I currently have an Octavia estate the elegance 4x4 model . I would highly recommend it particularly as the 4wd is handy when loaded down in muddy fields and has slightly higher ground clearance (you would not notice if you didn't know) than the fwd model which helps on those rutted tracks onto small sites. When I replace it in a couple of years it will be withthe same. Hope this helps.
We may be looking for a car ourselves soon. Our 99 1.8T Passat saloon gets really full when we go on a long camping trip, so full there's just enough space to sit in and drive it. We also have an old 1997 A6 saloon - excellent on diesel for a 5 cylinder 2.5 litre and big but compromised with the back seats that won't fold. Its also getting on a bit now with rusty wheel arches, wipers with a mind of its own among other qwirks, but then its done nearly 210,000 miles.
So, on a budget the choice, possibly will be Audi A4, A6 or a Passat Estate. Looking to spend about £3,000. We've had the A6 for 7 years and bought it for £2,300. We've had the Passat for 9 years and bought it for £4,500. Hence I'm not scared of buying older used cars, as it means being able to pay outright than seek a loan for something that will depreciate quickly if it is newer. For me, condition is more important than age.
Quote: Originally posted by Frog on 24/6/2013I took a Mondeo Hatchback 2l ecoboost titanium x sport up the road this afternoon and it looks like it might be the one. It drives really well and the boot is significantly bigger than the Passat.
I've had both Mondeo and Passat estates. While the Mondeo was much more fun to drive and felt really sporty for a big car, I wouldn't get another.
Although the footprint of the Mondeo was bigger than the Passat, it didn't really seem to offer much more usable space. The little cubby holes in the back are much smaller, the wheel arches seem to stick out further and the Mondeo didn't have the arrangement where you can have the back seat either 1/3 or 2/3 down (only the back of the rear seat splits). This was surprisingly useful if taking a 3rd person, there was still room for dog cages and all the gear.
The Mondeo also had a much bigger turning circle too, although it wasn't massively longer. In the Passat, I could comfortably back in or out of spaces in our very tight underground car park at work (in fact, had to show one of our directors how to do it in his!), in the Mondeo it was a 7-point turn instead of a 3. The Passat was much easier to park.
The main reason I wouldn't get another Mondeo was the reliability. Both cars had comparable mileage when I got them and were 7 years old when purchased. The Passat gave me no trouble at all for 5 years until it's last few months, when it had a new starter motor, engine mounting and wheel bearings. The Mondeo gave me a big bill every few months - starter motor, wheel bearings (for which I blame the dreadful local roads), dual mass flywheel, injectors, you name it, it had it done, and I only had it for 3 years. It was outed in one of the rare spells when it had a new MOT and nothing actually wrong but was starting to show signs that the cat might be on its way out.
It has put me off complex diesels, tbh. As I only do about 10,000 miles a year, I'm not convinced it's worth the big bills. Most of my driving is short trips, too, not many more than 10-15 miles and very little on motorways.
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Topic: What car?
