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So after the advice of the STWers and yet more trawling of autotrader, it seems whilst i can't get a decent diesel for under £1000 there are plenty of petrol ones about, but the cost of a 1.8 against a turbo charged 2.5 is very little (insurance is about an extra £100).
The boy racer in me is getting all hot and sweaty about getting a turbo version whilst the Dad in me is suggesting the more sedate 1.8 will do just fine.
So assuming i do all the usual checks for smoke, strange noises etc is getting say a volvo 850 2.5 T asking for trouble?
Only when you get to the petrol station - may be a little thirsty depending on how you drive.
Front tyres wear out quickly as well....
Well I've got Focus ST which has the T5 engine and it is a bit on the thirsty side, 31mpg cruising on dual carridgeway and about 20mpg with purely town driving. With the heavier bulk of the Volvo I'd expect the fuel economy to be worse. Unless you really need to cart a load of stuff about I'd probably go for the 1.8, as the cost of fuel will be less. The T5 engine does sound really nice though and is torquey as hell 😉