[Closed] What diesel estate..!

I was always led to believe the Mondeo Estate was the one to beat?

[i]I was always led to believe the Mondeo Estate was the one to beat?[/i]

Yeah but that's a Ford!

i bought an accord last year and its not been quite what i hoped reliability wise for a then 4yr old car - Manifold, Calipers, discs and pads, bushings, now alternator or AC compressor gone, maybe unlucky.

Otherwise its economic and massive just expensive to insure.

All the Passats that i looked at for around 6K had been through a lot of owners, you might struggle at that budget so possibly best with a mondeo.

Think the Avensis is the one for reliability if you can handle the looks and/or afford

V50 sport wagons are okay, my missus has a 2.0D[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-VOLVO-V50-T5-SE-SPORT-AUTO-METALLIC-GREY-CREAM-LEATHER-/261111762927?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3ccb794fef ]just like this[/url]

Passat estate here. Done 80k miles in 3.5 yrs. No problems, long service intervals (20k), comfy, dull. But then I don't want excitement, I want to get places un-stressed.

Great for piling all sorts of crap into. Bikes on roof if more than 2. Only trouble is I tend to end up the 'designated driver' for weekends away with the lads!

Yeah V50 looks nice, bit to much mileage on that particular one but one to bear in mind. As far as Passats go, i have found an 2006 TDI sport £4K (70k miles)only prob is it 2.5 hrs from my house and the recent service history and cam belt change is not documented so no proof of when or if it was done....

I got a 56 plate vectra estate 150 SRI two months ago for just under £4k. Brilliant car so far, a bit thirsty around town but will average 60mpg on the motorway. Overall returning 45-50mpg combined.

Massive boot - I managed to get a desk in the back without folding down the rear seats! with the seats down it holds a huge amount of stuff.

So far really impressed; built in sat nav & car bluetooth. excellent condition and low (75k) mileage. pretty chuffed with my purchase so far.

Something with a good sized boot

that rules out the A4, BMW 3-series Touring and Volvo V50. Trust me, I know a big boot when I try squeezing my drums into one, and these three don't cut the mustard.

What's wrong with Ford?
Mondeo, Accord, Vectra have the biggest boots AFAIK.

Or you could go for something like a Citroen Berlingo if boot space is paramount. It is basically a van with windows & seats, so not blessed with kerb presence

From what ive seen Mondeos look mahoosive but they all have mega mileage.

Golf estate...quietly understated, love ours.

Second Golf estate, have a mk3 tdi. Later ones look smaller esp mk5 & 6. Drove my dad's 55 plate passat estate and it felt wallowy in comparison. Can get 3 people and 3 bikes in the mk3 but will be checking what I can get in a later one before I buy one.

Golf looks nice. Would like to check one out.

Passat on the Classifieds at the mo. (Not mine, or anyone I know).

john_drummer - Member
Something with a good sized boot
that rules out the A4, BMW 3-series Touring and Volvo V50. Trust me, I know a big boot when I try

Exactly this, I've got a V50 and the boot's not as big as you'd think.

Mondeo is superb as a biker's car- loadbay is collosal, wide long and reasonably tall. And they're pretty well bolted together too. And good value- £5K should get you a very nice one.

They also drive surprisingly well, considering they're massive. Mine is a '55 plate with 100K on the clock, so it's a wee bit baggy but still good fun in twisty roads etc, but the only word I can use to describe its motorway cruising is imperious :mrgreen:. That's the 2.2 TDCI but the 2.0s are still good.

(on that subject- the 2.2 is a bit scarcer but there's really very little drawback to it. Tax is slightly higher but my insurance quote was almost identical, and the economy's only worse if you decide to use the extra torks.)

On the other hand it's a bugger to park- physically doesn't fit in many parking spaces!

VAG estates tend to suffer from inferior usability- stuff like encroaching wheel arches, high boot lips. We had a Passat for a long time, and it was great til it went senile (all the electrics schitzed out after it got damp one winter) but the boot was really unimpressive, you could get more stuff in my Focus never mind the Mondeo.

Actually that's true of quite a lot of decent size estates. I think maybe having had a mk1 Focus has skewed my expectations a bit, since it was inexplicably vast inside.

