A Good Barge / B Road Blaster Balance?
Discussion
So to cut a boring story short, the Mrs is looking to change her job. Her current job comes with a company car, the new one may not, so we need another car. I plan to take the Volvo (2002 S40 1.9d) off the road for a while until she needs it and use this as an excuse to treat myself to something nice. I'll probably sell my Honda Hornet to fund it so I should have about £1500 to play with.
Problem is I like a bit of space and comfort, I regularly carry passengers and like them to be comfy, I work somewhere that's nearly 1000ft above sea level and in the countryside so I need to be able to cope with a decent amount of snow and farm tracks (Winter tyres work wonders), and as I'm selling my Hornet I'd like it to be reasonably pleasurable to drive at least so I can B road blast when I feel like it.
I seem to keep arriving at Lexus IS200s as I really want a petrol 6 (never had a car with more than a 4 pot) but the fuel economy seems absymal really. I'd like at least 30mpg from gentle driving.
Am I asking too much for my budget?
Problem is I like a bit of space and comfort, I regularly carry passengers and like them to be comfy, I work somewhere that's nearly 1000ft above sea level and in the countryside so I need to be able to cope with a decent amount of snow and farm tracks (Winter tyres work wonders), and as I'm selling my Hornet I'd like it to be reasonably pleasurable to drive at least so I can B road blast when I feel like it.
I seem to keep arriving at Lexus IS200s as I really want a petrol 6 (never had a car with more than a 4 pot) but the fuel economy seems absymal really. I'd like at least 30mpg from gentle driving.
Am I asking too much for my budget?
WaldoMcBaldo said:
So to cut a boring story short, the Mrs is looking to change her job. Her current job comes with a company car, the new one may not, so we need another car. I plan to take the Volvo (2002 S40 1.9d) off the road for a while until she needs it and use this as an excuse to treat myself to something nice. I'll probably sell my Honda Hornet to fund it so I should have about £1500 to play with.
Problem is I like a bit of space and comfort, I regularly carry passengers and like them to be comfy, I work somewhere that's nearly 1000ft above sea level and in the countryside so I need to be able to cope with a decent amount of snow and farm tracks (Winter tyres work wonders), and as I'm selling my Hornet I'd like it to be reasonably pleasurable to drive at least so I can B road blast when I feel like it.
I seem to keep arriving at Lexus IS200s as I really want a petrol 6 (never had a car with more than a 4 pot) but the fuel economy seems absymal really. I'd like at least 30mpg from gentle driving.
Am I asking too much for my budget?
An E46 6-pot could do the job perhaps. Mine does over 30 with gentle driving and is quite a bit quicker than a colleague's IS200 Sport. You can get one for £1500 if you look aroundProblem is I like a bit of space and comfort, I regularly carry passengers and like them to be comfy, I work somewhere that's nearly 1000ft above sea level and in the countryside so I need to be able to cope with a decent amount of snow and farm tracks (Winter tyres work wonders), and as I'm selling my Hornet I'd like it to be reasonably pleasurable to drive at least so I can B road blast when I feel like it.
I seem to keep arriving at Lexus IS200s as I really want a petrol 6 (never had a car with more than a 4 pot) but the fuel economy seems absymal really. I'd like at least 30mpg from gentle driving.
Am I asking too much for my budget?
The IS200 is a really nice balanced car with a good engine. Unfortunately, it's about 30bhp short of where it should be an fuel economy is never amazing. I usually love Lexus cars but I don't think the IS200 is one of their best. For cheap fun though, accepting the failings of the car, it could be a winner. Try finding one that isn't a tatty banger now though.
Kierkegaard said:
What about a Jag XJ6?
Alfa 156 V6?
Lexus also have a IS300 with the bigger engine and a psuedo-estate body? Maybe £500 more than budget or so..
Seat Toledo V5 - yes, I'm serious, these are quite fun to drive, you can buy two for the budget!!
Alfa 156 V6?
Lexus also have a IS300 with the bigger engine and a psuedo-estate body? Maybe £500 more than budget or so..
Seat Toledo V5 - yes, I'm serious, these are quite fun to drive, you can buy two for the budget!!
- same thought as me ( see post above yours ) - there's one in budget in the link - £1500The Alfa 156 V6 sounds nice - when I had my E36 328i used to have some good runs home on the B roads from late night shifts with a lad I worked with who had one
Edited by s m on Tuesday 25th October 23:55
andy43 said:
The e46 is a good shout, but I'd try and find a really tidy e36 325i or 328i saloon at that budget - maybe cheaper for the same condition than the e46? Or a big motored Vectra or mondeo possibly?
