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My 2009 Mondeo is on 152,000 miles now and we've owned for 4 years. But thinking that 150k+ is about a realistic length before things start going wrong has led me to 'need a new motor' syndrome.
Went to view and test drive a Xsara Picasso today, I have good memories of ours from the past. But sadly it was horrific to drive. Really bad. Turned terribly, clunky, noisy 1.6 petrol) and even the boot was way way smaller than I remembered.
We looked at a Mondeo Estate which apart from being over budget was nice enough, that led me to thinking, well an estate may be the perfect plan for MTB stuff.
The current Mondeo is a 2.0 petrol which gets about 36 mpg average. Wouldn't really like to go lower than that if I can help it.
Would ideally like to stay with petrol too, maybe even an auto.
The only downside to current Mondeo is road noise, but we're wondering how much is purely down to tyres as my mechanic noted the noisyness of it and commented, which is funny as it was him who got them fitted. From what I can see they're Kenda Kaiser.
Another requirement either pre purchase or post, but ideally pre, is a towbar, we need that for motorbike duties and taking bikes to the Alps.
Today on eBay I've considered a Mondeo, Passat, Avensis. But I know very little about cars.
I'm doing 15,000 a year on average and would like less than 100k on it at purchase.
Phew, that was a lot.
At that budget, I'd say put your money in a savings account and wait for something to go wrong, could easily last years with nothing major.
I got a 2013 Megane 1.5 diesel estate last year for £2900,
I'd previously had a 07 version.
Cant really fault it, 48mpg average.
It isnt as big as a Mondeo.
STW answer: Octavia?
Otherwise Avensis, Passat or Mondeo
Unless current car has any problems (which can't be fixed relatively cheaply), why bother?
As I say, it's on 150,000+ miles, cars have a finite life really. It has no issues currently, it's a little thirsty on oil, but I can live with that.
The main logic for changing is to go to something with lower miles basically
But then you'd be going into a complete unknown, especially at the 3k mark. Your new 3k car might go bang on day 2 whereas your Mondeo might be good for 250k.
I'd wait until your current car actually gets a repair bill you feel is too much.
Or if you just want a new car, then get one. But don't expect it to be more reliable.
3grand cars are prime price for something to go wrong that's bloody expensive to fix but you kinda have to to not lose 3grand.
Your current car might go wrong but it would be an easier decision
I have no great desire for a new car, cars are fairly unimportant in my world other than as a mode of getting to work and stuff.
There we go.
Keep it maintain it. Stick 3grand in an account.
When the bills get steep sell it cheap and draw down your fund.
Welcome to bangergnomics
Have a look at Mazda 6 estate petrol. Mondeo floor pan I think but Japanese and reliable.
If, as you say, cars are fairly unimportant to you - stick with what you've got.
Another if...recent services haven't required anything much beyond the standard service schedule and last MOT was ok with no notable advisories there is no mech/elec reason to change; it's your personal preference.
You're right in saying that cars have finite lives - but there's nothing to suggest yours has reached that point.
You could have towbar fitted to current car.
You say you don't know much about cars; that being the case, I wouldn't use ebay - only a personal view.
Japanese and reliable
The Mondeo has cost me nothing but pads and discs in the last 65,000 miles, along with your usual £150 service
You could have towbar fitted to current car.
I do
for <£3k you'll struggle to find anything in significantly better condition than your current Mondeo. In fact, checking Autotrader, £3k will get you a 2009 Mondeo Estate with 160k miles on the clock. So either double your budget or stick with what you have.
Mate has a 2013 530d touring for £3k...
Did I mention it's done 311K...🤡
The Mondeo has cost me nothing but pads and discs in the last 65,000 miles, along with your usual £150 service
And there is your answer.
30-40 years ago cars were lucky to get to 100k. Nowadays motorways and improved design and build means that mileage need not be the harbinger of doom as it used to be 😁
So that's wear parts only in 65k miles - not bad - so, as others have also said.....stick with what you have unless you really want to replace it.
I'm not familiar with Kenda tyres but a quick look at performance reviews suggests that, at best, they're average - noisy, as you said, and not good in wet conditions; you might want to ask your mechanic why he recommended them.
If its not a rust bucket, keep it! (saying that, I sold a nice Mondeo Estate but it was worth £9k, it was always a pain to park in our terraced street (it was longer than the houses were wide!) and it was a diesel so it was a constant waiting game of will it be injectors or DMF first (both approx £1k repair bills on the TDCi!)
