Mondeo 2 and 2.2 engines

make sure it comes with a comprehensive guarantee. I wouldn't have any mondeo as a gift.

Rear subframe bushes will go. But any garage in the know can change them without dropping the subframe off the car (they are originally glued in place)

HP pumps (£1200) were a common failure on the 2.0 TDCi, ask any tranny owner. Less so on the 2.2 for some reason. Injectors can die on both. - £600

• calibration.

If going for the petrol engine, avoid the SCI -they are as much a nightmare as mitsi's GDi. (actually I think Ford had dropped them by 06)

Tim..

Have a look at the tech forum on honestjohn.co.uk. When they're running well they're great (and they can run well for 150-200k), but when they stop you can be in for some open-wallet surgery.

I'm just getting rid of my 2.0 130 - back to the lease company. Its been very economical, great at towing my caravan and the only major repair has been a new turbo.

The *only* was a new turbocharger?!

"major" is the important word :-)

I got major too on my 9000 (head gasket going) and no longer want to spend money on it :-) nor have I got the time or energy to pull it to pieces as I did with my c900s in years gone by.

Cheers Charles

:-( and the 2.2 diesel looked interesting on paper :-(

In all seriousness what would you have as a gift? I am drifting off topic for the group but it is the maintenance/reliability and knowledge in the group that makes me ask here.

Vectra? Can't find anything similar to the performance of the 2.2 ford diesel and I don't think SRi seats would fit my frame. Don't know much else about them.

I was/am looking for an estate SAAB 9-5 Aero (260BHP) but given the age I want and the money I pay it will be a while before I find one. I have seen 2 go by but did not have the time then (or the car as it happens) to visit the dealers. I would like to think I know the "major" problem(s) with SAABs ... like oil sludge. At least this way I could get the only remaining SAAB engine fitted in a Vectra.

I need something as an alternative to a SAAB (nicer price, reasonable reliability & performance, mondeo/vectra size and hatchback is ideal, don't need a diesel). Am I talking myself into a Mazda 6, Avensis ...?

Ta very much Charles

"Charles C." gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Easy enough to work around - sump drop, clean sump and pickup. Somebody on one of the Saab sites had a new-to-him done the other day - just over £150.

The 1.9TD Fiat engine, you mean?

It is ok I don't have a 9-5 I have (had) a 9000 :-)

:-) C.

Hmm - both of equal importance. To TTT: did you always let the donk cool down after putting it under load? Or did you often pull off the motorway having been blatting along and stop the engine pretty much straight away?

There's that balance between the desire to do things yourself, the willingness, and the "giving this up for a laugh" aspect too.

Depending on who you ask, the last "proper" Saab was the 18. My 9-3 is oft-called a Vectra in drag, but you know what... I really don't care. ;-)

It uses a Saab-ified Epsilon platform (either shortened, or standard and other machines have had it lengthend), which is shared between a gazillion other cars (slight exaggeration but you probably get my drift). The interior is a curious mix of old and new - it's modern enough for Charlie, my wife to like, but Saab enough for me to like it.

I decided to avoid the 1.9 Fiat / Alfa / GM diesel because those in my budget were too old - the 2004 / 2005 1.9s have issues, especially the 150 version. Instead I went for the 1.8t, another Saab-ified GM engine (closest to a short stroke 2.2 Ecotec).

It doesn't have the same character as the Class 900s I used to ride about in or Dad's old 99GL, but then I imagine that the 900 / 99 don't have the same character of older Saabs either...

The SRi seats are probably the best of the range - if you're not sure that they'll fit, worth trying. Saab seats tend to be massive...

On the other hand... if that's what you really want, it may be worth waiting for.

I was thinking of replacing my first generation 9-3 with a second generation

I like the 3-series for the way it drives but not for the sort of gimps that drive them. The 5-series is better in almost every respect, but beyond my budget and wants in the toys box. The S60 is a great piece of kit - it's the car that Saab designed the 9-3 Sports Saloon to be better than. The

I also liked the Mazda 6. Road tests say it's quite noisy but I didn't find this too big a deal. Great drive, very agile. The Avensis was a bit too sensible for me.

People have a love / hate relationship with the Mondeo; personally, I'd have had one from June 2003 onwards, probably a 1.8 or 2.0 petrol, depending on condition. The 2.0 feels a bit pokier than the 1.8 and there are more about, but if I found the right 1.8 in the right colour and specification, I'd have been happy enough.

Also it might be worth your while having a look at the new shape (current) Accord. They're a bit clinical in the drive, but don't do anything badly apart from they're a little expensive. The 2.2 diesel is an unusual donk - it's not all that powerful or quick, but it's oh-so-quiet and strange sounding. The 2.4 iVTEC has almost 190 bhp; it doesn't feel all that quick and it needs revving, but it's a lovely engine.

Ultimately, though, I bought a 9-3 1.8t because it was "near enough" as an overall package, with some real strengths and few weaknesses, plus they're cheap on the used market. But that was my choice...

Anything japanese will do. My personal preference is toyota/lexus.

Mrcheerful

The old Saab engines 2.0 & 2.3 are smooth, strong and quite amazing. Chain driven rather than belt. They have ancestry to Triumph engines, but saab developed it further. The 9-5 engines are the last of this line. Saab made the pistons shorter and lighter for more oomph, leading to the sludge problem, but just change oil at sensible intervals (not handbook) and it is ok.