Wanted smoll diesel

[davehedgehog31]

Having missed out on Spartacus' Roffle for the 106 which I was certain I was winning for some unbeknown reason, I must now accept that I will actually have to buy a vehicle.

 

I have about a 70 mile commute each day over some pretty tight and start stop type back roads. I'm looking for something very small, very simple and very diesel. My budget is similarly small for now sadly, 500 quid absolute tops, but cheaper is better.

 

A 106/Saxo diesel is the blueprint. So one of those, or anything in a similar mould. Corsa, Lupo, Arosa, Clio etc, I'd rather avoid the high tax bracket if possible. 

 

I really don't care about cosmetics, this car is to serve a purpose, although naturally I'll end up liking it... I had been considering small petrols, but I think with the distances I cover the diesel does make sense.

 

If anyone has, or knows of anything for sale, do let me know. I'm near Glasgow but don't mind traveling a bit for the right car.

 

Cheers

[Lacquer Peel]

Lupo diesels seem pretty expensive to buy as they have a following.

Have you thought about something slightly bigger like a Fabia or Polo SDI? Tax is a bit more expensive but still cheap, they're good cruisers if not much fun to drive.

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/skoda-fabia-comfort-19-sdi-mot-june-2019/1308939044

[bramz7]

Early Clio straight diesels are surprisingly good. Unless you need to change the glow plugs.

 

I really loved my one. Rare though.

[davehedgehog31]

Lupo diesels seem pretty expensive to buy as they have a following.

Have you thought about something slightly bigger like a Fabia or Polo SDI? Tax is a bit more expensive but still cheap, they're good cruisers if not much fun to drive.

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/skoda-fabia-comfort-19-sdi-mot-june-2019/1308939044

 

They do seem to be, the Seat Arosa seems to be a little less sought after. 

 

I would consider something a wee bit bigger, particularly with the VAG SDI lump, if they're post 1st March 2001 I don't think the tax is as bad. It is bigger, heavier and insurance probably a wee bit more expensive so it would need to be a good example.

 

Early Clio straight diesels are surprisingly good. Unless you need to change the glow plugs.

 

I really loved my one. Rare though.

 

 

Yeah I like them too, similar idea to the 106 which I've a real soft spot for. Like you say, hard to come by!

[Lacquer Peel]

The old Clio diesel will be hit with maximum road tax for its age unfortunately, and they're not very fuel efficient.

[Lacquer Peel]

Rover 25 or MG ZR diesel? Cheap tax, fun to drive and a lot more power than an NA diesel.

[rantingYoof]

Can confirm the L-series in the 25/45 does 50mpg regardless of treatment and has waaaay more oomph than the power and torque figures suggest.

 

Could also be fixed with straw and spittle if necessary.

[davehedgehog31]

Hadn't really considered them in this search, I'd have thought they would be quite heavy and MPGs blunted as a result. Definitely happy to consider one though if I see any good examples about. My R8 is a great motor, just thirsty being the Honda engine and auto.

 

It's slim pickings up north, if heading down to England to buy unseen, would be good to get from a shiter.

[doubleyeller]

How about my attrocious 205GRD? It's got to be sold by end of this month and the roffle is dead so happy to talk re price. True it's in the Southwest but you could always got into Exeter on a Flybe, have a road trip back?

[davehedgehog31]

How about my attrocious 205GRD? It's got to be sold by end of this month and the roffle is dead so happy to talk re price. True it's in the Southwest but you could always got into Exeter on a Flybe, have a road trip back?

I do like a road trip, but Exeter is stretching it a little, sorry dude. I had a 309 recently, so have ticked that box so to speak.

 

GLWTS though, not many of them about anymore.

[95 quid Peugeot]

 

I got this for 200 squid. Plenty around. Mucho non popular.

Not even Stella mileage 83k

[rantingYoof]

Oh my... *wobbles*

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[gm]

I didn't pay much more than that for my A2 which costs buttons to run at 60+ mpg and £30 tax, see if there are any similar high mileage lepers on gummers ?

[Zelandeth]

Have to say that the L plate Corsa 1.5TD I had was a cracking little motor. MPG was usually in the high 40s to low 50s. The extra weight in the front made it feel a lot more solid than the petrol ones I've driven, and helped smooth out the ride a bit.

 

While the turbo lag was downright comical, it went bloody well too, and embarrassed many of the Max Power crowd at college as a result of that.

 

Drove like a new car despite the 140K miles on the clock, sadly the rust eventually killed it.

[davehedgehog31]

I didn't pay much more than that for my A2 which costs buttons to run at 60+ mpg and £30 tax, see if there are any similar high mileage lepers on gummers ?

A left field choice, really like them actually. A car well ahead of it's time in a lot of ways.

 

Think they might be just beyond my budget unless I get lucky on an eBay auction or something but will keep an eye out.

[Dan_ZTT]

C3? This is £350 with £20 tax, rated for 67mpg. Probably quite far from you but similar things may be available in scotchland.

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201808049152883?advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=1000&postcode=b987gf&sort=price-asc&page=1&fuel-consumption=OVER_60&fuel-type=Diesel&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used

[Remspoor]

Small or Small

Not living in the UK I do not know or care to understand about the road tax (VED?) or cars. But I would have thought that sticking to a small coke plant would not be ideal or that economical. Older coke plants are granted less complicated then newer ones. But! Non turbo is so slooooooooow. 10 years for a 0 to 60.

