Cheap, reliable and economical auto estate
Discussion
We moved house earlier this year, so my commute has doubled in length (40 miles each way has risen to 80 miles each way), but become less frequent. I only need to make this journey once or twice per week.
It's a rubbish journey featuring the A1(M) and A14, though there is about 20 miles of nice roads closer to home which i divert onto if the mood takes me.
I've commuted mostly by motorbike for the last 7 years, but the length of journey and bad weather are putting me off.
So. I currently have a shed in the form of a Toyota Avensis 2.0 VVTi estate. It's been very reliable in the 8 months that i've had it. It gets used for household duties like going to the tip, trips to B&Q, taking my mountain bike out, etc.
It's not particularly luxurious, and the manual 'box is a bit tiresome in the (frequently bad) traffic. The stereo is alright, but nothing special. It's doing about 33 mpg. It only cost me £900 and is probably worth and easy £500-£600 on fleabay.
I'm considering changing it in the new year for something a little better on fuel, a little better suited to cruising on dual carriageways, and a little nice place to be inside. However it would still need to be a bit of a family shed and be used for the household duties mentioned above.
I've had diesels before and found them a mixed bag. The VAG 1.9 PD unit is my favourite because it has such great punch yet does a fairly easy 55mpg+ (the Mk4 Golf TDI 130 that i had years ago did anyway).
However we more recently had a SEAT Leon 2.0 TDI that would do no better than 48 mpg no matter what i did, and sitting at 70-80 on dual carriageways saw that drop to below 40.
So. I think i'm after an estate (or large hatch), capable of 40mpg+, with a bit of a luxury barge feel to it, and i think and auto.
I have an MX-5 for fun and trackdays, and my wife has a Mini Cooper-S for a more engaging drive.
Suggestions please!
Edit to add: budget is up to around £3k-£4k.
It's a rubbish journey featuring the A1(M) and A14, though there is about 20 miles of nice roads closer to home which i divert onto if the mood takes me.
I've commuted mostly by motorbike for the last 7 years, but the length of journey and bad weather are putting me off.
So. I currently have a shed in the form of a Toyota Avensis 2.0 VVTi estate. It's been very reliable in the 8 months that i've had it. It gets used for household duties like going to the tip, trips to B&Q, taking my mountain bike out, etc.
It's not particularly luxurious, and the manual 'box is a bit tiresome in the (frequently bad) traffic. The stereo is alright, but nothing special. It's doing about 33 mpg. It only cost me £900 and is probably worth and easy £500-£600 on fleabay.
I'm considering changing it in the new year for something a little better on fuel, a little better suited to cruising on dual carriageways, and a little nice place to be inside. However it would still need to be a bit of a family shed and be used for the household duties mentioned above.
I've had diesels before and found them a mixed bag. The VAG 1.9 PD unit is my favourite because it has such great punch yet does a fairly easy 55mpg+ (the Mk4 Golf TDI 130 that i had years ago did anyway).
However we more recently had a SEAT Leon 2.0 TDI that would do no better than 48 mpg no matter what i did, and sitting at 70-80 on dual carriageways saw that drop to below 40.
So. I think i'm after an estate (or large hatch), capable of 40mpg+, with a bit of a luxury barge feel to it, and i think and auto.
I have an MX-5 for fun and trackdays, and my wife has a Mini Cooper-S for a more engaging drive.
Suggestions please!
Edit to add: budget is up to around £3k-£4k.
Thanks for the input.
MPG isn't a massive factor. The 30-35 MPG that the avensis does is fairly ok. It would need to do at least 30 mpg, which with an auto box would mean diesel. I like the idea of a DSG 'box, but they only just scrape into my budget and i'm not sure i'd want to gamble at that end of the market.
I'd be interested in a V70 D5 volvo, heard good things about them and they tick the barge box.
Part of me wants a proper barge, but the need for an estate means i can't have a 7-series or S-class!