I'd keep it running and see how high you can get it. I have worked my way round our car and replaced all the bushes, shocks and springs to keep it running nice. It had a few electrical niggles when we first bought it on about 60k, 120k later and its not really had any faults apart from the air con clutch (which just needed a shim removing so was a free fix) and a known clutch weakness which was mostly covered by goodwill from the manufacturer.
P.S - All season tyres are often quieter than summer tyres, different compound. And as the same suggests, they are good for all year in the UK.
How clean is that 530d?
Has it had new turbos , injectors and tailgate wiring loom by now , should have had 2 turbos as they only seem to do 150k, ditto injectors.
Is he open to offers???????
it was a diesel so it was a constant waiting game of will it be injectors or DMF first (both approx £1k repair bills on the TDCi!
I previously had a diesel one and sold it due to dpf issues that were showing impending doom and costs.
Hate to sound like a broken record, but keep the mondeo.
£3k is not a great price to buy at, not cheap enough that if it gets a 4 figure bill you can just scrap it, but nowhere near new enough to not have issues.
If your current car has had zero issues in the last 65k miles then reliability isn't a good reason to change, and it sounds like it meets your needs in every other way too.
Cheap day then!
You all realise, if it breaks down half way to the Alps, Mrs Weeksy is blaming you lot.
Agree with people saying save and keep.
If mileage is your major concern then you can find mk3 mondeos with way less miles for that in this budget... But they'll be older, and being mondeos they'll be crustier, which isn't an issue until you need to do some routine piece of maintenance and it needs a nuclear strike to loosen the bolts. The 130 and 155 diesels are superb a road and motorway wafters, especially with the 6 speed, since they're barely above idle at 60. But, I wouldn't.
Avensis? Accord?
I previously had a diesel one and sold it due to dpf issues that were showing impending doom and costs.
There’s a ford patent dpf that costs about £350 to source and fit by a non dealer specialist.
There’s a ford patent dpf that costs about £350 to source and fit by a non dealer specialist.
I was getting errors on the display that they couldn't diagnose even with their super reader, all pointing to dpf stuff, whatever it was the garage quoted me £1100 (non main dealer) to sort, so it was shipped out. It's irrelevant now though as I sold it 4 years ago lol.
How clean is that 530d?
Has it had new turbos , injectors and tailgate wiring loom by now , should have had 2 turbos as they only seem to do 150k, ditto injectors.
Is he open to offers???????
Oh, didn’t think anyone would be interested in this..
Rear air springs have been changed, all discs and pads about 1k ago, oil leak from one of the things at the back of the engine has been fixed, think the clocks have gone haywire once or twice, but fixed..
Hes retiring in Mar, buying a little 1ltr diesel thingumybob so mentioned his “know anyone.. ??” Last week..
Our 54 plate Volvo is on 190k miles, I spanner it myself so it gets well looked after. I aim to keep it for a million miles better I sell it.
The only reason to ditch a car for me is if rust kills it.
If you keep it and it breaks down halfway to the Alps, it's our fault.
If you get another car that promptly breaks down halfway to the Alps, that will be your fault.
You truly cannot lose here!
Weeksy - if you replaced it and the new one broke down en-route to the Alps, you would get in the neck from Mrs W on the basis that '....there was nothing wrong with the old one; why did you have to get rid of it?'.
I suspect that none of the posts are from pro mechanics but you might have just saved yourself c£3k....
Do you have european breakdown and relay cover? 😉
The only reason to ditch a car for me is if rust kills it.
Come on let's see another photo of the legendary wagon.
Do you have european breakdown and relay cover?
Sure do, well we do for the trips not for the year.
You're good to go!
Furthermore OP, you’re saving circa £3k, on a win win as far as reasoning to the good lady goes AND, more importantly, the Pool are 13 points clear, game in hand and have a greater goal difference by 3 advantage 😁
AND... @binners has taken to sarcasm on the footy thread which only means that the Man U’s are not liking how it used to be 😉
Keep it
Mazda 6 when it goes pop
Keep it. Bank the cash.
I agree about the savings account. It might last ages. Then find a mechanic you know and trust. Or your mates trust Ask him what to get. Mine found me a lovely diesel A4, 105000 I am very pleased. Cost me 4K tho.
@Bikebouy
Still interested , pics if poss or reg no would be good
I guess is in London ?
Can you borrow it for a weekend?
@molgrips would say, "stick with the devil you know and spend on it, rather than getting the devil you don't know, and never being able to gauge what you will need to spend next". I have taken that on board and accepted the fact that, even though I would have preferred to refresh my car at least a year ago, there is really no reason to do so.
