[1992LP]

(Original post by persov)
Got a 2002 Ghia TCDI 130 estate lol. complete with tow-bar. Costs me 1500 with 2 years no claims, but then I live in London in quite a high risk postcode. Do you reckon the diesel mondys are more expensive or less to insure than the petrols? Thinking about perhaps getting a petrol one as its got that problem with cutting out that a lot of the TDCI's seem to get, nothing's coming up on the diagnostics, tried a few things already but no luck finding the course of the problem.

Also when someone gets in or out the back the rear suspension sometimes makes a squeaking noise, makes a similar noise on bumpy roads too. Any idea what the problem could be?

That is bloody cheap for the E46, is it a 2 or 4 door?

Nothing wrong with that, I still maintain that the mk3 Mondeo is one of the best all rounders you can buy. Still miss mine! Ghia spec must be nice, comfy and all the toys

Considering you live in London, that is not bad at all. I find the petrols to be cheaper than the diesels, no idea why though. Cutting out could be something like the EGR valve or an injector - give the EGR a good clean, run some injector cleaner though it, and if that doesn't work get yourself onto talkford.com, these guys are great and really know their stuff. Could be the cam position sensor too, or the injector leads. That is the problem with an intermittent fault, it is a right PITA to diagnose!

Squeaking noise - possibly rear subframe bushes? Very common issue on the mk3, mine were wearing out when I sold it. Could also be the rear drop links (they have a rubber seal which perishes and makes a hell of a rattle when you go over bumps) which are a cheap fix. Worth looking at the rear handbrake cables too, the clip that holds them onto the car can break and cause the cable to rattle against the spring. No big deal, just makes a bit of a noise!

The petrol ones are good, won't feel as powerful as your diesel as you really have to rev them but they are great engines once you get used to the power delivery. Go for a facelift model if you can (chrome grille instead of a black one, around 2003 onwards) as they don't have the issue with the swirl flaps and coil packs.

Having said that mine was a pre facelift and was totally fine. I still miss that car, really wish I didn't sell it sometimes!

I am very lucky with insurance, I live in the Scottish Highlands where insurance is cheap because nothing happens! Mine is a 4 door - calypso red with black leather sports seats

A nice step up from my last cars, but I still have a lot of respect for the Mondeo. Most people that bash them have never experienced one

[walterwhite123]

(Original post by Jennie027)
Insurance is soo high, it's ridiculous!
Especially if you're a boy. Putting my brother on my hypothetical insurance as a proivisional driver is not too much more, but when he's passed his test it goes up £6,000 or something stupid like that! How are they expecting people to get their no claims and experience when they cannot afford the insurance. It's no wonder people are driving without insurance - in many cases the insurance is higher than what the car is actually worth.

Well of course the insurance is often higher than the car is worth. You aren't insuring against your car solely, your £500 Fiesta is a minor consideration if you crash it into a Ferrari.

[Jennie027]

(Original post by walterwhite123)
Well of course the insurance is often higher than the car is worth. You aren't insuring against your car solely, your £500 Fiesta is a minor consideration if you crash it into a Ferrari.

Hmmm, true. I don't see the need for it to be so high though.

[walterwhite123]

(Original post by Jennie027)
Hmmm, true. I don't see the need for it to be so high though.

It's so high because young drivers are statistically a huge risk. Plus insurance companies are actually subsidising us at the moment with cheap premiums believe it or not.

[persov]

(Original post by 1992LP)
Nothing wrong with that, I still maintain that the mk3 Mondeo is one of the best all rounders you can buy. Still miss mine! Ghia spec must be nice, comfy and all the toys


Considering you live in London, that is not bad at all. I find the petrols to be cheaper than the diesels, no idea why though. Cutting out could be something like the EGR valve or an injector - give the EGR a good clean, run some injector cleaner though it, and if that doesn't work get yourself onto talkford.com, these guys are great and really know their stuff. Could be the cam position sensor too, or the injector leads. That is the problem with an intermittent fault, it is a right PITA to diagnose!