An older BMW 5 series, I've had mine a yr now and I love it, done 104k and feels like a new car to be honest and on motorways heading for the hills the computer my amount of miles left I tank generally goes up!

Never been a Ford fan but must admit i like the more receny Mondeos. Whats reliabilty like ?

Saab 93!

My 2001 Passat has not been without its problems, one thing for sure is that it's bloody tough; It is always overloaded and doesn't seem to mind quarter of a ton on the roof! I need to replace it soon.
Maybe my perception of Fords needs updating from the 1980s ones where you could bend the whole roof with mere thumb pressure. Are they butch enough nowadays to pass the Chickenman test?

shanta - Member

Whats reliabilty like ?

Haven't had mine long enough tbh. Service history says pretty good- no heroic measures. I replaced a split turbo hose (age related) and bypassed the EGR valve but that's all it's had from me other than oil changes. Handbrakes seize, though. And they have the usual diesel achilles heels with an extra dash of injector failure.

was always led to believe the Mondeo Estate was the one to beat?

Yeah but that's a Ford!

Ford. More exclusive than BMW these days..... 8)

Mazda 6

Jaguar X type estate?

I have a 2006 Passat. I've spent 1500 quid getting the electronic brake fixed, the DMF is pretty much a consumable item, the electrics developed a fault that took the dealership a week to diagnose and the boot isn't exactly massive.
Apart from that, it's been smashing.

Yeah avoid passats...the golfs where its at...mkiv owner, great space, v cheap to run..getting 50 mpg average and even the 100bhp spec isn't slow...great all round motor. Even got 53 mpg fully loaded back from scotland..kid plus missus plus whole heap of crap being transported after a week away...and o wasn't crawling at 65 either.

Are you only looking at German Shanta?

93 sportwagon, the most comfortable seat I've ever sat in for piling in the miles, not the biggest loadspace but better than v50's etc

@ pimpmaster- Initially was after an A4 s-line but after several weeks looking i am resigned to lowering my sights hence the Passat but even they are hard to find with good mileage etc so open to whatever i suppose...

Honda d'Accord

If it was my money i'd go with this: -

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201231480440922/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/price-to/5000/price-from/1000/body-type/estate/fuel-type/diesel/make/audi/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/cf336dz/radius/1501/page/1?logcode=p ]Audi A4 2.5tdi Quattro[/url]

A4 Avant isn't an estate - boot is not much bigger than saloon. I have a 3 Series Tourer which is a similar sized 'estate' and the boot is not much use for big loads. Dunno in volume terms, but it holds about half as much stuff as a Mondeo Saloon boot.

My old A4 B6 Avant (Same as above) was fine for biking, regulary had 3 bikes in the back (Wheels removed of course!). As a measure I could fit more in the A4 Avant than I could in my A6 saloon. It's quite a lot bigger than than the A4 Saloon version (Which did not come with 40/60 split seats until the face lift 2005+).

I was only joking about it being a Ford....which are very good cars. People are such badge snobs these days.

I've had a Mondeo Estate for 7 years and it's been faultless. wear and tear parts are cheap. It's a no brainer if you want cheap, reliable and a decent drive. It just depends if you can live with a 'gray car'.

How about a good old boring Ford Focus estate TDCI good boot, wheels out and frame fits across with wheels in behind. purchased min with 91,000 (05 plate) now done nearly 140,000 and apart from running costs and services its never missed a beat. ave around 49mpg comfy, not fussy but has all the toys you really need.spends some time off road as I do farm work. cost be 4K
I will have another when I change this one next year and then I will get the £30 road tax bonus.

I was in a Skoda Superb TDI today - HUGE!!!!! It was like a limo

If space is what you're after, worth a look.

Mondeo every time for me. I've got a 54 plate that does 50mpg at 80mph, drives better than most, very well screwed together compared to VAG's I've driven. I've done 70k in it so far and only wear & test stuff gone

My neighbour has a diesel Passat estate as a company car.He does quite a few miles but the car has cost thousands to keep on the road.
Electronic handbrake faulty 3 times,and most recently an electronic problem in the steering column which was a £600 fix.Its off the road again at the moment with a worn out clutch and the replacement parts are £700 without the labour.
I've got a Mk3 Mondeo TDCI and its been really good.No DPF or cam belt,but the clutch is a DMF so could be costly.With the Haynes manual you can do most of the stuff yourself and parts are easy to get.
I'm looking to change it soon and i'm being drawn to the newer Mondeo or possibly something Japanese like a Mazda 6 or Toyota.

