Reliable Diesels

[Carbs4me 45]

Hello all,

 

I have an oppertunity to make some extra cash but i need a good reliable diesel to run about in daily and to be used at nights with good fuel consumption.

 

Roughly to do about 200miles per day, The budget for the car isnt great either.

 

I have been looking at 306 1.9 non turbo and the 306 turbo. They are both roughly around the 500-1000 mark for a high milage engine.

 

But which is better and more reliable? cheap and easy to maintain? Or is there something better?

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Go for the Non-turbo diesel. Make sure it has had a cambelt, give it oil and filters when needed and it will keep going forever. You won't be the fastest thing on the roads but then you've a 205 for that. Also don't discount a Xsara diesel, same thing but usually cheaper than a 306.

[Baz 421]

Should be able to pick up a decent Hdi for that, surely?

[Carbs4me 45]

There is a HDI near me Item number: 261070798733

 

But the starting price is rather high compared to the others.

 

Not looked at the Xsara Diesel will look into it, are they the same engine as the 306 XUD?

 

My mum has a 306 1.9 non turbo with 50k miles on it, i was really hoping to chuck £500 quid at her and thought she would snap my hand off but it didnt quite work!

[welshpug 1,657]

A xsara HDI would be within budget I would think, don't discount the larger 406, the hdi's are still decent on fuel.

 

what will it be used for though? blatting around town or long runs?

[Anthony 1,003]

For proper bargain basement frugality, it has to be a 106/Saxo 1.5 diesel.

 

Slower than a slow thing going slowly and about as refined as a 50's tractor, but they use next to no fuel, cost peanuts to buy and run, and are amazingly hardy. 200 miles a day, every day, would probably grow very tiring in one though.

 

ZX diesel / TD's are worth a look too - same engines and running gear as the 306, but in a lighter shell. Their fugliness means that they're cheap too, and rarely find ones that have been barried or abused (although plenty of neglected ones so choose carefully).

 

As said, a grand would buy an 306/Xsara HDi which is more economical and refined, but more to go wrong. That said, mine has been amazingly reliable and cost me peanuts to run over the 55k that I've had it (now on 213k) - the only two "failures" it's had have been a fuel pump relay (£13) and a exhaust mid-pipe (£25 ish) and most of the rest of the costs have been consumables and general servicing costs. Excellent mile muncher too.

 

Away from French tin, you'd get a half-reasonable early VAG 1.9 TDi of some description too for that budget, and those are pretty tough, economical engines. Something like a late 90's Polo should prove hardy and without the complication and bills that crept into VAG stuff Mk4 Golf onwards.

[welshpug 1,657]

a bit far from you, but a friend of mine will have a 1.5 diesel 106 for sale very shortly, its had a fair amount of time spent on it in the past few years, long MOT, rebuilt beam brakes recently sorted heater matrix rad service etc.

 

car is showing 153k iirc, but the engine has about 90k.

 

£550.

[Carbs4me 45]

Its for both Town runs and long motorway runs! No further than liverpool tho!

 

I will keep that in mind Welsh pug when he decides to sell it, let me know and i will let you know if i have or havent found anything esle of interest. ideally it needs to be in the next 4weeks as i just cant bare to clock all those miles up on the 205 and all that fuel that will just get chucked out of its arse!

 

But the car does have to be cheap to run/insure/tax and maintain

 

I got a insurance quote on a 306 1.9 non turbo and that was 700quid a year for 7,000 miles per year which i fought wasnt that bad..

 

Ive had a bad experience with a polo 1.1 got it for £50 with 12month mot and 6month tax.... first time i took it on the motorway and it broke down! had to walk back from Blackburn to chorley i wasnt impressed!

Edited July 23, 2012 by Carbs4me

[welshpug 1,657]

no probs, the HG went not long ago so at the moment its in bits, it will have PAS as the donor that supplied the engine was a very late X reg

 

it really is epic on fuel, and can be wound up to a fair lick of speed if so desired...!

