Im looking at getting a second car for daily use. I need an auto or a tiptronic etc so was thinking of a smart car for about £1800 ?? Wouldn't use much fuel and would hold that value for a while.

 

Any other suggestions?

MK3 and MK4 Astras were not available with Auto trans on diesel.

 

I'd go for an Omega 6-cyl diesel auto. Omegas are very good cars, Vauxhall were always good at making good RWD motors and they Omega diesel is fitted with a BMW unit. Extremely comfortable, fully loaded. I've always liked the look of them too.

 

 

my old man has one of these and it's fansastic, they do thend to be a tad heavy on diesel tho

The diesel Omegas will do about 40mpg on a good motoway run, around 30 around town. Drive a big comfy car for with the economy of a crappy little supermini. The Omega 2.5 diesel is common rail AFAIK

 

I too hate diesel cars. I have one though.

they wont be if its the old BMW 2.5l tds unit.

 

Engine dates back to about 1994 or so. Ancient, 143bhp and official figure round down for the auto omega 2.5 td is 22.4mpg...

 

BMW's first common rail diesel was the 2.0 fitted to the E46, however for ths first two years it was not, it gained common rail in about 2001. That was the firstbeemer to have it.

 

Common rail was first mass used in 97 i think, and started getting common in 99 onwards with citroens HDI units.

Saab 9-5 Aero. Doesn't look much but flies and 30 mpg.

 

Clint, I'm with you on this one. My daily ride is a 9-5 aero auto with amazing performance and can return 35mpg on a good day.:D

they wont be if its the old BMW 2.5l tds unit.

 

Engine dates back to about 1994 or so. Ancient, 143bhp and official figure round down for the auto omega 2.5 td is 22.4mpg...

 

BMW's first common rail diesel was the 2.0 fitted to the E46, however for ths first two years it was not, it gained common rail in about 2001. That was the firstbeemer to have it.

 

Common rail was first mass used in 97 i think, and started getting common in 99 onwards with citroens HDI units.

 

Omega TDS was introduced in 98 iirc. I think there's an early version though.

 

Anyway, for someone that hates diesels, you know an awful lot about them! :rofl:

 

;)

Omega TDS was introduced in 98 iirc. I think there's an early version though.

 

Anyway, for someone that hates diesels, you know an awful lot about them! :rofl:

 

;)

 

Sorry... in a bad mood tonight lol... Stressed out and tired.

 

Aye, well i know everything about everything... lol. Nah technology fascinates me, so although i love the technology in a diesel engine... i hate them. Ive had a few and they are just a rubbish power unit!

 

Im just watching all the nice technology on diesels come over to petrols, (diesels are not really anymore economical, they just have to be clever to get anything out of them), where as a simple petrol engine will still produce some power, take a carbed SOHC petrol engine, still easily get 75bhp a litre out of those if setup correctly. To do that in a diesel you need high pressure direct injection and also a turbo charger... Put that technology on a petrol and you get much better performance and economy.

 

An example ive used before but take the new BMW 530i, the later generation 3.0 unit got direction injection and produces about 272bhp does 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and averages 37.7mpg. in a car that weighs 1615kg's (quoting the auto there!) 13.8p a mile

 

The 530d only manages 42.4 ish mpg, so 5 mpg better, but with the 15p a litre more for diesel, the advantage has gone, and its slower because its heavier. 14.1p or so per mile.

 

Not much of a saving with the petrol i know BUT its just better in every single way!

I had a look at the saabs, good performance, good economy and low insurance groups, the ony disadvantage is FWD and the same interior for last million years :)

TBH if i got another large car i'd sell the Z. Looking for something completely different to it so i can warrent keeping it!!

The 530d only manages 42.4 ish mpg, so 5 mpg better, but with the 15p a litre more for diesel, the advantage has gone, and its slower because its heavier. 14.1p or so per mile.

 

Not much of a saving with the petrol i know BUT its just better in every single way!

 

haha - I don't know how anyone could get anywhere near that figure... I've got a 530d and average 28 - max was 35 on a motorway run... you're 100% right - this will be my last diesel!

haha - I don't know how anyone could get anywhere near that figure... I've got a 530d and average 28 - max was 35 on a motorway run... you're 100% right - this will be my last diesel!

 

Is it an E60 or an E39 though?

 

The very first 530d E39's were not brilliant, the old 184bhp unit wasnt particularly wonderful by todays standards although it was good back then..

 

The later 204bhp TU varient was better, but the later version in the E60's are much better @ 235bhp :)

 

You need to go for a spin a GT TDI Golf.......better than a GTI and far quicker all round. The only thing it doesn't have is a growl, but that's why i have a Z as well!!

haha - I don't know how anyone could get anywhere near that figure... I've got a 530d and average 28 - max was 35 on a motorway run... you're 100% right - this will be my last diesel!

 

I am currently driving a new Merc E320cdi (another story!!) with the 3.0 v6 tdi and it is hard pressed to reach 30mpg. My SLK350 can (just) manage 27mpg during normal driving over the same trip to/from work and it's quicker to boot!!

 

Sure the smaller engined diesel VWs can get superb MPG but like Rich says, the bigger engined cars cannot (apparently) and with the price difference between petrol and diesel I can't see the benefit in a 530d over a 530i......

 

........apart from the torque maybe;)

 

Richard:D

You need to go for a spin a GT TDI Golf.......better than a GTI and far quicker all round. The only thing it doesn't have is a growl, but that's why i have a Z as well!!

 

I have just bought a couple of new ones as company cars for 2 salesmen at work; they are very impressive for a 140bhp diesel - they are now called the "GT Sport" Low emissions too at 145g/km - hence low road fund licence and company car tax.

 

Apparently there is also a 170bhp version; I haven't tried that one though!

 

Richard:)