I've had a focus and an Astra est. both very good cars, the focus was the nicer drive, 1800tdi.
Recently bought a 2006 merc c220 cdi sport. Really good drive, comfy and a quite decent sized boot. It is doing about 34mpg on short journeys. The best value for money imo compared to the fords & vauxhalls ect. I think it was over £40k new, but only a grand more 2nd hand than £12-£20k new cars.

A6 TDI Quattro 100,000 miles and trouble free, our 2.7 SE was less money than a similarly specced A4 at the time as so many the features were standard spec vs options on the A4. The Audis aren't the most spacious but are very capable mile munchers and with 4wd the grip is fantastic. I'm a VAG fan and for the budget I'd suggest you scout around for a A4/A6/Passat or the wild arc perhaps an Octavia. Golf estates are a bit quirky and rare so hard to find perhaps.

I've got one of the older Passat estates (pre-stupid handbrake)- 130 TDi SE. Done 130,000 miles with no probs. It's quick enough but not exactly exciting to drive - but then it's a diesel estate and i bought it chiefly because of the wide, low loading lip that lets me easily lift bikes in and out of the boot. Seems amazing to me that I can only expect 1500-1800 quid for it s/h - a lot of car for the money.

My sister's Ford Focus estate has been an expensive nightmare. Personally, for that money, I'd always go for as simple (read: old) a car as feasible.

Lots to look at there then....best the the Autotrader out!

Cheers all, great response..

Another shout here for the focus tdci.. mine has been a fantastic motor. Good space.. cheap to run.. brilliant fuel economy.. low emissions.

Audi A4s are very compact cars, tiny in fact and the estate isn't very spacious. The Passat estate is a fantastic car, we've had 2 kids, 2 adults and 4 bikes in ours and we regularly manage 3 + 3. I had a Passat B6 (the PD engine) for 4 years and nothing went wrong with it at all, the only fault is the tendency to wear the insides of the rear tyres, which become noisy and dvelop a sawtooth pattern after 40,000 miles. I had a battle with VW over it and they weren't willing to admit there's a problem. I now have the Passat B7 with the common-rail diesel and it's even better than the B6, if that's possible. Fantastic on the motorway and loads of power. Fuel consumption over 12,000 miles, mostly commuting, is 48.6 mpg overall.

Ford Focus estate TDCI .......... ave around 49mpg

49mpg? Is that all? Christ that's crap.
I imagine that's your trip computer figure, and that's only 6-7mpg more then our petrol Focus computer figure.

Mondeo here. got a 2.2 TDCI ST Estate had it 3 years my wife puts 20k a year on it and only wear and tear parts.

We have also got a 11 plate TDCI Focus average over 340000 miles 54mpg could be better and prob get 60-70 mpg on a run.

I prefer the mondeo as it is a bigger car has all the toys, loads of boot space great car for the money.

2.2 Mondeo too, no problems and echo what Northwind and Wolvesdug have said. I've looked at changing cars a few times just for something newer/better brand but nothing has come close to it other than a 5 series and the running costs of them are much more than the Mondeo. I'll stick with what I have until it dies which is going to be long way off.

Go drive a few, while your at it try a Merc, you might be supprised what you can get for your money.

PeterPoddy - Member

49mpg? Is that all? Christ that's crap.

If you both drive the same roads in the same way, then I'm sure your comparison is very useful. Oh you don't? Ah well.

what about a Skoda fabia or octavia estate? seem pretty good to me, and cheaper than VW or Audi?

Yeah Octavia seems the no brainer option to me (can't see you getting a Superb for that money but a mark 2 Octavia should be within budget with decent mileage).

Fabia's a nice small estate. Octavia makes pretty bad use of its space, and has an irritatingly raised boot sill. I looked at them for a while and everything else was right about them but that put me off- a trial loading with a couple of bikes showed it up as being less capable than a Focus despite being bigger.

