Recommend a used DIY Diesel...?

Greetings -

I just totalled my Fiat Stilo TDi, and I need a replacement. Recommendations or comments would be appreciated -

Need 4drs, prefer hatch, must be tdi with good power & economy. Budget £2-5k. Not status conscious, so happy to buy tidy but unappreciated models (last one was a Maestro!).

Would prefer something that's easy to get parts for, and doesn't have major costs in the service schedule - cambelt change for the Stilo would've been £400, for example. Would be cool if it had one of those new on-board diagnostic ports,

I'm aiming just under the taxi fleet market - don't want to compete for Mondeos etc. Thinking of maybe the last of the Escorts, last of the Rover

25's, or another Stilo perhaps? I like the SEAT / Skoda / VW tdi's, but there aren't any cheap ones nowadays. MkI Volvo S40 would be nice, but not sure they're depreciating fast enough. Don't know anything about Vauxhalls - never had one.

Anyone's views about cheap, fast high-milers would be really helpful - thanks in advance!

Reply to
Steve Walker
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In message , Steve Walker writes

The Escort and Mondeo share the same TD engine but I wouldn't really advise buying an Escort and I certainly wouldn't pay £2k for one.

If you move to the top of your budget, I reckon you will get a five year old TDCi Focus which will handle better, be built better and will have more go than either an Escort or Mondeo.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

Xantia or Picasso Hdi. Or Xantia TD is cheaper.

cheers, clive

Reply to
Clive George

Thanks Clive - can't see many newer ones around, but I'll keep an eye out. What's that hydrophobic suspension like to diy then?

Reply to
Steve Walker

HFM!?

Who quoted that? - main dealer, I'd assume, 'cos the JTD lump in the Stilo isn't anything exotic.

Reply to
SteveH

Cheers Paul - oddly the TDCi Foci (!) seem to fetch more than the equiv Mondeos - Mondy's are as cheap as chips on eBay, I might have to revise my plan and economise upwards.....

I agree re the Escorts btw, was just hoping I might see a low-miler special edition from the last year's production.

Reply to
Steve Walker

Yep - main dealer. Next year I would've had to decide whether to attempt it myself, but it certainly didn't look as easy as most other cars - no access for tools unless you remove loads of ancillary assemblies - almost designed to trap you in the dealer network.

Having said that, the last one just got me through a very nasty accident - high-speed front blowout, skidded into grass bank, rolled, flew over ditch into nearby field and rolled again. Walked away from that with bruising and minor head injuries, so there's something to be said for modern technology I guess.

Reply to
Steve Walker

Not nearly as scary as people make out. New spheres for example is lots easier than new springs/shocks. (well, it is on a BX - depressurise system, unscrew sphere (requires force), screw new one on, done.)

Worth checking it all works and is in ok condition before buying though. If somebody has eg put brake fluid in, it could be a "replace the whole system" problem, which is expensive and tedious.

Somebody else may add more...

cheers, clive

Reply to
Clive George

I suspect the Picasso is on conventional springs and dampers. The Xsara is

306 / ZX based, and both of those run conventional suspension.
Reply to
Doki

Just like every other modern car, then.

Seriously - that's a max. £200 job for a local garage, including an oil and filter change.

Reply to
SteveH

Indeed it is :-( Is the Xantia the last of the brakes/suspension/steering hydraulic cits? AFAIK the C5 has conventional brakes (and looks like a barge, just to add to the sadness).

cheers, clive

Reply to
Clive George

A quick look on Autotrader reveals some OK looking Skoda TDIs in your budget range.

Bear in mind that 120,000 is an expensive service[1], so a high miler may be a bad deal. Oh, and the aircon compressors tend to go phut too unless someones actually looked after them[2]. That's a 5-600 quid job. (This is a common fault to all the VAG cars which share that compressor I believe.)

Hmm. Perhaps I'm not really selling them here...

Phil

[1] cambelt, brake fluid, oil, all the filters, probably pads & discs if you're unlucky...you can at least check the discs with a micrometer through the alloys if you're looking at one though. [2] The clutch falls apart. Fixed in the newer models, but they're probably out of your budget. It's preventable I believe, if it's checked as a service item. Details on the briskoda forums somewhere...
Reply to
Phil Armstrong

Thanks Steve, useful to know that if I end up buying another Stilo

Reply to
Steve Walker

It's a bog-standard 4-pot diesel lump, as also used in a variety of Vauxhalls (Vx buy in the JTDs from Fiat). Any half decent local garage can look after them.

I'd have been a bit more wary if it had been a 2.4 5-pot diesel, but, unfortunately, the Stilo never had that option, in the UK, at least.

Stilos are a much under-rated car, mainly because Fiat tried to sell an Italian car that looked like a German car.....

Reply to
SteveH

Clive George ( snipped-for-privacy@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Yup, with the XM.

As does the C6. They still have hydraulic suspension, though.

Reply to
Adrian

Heh, thanks for the info Phil.... :o)

I think I'll up the budget a little, and buy a few years of relatively cheap running.

Reply to
Steve Walker

I hope the C5 doesn't have "conventional" brakes! They don't seem like the old hydraulic ones (used to have a BX) but they certainly aren't like conventional brakes.

For example, with the car stationary, if you push the brake pedal hard it goes right down to the floor!

Somebody please tell me that's normal and I haven't got duff brakes!

BobC

Reply to
BobC

I suspect this is what was going wrong with my A3 when I traded it. Nasty noises from the compressor, airon going on and off. This was at about 80K miles, most of those with the climate control on.

Discs & pads are very cheap DIY. Cambelt expensive at dealers, but cheaper elsewhere- £200 ish.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

BobC ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

It does.

Umm, yes, normal brakes do that.

One word - "servo".

Reply to
Adrian

Including parts? Couldn't find anyone who'd do it in Oxfordshire for less than £300 last time around. The parts alone were £100 IIRC (quick check on gsf, yup: £89 + shipping + VAT).

I'll grant you the pads and discs can be done fairly easily.

Phil

Reply to
Phil Armstrong

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