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Going to buy tomorrow, but which petrol or diesel?

M

markquinton

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Messages
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Location
Norwich
Car
Accord Ex 2.0 i-vtec
Hi all

After asking numerous questions i've narrowed my choice down to two local accords and i'm going to put a deposit down on one of them tomorrow. I just don't know which one.

I drive around 8-9k per year and work 4 miles from home with the balance of the mileage being visits to projects around Norfolk a few times a week.


Car 1 is an 06 petrol 2.0 i-vtec with 72k

It has immaculate bodywork and interior and a full service history. Obviously been well cared for however the downside is the Milano red appears to have faded ever so slightly on the rear tailgate (a common problem with this colour i see). The rest of the car is excellent. It doesn't have the optional sat nav or hft which is a shame as it makes the interior look more upmarket. I will also want to chance the alloys for larger genuine ones.

My head says this car is the better purchase for reliability and a really nice place to sit be on the way to work. I trust Honda petrol engines and that feeling of confidence is always a good thing.

I could have this for £3250 from a Honda specialist.

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Car 2 is a 58 plate 2.2 i-ctdi with 119k

This car has full service history with the majority of it with Honda. It also has the sat nav and HFT and larger alloys. The clutch and dmf appear to be fine but i have asked the seller to confirm with Honda whether it has had a replacement clutch in the past. If it hasn't then is this a ticking time bomb in terms of extra cost coming my way soon?

The torque is nice for sure and in many ways i prefer the power on tap but my concerns at that this car will be more expensive to maintain by some distance over that of the petrol car. This could be had for about £4000.

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At the minute my head is saying Petrol by i prefer the torque of the diesel. However the reason i am downgrading from a more expensive car is to save some money to restructure my finances which is why the diesel option concerns me more.

Help me choose!

Regards

Mark
 
The seller of the diesel has now confirmed that the clutch hasn't been replaced in the past but insists that there is nothing wrong with it at all.
 
The diesel won't have even warmed up in 4 miles.

It's a facelift so less prone to problems than earlier ones.

At that mileage someone has already had the best out of the clutch, but there may be plenty of life left in it.

I think you'd need to do double the annual mileage for the diesel to start breaking even all things considered. Doing your own spannering will shorten the gap though. The petrol likely to be more reliable (though I've been lucky to have had none of the £xpensive issues on my diesel 7th Gen, and lets face it ALL cars can break down regardless of fuel type).

The price of an up to date nav disk for the diesel will pay for a Tom Tom in the petrol.

If you've got 4K to spend you could swap the wheels and get the paint corrected on the red one, and have enough left for a pizza on the way home.

Personally (and I'm a diesel man) I'd go with the petrol. That's my two penneth.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to convince you the other way ;)
 
Considering i love pizza the petrol option sounds good ;)

I must admit i'm leaning to the petrol for trouble free motoring and considering the considerably lower mileage.

Thanks for your opinion.
 
I agree with Matt, and would even go further i.e. the Accord is an executive comfort motorway muncher great for distances, so for your four mile commute, is the Accord the right car, or would you be better off with a well-specced Civic?
 
I have considered a civic but I much prefer the ride and build quality of the accord. The rear suspension on the civic isn't great.
 
Both are great cars really. On paper the petrol would make more sense with that mileage.

As a car however the diesel will be a much nicer drive with bags more torque, and very tuneable too.

Why not look for a nice 2.4 petrol?
 
Well after going to place a deposit on the petrol i noticed in the sunshine (previous visit was in the rain) that the roof had also faded considerably so unfortunately decided to walk away.

I'm going to look at a 07 2.0 Ex auto on saturday which i have been ***ured is absolutely mint and 1 owner from new.

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As I am currently driving a DSG Octavia VRS the thought of staying with an auto actually appeals as i like the relaxing drive they offer, especially in city traffic.All reviews and opinions I've read on the 2.0 auto say that it's a very smooth box with an almost seamless gear change. I am not necessarily looking for massive performance as my commute is mostly in traffic and just hope this combination with give me a smooth drive with a bit of get and up and go when required.

As mentioned previously i would love a 2.4 but they do seem to be scare especially in facelift form.

Thanks
 
Sounds like a plan - I spend a fair bit of time nowadays wishing mine was an auto - does it have a good service history?
 
I have posted my car up for sale. It is a 2006 diesel and Engine is mint. Feel free to check 'classified section'.
 
cliffordski - 10 stamps full honda service history

makkan00 - thanks i'll take a look but think i'm edging toward petrol
 
I just bought a 2007 type s 2.0 with 172k on clock but fsh and it runs smooth and quietly
 
Good choice Mark and good luck. For your commute it makes no sense to have diesel. As others have said diesel engine won't even warm up by the time you'll get to work. Love the colour of your car, it just needs bigger alloys I think :)
If you can I would suggest to get your servicing parts from Honda Holdcroft and do the work yourself. This is what I've been doing since I've had my accord (for last 5 years).
 
Thanks blueagle, i agree it definitely needs bigger wheels! For both looks and handling as these high sidewall tyres are not giving me the responsive drive i would like.
 
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