140 mile daily commute 70mpg - realistic ?
Discussion
About 5 years ago I bought a 2 year old Passat Bluemotion to do a similar task for my work which involved site visits all over England. In that time I've done over 200,000 miles in it and it's averaged about 67mpg, based on a complete mix of driving. On a longer journey it returns high 70's. It has quite a large tank so is capable of over 1000 miles on a single fill.
Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
Super Slo Mo said:
RSTurboPaul said:
Just to ask a question that I'm sure has been answered in the mists of time, it is possible to get PCH on a secondhand vehicle, isn't it?
And the lease payments would (should?) be cheaper because one is not paying for the large initial hit of depreciation?
So far every dealer I've spoken to has pretty much ignored my asking about it and priced up a new car on PCH or PCP, presumably because that's what makes their sales and commission targets...
Yes, but as far as I'm aware, it has to be VAT qualifying. What that actually means in practice I'm not entirely sure, but I think it means it can't have been purchased by a private individual (presumably including PCP).And the lease payments would (should?) be cheaper because one is not paying for the large initial hit of depreciation?
So far every dealer I've spoken to has pretty much ignored my asking about it and priced up a new car on PCH or PCP, presumably because that's what makes their sales and commission targets...
Monthly pricing isn't necessarily cheaper, as new cars often have a lot of behind the scenes support included. A dealer won't really bother, perhaps you would have more luck going to an independent broker, but you would have to find an appropriate car first (ie the aforementioned VAT qualifying).
It looks like one would have to find a vehicle that was previously owned by a company??
It does look like banger-nomics might be less hassle than leasing, but 70mpg seems hard to hit for a low purchase cost.
blugnu said:
It's a wonder anyone survived the Cortina. Viva, Marina, Mondeo, Sierra, Escort and Astra years really.
I have done it in escorts, astra's and cavilers !!! Now working 7am - 7Pm in the office with 1.5hrs commute ( minimum) each side I just wouldn't choose to do it in a small car Phib
si2085 said:
About 5 years ago I bought a 2 year old Passat Bluemotion to do a similar task for my work which involved site visits all over England. In that time I've done over 200,000 miles in it and it's averaged about 67mpg, based on a complete mix of driving. On a longer journey it returns high 70's. It has quite a large tank so is capable of over 1000 miles on a single fill.
Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
Is that the 2.0 or the 1.6?Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
The 1.6 is only 103bhp - isn't that a little slow?
blugnu said:
phib said:
On a friday night with 3hrs ahead of me in the winter when its dark and wet I wouldn't want to be in a Golf or Civic !!
It's a wonder anyone survived the Cortina. Viva, Marina, Mondeo, Sierra, Escort and Astra years really.RobM77 said:
It's not a matter of surviving, its a case of comfort, and that's changed over the years as cars have got more refined. I wouldn't have done more than 30 minutes each way back then, but now I'd drive up to an hour each way in the right car. Even in recent years times are changing: I compared my 3 series to a ten year old S Class recently and the 3 was quieter and more comfortable, presumably just because standards have risen.
I would fairly confidently dispute that, given that I've experienced lots of new cars, old cars etc... at length. A 2007 sclass is a league ahead of your series. Id suggest there was something wrong with it if you thought otherwise.
RobM77 said:
It's not a matter of surviving, its a case of comfort, and that's changed over the years as cars have got more refined. I wouldn't have done more than 30 minutes each way back then, but now I'd drive up to an hour each way in the right car.
And yet 20 years ago I drove a 1974 Viva for 8 hours straight, had a two hour break and the drove it for another 5 hours, and it was fine - no need for any counselling, yoga, physiotherapy or anything. I later drove it on a 600 mile round trip to watch a football match, with five people in it. It wasn't very fast, so it was 6 hours driving, 3 hours eating and watching football and another hours driving. It wasn't as comfortable as a Silver Ghost, but it was fine.The idea that cars of the recent past were so horrifically uncomfortable you couldn't drive them for more than half an hour at a time is ridiculous. It was maybe the case when they shook like a washing machine spinning a cat and one sat in the open, but I don't think there were many people commuting by car then (and even those that were had drivers)
blugnu said:
RobM77 said:
It's not a matter of surviving, its a case of comfort, and that's changed over the years as cars have got more refined. I wouldn't have done more than 30 minutes each way back then, but now I'd drive up to an hour each way in the right car.