You might strike lucky with an E36 325i like this one below ( slightly over budget though )https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262687562240
Just looked at the 328s and a lot of the cheaper ones seemed to be autos at the sub £1500 mark - personally I'd prefer the manual but you might be ok with an auto
How about a Jaguar X type sport? I recall good reviews back in its day and the awd might help somewhat with your commute in the winter!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
Apexnow said:
How about a Jaguar X type sport? I recall good reviews back in its day and the awd might help somewhat with your commute in the winter!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
I was averaging 27mpg on my 3.0 V6 X-Type sport. :/http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
feef said:
Apexnow said:
How about a Jaguar X type sport? I recall good reviews back in its day and the awd might help somewhat with your commute in the winter!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
I was averaging 27mpg on my 3.0 V6 X-Type sport. :/http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112028743018
From the fuel economy measured figures shown in the top right of the page it measured a best of 29.9 mpg so might not be quite economical for your 30mpg plus requirement when cruising gently
If you look at the test for the auto IS300 a few posts above, it crept over your 30 target ( I think quite a few of the E36/E46 6 cylinders should do the same too )
WaldoMcBaldo said:
I seem to keep arriving at Lexus IS200s as I really want a petrol 6 (never had a car with more than a 4 pot) but the fuel economy seems absymal really. I'd like at least 30mpg from gentle driving.
Am I asking too much for my budget?
For a little real world reassurance, here's a snap I took for my friend who thought 30+ mpg wasn't possible in 6-cylinder at a reasonable averageAm I asking too much for my budget?
Warm temps, car loaded up with 4 , aircon on, 60mph average, E46 325 with 190bhp
Computer is a little optimistic but genuine 35 on hilly terrain
If you back off a little more that'll head towards 40
£1,500? 30mpg? More than 4cyls? Space for passengers? Good on long runs? Good on B-roads? Good in the snow?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're asking far too much for your budget.
You're probably going to need to compromise in one or more of those areas - so prepare yourself for that. Also, consider cars which aren't great cosmetically, or aren't in desirable colours/specs. In effect, your budget and requirements is only going to be satisfied with a entry-level exec saloon, so that narrows things down a bit.
My best suggestions:
Your budget should get you a decent Golf, and the cross-country performance would be in a different league to any of the above. The interior is a lovely place to be on a run and the boot is a decent size, but I (6ft+) wouldn't want to be a back-seat passenger for more than a couple of hours (having said that, the same is true for the E46, 156 and A4).
If the Golf idea doesn't work for you, then my money would be going on the Audi or Skoda.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're asking far too much for your budget.
You're probably going to need to compromise in one or more of those areas - so prepare yourself for that. Also, consider cars which aren't great cosmetically, or aren't in desirable colours/specs. In effect, your budget and requirements is only going to be satisfied with a entry-level exec saloon, so that narrows things down a bit.
My best suggestions:
- E46 325 Sport 4dr. A coupe is out of budget, but a saloon in silver with basic spec might just slip under if you're lucky. Don't bother with SE spec, as the suspension/seats are pants when driving quickly.
- Mondeo ST220. You're pushing it with budget in a big way, but you might get a leggy one if you keep your eyes open.
- Alfa 156 2.5 V6. You'll need to buy carefully, and accept that you aren't getting pick of the bunch.
- Audi A4/B5 2.8 Quattro. Budget buys you plenty. Not a brilliant steer, but 4WD will make the most of an average chassis.
- Skoda Octavia 1.8T. Cheap to improve performance, and plentiful in budget. 4x4 and VRS may also be options.
Your budget should get you a decent Golf, and the cross-country performance would be in a different league to any of the above. The interior is a lovely place to be on a run and the boot is a decent size, but I (6ft+) wouldn't want to be a back-seat passenger for more than a couple of hours (having said that, the same is true for the E46, 156 and A4).
If the Golf idea doesn't work for you, then my money would be going on the Audi or Skoda.
Edited by C70R on Wednesday 26th October 10:39
Kierkegaard said:
What about a Jag XJ6?
Gor, right manufacturer, wrong modelAn X Type has AWD, will be very good in the snow with winters on. The 2.1 V6 isnt great if I'm honest, but would be the closest to hitting the MPG you're after. The 2.5 is about as thirsty as the 3.0 but the 3.0 has more power and torque. But you're looking at early 20s to the gallon
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