Squeaking noise - possibly rear subframe bushes? Very common issue on the mk3, mine were wearing out when I sold it. Could also be the rear drop links (they have a rubber seal which perishes and makes a hell of a rattle when you go over bumps) which are a cheap fix. Worth looking at the rear handbrake cables too, the clip that holds them onto the car can break and cause the cable to rattle against the spring. No big deal, just makes a bit of a noise!

The petrol ones are good, won't feel as powerful as your diesel as you really have to rev them but they are great engines once you get used to the power delivery. Go for a facelift model if you can (chrome grille instead of a black one, around 2003 onwards) as they don't have the issue with the swirl flaps and coil packs.

Having said that mine was a pre facelift and was totally fine. I still miss that car, really wish I didn't sell it sometimes!

I am very lucky with insurance, I live in the Scottish Highlands where insurance is cheap because nothing happens! Mine is a 4 door - calypso red with black leather sports seats

A nice step up from my last cars, but I still have a lot of respect for the Mondeo. Most people that bash them have never experienced one

Yeah it is a smashing car. Not really sure what a massive difference between the different trim levels are. Don't have much in the way of toys....the main things I like are the stalk controls for the radio and the heated windscreen, no heated seats or anything.

Very smooth ride though, but the handling is great on the twistys too, love the steering. Not slow by any stretch of imagination either, overtaking is almost effortless.

Yeah, the mondeo get's a lot of bashing, but in some ways they are best in their class. So much room, that I will defiantly miss when I inevitably will get something that's not a mondeo.

Beemer sounds nice, what was it like going from fwd to rwd? Do you get much oversteer? Find the mondeo sometimes understeers, give a bit of left foot brake mid turn usually corrects it.

Thanks for the hints, I'll try and take a look when the weather clears up. Should probably give a service too, coming up to 12,000 miles now.

[1992LP]

(Original post by persov)
Yeah it is a smashing car. Not really sure what a massive difference between the different trim levels are. Don't have much in the way of toys....the main things I like are the stalk controls for the radio and the heated windscreen, no heated seats or anything.

Very smooth ride though, but the handling is great on the twistys too, love the steering. Not slow by any stretch of imagination either, overtaking is almost effortless.

Yeah, the mondeo get's a lot of bashing, but in some ways they are best in their class. So much room, that I will defiantly miss when I inevitably will get something that's not a mondeo.

Beemer sounds nice, what was it like going from fwd to rwd? Do you get much oversteer? Find the mondeo sometimes understeers, give a bit of left foot brake mid turn usually corrects it.

Thanks for the hints, I'll try and take a look when the weather clears up. Should probably give a service too, coming up to 12,000 miles now.

The heated windscreen is brilliant isn't it? Have you got cruise control?

I thought it was going to be a massive change, and to some extent it is. The steering is much nicer, and I think that you get a lot more "feel" for what the car is doing when pressing on. If you leave the TCS on you have to be trying incredibly hard to get the back out, so no issue at all for everyday driving. I have taken it to an empty car park to find out where its limits are, and it grips incredibly well. A little tail happy on wet roundabouts if you take them too fast, but very easy to sort out and very controllable.

Glad you are keeping it serviced well, it will last you a long time if you do that

[persov]

(Original post by 1992LP)
The heated windscreen is brilliant isn't it? Have you got cruise control?

I thought it was going to be a massive change, and to some extent it is. The steering is much nicer, and I think that you get a lot more "feel" for what the car is doing when pressing on. If you leave the TCS on you have to be trying incredibly hard to get the back out, so no issue at all for everyday driving. I have taken it to an empty car park to find out where its limits are, and it grips incredibly well. A little tail happy on wet roundabouts if you take them too fast, but very easy to sort out and very controllable.

Glad you are keeping it serviced well, it will last you a long time if you do that

haha yeah, clears ice or condensation quicker than my mum's lexus lol.

Not a massive fan of the climate control though, would much rather have a dial where you choose weather you want the air coming out the vents to be hot or cold.....with climate control I'm always changing the temp to keep the air coming out either hot or cold, cos once the thermostat gets to the set temp it'll keep the temp there but won't give you nice warm air (or cold).

No cruise control, think that came on the facelift as standard but was an option on mine. Did yours?

As much as I would love to have cruise control and use it to up the MPGs, with the number of muppets on motorways sitting in the middle lane etc, would find my self using it very little

still thinking of selling it and probably buying another, unless a similar sized and priced estate will be cheaper to insure. possibly same engine, I want the 6 speed box and leather though

what sort of MPG were you getting on the 1.8? If i went petrol I'd probably go for the 2.0, used to the grunt of the 130 tdci

[1992LP]

(Original post by persov)
haha yeah, clears ice or condensation quicker than my mum's lexus lol.

Not a massive fan of the climate control though, would much rather have a dial where you choose weather you want the air coming out the vents to be hot or cold.....with climate control I'm always changing the temp to keep the air coming out either hot or cold, cos once the thermostat gets to the set temp it'll keep the temp there but won't give you nice warm air (or cold).

No cruise control, think that came on the facelift as standard but was an option on mine. Did yours?

As much as I would love to have cruise control and use it to up the MPGs, with the number of muppets on motorways sitting in the middle lane etc, would find my self using it very little

still thinking of selling it and probably buying another, unless a similar sized and priced estate will be cheaper to insure. possibly same engine, I want the 6 speed box and leather though

what sort of MPG were you getting on the 1.8? If i went petrol I'd probably go for the 2.0, used to the grunt of the 130 tdci

I have a feeling I will miss that in the BMW, it was a brilliant feature.

Ahh see my current car is the first one with digital climate control and I actually really like it. Stick it on 22 degrees, hit auto, never touch it again

No mine was a basic LX model, not even alloys! Cruise control is a good feature, but you really have to be on a fairly empty road to utilise it.

Ahh, you would be looking at a Ghia X model then! That comes with leather as standard and all the kit you could ever want. I have been tempted by one many times.

I saw around 44 mpg from mine on a run, and probably 30-35 in town. I didn't buy it as a town car though, do that didn't really bother me. If I was you I would be going for a 2.0 petrol, no real difference in economy and a useful extra wedge of power and torque. Depending on your budget and insurance, you might want to consider a 2.5 V6 petrol as well - they are quite cheap so that offsets the fuel costs a bit and it is a lovely engine. I saw 42 mpg on a steady motorway run in my ST24 (same engine) and about 26 - 30 in town so it is really not that bad if you don't hammer it. Ultra reliable too, easily the most reliable engine in the mk3 range IMO.

The other one to look at would be the rare 1.8 SCI model - same power as the 2.0, 6 speed box, and only available in a decent trim so worth a look!

[persov]

(Original post by 1992LP)
I have a feeling I will miss that in the BMW, it was a brilliant feature.

Ahh see my current car is the first one with digital climate control and I actually really like it. Stick it on 22 degrees, hit auto, never touch it again

No mine was a basic LX model, not even alloys! Cruise control is a good feature, but you really have to be on a fairly empty road to utilise it.

Ahh, you would be looking at a Ghia X model then! That comes with leather as standard and all the kit you could ever want. I have been tempted by one many times.

I saw around 44 mpg from mine on a run, and probably 30-35 in town. I didn't buy it as a town car though, do that didn't really bother me. If I was you I would be going for a 2.0 petrol, no real difference in economy and a useful extra wedge of power and torque. Depending on your budget and insurance, you might want to consider a 2.5 V6 petrol as well - they are quite cheap so that offsets the fuel costs a bit and it is a lovely engine. I saw 42 mpg on a steady motorway run in my ST24 (same engine) and about 26 - 30 in town so it is really not that bad if you don't hammer it. Ultra reliable too, easily the most reliable engine in the mk3 range IMO.

The other one to look at would be the rare 1.8 SCI model - same power as the 2.0, 6 speed box, and only available in a decent trim so worth a look!

Hmm that's something to look into, not sure I could afford the insurance on the V6 though....I want to get the premiums down if anything, might get some quotes for other similar cars, but if I was gonna get another car in the same class I don't think I would get anything other than a mondeo until I could afford to insure and run a v6 A6 quattro, E-class or 5 series. The 159 looks amazing though, not so sure about the boot size, I test drove a 156 sportwagon and the boot was tiny....nice powerful diesel though, was the 2.3 I think.

yeah it is! I don't think many cars at all have it either, certainly not in any of the cars I've come across.

