253303406963?hash=item3afa0f4173:g:gFUAAOSwHUhaG7Fp

[cort16]

Jeezo those base vectras have got to have the most depressing interiors ever fitted to a car.

[twosmoke300]

Someone hasn't sat in a base polo or golf then

[HH-R]

They're depressing full stop.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Forget all this GM wrongness and VAG junk.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-ACCORD-1-8-VTEC/322928526928?hash=item4b300a4650:g:KgcAAOSwUYNaKbgB

[cort16]

The seat fabric looks like old potato sacks that have been dyed black .

What’s the 2.0 turbo petrol like in these ?

[jonathan_dyane]

That Accord is all the car you'll ever need.

[cort16]

if you enjoy getting 25mpg

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

if you enjoy completing your journey

 

 

With so many old but working Hondas and Avensisis about, why bother with manky Vectras, wanked old Mondeos, Passats and shit like that?

 

Buy something that was superbly engineered and built when new, job done.

[HH-R]

They seem to avoid the drive like a twat everywhere/ebay chip mod L@@K +25BHP/tasteless modz/40 cash2nite nd a staffie brigade too unlike Vectras and Vag shite.

 

Might even be an elusive 1 low mileage giffer owner example about too.

 

What about a Hyundai Sonata? They look like mega value.

[twosmoke300]

Just watch for oil burning vvtis

[cort16]

I know a couple of folk who've bought Accords thinking just this but then got shot of them because of the woefull mpg and the weird revvy characteristics of engines.

 

A nice Avensis though

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Avensis-1-8-SE-Ltd-Edn/232458814467?hash=item361fa00403:g:dfAAAOSwAk9ZnA5D

 

 

Even the newer ones aren't too expensive

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/56-TOYOTA-AVENSIS-T3S-1-8-1-FORMER-LADY-KEEPER-MOT-OCT-18/142616429056?hash=item21349a0200:g:RigAAOSwdjdaFEBs

[jonathan_dyane]

Of course true winners drive P11 Primeras...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-Nissan-Primera-Precision/263372342738?hash=item3d523705d2:g:GGIAAOSwevdaFafA Anglesey

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-primera-estate/253292156008?hash=item3af9639468:g:jv8AAOSwGG5aI-we mega barg estate but you need to go to Ely for it

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Nissan-Primera-GT-LE/152819087934?hash=item2394ba3a3e:g:tbkAAOSw5VtaKYfv if you really want to win

[Dirk Diggler]

Isn't somebody selling a nice 406 2.1 on here?

 

Eta this one; a really nice car and suitably cheap at this festive time

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/30276-1997-peugeot-406-lx-21-dt-mot-april-2018-153ishk-£375/

[Psycho Charlie Knobcheese]

I had one of those generation Accords- It looked pretty tidy but had terminal rot on the bulkhead by the pedal box and the o/s chassis rail had all but disintegrated. Think they all do it due to water getting trapped behind the factory underseal. 

Great handling car mind you.