Lost in the used car maze.

A question about : Lost in the used car maze.

Hi there. I am looking for some advice, I have been looking at buying a new to me car. I have spent the last week traipsing round car dealerships and auto trader without too much success.

I think I have got lost in the maze of seeing something I like then finding bad reviews.

So anyway I tend to drive around 25k miles a year so I know I want a diesel preferably looking for a 2 litre but not sure if i will get buy with another 1.6.

I was thinking about Vauxhall Insignia or on the other end of the scale Hyundai 130,

So please I am looking for any advice comments criticsms or whatever.
For full disclsure I am bad at picking cars picked up a low mileage C5 18 months ago and spent twice as much on problems than I did on the car.

Best answers:

• My advice would be go German and don't worry to much about higher mileage as long as it's got full service history
• Similarly SEAT.The 2.0 litre TDI engine is used across the Audi/VW/SEAT/Skoda range and is generally very reliable. 90% of your research can be done online, visit the dealers only when you've found a particular example that you want to check over and test drive.
  Can't imagine what draws you to the Insignia...
  What is your budget?
• There are a lot of Skoda taxis.
  I think the advice about Skoda is sound.
  The Seat Exeo would be the equivalent in this class, and although the reviews are good, and it's based on the Audi A4, it might be something of an unknown quantity.
• When i used to deliver around South Wales there were lots and lots of Skoda Octavia taxi's.
  The Octavia is a better choice than a Golf. Comes out even higher on reliability that the Golf.
  Figure that one out. The joke car company got taken over by VW and they now make a car on the same platform as the Golf but its more reliable.
• The engine in the seat altea is the same as the Peugeot 2.0 HDI, just don't go for the 1.6 HDI as used in fords, volvos and Peugeots unless you're looking for turbo failures, avoided if you change the engine oil every 6,000 miles.
• If you're prepared for something as big as a C5, consider Avensis instead.
  You could go Diesel but the 1.8 petrol seems to be the one that gets the gold star, only fly in the ointment 2009 on has electric parking brake, depends how you feel about that, latest Auris doesn't if that's a no no.
  Not everyone worships at the VW group altar.
• Skoda is quite popular comapny car.
  few years ago, when I used to live in Poland many firms used to have them as quite cheap and reliable cars to run (I don't know how it is now)
• Around my way skoda Octavia or Superbs is mainly what you see as taxi's second to that would be the VW Passat and thirdly would be the mondeo 2.0 TDCI (but they sound like theyre on their last legs and have soot pooring out the back of them from turbo failure).
  The police beat cars around here are Hyundai mainly 2010 on estate's and some Kia ceed 2013 estates but not many but they are kicking about somewhere, theres a few ford focus hatch diesel on 2005 plate but they are few and far between.
  A family friend has a 2010 1.9 CDTI SRI insignia, he loathes it but cant afford to get rid of it. the main problems he has experienced with it is injector seals and injectors, starter motor, DPF, DMF,clutch and turbo, he does on average 5-900 miles mostly motorway per week as he is a photographer doing large events and weddings etc.
  I would recommend the Passat, Jetta, Octavia, superb over the insignia.