Wish it was that way with me and the digital climate control, but I'm forever adjusting it....but that could just be me.

If I really try and there's no idiots on the road causing me to slow down and speed up again once past them I can get up to about 60 mpg , usually only for short stretches at a time though.

More realistically a mostly motorway run will get me between 45-50, depending on if I'm in a sit back and cruise or make progress mood, and traffic conditions.

In town (London) It's very rarely above 30, quite often below with heavier traffic. Therefore when you get twunts braking and slowing down for no reason whatsoever, or similarly people that pull out in front of you when it's clear behind it really makes me nuts. I don't care if you want to waste your fuel but I don't want to waste mine or cause necessary wear on the tyres and other components!

[burgergetsbored]

http://jcrue.files.wordpress.com/200...nal-poster.jpg

that site by farrrrr was much cheaper for me...

[Black Mammoth]

All right folks?

Basically I'm looking at bringing my car to uni for 2nd year because the buses in Falmouth are atrocious.

Anyway, my current insurance arrangement won't work because I'm not covered on my mum's insurance
while I'm not in Guernsey so I need to get like a 50/50 policy so I can drive at home and in the UK.

At home my insurance is about £450 because I have 3 years no claims (we can have motorbikes from 14)
so I expect to pay about £800 over here because of how expensive your insurance is here.

I called up Asda, on someone's recommendation, and they quoted me £8,000. I laughed and put the
phone down.

So far, the lowest quote I've had is still £4,000 and I've got no convictions or claims in the last 5 years.

Anyone got any ideas as to what I can do?

Cheers

[Camoxide]

I go to Falmouth

Go on Co-op young drivers, put your parents at 6000-8000 each as named drivers and yourself at 1000-2000 miles

[Black Mammoth]

(Original post by Camoxide)
I go to Falmouth

Go on Co-op young drivers, put your parents at 6000-8000 each as named drivers and yourself at 1000-2000 miles

Surely it'd cost more to have parents on?

What do you study?

[Camoxide]

(Original post by Black Mammoth)
Surely it'd cost more to have parents on?

What do you study?

Naa putting your parents on the insurance brings it right down.

Digital Media

[Black Mammoth]

(Original post by Camoxide)
Naa putting your parents on the insurance brings it right down.

Digital Media

Ok cheers.

How is that course? My friend did it at Portsmouth and quit at Christmas

[Camoxide]

(Original post by Black Mammoth)
Ok cheers.

How is that course? My friend did it at Portsmouth and quit at Christmas

Yeah it's alright. Just the organisation can be a bit naff at times. And getting this bus was a pain (got a car now). Just had to avoid the 68 at all costs.

[Black Mammoth]

(Original post by Camoxide)
Yeah it's alright. Just the organisation can be a bit naff at times. And getting this bus was a pain (got a car now). Just had to avoid the 68 at all costs.

Annoyingly the 68 was the one that went between campus and my house next year. It doesn't go to campus anymore and now I'll have to get 2 buses! 9 am lectures are going to be killers

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by Camoxide)
I go to Falmouth

Go on Co-op young drivers, put your parents at 6000-8000 each as named drivers and yourself at 1000-2000 miles

Unless your parents are actually going to each drive 6000-8000 miles each, then this is fraud, and if you crash or have any reason to claim on your insurance you will be discovered, they will claim anything they pay out back from you (bankrupting you possibly), and you could get arrested and at worst prison time.

(Original post by Guieng09)
x

Dislike people warning about fraud, as you negged me?

[Camoxide]

(Original post by rmhumphries)
Unless your parents are actually going to each drive 6000-8000 miles each, then this is fraud, and if you crash or have any reason to claim on your insurance you will be discovered, they will claim anything they pay out back from you (bankrupting you possibly), and you could get arrested and at worst prison time.

It says an estimate of what they drove last year...

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by Camoxide)
It says an estimate of what they drove last year...

And did they drive 6000-8000 miles each on your car last year? From what I gather, and checking by getting a quote myself, then they ask what the driver will do in your car, not what they drive in general. I also didn't see any mention of 'last year' when getting a quote.