Buying 05 fr tdi

[Mikeyk]

Hey guys im new here just my 2nd post after the intro, im after some info been cheeky an that lol

Im looking into getting a 05 fr tdi with about 20k on been serviced twice at 5 an 10k an will be serviced if i agree to buy would you say 7k is reasonable??or expensive baring in mind its from a car dealer.

Secondly what kinda mpg do any of u light footed drivers get lol just i do a 50 mile round trip to work just a general idea im not expecting anything great.

An why isit the 2 fabia vrs`s iv driven one just today seem alot slower then the ibiza?i was stunned how fast the tdi 130`s go till i drove the fabia an instantly thought there must be something wrong with it, an the ibiza was so much smoother through the gears.

If i think of anything else i will put out another post to bother u all lol

There may have been posts put up about the above things already great if u could point me in the right direction, save u going through it all again.

Cheers Guys

 

[krussel]

Hi, Mikeyk.

I think the folks on here will have a good idea about the asking price but to me £7k sounds about right with a warranty of course. Also consider that the 4th year service is a biggie including the timing belt and water pump etc, so i would try to cut a service deal as well.

Mpg in a tdi, can of worms time

When i first got mine i drove it like a saint for a couple of months and easily returned 50 mpg. Even now with the cold weather and the odd sprint i am getting 45 mpg. The lowest ive had was 39mpg but was i off on hols and drove it harder.

Good luck

 

[Torquemonster]

I think £7k is too much.Even for a low miler.
I've seen a couple(from dealers) on Autotrader.Both 3doors,one red,one yellow.Both with only 20k,FSH's and looking minted.Both are 06/06 plates.£6995 for either.So i'd look there instead.
If i drive with a light foot i get about an average of 50 mpg.
Don't know about the VRS,both have the same engine,power etc.

Good choice of car though,you won't go far wrong.

 

[ciano125]

Agreed, I looked at selling mine recently and worked out that £7500 would be ok for a private sale for my 2007 reg 20k mileage tdi fr.

MPG, i'm as light footed as they come and i've never had better than 45mpg over a full tank (ignore what the onboard computer says, my long term average according to that is 60mpg! Rubbish!)

Its a decent enough car to be honest, I dont want to get rid of it yet anyway and i'm quite fussy when it comes to cars.

 

[Mikeyk]

Cheers guys for the replies, all info is much appreciated. Thanks for that about the 4th year service Krussel didnt know that an that will be due one in 6 month or so.

Yeah im going to have a look at autotrader thanks Torquemonster, yeah the vrs mistified me maybe just a not so good one.

Cheers Ciano125 i dont trust the onboard computers either seem a mile out.

how many miles do you guys get to a tank?

Thanks guys

 

[Torquemonster]

I get about 470 miles before the extremely loud low fuel warning beep sounds.
It's enough to make you have a heart attack!.

As for the timing belt.The official Seat interval is 80,000 miles.My local dealer said better safe than sorry-change it at 70,000.But after reading a lot about it on the forum,i got mine changed at 61,000. Lot of expense if it breaks.

 

[Mikeyk]

470 aint bad out a tank just been reading through an it seems abit hit or miss how many miles people get, but that depends if its motorway or town or mix that people do. My journey aint to bad mostly A roads.

Yeah i know what you mean best safe then sorry, an its usually been the 1st thing iv got done when iv got a car, any ideas on the price of a cambelt kit + water pump?

 

[Torquemonster]

It's not the most refined of engines.Bit like atractor really.But in terms of performance and mpg,it's very hard to beat.

My belt,tensioners and pump(with new coolant) cost a total of £330 from a Seat dealer.
I got a few quotes from other Seat dealers and 1 independant specialist.Cheapest was £299(special offer) from a Seat dealer,but it was too far away i didn't need the hassle.Dearest was £350(Seat dealer).I thought the independant would have been the cheapest,but not so.They wanted £325.Anyway,got it done by Seat for peace of mind.

 

[Mikeyk]

Yeah an if anything does go wrong then atleast the stamp is by a dealer with the piece of mind.

Everyone you speak to says that there so loud and everything but why change something if it does job, but to be honest i took that one out on thursday night quite cold took it on a few roads i know, went upto around 3500 revs in the lower gears an didnt really notice the engine noise once and that was without the radio on compared to the common rail diesel iv got at the min which gets abit strained around those revs.

 

[Torquemonster]

Yeah an if anything does go wrong then atleast the stamp is by a dealer with the piece of mind.

