I can feel that my 307 is beginning to show its age. At 142,000 miles it still starts first time, doesn’t smoke and doesn’t have any rust on it. However rather than wait for something expensive to break, I might trade it in for something a bit younger, while there is still some value in it!

New car requirements are....

• Not smaller than the 307,
• 4/5 doors
• Diesel,
• Min 100bhp,
• Year 2006 onwards,
• Runs on only the smell of diesel,
• Sub 60,000 miles
• Sub £5,500 pricetag.

Most likely a hatchback, but happy to look at saloons.

I can only think of 2 cars I'd buy so far,

2006/2007 Citroen C4 VTR+ 1.6hdi 110bhp. It'll do 59mpg's combined.
2006/2007 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 107bhp. It'll do 58mpg's combined.

Does anybody else have any other ideas?

Fiat bravo jtd..
one i saw was 120bhp active 26k on the clokc and priced at £5500. On autotrader.

Do some swatting up on that Citroen diesel engine - I think they're flawed.

Seat Leon TDi? Workmate has had a few cars and says this was the best of em - went like stink and was reliable.

Aye I had spotted the Bravo alright. MPG's not as good as the Ford/Citroen but close enough. Don't know what the wife would say. She thinks one Fiat in the household is one too many.

I'd better read up on the citroen engine....??

Hence i sugeested the jtd. Our original 8v was a tank without breaking down and our new 147 16v mjet which i think is more or less the bravo engine is ticking on 160k.

Bro's alfa 159 on 178k.

A bit of an odd variant, but the Lancia Delta must have a lot of that Fiat / Alfa technology in it, and they will be desperate to do a deal if you can get over the name change.

http://www.chrysler.co.uk/delta

eh? Sub £5.5k?

Would you consider older than 2006 or more than 60,000 miles?

Older or higher mileage cars that have been well looked after and maintained might give you a few more options and be equally reliable.

Golf Estate at Volkswizard a little over budget but gives an idea.

Golf Plus' (Pluses?) are quite cheap if you don't mind the styling.

Toyota Verso fits the requirements clicky

Vectra with one owner from new

I doubt the MPG is that great but another option , erm...

Mazda3 1.6 diesel 58.9mpg combined

Nissan note 1.5d 56mpg

Toyota Auris 1.4d 56mpg

Seat Leon 1.9d 57mpg

I would be happy to go for a higher mileage car with service history, but as this is a joint decision, I have to acknowledge the fact that my wife has set a max mileage of 40k mls (which in my mind is too low given the price factor). I think I could push for a car with 50ish k mls if I found a good one at a price that was irresistible.

On the flipside, my wife is unbelievable at dealing with cardealers. When we bought the Mazda6 last year, she offered the kind of ridiculous low offer that would get a man a smack. She wouldn't budge and walked out the door. The dealer came after her. After that she squeezed an extended warranty, tax and a tank of diesel out of him.

I think I saw him cry a little.......

I like the current Mazda3 in the sport spec, which waaay outside my price range. I don't like the look of the old model.

Drove the Note before as a holiday rental and disliked pretty much everything about it.

The Auris ain't bad. I'll need to look into that.

Leon is nice but over here in NI they are everywhere and usually blinged and driven by boyracers, which I don't want to be associated with.

Ideally I want a 3 year old 159ti or Brera with the 2.4 jtd lump. Like that's ever gonna happen :-(

Compromise sucks...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/a...y49rt?logcode=p

Previous cat d but very cheap

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/a...y49rt?logcode=p

Low miles

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/a...y49rt?logcode=p

how about one of these:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/a...age/2?logcode=p

I've had a similar one for a year as a mile muncher, comfy, big boot, and averages between 45-50 mpg, the vector models also handle far better than I though they would....

Otherwise I'd go for a 159 diesel, or leon tdi / Golf if you want something a bit smaller.

One point about fuel consumption: manufacturers figures are completely artificial (as has been acknowledged both by the government and the industry, and anyone who's tried to match them). I suspect this is because the tests are so short and in particular don't take into account wind resistance... a two minute test from cold may give something close for driving to work a couple of miles away (though that's hardly useful for a diesel) but the high speed running is ridiculous as a rule.

You might want to look at the figures for real world use as collated by Honest John: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/ which average actual reported consumption. Many of these are close to - but usually below - the manufacturer's combined averages, which suggests that looking at the 75mph figures are largely rubbish.