Go for a slightly large engine. Go for a car with spark plugs.

Here in Spain it is hard to find cars that have spark plugs. It is woeful.

[davehedgehog31]

C3? This is £350 with £20 tax, rated for 67mpg. Probably quite far from you but similar things may be available in scotchland.

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201808049152883?advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=1000&postcode=b987gf&sort=price-asc&page=1&fuel-consumption=OVER_60&fuel-type=Diesel&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used

 

Yep, those would fit the bill too and the road tax would be nice, imagine road tax and economy both good too. 

 

Small or Small

Not living in the UK I do not know or care to understand about the road tax (VED?) or cars. But I would have thought that sticking to a small coke plant would not be ideal or that economical. Older coke plants are granted less complicated then newer ones. But! Non turbo is so slooooooooow. 10 years for a 0 to 60.

Go for a slightly large engine. Go for a car with spark plugs.

Here in Spain it is hard to find cars that have spark plugs. It is woeful.

 

I get what you mean about a non-turbo diesel being slow, but economy really is my number one priority for this car. If i end up with something that isn't hideously slow it will be a happy coincidence and not on purpose.

[davehedgehog31]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-C2-1-4-Diesel-2005/163187632082?hash=item25febda7d2%3Ag%3Av8sAAOSw15VbZzTp&_fsrp=1&_sop=7&_sacat=0&_nkw=citroen+c3&_udhi=910&_from=R40&rt=nc

 

Y U SO FAR AWAY

 

Its even cooncil spec, look at those plastic bumpers.

[Lacquer Peel]

More often than not turbo diesels are more fuel efficient than n/a diesels.

Case in point, I had a Caddy TDI that would do 55MPG no bother, my Inca SDI struggled to top 45MPG.

 

I like non turbo diesels fine and think they're unfairly maligned, there's a lot less to go wrong and they punch above their bare power figures.

 

If you aren't averse to common rail engines Clio DCis are great.

[spartacus]

I can recommend the Citroen C1 and other derivatives, economical with cheap tax.

[bramz7]

The old Clio diesel will be hit with maximum road tax for its age unfortunately, and they're not very fuel efficient.

They're okay. When I sold it and got a Rover 216 GSI I certainly wasn't getting the same economy!

Plus they sound gruff as hell.

[gm]

A left field choice, really like them actually. A car well ahead of it's time in a lot of ways.

Think they might be just beyond my budget unless I get lucky on an eBay auction or something but will keep an eye out.

Here you go - a high mileage leper

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/audi/great-condition-classic-rare-audi-a2/1306486557

 

 

[stephen01]

3 weeks ago I had exactly the same requirements and was looking at all small cars suggested in this thread, if it was still for sale after a day of being posted it was fucked and ready for the bridge unless you wanted to spend the purchase price again doing the bastard up, I did not.

 

I ended up buying a 3.0 jag, but then I don't do 70 miles a day.

[2MB]

I had a similar brief to yourself OP, but with a smaller commute and only considering cars that will run on veg oil. Ended up with a Lupo SDI for a bit more than your budget but it’s a low miler that seems to have been looked after. Nothing else had cheap tax (£30) insurance and fuel mileage - it does 63-66 mpg on veg on my 15 mile commute and trundles along ok. Like sitting on a tractor at tickover and acceleration is as slow as fuck, but it’s already paid for itself in fuel savings

[davehedgehog31]

I spend ages scouring ads, then end up settling on a gawping Citroen C5 3.0 V6, well famed for it's simplicity and economy. 

 

2MB, sounds like you've got the same idea as me Sir, that would do nicely.

[fatharris]

Another vote for a 200/25 diesel.

 

59MPG if you're feathering the throttle, and all we've had go wrong in three years is an alternator.

 

Very recommended. Got ours for £600 with 60k on clock and it's the Di model with the electronic injection pump with 110bhp, so fast as balls.

[davehedgehog31]

200/25 is well on the list, others snobbery is my gain.

 

This looks like a well looked after motor, it's not that smoll or a hatchback but it is bleak and diesel.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Polo-1-9-SDI-Diesel-2000-MOT-March-2019/192612136964?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D748bff31c68346019f6c5b1922473d39%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D183141378347%26itm%3D192612136964&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A03aa2ba8-98fa-11e8-84f8-74dbd1800797%7Cparentrq%3A0c14e4a31650aa67c6949a9fffffd066%7Ciid%3A1

 

[cobblers]

a VW 1.9D will do 50mpg no matter what, I had a mk3 golf with one in and drove it like a maniac, absolutely flat out everywhere - I had a 20 mile commute to work that was mainly country lanes - the (tiny) brakes would be smoking every day, and it reliably did 50MPG over months and months. A steady 70mph motorway run would be about 52MPG. Best car I ever owned.

[320touring]

For a character filled drive and 50mpg driving carefully, you need an XUD with a turbo.

 

For 50mpg and a lack of will to live you need a VAG SDI

 

For 60mpg, a temp and the ability to GLF you need a VAG TDI..