I’ve recently been looking for a change in car with the exact same specs and price. There are very few petrol estates around, even less with an auto - all the autos seem to be problematic ones as it’s the period when they tried to all fancy with gearboxes rather than stick with reliable torque converter boxes.
The cars I narrowed it down to after a lot of research were a 2.0 litre manual mondeo estate, a 2.0 litre auto Honda Accord estate or a 2.0 or 3.0 (3.0 are ultra reliable but thirsty) Subaru Legacy estate. Looked at BMW’s but they are all intergalactic mileage, wouldn’t touch a VAG group car as all knackered, unreliable and overpriced with poor petrol engines.
Even considered a Subaru Forester which look really useful.
Couldn’t really find anything I’d take a risk on swapping my 23 year old estate which has done 183000 miles and has passed the last 3 MOTs with no advisories and still runs super smooth - 18mpg around town stings though!!
Normal petrol mk3 and mk4 mondeos just aren't as good as the bigger diesels imo. Not as nice to drive, not as economic. And the V6 makes nice noises but it's heavy and the performance is still pretty weak. I'll recommend it because I bought it, but, the mk3 2.2 diesel is the best mondeo imo. It's huge, it's cheap, the economy is better than the 2 litre, and the performance is decent- it's not fast but it pulls really well. And they're not much more expensive to buy, reason being, nobody even thinks of them when they're shopping.
2 litre NA legacy is, imo, a bit shit. I love my turbo one with LPG, it's an uncanny blend of practical and ridiculous. But the nonturbo models basically keep most of the foibles of the turbos- poor mpg, thirst for oil, not especially reliable- and match it to pretty weak performance, I just can't really see what they're for. Forester is way smaller than it looks, you can get a lot of car for not a lot of money but the boot is disappointing. So, frankly, is the legacy's but at least it's big and disappointing.
STW answer: Octavia?
Not if the only criteria is road noise, my Mk2 was horrendous.
The only reason to ditch a car for me is if rust kills it.
Come on let’s see another photo of the legendary wagon.
The ultimate bike transporter and fanny magnet - the Mk1 Nissan Prairie. Who says you can't buy style?
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Agree with Northwind about the Forester. I've got a 58 plate 2.5 turbo and it's one of the best cars I've owned so far. The boot is smaller than I expected, but I use a tow bar for the bikes and just use the boot for kit.
Thirsty bugger though which isn't helped with the tiny fuel tank. I've had a few niggles sorted on it in the first year, but nothing major and it went through the MOT with just the chips in the windscreen as an advisory.
As I say, it’s on 150,000+ miles, cars have a finite life really.
Not really. A car isn't a single item, it's a collection of parts each of which has its own finite life.
You wouldn't throw out a bike because the frame bearings had gone, would you?
Cars and bikes are very different in terms of potential expense IME. Bikes cost £30 here £40 there to keep running, cars are £££££ way way more if something goes wrong.
The budget is £3k- how much on top of that would fitting a tonar be as well?
Rusty - is the Hope sticker on the door because you need it every time you get in the car?
If this is turning in a Subaru owners love in, love my outback but definitely don’t recommend a boxxer diesel.
I just got very very lucky with a goodwill short block replacement from Subaru, otherwise it was written off at 125k...
That's the point weekday.
What's your current car worth to you now. Does it owe you anything? Are you happy you have had what you paid out of it.
If a bill for a grand came in would you happily get rid of the car?
Now buy a car for 3grand if that same bill comes in let's say a cat needs replaced something that will trash the value to anyone else, you're stuck with paying it.
It's all a balance but big bills are easy to deal with if you know the cars history and what else has been done.
You might drive your repaired new car out the garage and have the timing belt snap.
So basically I'd keep your current car until it gives you a reason rather than get rid of it incase it does.
cost £30 here £40
Says the man who's never broken an xtr mech on the first ride
Boxer engines (Subaru) = a big no when you are DIY spannering/bangernomics due to having two head gaskets. One head gasket is enough on an older car - why complicate it.
Sounds like your car is the same as my mondeo. I’m sticking with it for a good while yet. It did have an exhaust gas temp failure which caused Sooting and £1100 to repair but I know it’s good. I’ve been in few of its more modern equivalents recently and apart from entertainment system, none are as big, practical or smooth. German stuff is expensive, sporty suspension is harsh. Vauxhall is noisy and dullest drive ever. Hyundai have consistently noisy rear bearings. Peugeot’s And Citroen are
cool but small. Volvos too expensive.