10k nippy estate

Sunday 1st September

Hi all,

Looking to swap my BMW m135i for something more practical and dog friendly.

Would like more than 200hp and at least 40mpg on a run. I have 10k as a budget. Needs to be reliable.

I'd love an F31 330d but they all seem to look a bit knackered at that price with around 125,000 miles on them. The equivalent 5 series seem to look a bit nicer. Have seen that age 3.0 diesel can have timing chain issues?

Any non BMW equivalents?

a311

6,048 posts

184 months

Sunday 1st September

Octavia vRS?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024082131...

Adwillsy

87 posts

67 months

Sunday 1st September

Slightly outside of the mpg remit but Volvo V60 T6 - 6 cylinder Turbo. Can get the Jap import ones for around £8kish giving you money for a remap, fuel, dog biscuits etc etc. 300 odd hp too.

https://euro.j-pn.co.uk/stock/

these seem to be specialists in japanese imported volvos.

aside from that you could get the UK spec T4 2.0T instead for probably around the same price

willmagrath

Original Poster

1,250 posts

153 months

Monday 2nd September

Adwillsy said:

Slightly outside of the mpg remit but Volvo V60 T6 - 6 cylinder Turbo. Can get the Jap import ones for around £8kish giving you money for a remap, fuel, dog biscuits etc etc. 300 odd hp too.

https://euro.j-pn.co.uk/stock/

these seem to be specialists in japanese imported volvos.

aside from that you could get the UK spec T4 2.0T instead for probably around the same price

Well I never knew this place existed. Definitely a great idea. My dad had a V60 D5 and I loved it.

ZX10R NIN

28,382 posts

132 months

Monday 2nd September

9,742 posts

240 months

Monday 2nd September

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

Type R Tom

4,033 posts

156 months

Monday 2nd September

willmagrath said:

Adwillsy said:

Slightly outside of the mpg remit but Volvo V60 T6 - 6 cylinder Turbo. Can get the Jap import ones for around £8kish giving you money for a remap, fuel, dog biscuits etc etc. 300 odd hp too.

https://euro.j-pn.co.uk/stock/

these seem to be specialists in japanese imported volvos.

aside from that you could get the UK spec T4 2.0T instead for probably around the same price

Well I never knew this place existed. Definitely a great idea. My dad had a V60 D5 and I loved it.

I have a T6 from them, and I am very happy with it. Bit thirsty but goes really well.

1,532 posts

7 months

Monday 2nd September

Belle427 said:

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

I thought the 330d was known for being a reliable engine? Do you mean the 320d?

alfabeat

1,188 posts

119 months

Monday 2nd September

Skoda Octavia Estate with a Celtic Tuning remap:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408082...

https://www.celtictuning.co.uk/services/performanc...

I had my Scout remapped by CT 6 years ago and it transformed it. Plenty quick enough and still returns 55mpg on a run.

9,742 posts

240 months

Monday 2nd September

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

I thought the 330d was known for being a reliable engine? Do you mean the 320d?

No the 330d, a Google search will tell you all you need to know.
May be ok if looked after properly from day 1 but most are not.

1,532 posts

7 months

Monday 2nd September

Belle427 said:

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

I thought the 330d was known for being a reliable engine? Do you mean the 320d?

No the 330d, a Google search will tell you all you need to know.
May be ok if looked after properly from day 1 but most are not.

Just had a Google and all seems to suggest that it's a pretty reliable engine? Is it a particular engine code that's unreliable? I had a 231bhp 330d a few years back and they were know for being reliable. I know the 4 pot 320d had issues though.

9,742 posts

240 months

Monday 2nd September

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

I thought the 330d was known for being a reliable engine? Do you mean the 320d?

No the 330d, a Google search will tell you all you need to know.
May be ok if looked after properly from day 1 but most are not.

Just had a Google and all seems to suggest that it's a pretty reliable engine? Is it a particular engine code that's unreliable? I had a 231bhp 330d a few years back and they were know for being reliable. I know the 4 pot 320d had issues though.

N57 engine.

Browter

109 posts

23 months

Monday 2nd September

Belle427 said:

No the 330d, a Google search will tell you all you need to know.
May be ok if looked after properly from day 1 but most are not.

Most are not? I think you’re getting confused with something else. I own one and they seem reliable from my own and other owner’s experiences. Unless you mean the issues with the police 330d cars which was due to a specific way they ran them.

1,532 posts

7 months

Monday 2nd September

Belle427 said:

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Jimjimhim said:

Belle427 said:

Golf GTD maybe with a remap.
Octavia Vrs is hard to look past though.
Skoda Superb if you need more space.
330d is a difficult car to buy as you say they suffer with engine problems and are just too expensive.

I thought the 330d was known for being a reliable engine? Do you mean the 320d?

No the 330d, a Google search will tell you all you need to know.
May be ok if looked after properly from day 1 but most are not.

Just had a Google and all seems to suggest that it's a pretty reliable engine? Is it a particular engine code that's unreliable? I had a 231bhp 330d a few years back and they were know for being reliable. I know the 4 pot 320d had issues though.

N57 engine.

Fair enough, Google seems to suggest that the engine is ok, but I didn't dig that deep.

BenB91

318 posts

78 months

Monday 2nd September

I've got a F11 535I which meets the bill, other than MPG.

I can get 35mpg on a long run with cruise control set to 75mph.

Less issues with the petrol enging over diesel. Had mine almost 2 years now and very happy with it. Planning an upgrade to a M340i touring or similar in the near future.

Snubs

1,233 posts

146 months

Monday 2nd September

I had the BMW F10 530d that it looks like you're considering. It was, in short, completely brilliant. Do enough googling and you'll be lead to believe that every car ever made is a lit stick of dynamite waiting to explode. I sold it with something like 90,000 miles on it and I had no reason to think it wouldn't merrily carry on for another 100,000. Just service the engine and gearbox, don't floor it from cold and you're laughing. I sold it partly because I was more concerned about ULEZ compliance. Whoever got mine (i part-ex'ed it) got a bargain IMO.

9,742 posts

240 months

Monday 2nd September

Like everything online it's probably blown out of proportion but it can be a concern for some.

1,532 posts

7 months

Monday 2nd September

Belle427 said:

Like everything online it's probably blown out of proportion but it can be a concern for some.

You're certainly right to go into a purchase with as much knowledge as possible
thumbup

patch5674

330 posts

119 months

Monday 2nd September

ZX10R NIN said:

E350d

CLS 350d

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408152...

I think that wins it for me!

God it looks good in that shade with the big silver wheels.

jmsgld

1,044 posts

183 months