Discussion
Following my earlier thread in the general forum, thought I'd post here as I'm seriouly considering getting one of these in a few months time.
It's obviously very different to my current car (mk5 astra 1.4) and the other cars I'm looking at, but having had a few people recommending me one I'm starting to seriously consider it.
Would be interested to hear people's experiences: what are they like to drive with all that power going through the front wheels? Any disaster stories of stuff going wrong and costing a fortune to fix? I'm looking at getting an auto because the insurance is quite a bit cheaper, but would it be more sensible to spend the extra and get a manual?
Or just anything you might want to tell me about them, trying to decide if they're the car for me or not.
Thanks!
It's obviously very different to my current car (mk5 astra 1.4) and the other cars I'm looking at, but having had a few people recommending me one I'm starting to seriously consider it.
Would be interested to hear people's experiences: what are they like to drive with all that power going through the front wheels? Any disaster stories of stuff going wrong and costing a fortune to fix? I'm looking at getting an auto because the insurance is quite a bit cheaper, but would it be more sensible to spend the extra and get a manual?
Or just anything you might want to tell me about them, trying to decide if they're the car for me or not.
Thanks!
They're great cars - I've owned several and never had a major problem with any.
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
They're great cars - I've owned several and never had a major problem with any.
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
They're great cars - I've owned several and never had a major problem with any.
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
They're great cars - I've owned several and never had a major problem with any.
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
morgrp said:
They're great cars - I've owned several and never had a major problem with any.
The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
Thanks, really appreciate the information and I'll bear all that in mind. Annoyingly I won't be able to test drive one as my insurance won't cover it due to my age, so will have to get someone else to do it (I'll be sure to tell them all the warning signs for problems!) I'm sure it will feel miles better than the astra, although so do 90% of cars on the road The autos are good and the box is tough if looked after.
Biggest problems you'll find are worn suspension bushes, the odd seized brake calliper.
There are a few common faults with them, most of which can be replaced with used parts or very cheap genuine bits. These include, top engine mount bushes (£9) , anti roll bar links (about £30), cam sensors on the earlier cars (£20 second hand), flame traps on the pcv system (£15ish), ignition switch (£20 second hand)
As for driving there is little torque steer if the geometry is right, the tyres are good quality and you don't drive like a complete tool. Servicing is cheap, including things like cambelts and the bullet proof b5234t engine is so accessible and easy to work on a keen amateur mechanic can do most jobs.
Go for it - buy one, but make sure it's a good one.
They are tough and reliable but many have been abused so Check for:
Leaking brake master cylinders (spongy pedal feel), split top engine mounts, leaking steering racks, seized rear brake calipers, shagged lambda sensors in the exhaust from being run on crap petrol, and faulty abs sensors.
Try one - I guarantee if you've been driving an Astra you'll love it
Chingers said:
The only other thing not mentioned , which shouldn't necessarily stop you buying one, is fuel consumption; particularly after an Astra 1.4. My V70 T5 manages around 23mpg around town and if treated reasonably gently will get 28mpg on a run.
Thanks, I'm well aware of that though (should have put that in the OP). I don't do a lot of miles, and the majority of the miles I do once I get the car will be on the motorway so MPG isn't a major concern. My astra isn't that economical anyway, you have to strain the engine so much to get anywhere! My 850 T5 averages 18 or so trundling to work and back and 30 on a long run.
I'll be selling mine soon, as lovely to drive as it is (like a luxury heated leather sofa) i only bought it for the winter and the fuel consumption is killing me. If i had room i would buy a eco box for work but i don't have the space for 2 cars. Shame as i bought mine form the original owner with a barely run in 136k on it
I'll be selling mine soon, as lovely to drive as it is (like a luxury heated leather sofa) i only bought it for the winter and the fuel consumption is killing me. If i had room i would buy a eco box for work but i don't have the space for 2 cars. Shame as i bought mine form the original owner with a barely run in 136k on it
Nickyboy said:
My 850 T5 averages 18 or so trundling to work and back and 30 on a long run.
I'll be selling mine soon, as lovely to drive as it is (like a luxury heated leather sofa) i only bought it for the winter and the fuel consumption is killing me. If i had room i would buy a eco box for work but i don't have the space for 2 cars. Shame as i bought mine form the original owner with a barely run in 136k on it
That's not great MPG, but to be honest considering the mileage I do, shouldn't be a major problem. Just out of interest, how much are you planning on selling yours for? It sounds like the kind of example I'd be looking to buy, so would be good to get an idea of the price I can expect to pay in a few months.I'll be selling mine soon, as lovely to drive as it is (like a luxury heated leather sofa) i only bought it for the winter and the fuel consumption is killing me. If i had room i would buy a eco box for work but i don't have the space for 2 cars. Shame as i bought mine form the original owner with a barely run in 136k on it
Nickyboy said:
As a guide i would say £800-£1k would get you one in decent condition. The problem is now most are used for hauling stuff around and arent really looked after.
Thanks. It seems that most are either in perfect condition but modified which makes them uninsurable for me, or just sheds. Good job I've got a while to find a good one I guess.Geekman said:
Thanks. It seems that most are either in perfect condition but modified which makes them uninsurable for me, or just sheds. Good job I've got a while to find a good one I guess.
I looked at a few before i got mine but they all had scrapes on the corners of the bumpers and worn seats. Mines got a few age related marks but cleaned up it looks great, treated the leather and its as good as new.
Geekman said:
Thanks. It seems that most are either in perfect condition but modified which makes them uninsurable for me, or just sheds. Good job I've got a while to find a good one I guess.
I'm with you on that one. I look pretty much daily for any performance 850 or V70 but of late they seem to have become very rare or as you say, are a bit rough. Or automatics. Or in my case, are a minimum of 350 miles away. There are a couple of nice 850 T5's for sale just now, circa £1200 but again, miles away. Plus, V70 T5's seem almost non-existant these days. Good luck with the hunt, I suspect you might need it!
Davie said:
I'm with you on that one. I look pretty much daily for any performance 850 or V70 but of late they seem to have become very rare or as you say, are a bit rough. Or automatics. Or in my case, are a minimum of 350 miles away. There are a couple of nice 850 T5's for sale just now, circa £1200 but again, miles away. Plus, V70 T5's seem almost non-existant these days.
Good luck with the hunt, I suspect you might need it!
I'm thinking of selling my v70 t5 as I can't justify having it as well as my c70 - it's in good shape - metallic blue, 7 seater with full black leather and all the toys - its just had 4 new tyres , all brakes replaced last year, fully serviced, just been taxed - done loads of work to it and I've sorted many of the common little problems - insurance friendly standard car although I have spent a long time setting it up so its nice and quick - let me know if you're interested and I'll send you some pics - just been clay barred too so looking good! Open to serious genuine offers although nothing stupid as I'm not exactly desperate to off load it although my head is starting to rule my heart! Good luck with the hunt, I suspect you might need it!
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