[Closed] Fast(ish) petrol estate cars. ??

Got to be some variant of Octavia VRS depending on where you decide your budget lies

RS6

6 cyclinder Legacy

I really like the new octavia vrs and the previous version to an extent however the wife isn't to keen on the previous one.

Buy a cheap little car for your low mileage everyday use and hire a larger car for your longer journeys a few times a year.

I've not done the maths, but you'll probably save on interest payments.

Legacy B4 GTB/RSK

Honda accords come in petrol flavour.

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[chants]Do it, do it, do it, do it![/chant]

Ibiza ST FR?

Current car is 2011 mondeo estate 2.2 tdci

Toyota Avensis estate automatic gear.

Ya, whatever you buy, buy automatic gear ...

how fast is 'fast'?

Octavia that we have (60 plate, 1.4 TSI) is quick enough (for a middle-aged couple with two kids) and can happily transport said family on holidays fully loaded without much palaver. Fuel consumption is good - and that's not an eco / green upgrade version -- around 40 and up to 50 mpg on longer journeys.

We had same requirements - lot of short ish town journeys and then when its used, its 100 / 200 mile journeys. Used to have an equivalent powered saab 900, now have a perfectly decent family estate. Would we swap it? doubt it.

Do you need the VRS bit? economy, insurance, maintenance - also I doubt my wife would have been happy with a VRS variant..

Legacy spec b and spend the rest on [s]hookers and blackjack[/s] petrol and insurance and tax and tyres and petrol

3 series BMW Estate.

The diesels command a fair premium, but the petrols are very good and also economical for their respective sizes. You'll find a 2 litre diesel will average maybe 50mpg, but the 2 litre petrol will still do 40mpg average if you're not too lead footed.

Residuals are always strong on Beemer's too, best time to buy is when it's 4/5 years old, done the bulk of its depreciating but still many years away from major mechanicals. Look after it and it will hold its value better than anything else in the class, and they're nicer to drive than all the competition too.

Only other option I'd consider would be the Octavia VRs. They don't hold their values as well as Beemers, but they're a nice drive (it's essentially a Golf GTi with a bigger body on top). Probably not as economical as an equivalent BMW, but quicker owing to being turbocharged.

Our main cars annual mileage dropped from 25k a year to 10k and we made the switch from new diesel to petrol for similar reasons. I went cheaper and older to help fund a new bike.

Plenty of fast things in all of those budgets, just down to what you are happy spending and how much fuel economy you're happy with sacrificing, 60mpg diesel to 25mpg petrol? Over a year it's fine, but very noticeable on trips which used to be a tank each way.

I'm pretty happy with our remapped petrol octavia vrs. I noticed the other day that the new superb can be had with a 280hp petrol and 4x4.

we are getting roughly 35mpg out of the diesel which is pretty crap to be honest. The best we have got out of it is low 40mpg

Volvo V50/70 T5.
Or a mondeo 2.5T.

kcal

how fast is 'fast'?

In my opinion the threshhold is about 200bhp per tonne. It's subjective of course, but you'd struggle to describe anything over that as slow.

If you're only getting 35 out of the 2.2 tdci engine, then you'll barely hit the twenties in a petrol engines car.

I found the petrol VRS a bit spinny without 4WD, you could only use all the torque in the dry in a straight line.

So you want to sell your current car because it might possibly maybe have an issues at some unknown point in the future ?

mg zt-t 260

Just to add, I went for a mk1 Octavia, 4x4 1.8t, for the extra clearance and grip in fields and on forest tracks, intention is to remap to a bit more than vrs levels once it looks like it'll last. Was £750 and came up at the right moment, was also looking at 850/V70 T5's, old S6, 530/540.

renton - Member

we are getting roughly 35mpg out of the diesel which is pretty crap to be honest. The best we have got out of it is low 40mpg

Just checking but you do know it has a gearbox, right? Mine is the older mk3 2.2 but 60mpg is doable, low 50s is typical. I managed to get it down into the 30s once while charging back and forth along the german road at kinlochleven but I couldn't do it in normal use.

Ha yes I do know it has a gearbox.

Im not sure why its so crap really?

Even on a 10 hour trip down from Elgin to Droitwich we sat on the motorway @ 70mph for a good few hours and the best then was 45mpg.