Everyone you speak to says that there so loud and everything but why change something if it does job, but to be honest i took that one out on thursday night quite cold took it on a few roads i know, went upto around 3500 revs in the lower gears an didnt really notice the engine noise once and that was without the radio on compared to the common rail diesel iv got at the min which gets abit strained around those revs.

Agreed.If i wanted my motor to sound nice i'd buy a Focus ST,or an R32.I don't care for such things.I want 229lb ft of torque,50mpg,insurance group 7/8 traction control,6 spd gearbox etc.Cheap to buy,cheap to run and service.You can't beat it's mid range surge(with a nice bit of turbo whine).Blink,and you're past 3or 4 cars in an instant..

The Fabia VRS 's are holding their price a bit better than the Fr's,but i think you're better spending your cash on the FR.FR looks better as well(in my opinion).

 

[Mikeyk]

Yeah so that means there bit more expensive to buy when there both identical nearly, an ibiza is 1 group lower insurance not much but every little helps, plus you get the climate which you dont in most fabias, iv never really looked at the the ibiza to be honest up until recently an i like the shape now iv had a proper look an drive in one, neighbour has a old N reg tdi machine over quater of million miles runs it on that bio fuel, never heard him moan about it either.

An its a diesel its loud, like you said if you want a purrr buy a 2, 2.5 litre petrol.

 

[krussel]

They are quite loud and tractor like when cold its not the best sound to be honest but once you get going its pretty much the same as any other diesel ive driven. It does make a nice roar from the exhaust when you push it though

I also own a Mk1 Mr2 which loves to rev and does have a nice sound and is fun to keep on cam, which you need to do to extract the performance, but everyday back and forth to work driving it fast can quickly become tiring. The FR is completely different you simply push down the gas in any gear and it pick up and goes almost instantly. I find i can overtake traffic quicker in 4th gear (with ease) than i can in 2nd in the Mr2, its great.

 

[Mr Cellotape]

For the money your spending you could go for the Cupra TDI.

The FR you have been looking at if it is an 05 is missing a service.
It's first should have been 06
It's second 07
third 08
fourth 09. etc

You get the idea.

The mileage is a can of worms, I had the Cupra TDI and regularily over 3.5 years managed 50mpg.

What-ever you get good luck.

 

[Clark10]

Shop around, get a Cupra for cheaper, spend the rest on insurance and beer. Job done.

 

[Poverty]

not a good deal imho.

 

[Mikeyk]

So even though its low mileage at 20k it still should have been done yearly rather then on the mileage?i do 30k a year so the timing is nothing to me its always when it gets to the miles it gets done.

Yeah the Cupra sounds tempting going to check them out see how much there going for.

Whats going on with the suspension??nearly every review ya read people go on about the suspension needing attention?

 

[Mikeyk]

All ya info is much appreciated guys cheers

 

[krussel]

I dont think its faults that people refer its just the Cupra has a much stiffer suspension set up and people can find it too extreme. The FR is fairly stiff with its uprated shocks and lower profile tyres and some people complain about that but for me its about right.

It would prob be a good idea to take a Cupra for a test drive (containing town driving) to make sure your ok with the set up before you set your heart on one. But bang for buck the Cupra is a great buy

Enjoy your search, take your time.

 

[Mikeyk]

I dont think its faults that people refer its just the Cupra has a much stiffer suspension set up and people can find it too extreme. The FR is fairly stiff with its uprated shocks and lower profile tyres and some people complain about that but for me its about right.

It would prob be a good idea to take a Cupra for a test drive (containing town driving) to make sure your ok with the set up before you set your heart on one. But bang for buck the Cupra is a great buy

Enjoy your search, take your time.

I think the cupra would be abit extreme for me to be honest an the insurance is a killer with me only been 20, when i took the fr out it did seem quite stiff but what iv got now it bounces all over an does my head in with it having soft suspension

 

[Torquemonster]

So even though its low mileage at 20k it still should have been done yearly rather then on the mileage?i do 30k a year so the timing is nothing to me its always when it gets to the miles it gets done.

Yeah the Cupra sounds tempting going to check them out see how much there going for.

Whats going on with the suspension??nearly every review ya read people go on about the suspension needing attention?

Yeah,it gets done yearly or every 10,000 miles,whichever comes first.30K a year?!,i thought i did a lot as well!.I'd be tempted just to get the oil and filter changed at the first 10k,then again at 20k.Then get it fully serviced at 30k.Depends on how much cash you've got i suppose.


My front bushes need replaced,but my car is 4.5 years old so i suppose it's just normal wear and tear.