Estate Car Help - Mistubishi / Skoda / BMW etc

[Fred Smith]

Comments and advice welcome. The estates in, around and potentially in my life!

(1) Mitsubishi Lancer Estate 2.0 Sport. 2006. My car, and I've had it for 10 years. Low mileage for age, recent money spent, good mechanical order, not very rusty but a few dings. Can't be worth more than about £1,500 or £2k at a push - barely worth selling. Currently on loan to my dad... currently thinking that I should keep it indefinitely, try to get another 10 years out of it, but have it more as a back-up car and retire it as my daily. Similar MPG to an E86... which I can tolerate due to how few miles I do.

(2) Skoda Octavia Estate 1.9 TDI. 2009. My elderly dad's car (since new) and just broken down. 138k miles. Seems to be oil leaking IN (not from) the engine and needs a new alternator, according to a knowledgeable amateur mechanic who looked at it. Is it likely to be worth repairing? What should someone who has driven diesels since the 1980s, who does a fair few miles, is getting stuck in his ways, and is very used to his Octavia do? Repair? Replace? What with?

(3) BMW Estate. Any thoughts on my latest idea which is to get a 3 or 5 series with an N52 engine (ideally I would like a 330 N52 estate, but it seems to be the case that I need to go 130 or 530 or 325 as they don't seem to have ever made a 330 touring with N52). It would be bought as a very low mileage "daily" (more like twice a week) with the odd long motorway journey (every few months at most). Basically I want something like my mitsubishi (at least a hint of nippiness, manual, petrol) but more comfortable and better for the odd long trip with family, and something where my other half can go in the back and not complain that my car is crap as she does in my Lancer).

(4) BMW Coupe... how comfortable is the back seat of an E92 for a petite woman? How tall are you and would you be happy to be in the back seat of an E92 for four hours? [This is a pssible back-up plan if I decide I definely want a 330 and can do without an estate]

So, any and all comments welcome... what should my dad and I do? He has plenty of driveway space so I can leave a car (or two) SORN at his place if I ever want to.

Am I insane to consider an E91 or E92, 325 / 330.

[Pondrew]

I bought my first ever BMW estate recently. A 2016 F31 320i petrol MANUAL (B48 engine). I wanted a manual as the wife won't drive an automatic. Rare as hen's teeth, they are. It's not an M-sport so doesn't look much but it is a great car. I really like it. Quick enough but not silly, OK on fuel (40mpg), comfy and has more space than I thought. It is my daily car, fishing gear carrier and workhorse.

I did pay quite a bit for it as it has only done 27k miles, been serviced eight times and one owner.

I would highly recommend one.

The F series are leagues better than the E series and you will struggle to find an E91 now which isn't knackered. Same goes for the old 5 series unless you pay big money IMO.

[bigwinn]

I was lucky to find a 330d e46 late car on 100k

I’ve done 40k miles in it now and it’s been brilliant. I change the oil every 3k, it’s been mapped to 270bhp and it’s got all the extras to match a modern car

Plus they are starting to look very cool now- personal view

Cost buttons to buy and owes me nowt

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[Mr Tidy]

Back in 2018 I decided I wanted a manual E91 330i with the N52 engine as a daily, but they were nearly twice the price of a 325i so I bought a 325i with 132K miles but full BMWSH for just under £3K. I had the inevitable electric water pump failure at 135K but no other issues in the 7,000 miles I did with it. But it just felt a bit sluggish, so getting back up to speed on a Motorway on any sort of incline meant changing down to 4th. I think the problem was pairing an engine that revved to 7,000rom with excessively high gearing, so 70mph was only 2,500rpm in 6th.

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Anyway after a year I tried again and had the same problem with 330i prices being so high. So I talked myself into a manual E90 330i instead as I found one with the split/fold rear seat option, also N52 engine, and it works much better and it's very refined for long Motorway trips which is largely why 5 years and 17K miles later I still have it. Although it became a Cat N last year.

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Although I do now wonder if maybe a 130i might have been a better idea! Although I found with my 123d years ago the rear is a bit tight on legroom.

I wanted to stick to N52 engines after having had two in my first E86s as they seem to have fewer problems than the later DI N53 engine, and AFAIK all early E9* 3 Series had the N52.

I've no idea about rear space in an E92, but before my Touring I had an E46 325ti Compact that had enough space in the back, it was just awkward getting in and out as my mates were getting older like me!

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I can't help with the Skoda although I think you need a better diagnosis of the engine problem.

[Fred Smith]

Mmmmm... the E91 330i does seem to exist after all (I swear I googled all the models with an N52 and the 330 touring / estate was not there, only the 325 touring).

I think I can live with the power of a 325 (it has to be better than my lancer and my lancer has been ok for a decade!)

So few N52 3 and 5 series on the market, and a lot seem to be saloons, with estates rarer than convertibles or coupes.

Yeah, I agree with you about diagnosing the Skoda's problems... it does make sense for him to keep it if the issues are reasonably cheap to fix... but on the other hand I fear the car has little value and the person who has looked at it is someone who is pretty damn handy and his limited prognosis was not good.

After all that, today I will be mostly considering whether I can push out the small dent on my other half's Fiesta (and if I do then I need to re-attach the bumper mounting bracket, then the bumper and a broken reflector in the bumper.)

[Fred Smith]

And now the Mitsubishi won't start either... between me, my missus and my dad we have four cars... a Fiesta that needs TLC re minor accident damage, a cheap E86 that's fine but needs TLC, a Skoda Octavia still in the garage and a Mistsubishi that won't start (seems like it might be a fuel issue... did my dad put diesel in it!??!)