The wife has never really liked it either so Im using it as an excuse to buy something else.

35mpg? Our LWB T5 camper gets that.
Haven't you had 3 cars in the last 12 months?

Erm nope not me!

You're worrying too much, just use it and once a week go for a longer drive.

Just to add, I went for a mk1 Octavia, 4x4 1.8t

VERY nearly did this myself. Found a couple in good nick for not much more than £1k. The trouble is, petrol engine economy has moved on leaps and bounds since the 1.8t (strong engine as it is), and I know there's no way I would have been able to stop myself going the whole hog on it with uprated suspension, brakes, clutch, hybrid turbo, stage 3 tune etc etc... Which would have ended up being many thousands of £'s spent on a £1k car, not increasing its actual value in any way!

The more sensible thing was the GF does bugger all miles, so she has the "fun" car, an early Audi S3 that has got most of those mods listed above on it already and was someone else's labour of love for many years (picked up for a mere £2300 too), whilst I bought a diesel estate (albeit a BMW 330D).

How about ditching the DPF & EGR & going for an economy map?
They're are a lot on here that will despise you for it, but I know people who have done it & Mpg has gone from 32 to 46 around town & 50-60 on a run, the way I see it the cost of the extra pollution is outweighed by the carbon footprint of another new car on the road.
cheers.

I'd go with option 1, OP.
£5k will get you a nice Passat R36, fast enough for anyone and they sound lush.

Alfa 159 or wait for the Giulia.

Ive thought about the EGR and DPf delete but no one actually does it for me engine plus dpf removal is illeagal now !

Id quite like a passat r36 but they are just as thirsty as my car.

Mboy is right in that newer petrol engines have come on leaps and bounds in mpg. My mate has a newer focus st estate with 250 bhp and he gets 35mpg out of that all day long and upto 42 on a run.

[i]£5k will get you a nice Passat R36, fast enough for anyone and they sound lush. [/i]

None on Autotrader, and this is a man that is concerned about future costs..., next someone will be recommending an Alfa 🙂

R36 is a good shout. Always liked them and they're quite rare and as noted sound quality!

If you're thinking of a fastish Beemer be careful of E91 models with the N53 engine (325i and 330i) after '09 ish if you're trying to avoid repair bills as the injectors are made of cheese. I replaced two on mine before getting shot and they're about 200 quid a pop at the moment just for the part before labour and any other problems caused when they go (I had to get an oil service when one of mine went after fuel contaminated it). They also have a thing for coils. 335i is nice but then you have turbos to go wrong and they have a thing for high pressure fuel pumps.

I am about to put my RS 6 up for sale [URL= http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/mk1chris/RS6/52BDD5DA-EA6B-457B-A377-D364D17FAFCD.jp g" target="_blank">http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z105/mk1chris/RS6/52BDD5DA-EA6B-457B-A377-D364D17FAFCD.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

GetDis....

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OrDis...
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Legnum - Jap Import of the Galant - plenty change from 5k to spend on the petrol for it.

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didnt you post this same thread last year -

only changing from an automatic Smax to something else .....

I suggest buying something thats NOT fast and then driving sensibly if money and fuel economy are your concerns.

The speedlimit is 70 afterall.

A hire car.

Buy a pre 57 530i Sport Touring. NA, no injector problems, proven engine and gearbox.

Renton you've pretty much described what my next car will be. Never had a diesel as I do less than 10k a year. My commute is only 10 miles a day so economy isn't the highest priority either. I'd be looking for a 2.0 vtec Accord or a 2.5 Subaru Legacy myself.

I've had my current 2.0 V-Tec Honda for just over 10 years! It is unbelievably good and despite the last model Accord being fugly I genuinely can't see past it for anything in the 5-7k price range.

Even on a 10 hour trip down from Elgin to Droitwich we sat on the motorway @ 70mph for a good few hours and the best then was 45mpg.

Are you carrying breeze blocks? Took son down to Glasgow, so three adults of us in car and all loaded too, about 46 and 48 mpg for both legs of the trip. What the hell are you doing ? !! seriously!

And that's the Mk. II Octavia, not the more recent with blue technology..

