I would like a bigger car. Plus when the DPF needs replacing i dont want to have to face that huge £1000 bill. Seen the prices for my particular car and i cant believe the car has depreciated by around £500 to £1000 since i bought it march last year.

Hi, how much how big? I'd say get a Mk4 Mondeo 2.0l diesel if you want something bigger, plenty of space front, rear and in the boot. Unrivalled ride for its class and enough performance and economy to keep you happy plus, if you get a Titx, enough equipment. Plus the DPF will last you well over 100k miles. All s/h cars seem to have taken a hit over that time period
Chris

I've been looking at the Dodge Caliber 2 litre diesel. Prices have plummeted for these also. I do like the look of the Mondeo, but again the DPF, Why? why? why?

You will always be on for a hiding depreciation wise, if you change your motor soon after buying it. Because not only do you have to take into account the depreciation down to the car ageing. But you also have to eat the difference between retail and PX value, hence you should look to keep a car for a minimum of three years. OK, some people do change sooner, but there is a price to pay.

Take my motor, cost me £6,200 back in early October 09, in a fortnight I will have owned it twenty one months. If I were to PX it today I'd get circa £4,050 meaning on top of the cost of any repairs and renewals in that period, it will have cost me £2,150 to own it.

If you reckon, you will only be £500 to a £1000 out PX'ing a motor you have had circa fifteen months, your in for a shock. As I reckon your only looking at the retail price of your motor the same Reg as yours, when you should be looking at the PX value. Use that link in my "signature" for a better idea of values.

According to that my specific model and mileage is worth , private- £4,890 in good condition.

[quote name='bottletree' timestamp='1309018094' post='133313']
I've been looking at the Dodge Caliber 2 litre diesel. Prices have plummeted for these also. I do like the look of the Mondeo, but again the DPF, Why? why? why?
[/quote]

Hi, and why, because it is a dodge, why the mondeo, because the dpf works, I know I've had one for three years...
Chris

[quote name='bottletree' timestamp='1309022835' post='133319']
According to that my specific model and mileage is worth , private- £4,890 in good condition.
[/quote]

Ah well if your talking Private Sale, mines only lost £1,927 that's all right then

I see these motors with private sale stickers in the window, month after month after month. The reality is most likely you will do a deal with a dealer at PX valuations.

[quote]but again the DPF, Why? why? why?[/quote] Because their mandatory

Like Cuke said the Mondeo is an excellent car, and the 2008 build onwards TDCi's have the non service CDPF.

Hi, I'm hoping the residual value of the Mk3's are greater than the mk2 otherwise I've made a bad decision
But then the Mk4 Mondeo seems to be better then the Mk3..
Chris

My brother in law had the misfortune of actually selling Dodge cars for a while and they have to be some of the worst cars i have had the misfortune to travel in. We went to Birmingham from the north east in a Caliber, by the time we got there i felt sick the ride was so terrible. The build quaility is terrible with some of the cheapest plastics i've ever seen in a car.

Graham

Hi, goes without saying, it's designed and built in america, I rest my case....
Chris

I agree, they are totally crap, no doubt bottletree has been attracted by the low resale prices........the very absence of them on the roads tells you all you need to know.

[quote name='cuke' timestamp='1309025936' post='133324']
Hi, I'm hoping the residual value of the Mk3's are greater than the mk2 otherwise I've made a bad decision
But then the Mk4 Mondeo seems to be better then the Mk3..
Chris
[/quote]


It will be,

when I was first looking at a second hand Mk2 Focus after our Mk1 was written off. I found I could buy a Volvo S40 2.0D SE, full leather with all the toys, for the same money as they were asking for Zetec Foci. So I went Volvo of course the Mk2 Focus was the current model then, now it's two designations off current. So as a second hand buy they are good value, but you just don't want to be swapping them every two minutes.

Well at least Ford have sorted the DPF out and given the car a none serviceable DPF now.I've read many owner reviews of the Dodge Caliber and most of them say it's a great car. They've stopped building them now so the parts are quite pricey.
I thought the Ford was an American car also? Oh yeah and lets not forget the quality French involvement too.

Best go Jap then

Hi, the current Mk4 is not sold in america, although previous versions were, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mondeo and is built in Genk, Belgium, who also build the S-Max, as it uses the same platform. The engine is one shared by the PSA group and I believe is made in Dagenham.
Chris

[quote name='bottletree' timestamp='1309083952' post='133399']
I've read many owner reviews of the Dodge Caliber and most of them say it's a great car.[/quote]
how about Pro reviews ...........like this one [url="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/newreviews/207346/dodge_caliber.html"]Auto Express[/url]

[quote]They've stopped building them now [/quote] how many clues are you willing to ignore

Hi, all negatives that will stand out like a sore thumb in comparing it to a focus. He still hasn't yet stated a budget and what he's looking for, other than a bigger car.
Chris

Oh you lot are such party poopers. Let me live the dream a few moments longer. I was going to look at one today but it was sold very quickly. The budget was around £5500 to £6,000. 2 litre diesel was the make. I dont look at the professional reviews cause they mean nothing to me. The proper and TRUE reviews are the ones from owners that have the car day in day out.

Hi, there is something to be said for owners reviews, however they can be so subjective depending on the drivers experience and knowledge, which is often quite limited.
Chris

I'm putting it on the back boiler at moment cause you lot and my friends and work colleagues are telling me otherwise.

SPOILERS.

