Dacia Duster

[CXRAndy]

Same with any car, maintenance is key. Regular oil and filter changes aren't expensive. That reminds me, need to do mine and MrsF's soon.

Oil changes aren't expensive unless you get a main dealer to do it. Easily £100/HR labour these days

 

[fossyant]

Oil changes aren't expensive unless you get a main dealer to do it. Easily £100/HR labour these days

Quite, less than £30 for the last using Shell Helix Synthetic and a Bosch filter ! And I had 4.5 litres of oil for a 3l car. 20 mins job jobbed.

 

[bonzobanana]

But even the old 'its chain driven, not belt, so it's better' ... doesnt always hold.

Mazda 3s, from say 2005 till 2012' ish are for the most part chain driven. They're failing, you'll see them up for sale as such.
Chains stretch causing timing issues, chains break, guides break.
I'm not sure the old adage a chain is better than a belt is true anymore.
Years ago, cars just did'nt do the mileage they can easily do now so chains never / rarely went before something else did anyway,

I'm sure there are exceptions but its still a good general rule that they are superior for not needing replacement. In theory they should last the lifespan of the engine. I seem to remember there were some types of BMW engine that had a high failure rate for chains. Most chain driven engines are very good I would say but like anything you have to check the engine's known problems for any car you are considering.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Oil changes aren't expensive unless you get a main dealer to do it. Easily £100/HR labour these days

National Tyres do it for cheap, too, using quality lubricants.

 

[vickster]

National Tyres do it for cheap, too, using quality lubricants.

Aren’t they now Halfords? (Which may be a good or less good thing for some)

 

[Milzy]

I’d get 1.5 D or none at all.

 

[gbb]

Diesel or petrol should really be carefully considered, does one's driving habits lend you to one or the other.
My daughter has a petrol Astra GTC, her husband (a garage mechanic) always said, her driving needs, short journeys 90% of the time would be a huge no no for diesel. He spends a lot of time at work working on diesels that are simply being used in a way that's counter productive. Use them wrong and the problems they encounter can far outweigh the better running costs for fuel.