That was Mk1s, mind, haven't been in the boot of a Mk2 but it looks similiar.

Avensis estate?

Dull as ditchwater, but mine (bought with relability in mind rather than anything else) is growing on me, it's far better than I was expecting, being quiet, comfortable, suprisingly quick etc - it's just no B road hero.

I was after a second hand tdi Passat, when I walked past a mk4 tdi Golf estate, £2k cheaper and had all the toys on 6cd,a/c,comp,cruise,130bhp)
with only 40k on the clock going for less than £5k!

Now 4 years on its done 100k, swapped it from long service intivals to std and not had a single problem with it yet!

Feels like it could do another 100k

Its avg mpg over the 60k has been 49mpg! not bad for mostly b roads and town driving.

On the motorway, it will hit 65mpg and can get 700 miles out of a tank.

Only neg. point is it rolls like a boat in the bends 😉

surely to get nr a tdi on economy, a petrol engine has to be driven like a complete pussy - thats the true benefit of diesel, lowish revs, torque, progress with economy. current car is my first diesel and it is massively better than any petrol ive ever owned bar a 1.0l polo, but that was slow and had no torque for hill/loads etc...diesel is simply much nicer.

It's no good to listen to e-net stories, as all cars do break at some point. Recently I was in the same position as OP and my choice was Octavia, Mondeo titX, Passat.
Octavia was sensible but costing same monies as passat and boot smaller ruled it out for me. Ford titX estate was huge and well specced but quality of interior wasn't to my liking. Ended up with 58 passat cr TDI.
Oh and honestjohn.co.uk did clear up picture on reliability as well as lurking model specific forums.

pimpmaster- Initially was after an A4 s-line but after several weeks looking i am resigned to lowering my sights hence the Passat but even they are hard to find with good mileage etc so open to whatever i suppose...

Only ask because there's larger boots in similar size cars in the VAG group (such as the Octy or Golf, both based on the A3 floorplan). However I think most I'd suggest have been covered since my previous post... 😉

Other, slightly leftfield, options: Skoda Yeti or Roomster?

I have a C class estate, getting another one next year too. Best tool i've ever bought!

Octavia makes pretty bad use of its space, and has an irritatingly raised boot sill. I looked at them for a while and everything else was right about them but that put me off- a trial loading with a couple of bikes showed it up as being less capable than a Focus despite being bigger.

Unfortunately true. Replaced my Focus with one. TBH IMHO the Focus was a better designed and finished car, but the Octy has had fewer minor niggling problems (touch wood). However I would argue that the Focus is marginally bigger.

The mk.2 Octy has got an annoyingly curved boot which loses valuable space above the window-line, but there is a 'lip free' version out there - the Scout IIRC - where the spare tyre sits in the well behind the boot lip.

I keep returning to Mondeos. As an everyman, image-neutral car they are good to drive (and can be hustled along quite effectively by an enthusiastic driver for the size of the thing), comfortable and good value second-hand. Resale value doesn't concern me too much. I just keep cars for a few years, drive them anywhere and everywhere, keep them well-maintained and use decent tyres, but wash tem every 6 months or so and don't worry too much if they get scratched/dented/scuffed.

I've never had any major problems with mine, other than my battered Mk1 2.0 that received and tolerated a lot of abuse.

I'm quite interested in a Roomster to replace our Fabia.

+1 for an avensis from the practicality stakes.

Mines a petrol 2.0 and even snapping the cam belt couldnt kill the bloody thing, £200 and 1 day later it was back on the road.

I think the whole car was actually milled from one piece of metal or something 😀

EDIT: drifting a FWD diesel estate? dont mind if i do

Love that video!

My Passat TDi cost me 3k about 18 months ago and has been good since then (ok, part from a clutch and a flywheel), has returned 50mpg over the course of that time (motorway and commute) and is comfy enough on long journeys. It's also got a huge boot.

If I had to go for a similar type of car, I'd look at the newer 2.0 TDi Passat with the six speed box or a post 57 Mondeo TDCi. They are huge inside and generally well specced, but possibly outside your price bracket.