Who me? I thought we were just saving you from making a huge mistake
Chris

[quote name='cuke' timestamp='1309117486' post='133461']
Who me? I thought we were just saving you from making a huge mistake
Chris
[/quote]

that we were..........

bottletree, now you have saved £1k [in dealer PX to retail difference]If you want the power of a 2.0ltr engine, get the TDCi chipped, and a replacement DPF when its needed, maybe a year or two down the road. And you will still have a couple of hundred left out of that grand you save giving to a dealer. Besides after another seven/ eight years I doubt you will still own your current car. So the DPF you do replace for circa £500 will be the only one you will ever need too, so stop obsessing about it..........

Hi, and, seeing as I've experienced a proper remap, not one of those cheap fleabay piggy back things, I can vouch for how good they are. I'd also recommend this company http://www.angeltuning.co.uk/engine-remap/ford-diesel-car-tuning.aspx if you decide to have it done.
Chris

Of course now, since I've sent this thread down the remap road

There is the debate in regard to insurance...........to declare or not to declare, that is the question.

The following thread from another website throws some light on that particular debate.
[url="http://www.torquecars.com/forums/f61/handheld-remapping-devices-12389/"]TORQUE CARS[/url]

Declare, the tuning can be detected at any point, and with sufficient grounds for supsicion, the insurance company will declare your policy null and void - good look if you write off an SLR with no insurance

Piggy backs a different story, you take it off in the event of an accident - no ones the wiser - not that im glorifying that...

Always declare!

[quote name='jeebowhite' timestamp='1309168729' post='133525']
Declare, the tuning can be detected at any point, and with sufficient grounds for supsicion, the insurance company will declare your policy null and void - good look if you write off an SLR with no insurance

Piggy backs a different story, you take it off in the event of an accident - no ones the wiser - not that im glorifying that...

Always declare!
[/quote]

Well I've seen Sods Law in action many a time, so I would personally always declare, if I were to ever go down the remap route.

As to piggy backing with the likes of a Bluefin hand held. Reading that thread, an investigative insurance engineer could suss the map had been accessed via a hand held shortly after the crash at the very least. Enough grounds for them to revoke the insurance, if reasonable explanations were not forthcoming, as to why that was so.

Hi, of course a remap should be declared to your insurance, it is a mod after all. However a good remap isn't that easy to detect at all if it done correctly, but then if your car is dressed up like some kind of chavmobile then you're likely to arouse suspicions, naturally....
Chris

[quote name='cuke' timestamp='1309171764' post='133533']
if your car is dressed up like some kind of chavmobile then you're likely to arouse suspicions, naturally....
Chris
[/quote]

spot on there Chris

Hi, hey haven't you a job to go to?
Chris

[quote name='cuke' timestamp='1309178939' post='133553']
Hi, hey haven't you a job to go to?
Chris
[/quote]

I've a three monitor set up, so I can multi task, wife sez I can't.......but I can

LOL, it's my job, thus wherever I am I can log on Only I came home early today, still having issues from my op in april
Chris

Hopefully nothing too serious Cuke!

As for the topic that has gone slightly off path... lol

Dodge are good motors, the engine itself is very robust, but some of their actual cars dont quite hold up to it on the interior. Some of them on the other hand are superior to many a car out there!

[quote name='jeebowhite' timestamp='1309255020' post='133715']
Hopefully nothing too serious Cuke!
[/quote]

I knew there was a question I was going to ask today, but you done it for me Jeeb

Jeez I looked at the dash on the calibre or whatever it is called..........cheap cheap sh@te IMHO

I mean the front of the Mk2 Focus is bland as hell, but the up side is when I'm sat in it, I don't see it.........sat in front of a calibre looking at that.............[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/suggy1/vomit.gif[/IMG]

Hi, the engine is actually a VW unit, thus it should be good, however, as it hasn't a DPF, it seems like it is a older one..
Chris

Good to see you're all coming round to the idea, little by little

Double post.

[quote name='bottletree' timestamp='1309263255' post='133734']
Good to see you're all coming round to the idea, little by little
[/quote]

However, from what I've read the rest of the car is cr*p and tinny...
Chris

And the little by little has just fallen apart...

If you want that sort of car, go Mazda 5 Sport

Hi, please, don't get me started on Mazda's unless you've all day. We've a M2 also, and, to me, it is the biggest piece of rubbish I have ever driven, thankfully not often. How Mazda can put a sport badge on a car, tard it up with some plastics and lead us to believe it is sporting I don't know.
Chris

I made a final decision to keep the Focus. Too many people saying the same thing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with my car. Love the drive. Love its reliability. Love the look of it. Just a tad too small if there are any negatives.
Must be having a minor mid-life crisis. Should keep off Autotrader.

Phew that was a close call.....


And if I was wanting to go bigger, it would be the Mondeo, pound for pound you wont find a better deal than a Mondeo, to buy, to service, and to buy spare parts. And as for reliability, well my Mk1 I had twelve months from being new, it's original clutch went in it's tenth year.

Cuke, Didnt realise that the Mazda was that bad, I have known a majority to be very good indeed!

BottleTree - Good Choice! The Focus is a great little car, just depends where you want the space - a decent looking roof box will cost you a lot less than a new car Otherwise if its cabin space, not much that can be done, or you could just put a really fat chavvy body kit on it, and use your imagingation that the inside is so much bigger lol

Catch, I agree, the Mondeo certainly is a fantastic car, My father had the MK(2)? N reg, I think it was the MK2, and that was an excellent car, Other than the plastics inside, the Mondeo has near enough always been the same fantastic car through and through, Had I the funds at any point the latest shape would have been my car in place of the focus... Then it could have all been a different story...

Hi, what more can I say...
Chris

Yeah the Mondeo is a good looking car with its own individuality. What i mean by that is most cars look very similar to each other these days, but you get the odd one that stands out with good looks. My brother did tell me to get the 2 litre diesel mondeo before i opted for this Focus.