[Anthony 1,003]

I got a insurance quote on a 306 1.9 non turbo and that was 700quid a year for 7,000 miles per year which i fought wasnt that bad..

Sounds pricey to me for a 25 year old and only 7k pa, but clearly I don't know your history or postcode.

 

Tax is a pretty insignificant cost really compared to fuel usage over that mileage, but either a sub 1.6 litre (1549cc) or a 2001 onwards diesel would be a cheaper to tax - I know my 306 would be £120 odd rather than £215 if it was on a later registration, but such is life.

 

PS. it's "thought" btw, assuming you weren't involved in fisticuffs with the insurers

[welshpug 1,657]

its £135 now for under 1549cc iirc, diseasel pug 106 scraped under at 1527cc

[Carbs4me 45]

Well ive had no crashes no claims against me in the 6years ive been driving but saying that i had to cancel my insurance twice due to the engine going bang, so i have 4years no claims and will have 5 by the end of november.

 

im also 25years old.. i only pay 800 on the 205 tho if im honest... the the insurance quote i got on the 306 was though compare the market but if i called them directly i reckon it could be cheaper.

[stufarri 98 3 Cars]

Your insurance, if declared 'properly' will need to include business use and this will add a hefty sum to the premium - also depends what you are actually using it for too. Not that I have much to do with Insurance....................

 

Chorley Taxi Services or Chorley Long Distance Pizza Delivery Anthony?!

[Carbs4me 45]

It was for business use that too.

 

Well stu if i told you, YOU wouldnt believe me! and dont tell the misses! otherwise i wont be able to do it! haha!

 

Ive had to pull alot of strings to do this!

 

but 100 to 200 quid per night... cant grumble!

[Batfink 201]

Your insurance, if declared 'properly' will need to include business use and this will add a hefty sum to the premium - also depends what you are actually using it for too. Not that I have much to do with Insurance....................

 

Chorley Taxi Services or Chorley Long Distance Pizza Delivery Anthony?!

 

Direct line include business use for free.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

I had a 1.9D 309 (swordfish's old one) bloody loved it, not too slow for what it was use no fuel at all, got over 60mpg on runs. I only changed the coolant and that was it in the time I had it! That engine in the 306 would be a good bet, or as Anthony suggested the 106 1.5D would be a good choice, get a van for extra lightness

[Phil H 16]

It was for business use that too.

 

Well stu if i told you, YOU wouldnt believe me! and dont tell the misses! otherwise i wont be able to do it! haha!

 

Ive had to pull alot of strings to do this!

 

but 100 to 200 quid per night... cant grumble!

 

Male escort per chance?

[swervygerdy 0]

Rover 220 td is another option, cheap, economical and tough. As stated 1.5 d 106 but not the 1.4 d. It has an alloy block and the head studs pull up out of it. In my opinion , the older technology is nearly more reliable when it comes to diesel, no common rail, or high press pump or fancy injectors to give bother.

[McDude 33]

I had a 106 1.5D for a while - so miserably slow, but somehow great fun to hustle everywhere. Didn't seem to matter how you drove it because it still did 60mpg regardless.

[stufarri 98 3 Cars]

Male escort per chance?

 

Having met Anthony, er, no No offence mate!

[Carbs4me 45]

Male escort per chance?

 

Quite the opposite! I drive them! lol

 

Having met Anthony, er, no No offence mate!

 

Stu you slag! but none taken!

[Carbs4me 45]

Rover 220 td is another option, cheap, economical and tough. As stated 1.5 d 106 but not the 1.4 d. It has an alloy block and the head studs pull up out of it. In my opinion , the older technology is nearly more reliable when it comes to diesel, no common rail, or high press pump or fancy injectors to give bother.

 

My mate had 3 of these all died within 6months of haivng them and doing takeaway runs in all of them, all of the suffered headgasket failures!