If you wanted to find a cheaper M-B or something similar

Blobcat

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I’d rather have a Skoda than a VW or an Audi
 

Craiglxviii

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Some internal engine components on Skodas are plastic when on their cousins, they are metal
They may fail, they may not.....

That's one way they can sell them cheaper - its not the VW or Audi (or Bugatti) badge that costs more.....
The engines are common/ interchangeable across the whole VAG, even the W12 as fitted in Crewe are the same units as go to Bugatti.

VAG use their common structures as a strategic cost weapon.
 
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NBurns

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My first German car was a VW Golf 1.9 TDI. ABSOLUTELY brilliant car. Very very reliable, very cost effective and very comfortable I seem to remember.



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Jimbo1959

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I’d rather have a Skoda than a VW or an Audi

Just wouldn't have an Audi, oops forgot the R8 and RS4, there's only one VW I've any interest in, however, I've had a couple of Skoda vRS's great fun!
 

JBell

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Plastic water pump impellers anyone?

I remember the problems I had with the 1.8T Engine, when replacing the cam belt I put a metal impellered pump in
 

d215yq

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I remember the problems I had with the 1.8T Engine, when replacing the cam belt I put a metal impellered pump in

Is that the same engine as the VAG 1.8 20v of the late 1990s? my dad's mate bought a passat estate new with that engine and my dad liked the interior and ride so much he bought the saloon version. Let's just say both were exceptionally cared for, did less than 10k/yr and were scrapped at 8 yrs old/65k miles in stunning condition. Both had numerous engine problems and broke down once a year. and never any goodwill whatsoever from VW. My dad's mates one had an auto box totally destroy itself too. I remember buying my first old high mileage slightly tattered 11yr old W124 while he had it and them telling me how much it was going to breakdown and cost - and yet other than suspension bits at MOT and the odd coolant system repair it was fine, cost about a quarter of the VWs to maintain. The e220 4speed auto was also faster and more economical than the 1.8 manual passat too, despite being bigger and comfier.

My dad hated the experience so much he replaced it with a Kia as he could not face driving another car out of warranty. 7yrs in and the Kia warranty has ended but as it's never broken down anyway (and they voluntarily replaced the clutch FOC last year just before warranty expired as it made a slight noise in reverse) he doesn't mind keeping it. Yes the plastics are rubbish and the ride is hard (though I think the new ones are nicer) but that's nothign compared to the stress of unreliablity. If I had to buy outright a new car I'd consider Kia, Dacia and Toyota. In my book paying a premium price with a 3 yr warranty is just not good enough, if I'm going to own a car for 8-10 yrs and most of those are out of warranty I may as well just buy an old one for buttons or a disposable dacia and be done with it.
 

JBell

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Is that the same engine as the VAG 1.8 20v of the late 1990s? my dad's mate bought a passat estate new with that engine and my dad liked the interior and ride so much he bought the saloon version. Let's just say both were exceptionally cared for, did less than 10k/yr and were scrapped at 8 yrs old/65k miles in stunning condition. Both had numerous engine problems and broke down once a year. and never any goodwill whatsoever from VW.

That's the one fitted in numerous Golfs etc. I had it in a 2001 TT225, had the cam belt changed a month after I bought it and put a metal impellered pump in, never had a problem after that and it ran cooler as well but there were bits of plastic roaming round the cooling system that had to be flushed out as the plastic impeller has partially disintegrated
 

davemercedes

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I would scour the "approved" Mercedes sites. You might be pleasantly surprised at the price of some.

I did that and bought my 07 C220 Estate from MB Wakefield in 2013. After a year with virtually no issues I decided it was a 'keeper' and still have it. It's gone from 62K to 102K - but it is serviced regularly by my local garage.

My only fear is what "they" will do to make ownership of a diesel uncomfortable.
 

A.J.

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I would scour the "approved" Mercedes sites. You might be pleasantly surprised at the price of some.

I did that and bought my 07 C220 Estate from MB Wakefield in 2013. After a year with virtually no issues I decided it was a 'keeper' and still have it. It's gone from 62K to 102K - but it is serviced regularly by my local garage.

My only fear is what "they" will do to make ownership of a diesel uncomfortable.

That is pretty much why I turned to Petrol this time although I am sure it is only a matter of time before Petrol is demonised again :rolleyes:
 

Jimbo1959

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My only fear is what "they" will do to make ownership of a diesel uncomfortable.

Must admit that I share this fear, we will be forced, those that can afford it or, are willing to make the scarifice for one, to buy an electric car or perhaps a hydrogen powered one. Not looking forward to it.
 

Moocow

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Must admit that I share this fear, we will be forced, those that can afford it or, are willing to make the scarifice for one, to buy an electric car or perhaps a hydrogen powered one. Not looking forward to it.

I had this debate with myself just last week - before opting to buy a diesel :D

The problem for electric for me is I am an edge case - I do maybe 5000 to 6000 miles a year which you would think puts me in the range of a Leaf or something, but I do 120 miles a day, 3 days a week for approx 4 or 5 months out of the year. Car is used over winter with motorbikes during summer. I will be buggered if I am going to add a 45 minute stop over at some service station each day to already up to 4 hours on the road. Even then the chargers at the M4 Magor services are down as much as they are up - what then? Sit and hope they start working so I can get home?
Hope that when I get to work in Cardiff that the few chargers in the local car park are working, or not occupied already? I can't run my days like that personally. At least an ICE I don't have to hope that a pump is free at a petrol station - not like they are occupied all day by the driver in front of you...
 

davemercedes

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Yes Moocow, you have the issue in a nutshell. And HMG is making little or no effort to solve it for hundreds, maybe thousands of people.
 
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