Toyota Corolla petrol or Volkswagen Passat diesel?
Toyota Corolla 1.4 petrol(2008) versus Volkswagen Passat 1.9 diesel (2008)? My husband drives on a motorway every day to work about 45km a day. Our budget is from €5,000 to €8,000. We've seen a 2008 Toyota Corolla with 103,000km and a Passat 1.9 TDI diesel with 125,000km on the clock. Can you guide us in selecting the most suitable car?
Thnx
Ashline Hubli (Sligo)Sep 2014 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Ashline,
A tough call this one. Your annual mileage isn't really enough to tip you over into diesel territory, and the Corolla is likely to be the more reliable of the two cars. That said, the Passat would be much more comfy and cosseting on the journey and it costs €180 a year less to tax.
So I guess if comfort is your priority, get the Volkswagen. If it's reliability, go for the Corolla, which will probably also work out the cheaper of the two to run overall.
Why does my engine sound different when cold?
Why is there a different engine noise when cold in my 2010 Volkswagen Passat DSG 1.4 TSI?
Stephen Murphy (Bray)Sep 2014 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
It's always tricky to diagnose such things remotely, so we'd advise you to go to a good mechanic to be sure.
If the engine has always sounded different when cold then it's unlikely to be something to worry about. Many engines run a little differently when cold to speed up warming of the catalytic convertors and get everything up to temperature.
However, if it's a new noise then you really should get it checked out, as it could well be to do with inadequate lubrication of parts of the engine until the oil is warmed up. This could be caused by a blocked gauze in the oil sump or some other reason for lack of oil pressure. It's worth double checking your oil level before you do much else.
Let us know how you get on.
How much is a Volkswagen Passat taxi worth?
How much is a 2005 Volkswagen Passat 1.9 diesel taxi worth?
Yi SHI (Dublin)Sep 2014 Filed under: taxi
Expert answer
Hi Yi,
As ever, it depends on mileage, condition and history but the taxi thing does push values down a good bit, so I'd say you're looking at a value of between €3,500 and €4,500.
Are these Volkswagen cats interchangeable?
Hi,
Would a 1.6 FSI Volkwagen Golf's front catalytic converter be the same as the 2005 Volkwagen Passat (new shape) 1.6 FSI's?
Richard Thomas (Dublin)Sep 2014 Filed under: parts
Expert answer
Hi Richard,
No, because the two cars are based on two different platforms. Although the engines are the same, the ancillary fittings and their attachment points will be very different.
Swapping my Passat for an Insignia - thoughts?
Hi what would I get for a Volkswagen Passat 2.0-litre FSI Comfortline with 109,000 kilometres on the clock in excellent condition and with a full service history - against an Opel insignia 2011/12 (is it a good car?). Any advice greatly appreciated.
Eddie
Eddie Conroy (Dublin)Aug 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Eddie,
The Insignia is a fine car but you'll find it's not as spacious as your old Passat. Still, it's arguably more handsome and sharper to drive, but you have to make sure all the electrical bits are working properly.
As for the value of your Passat, you haven't given me a specific year but I'm going to guess it's around 2006-2007 in which case you're looking at around €5,000 as a trade in, but don't be surprised if you get offered less - cars with big petrol engines (even efficient ones) are forecourt poison right now.
Let us know how you get on
How much to replace a Hyundai i10's door?
How much should it cost to replace a passenger door on a 2013 Hyundai i10 five-door model?
Simon Meyler (Dublin)Aug 2014 Filed under: bodywork
Expert answer
It depends. A second hand replacement door could be as cheap as €50, whereas a brand new part is likely to be more like €250. On top of that, you’ll need to get a quote from a garage as to how much labour they will charge for the work, and that varies hugely from place to place. We’d recommend getting a quote from your local Hyundai dealer and starting from there.
What will I do with my two Volkswagen Golf diesels?