A4s and Focii seem to be a bit on the small side for estates, but the Focus estate seems a nice solid car with good economy. Just a bit... bland. You can get a V70 for that sort of money though nd they are cavernous.

ok, part from a clutch and a flywheel

Just had a quick google on the V70 and get good reports except for fuel economy. Any V70 owners out there?

PeterPoddy - aren't you the one that drives at 55mph on the motorway?

Don't listen to anyone suggesting an Avensis - they are truly horrible, soul-less cars.

Got a 04 mondy 130 estate with 95k on it. Great car no dpf filter no cam belt. Fords own diesel engine. The later 2.0 tdci's 05 onwards are euro 4 compliant. They are Peugeot Citroen units with a dpf and belt driven camshaft
Great tourer handles well for a big barge, great cruiser and good economy. My mates Passat has been nothing but trouble. The mondeo will leave a passat standing, but the passat has a very nice interior. My next car will probably be a focus estate the new one, they look fantastic but to many pennies at the moment. Incidently the Germans own reliabilty studies TUV tests have shown that Fords perform a lot better in the reliability stakes than VW/Audi. That badge has a strong hold over people, very clever marketing. 😉

Inbred456
Oh bugger, I really didn't want another Mondeo (because that's all I've had for 15 years), but it's a no brainer, which I kind of knew anyway. My last Mondeo Estate (I didn't want another one then!) was bough purely because it scored top marks for everything except depreciation and it hasn't let me down, again (currently on 180K miles and still going strong). I've got some spare cash, I really want a change, but now torn between sensible and silly. 😀

Hyundai Terracan.

Just bought one; cheap, huge, bombproof part time four wheel drive.

Getting 30mpg too! Happy days 🙂

Forget the post 2006 Passat with the silly handbrake. Much happier with my Mazda 6. Not as economical and fewer gadgets but MUCH better to drive.

B A Nana I felt exactly the same. It just ticks all the boxes. I was toying with a Mercedes c class estate diesel auto. Mercs make great auto's, and with the torque of the 220 I think it would be an interesting drive, something a bit different. Have you ever driven a good auto, they are so relaxing and no dual mass flywheel!

Most modern diesel cars have clutch with dmf, so it will wear out and needs to be replaced. It's consumable. Mondies clutch kit isn't any cheaper than any of the other makes. But that jobbie is asspensive, person who paid quoted £3800 for clutch change needs to look in the mirror and spot a clown. Cool e-net story bro.

Apologies didn't read it proper, my mistake and hat off to mattabout. But good grabbing headlines nevertheless.

I've got a '04 Peugeot 307 SW, 2.0HDI with 125k on the clock.

Keep considering a change,but it runs well, returns 52/55 mpg, & then I remember that there's no DMF or DPF on the car so less to worry about/go wrong. Think i'll keep it for a while longer yet.

Well..ive gone and done it. Clearly there are pros and cons to every vehicle mentioned so far. However i have gone with the Passat, rightly or wrongly only time will tell. I managed to find a nice TDI sport estate on a 55 plate with FSH etc etc and picked her up yesterday. Had a 2hr drive back home after purchase and the usual commute today and i am very pleased. This particular car has the 6 CD in the glove box but i cannot load a CD into, and yes i do know they go in the slot, but there is either something in there stuck or im doing someyhing wrong. Its not lit up in anyway (not sure if it does)and i have pressed evry button trying to get something to happen. Im hoping it isn't bust and that it just something im not doing. has anyone got one and can you help me out !!

My CD changer had the tiniest of buttons on the edge of the magazine slot. So small it looked like part of the casing.

Ignore the CD. Get a Bluetooth kit wired in and play all the music from your phone. Plus you can listen to books using Audible - really helps keep attention on long drives.

Was it the VW one? Cant find a user guide online but im guessing iut should light up when the car lights are on, mine doesn't so guessing there is some power supply issue unles its turned on independantly to the main stereo..

It was an after market one. There were no lights on it.

If that's the Sony changer with a VW badge then you slide the lid open and press the grey button on the lower lip. There is also a box behind the radio (need to take radio out) that powers the changer and converts the signal; it's prone to blowing (there is an inline fuse too).