Legnum - Jap Import of the Galant - plenty change from 5k to spend on the petrol for it.

Still: £2-3k, 280+bhp, 0-60 in 5.5s, acres of space in the boot - it's a good shout. Horrendous on fuel though.

Our 4motion tiguan that has the aerodynamics of a brick will average 50mpg on a long road cruise.

As someone else said here - 4 to 5 long trips a year. I'd be looking to a hire car.

I have a diesel that does 15K a year. Although almost all motorway trips - never had a egr/dpf issue with the last 3 cars.

For the local stuff we have a 2.4 Honda accord MK VIII. Seems fine even with short trips and is OK on longer trips too. Sounds like you need a N/A petrol.

Volvo XC60, 2litre 302bhp
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g2292/10-cars-with-the-highest-specific-outputs/

[quote="Chewkw"]
Ya, whatever you buy, buy automatic gear ...you on crack?
Last thing you want on a second hand car is an auto if you don't want large unexpected bills.

V70 2.4 petrol here, 54 plate owned for 5 years and abused by the wife for her business.
Awesome continent crossing comfort, dirt cheap to buy used, reliable apart from being heavy on suspension components, genuine parts are sensible priced and the car is easy to spanner on.
Averages approx 26-27mpg doing short trips and mid 30's on a m-way run.

we think thats the reason for his random non sensical outbursts such as the above ghostlymachine.

A 6cyl BMW touring, your budget will most likely be pre lci so no injector issues.

ghostlymachine - Member

Chewkw »
Ya, whatever you buy, buy automatic gear ...

you on crack?
Last thing you want on a second hand car is an auto if you don't want large unexpected bills.

What to go wrong?

trail_rat - Member

we think thats the reason for his random non sensical outbursts such as the above ghostlymachine.

Not a random outbursts as I just prefer automatic gear.

Most cars in the far east are automatic gear now and they are as reliable as other gearing systems.

Pros and cons - personally I'd go for an auto too.

If you're only doing short trips with the odd long one thrown in, then just get small/cheap/reliable hatchback.

Obviously you'll have loads more money to spend on fun things; they're better for the environment, nicer/more fun to drive (especially on short journeys), and they don't have that tragic "cool/macho dad" image problem either.

I'd get an automatic beemer estate.

[quote="Chewkw"]and they are as reliable as other gearing systems.Definitely crack. They are about 20% less reliable across the industry, during the life of the car. Not to mention significantly more expensive to fix or replace. And while reliability is improving, repair costs are increasing.

Having had a DSG box for almost 4 years, I'd be peeved to go back to 3 pedals and a puddin' stick.

ghostlymachine - Member

Definitely crack. They are about 20% less reliable across the industry, during the life of the car. Not to mention significantly more expensive to fix or replace. And while reliability is improving, repair costs are increasing.

Which is largely offset by the lack of the need to replace clutches every 50-70k miles.

FWIW I have an A3 3.2 DSG, I mean what could possibly go wrong? Long runs give just over 30 MPG, I average 26-7 MPG & I enjoy driving 😛

They are about 20% less reliable across the industry, during the life of the car.

Interesting, but is a clutch considered a consumable, and so not covered by those figures?

Edit: what 2unfit said

you'd be right as clutch plate is a consumable.

its just that they last till the rest of the car fails most folk and the other % are just too short sighted to fix it.

molgrips is your guy to speak to when your VAG autobox goes bleugh - he can repair your control box 😉

50-70k ...... i see why you like autoboxes.....

Sounds like the same scenario as wen I had this...........
[IMG] [/IMG]

Great car

Focus ST Estate

That 45 mpg was a fully loaded car with nothing on the roof and Sat at 70mph on cruise control with the wife driving.

ghostlymachine - Member
Chewkw » and they are as reliable as other gearing systems.

Definitely crack. They are about 20% less reliable across the industry, during the life of the car.

How long is the life of a car with automatic gear?

Are you going to keep your car for ever? Let's say it is a bit like "consumable" unlike a non-classic car.

You lot are changing cars like changing mtb gearing ... so are you going to keep the car forever?

Like I said in the far east everyone drives an automatic gear car so if it is not reliable they will drop it like a sack of potatoes without thinking twice. Bear in mind income is low over there and they cannot afford to change/invest in a car every 5 years or so.

