[Paul B]

I'm in the market for a new estate options at the moment are c class, 320d or another octavia vrs which I'd readily have again. Any other ideas?

Just got and buy the Octy again (what happened with the last one, I've still got mine?). My 320d (E46) was a better drive than the Octavia but its lazy lump of torque makes it an easier thing to live with day in day out and maintenance has been significantly cheaper than BMW.

[sxrxg]

Loads of other options to consider... Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon, Volvo V60 R design, VW Golf GTD, Vauxhall Insignia VXR, Seat Leon Cupra, Peugeot 308SW GT, Mazda 6 Sport, KIA Optima GT Line, Ford Focus ST.

Assumed you were after something a bit quicker with the VRS being an option...

[Moo]

Turns out octavias aren't great off-road, especially at about 60mph along a motorway slip road embankment.

[tomtom]

Re V60. Bit of an old design now (2011?) and despite their size have a pretty small (sub 500l) boot. Bizarrely the S60 has a larger one (but not estate abilities etc)

D4’s (Twin turbo) have had lots of EGR issues...

(I’ve a Volvo and love it - comfiest car I’ve ever owned - so not being down on the brand - just that model).

You after an oil burner Moo or petrol? Bargains to be had with the former - less choices but a cleaner NO2 conscience with the latter...

[tomtom]

Sorry for more random posts / it’s a car choice / price bracket I’ve been looking in.

If you can stand not having a VrS - you can get a 1 year old low mileage 1.5 petrol DSG ‘tech’ octavia estate for that money. Lots of bells and whistles and the 150bhp 1.5l petrol is supposed to be a good unit...

[Andy F]

Arse.
The car (2010 Citroen C4 HDi) had got a dodgy ERG valve (for the third time) and the brake vacuum pump needs replacing. So £550 in parts. And it needs a service. So realistically an £800+ bill. On a car worth around £1000. Time to scrap, of do I bite the bullet and hope it lasts another 12-18 months?

[SA Chris]

Mileage?

[Andy F]

It's done over 111000. The only issues up to this point have been the EGR valve, which has needed two replacements already.

[SA Chris]

Tricky one, on the cusp. Depends on your finances I guess, personally if I had the money I'd replace, but if not then repair. Based on my experiences, I'm amazed French electrics have lasted that long!

[tomtom]

It's done over 111000. The only issues up to this point have been the EGR valve, which has needed two replacements already.

1.6 PSA engine? Those are normally solid...

[Andy F]

The engine is fine as are the electronics. It's the bits around it that are failing.

[TobyD]

The engine is fine as are the electronics. It's the bits around it that are failing.

I think I'd lose it and invest.

[tubbs]

First post on here in a few years, but this should be the place to ask.

I'm after a van-based MPV (Berlingo/Partner/Doblo etc) that will be reliable, frugal on fuel and, importantly, I can remove the seats fully to take decent loads from time to time and for the occasional overnight doss. Ideally a 7-seater for when the family visit.

Any recommendations?

[Fultonius]

Arse.
The car (2010 Citroen C4 HDi) had got a dodgy ERG valve (for the third time) and the brake vacuum pump needs replacing. So £550 in parts. And it needs a service. So realistically an £800+ bill. On a car worth around £1000. Time to scrap, of do I bite the bullet and hope it lasts another 12-18 months?

While I'm all for keeping CATs/DPFs and EGRs where possible, scrapping because of a dodgy EGR seems mad. Can you not just fit a blanking plate?

[Some googling later] not so simples....  can be done, but you need a ECU remap:

https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-13407.html

Still, in my mind more environmentally friendly to delete EGR and keep running a few years than bin and buy new.

[tomtom]

Read a bit last week that sub £5k car market was 60% up on last year - people looking for public transport alternatives Re CV19 etc...

Suspect that’ll trickle down to the cheaper categories raising prices/demand there too...

I could be very wrong though..

[Andy F]

Arse.
The car (2010 Citroen C4 HDi) had got a dodgy ERG valve (for the third time) and the brake vacuum pump needs replacing. So £550 in parts. And it needs a service. So realistically an £800+ bill. On a car worth around £1000. Time to scrap, of do I bite the bullet and hope it lasts another 12-18 months?

While I'm all for keeping CATs/DPFs and EGRs where possible, scrapping because of a dodgy EGR seems mad. Can you not just fit a blanking plate?

[Some googling later] not so simples....  can be done, but you need a ECU remap:

https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-13407.html

Still, in my mind more environmentally friendly to delete EGR and keep running a few years than bin and buy new.

It wasn't just the EGR. There were major brake issues, suspension issues after hitting a large pot hole and air flow sensor needed replacing.

I've binned it.

[Fultonius]

Fair enough, sometimes it's just time to call it!

[Andy F]

Yeah. I'll be sad to see it go, it's always been comfy and economical to run and up to this point very reliable (excluding EGR valve issues).

Still, on the bright side, my wife has agreed to an estate next, so more pads can fit in the boot 

[Paul B]

What are people's thoughts on getting timing belts etc. done/not done prior to sale?

The Octavia vRS ('11 plate) is on ~150k miles. From my reckoning it has just hit the age criteria (this varies depending on where you read it) for a new one (not the mileage criteria). It's due an MOT and service (extended until Nov. due to Covid, but it hasn't really moved since).

Despite being mechanically sound it has some cosmetic issues (the phantom keyer from my previous village had a good go at it, and a few of Kilnsey's pheasant population decided it was "their time" to end it (using the front bumper)

Autotrader gives me a woefully low valuation for both private sale and trade-in. I'm looking at changing it with something higher clearance and 4WD given every road to the new house has a steep hill on it.

[spidermonkey09]

Whats your definition of woefully low? Timing belts are normally approx 400-500 if my shit car knowledge serves me?

[Paul B]

Whats your definition of woefully low? Timing belts are normally approx 400-500 if my shit car knowledge serves me?

I think that's about right, hopefully at the lower end of that as Lancs prices seem to be reasonable for most things.

Autotrader is saying ~3.2k private, ~2.2k trade-in (and WeStealYourCar would probably tell me they're doing me a favour taking it off my hands); it's a lot of car for that or, I certainly feel it's worth more than that to me but I suppose that is something that goes hand-in-hand with running such cars to relatively high mileage.

[tomtom]

That’s not too bad a price... mine (different car but similar cost to yours brand new) is on a 14 plate 120k  and worth £4K....

[tommytwotone]

Guess when you get to that mileage it's a risk thing - will it go pop, won't it?

One things for sure, you won't get much for it if it does let go.

At the end of the day, I'm guessing a prospective buyer would be expecting a few quid off as it hasn't been done.

Probably one of those things that will increase your chances of selling it if not necessarily the value.

[Paul B]

Guess when you get to that mileage it's a risk thing - will it go pop, won't it?

That's not really my risk in this situation; it's more a question of does it actually add any value given it's ~10% of the value to get the work done?

That’s not too bad a price... mine (different car but similar cost to yours brand new) is on a 14 plate 120k  and worth £4K....

Residuals of the vRS' seem to higher than other vehicles but perhaps I'm deluded with that!

[tomtom]

What 3T said - it may make it shift faster - but you won’t recoup the cost...

Try without and if it doesn’t shift because of it...?