We have two cars at present: a 2008 Volkswagen Golf Estate 1.9 TDI diesel (low tax, 90,000 miles, does approx. 10k miles per year), which is a family car doing town trips and three days a week motorway driving 74 miles round trip on the M1 and M50. The other is a 2007 Golf Plus 1.9 TDI with 110,000 miles on the clock doing approx. 20,000 miles per year (mainly round trips of 74km per day seven days per week on the motorway). Very happy with both cars and not giving any problems, but have been told that both cars will need the dual mass flywheel changed at some point as this is often a problem with these Golfs.
Was going to change the Golf Plus for new family car worth approx. €17k - was going to get approx. €5-5.5k as trade in and a loan for €12K. Trying to justify changing car! Both cars are serviced at most 1,000km after service is due. How much is too many miles on these cars? Could I get high mileage on these cars without too much of an outlay on repairs or should I regularly update the car? If I'm to change I was going to look at a Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Octavia or a Toyota Avensis. Am I right in sticking to diesel?
Many thanks
Brian Byrne (Balbriggan, Dublin)Aug 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Brian,
Yeah, I think you're probably right to stick with diesel with those sorts of mileages. Mind you, it's worth pointing out that those two Volkswagens you have aren't on mega-miles yet and it could be more cost-effective to spend a little on getting them spruced up and fit for thousands more miles than chopping and changing.
That said, if you're in need of a good, reliable family car then I'd have a long look at a Toyota Avensis estate. The 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine is a good 'un and cheap to tax, it's comfy, ideal for long motorway runs and if it's not the most exciting car in the world, then at least it's solidly reliable. Spacious too.
Probably the most cost-effective option is to replace the high-miler with something younger and fitter and then spend a little extra to keep the runaround Golf fresh.
Let us know what you decide on.
Can you help me find a wind deflector for my Mercedes?
I am trying to source a wind deflector for my 1994 Mercedes-Benz E 320 Cabriolet. Have searched online but have not found anything remotely like the original Mercedes part. This is a screen that fits over the rear passenger seats to make the driving experience more pleasant from a wind point of view.
Help please!
Derek (Wicklow)
Derek Bell (Wicklow)Aug 2014 Filed under: aftermarket
Expert answer
Hi Derek,
I sent your query to the editor of Mercedes Enthusiast magazine for an expert opinion and here's what was suggested:
Here are a few parts places to try:
www.mercedes-parts-centre.co.uk
Failing all those, send a 'Wanted' advert to [email protected].
Let us know how you get on
Focus or Golf for long daily journey?
I'm thinking of buying a 2006 Volkswagen Golf 1.9 TDI diesel or 2006 Ford Focus 1.6 diesel for daily journey from Cork to Kilkenny. What would you advise? Difference of €3k in the price.
Colin Maher (Cork)Aug 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Colin,
There's not much to choose between the two in terms of overall talent, practicality or reliability, but my instinct would be to go for the Golf - that second generation Focus had a rather plain, unlovely cabin whereas the Golf's is much comfier and more welcoming - important stuff with a long regular journey like yours. The only other thing to consider would be the cabin space - if you often carry tall passengers in the back seats, then go for the Ford, it's much more spacious.
Let us know which you go for
Should I trade my Polo for this Ford Focus?
Hi,
I would like to purchase a 2005 Ford Focus LX manual model from a SIMI dealer who is asking €4,950 for a trade in with 55,000 on the clock, NCT just passed, timng belt done, with all Ford service history and a three-month warranty. I have a Volkswagen Polo 1.4 automatic with 62,000 miles on the clock in average condition. Offer price: €2,450, so I should pay €2,500 more? Is this trade in worth it?
Stany Simon (Clonsilla)Aug 2014 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Simon,
That’s absolutely top-value for a 2005 Focus, so the car would want to be in exceptionally good condition and come with a full and complete service history and a decent warranty to command that kind of price. You haven’t given us a year for your Polo so it’s rather difficult to value but we think you could potentially find better value on the Focus out there.