Avensis diesel. Good call. I'm liking Japanese stuff at the moment. Both the Avensis and MX-5 are seemingly indestructible!
Are Accord 2.2 CDTI estates in budget? Not particularly luxurious though.
Not quite as economical as i'd need, but a Lexus IS SportCross has been on my radar for a while. Rare and cheap!
There are several LPG garages on my journey, so maybe i could go for something a bit more tasty?
MPG isn't a massive factor. The 30-35 MPG that the avensis does is fairly ok. It would need to do at least 30 mpg, which with an auto box would mean diesel. I like the idea of a DSG 'box, but they only just scrape into my budget and i'm not sure i'd want to gamble at that end of the market.
I'd be interested in a V70 D5 volvo, heard good things about them and they tick the barge box.
Part of me wants a proper barge, but the need for an estate means i can't have a 7-series or S-class!
Avensis diesel. Good call. I'm liking Japanese stuff at the moment. Both the Avensis and MX-5 are seemingly indestructible!
Are Accord 2.2 CDTI estates in budget? Not particularly luxurious though.
Not quite as economical as i'd need, but a Lexus IS SportCross has been on my radar for a while. Rare and cheap!
There are several LPG garages on my journey, so maybe i could go for something a bit more tasty?
CraigyMc said:
Odd. They source auto boxes from the same suppliers as other companies...
lol. As i said, my prejudice is unfounded. In fact, when i think of autos it's only Mercedes that i really think of as being reliable. Funny isn't it!This would be my first auto, so it's new territory for me and i don't know a huge amount about them.
eltax91 said:
I've just switch to an Accord Tourer as something a bit different. In EX spec is has Xenons, Comfy heated leather, climate and cruise. I chose it over a V70 as it seemed easier to find a good one.
The auto box is pretty nice to use and has manual mode if really needed! Honda's legendary reliability reputation speaks for itself. I went for the 2.4i VTEC, not the DERV, but both are bombproof.
Interesting. Thanks.The auto box is pretty nice to use and has manual mode if really needed! Honda's legendary reliability reputation speaks for itself. I went for the 2.4i VTEC, not the DERV, but both are bombproof.
I've noticed that the 2.4 is a bit of a bargain compared to the diesels, i guess because people will pay extra for the better consumption.
What MPG have you been seeing out of it?
Edited by dapearson on Friday 1st November 11:17
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yes. My first thought was a merc diesel estate. A friend of mine has an E320 and i really like it. Two things put me off though, at the price i'd need to pay for one i'd be worried about something major going wrong. If my Avensis breaks i'll scrap it and lose a few hundred quid.Bonefish Blues said:
High 30s to mid 40s equivalent once you've gassed it though. LPG Forum is worth a look.
I take your point, but cash spent on an LPG conversion will not add to the value of the car. It would be more sensible to go for a more expensive diesel.I'd buy one that had LPG fitted already though.
kiethton said:
Ooooh that's pretty 
74merc said:
I agree, cost of petrol estate + LPG conversion < diesel estate.
When looking for an estate to convert, ensure that it has a full sized spare wheel well. You won't be able to mount a tank behind the rear bulkhead, as you would in a saloon. I'm running a gassed 3.0 litre Subaru Outback with a 68 litre toroidal tank in the spare wheel well. If ever there was a car that needed to be gassed, this is it!
Nice idea. I had an impreza wagon for a few years and loved it.When looking for an estate to convert, ensure that it has a full sized spare wheel well. You won't be able to mount a tank behind the rear bulkhead, as you would in a saloon. I'm running a gassed 3.0 litre Subaru Outback with a 68 litre toroidal tank in the spare wheel well. If ever there was a car that needed to be gassed, this is it!
What mileage does that 68 litre tank give you? And how much is it to fill it?
Gtom said:
Hmmm. Nah i'm not a big ford fan. I'd be waiting for either the clutch/flywheel to go, or the gearbox.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff