Should I keep or trade in my old Golf?

I own a 2001 Volkswagen Golf TDI. It has covered 101,000 miles and has a number of issues that need fixing. Currently, the DMF is vibrating and I have sourced a clutch and DMF for £225 + fitting this would be £400-500. The cam belt is also due next year and the starter motor is screeching on (a common issue with this model!). I am wondering whether to fix the car or trade it in for a newer model. In this respect I have been looking at the Fiat Stilo 1.9 diesel circa 2006 which seems comparable and ones are available for around £2000 with 60-80k miles. I have also looked at older cars like the Alfa GTV 2.0 and newer models like the Panda 100hp, Citroen C2 VTS, Twingo GT. I am not sure any of these examples will work out as cheap as the Stilo and the main concern is to have a cheap. What do you think?
I don't think your costs with the Golf will end there so I'd get rid. But, of course, replacing it with a £2k car doesn't mean that the £2k car won't need £1k or more spending on it. You can minimise likely costs by buying a Yaris 1.0 or 1.3 or a Fiesta 1.25.

The Panda has been the best FIATs so far and the 100HP is interesting but tends to hop and jump all over the road. An Alfa GTV could be fun or could be grief, but I know people who swear by Alfa 156s (by them, not at them). The 2nd generation Twingo and Citroen C2 are no more than okay. Avoid VW Polos: overpriced and no better than anything else.
Answered by Honest John on

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