My boy racer mate, formerly a car mechanic, advised me the automatic gear box must be changed once it reaches certain mileage even when the oil looks clean. This is to ensure the life of the gearbox remains good.

Ask her to disengage the handbrake next time.

Whats the budget Renton?

The Flying Ox - Member
I'd go with option 1, OP.
£5k will get you a nice Passat R36, fast enough for anyone and they sound lush.

Unfortunately you won't get one under £10k, I've been looking at them for a while as a cheaper alternative to an RS4 Audi. The estates seem to be rarer than the saloons and command a premium, they seem to be about £12k with reasonable mileage and I think they're DSG only which would worry me as the car got older.

The Octavia VRS is probably the best choice sub £10k, although there are potential issues with the timing chain tensioner that destroys the engine. I don't know enough about the issue or if it has been resolved by a revised tensioner, so the BriSkoda forum would be your best bet for research. I've got the pre-facelift version with the older engine with a cambelt rather than chain. It's not the most exciting car, but is fairly quick and comfortable. I can get mpg in high 30s on a longer run, but it's pretty bad on short journeys, mid to high 20s at best, although the newer cars are supposed to be about 10% more economical.

If you're buying new, the Seat Leon ST looks good, but I can't comment on how they drive.

Only on stw will someone ask about "fast" cars and get a suggestion of a 1.4 octavia. And then a suggestion that 5k will buy a "good" r36.

The answer to your question op is that if you can figure out how to work your gears and get more than 45mpg on a run then get an auto. In which case I'll recommend a BMW 330i. I had one. Loved it.

Frankly, I'm surprised we've managed to get to page 2 without any mention of a vaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!

😀

Daveyboywonder...... We both know how to drive thanks very much and this isn't our first diesel.

In fact in our old 60 plate Mazda 6 2.2 we always got above 50mpg no matter how we drove it.

I went from my 330 to my t5. It's a much more relaxing driving experience.

Get a van.

Sane here Renton. I had the same 2.2 in my old Mondeo ST and thrashed the living daylights out if it for 35000 miles and it rarely showed less than 50mpg.

Only on stw will someone ask about "fast" cars and get a suggestion of a 1.4 octavia.

That'd be me then. Perhaps if the OP drew a Venn diagram of requirements, budget and driving patterns (plus opinions on maintenance, fuel economy) it'd be clearer. One man's fast is another's perfectly adequate. I was merely saying than in terms of quickness, 1.4 Octavia is - not lightning quick, but more than adequate on roads round here.

FWIW if the OP states - "We are only doing very short journeys of around 5 miles per day and longer at the weekend but also need a big car for when we travel south to the midlands 4 or 5 times a year."

then a 'fast' car seems a bit out of place, no? ach...

cant see any mention of what the offending car is either.....

also interesting OP

"Due to a change in circumstances we need to swap our diesel estate for a petrol version so as we don't suffer with the egr and dpf issues that seem to plague modern diesel cars.

We have a couple of options....

1, sell our car and pay off the loan and buy an older estate car with the rest of the money (about 5k)"

So im going to sell my car that might go wrong in its old age - and spend 5k and own a car that nearly at the age/milage where it might go wrong......

IMO 5k is the magic number to get a car that comes with baggage - at less than 2k i will walk away from big issues - at 5k the fast family estate is not new enough to have a warrenty worth the paper its written on and its too expensive to walk away from it when theres an expensive issue.....you might get lucky - but going by the OPs previous car related posts and his luck when looking - it will likely blow up at 3 months and 1 day .....

Daveyboywonder.... The 2.2 in the old st mondeo is completely different to the version in my car and wasn't strangled by emmisons kit like mine is.

Plenty of folk over on talk Ford complaining about poor mpg on the mk4 mondeo with the 2.2 being the worst engine.

Trailrat the car is a 2011 mondeo titanium x sport 2.2 tdci.

I have no regrets getting rid of the petrol smax we had previous to this but since we have had this car the mpg seems to be getting worse.

Plus now there is talk of diesel being phased out it seems the ideal time to move to a newer far more efficient petrol engined car.

The question is which one ??

[quote=renton ]now there is talk of diesel being phased out 🙄