And yet 20 years ago I drove a 1974 Viva for 8 hours straight, had a two hour break and the drove it for another 5 hours, and it was fine - no need for any counselling, yoga, physiotherapy or anything. I later drove it on a 600 mile round trip to watch a football match, with five people in it. It wasn't very fast, so it was 6 hours driving, 3 hours eating and watching football and another hours driving. It wasn't as comfortable as a Silver Ghost, but it was fine.The idea that cars of the recent past were so horrifically uncomfortable you couldn't drive them for more than half an hour at a time is ridiculous. It was maybe the case when they shook like a washing machine spinning a cat and one sat in the open, but I don't think there were many people commuting by car then (and even those that were had drivers)
SilverSixer said:
blugnu said:
RobM77 said:
It's not a matter of surviving, its a case of comfort, and that's changed over the years as cars have got more refined. I wouldn't have done more than 30 minutes each way back then, but now I'd drive up to an hour each way in the right car.
And yet 20 years ago I drove a 1974 Viva for 8 hours straight, had a two hour break and the drove it for another 5 hours, and it was fine - no need for any counselling, yoga, physiotherapy or anything. I later drove it on a 600 mile round trip to watch a football match, with five people in it. It wasn't very fast, so it was 6 hours driving, 3 hours eating and watching football and another hours driving. It wasn't as comfortable as a Silver Ghost, but it was fine.The idea that cars of the recent past were so horrifically uncomfortable you couldn't drive them for more than half an hour at a time is ridiculous. It was maybe the case when they shook like a washing machine spinning a cat and one sat in the open, but I don't think there were many people commuting by car then (and even those that were had drivers)
crosseyedlion said:
RobM77 said:
It's not a matter of surviving, its a case of comfort, and that's changed over the years as cars have got more refined. I wouldn't have done more than 30 minutes each way back then, but now I'd drive up to an hour each way in the right car. Even in recent years times are changing: I compared my 3 series to a ten year old S Class recently and the 3 was quieter and more comfortable, presumably just because standards have risen.
I would fairly confidently dispute that, given that I've experienced lots of new cars, old cars etc... at length. A 2007 sclass is a league ahead of your series. Id suggest there was something wrong with it if you thought otherwise.
New E220d SE in standard spec, personal leased at 30k should be around the £500 mark from the online brokers. Very comfortable, high standard spec (real leather upholstery, nav, heated seats etc) and the latest generation 195PS 2.0d engine and 9 speed autobox, making for an easy average 55-60 mpg in normal use, I get 74-78 driving up to MK and back, a 200 mile round trip and that's not at 56-62 cruise. Going AMG Line or speccing larger wheels does dent the economy (and the ride comfort) fairly significantly though.
Contract Hiring used cars doesn't really work out as they usually need to be under 6 months old and VAT Qualifying, so ex-demo. Yes they are cheaper than new list price, but by the time the manuafcturer support/dealer contribution goes in on the new car, which also has a proportionately higher residual value running from 0-36m than 6-42 at the same mileage, the used one costs pretty much the same, as with any contract hire, all you are funding is the depreciation amount over the time and mileage, plus an amount of interest for the lessor.
In practice though, I'd be getting the train and catching up on reading, sleeping, working, drinking for a few hours a day...
Contract Hiring used cars doesn't really work out as they usually need to be under 6 months old and VAT Qualifying, so ex-demo. Yes they are cheaper than new list price, but by the time the manuafcturer support/dealer contribution goes in on the new car, which also has a proportionately higher residual value running from 0-36m than 6-42 at the same mileage, the used one costs pretty much the same, as with any contract hire, all you are funding is the depreciation amount over the time and mileage, plus an amount of interest for the lessor.
In practice though, I'd be getting the train and catching up on reading, sleeping, working, drinking for a few hours a day...
4941cc said:
In practice though, I'd be getting the train and catching up on reading, sleeping, working, drinking for a few hours a day...
This is my preference if its possible. However, to use me as an example, I commute 36 miles each way by car, which takes around 45 minutes and costs me about £2.50 to £3 in fuel each way and the same again in depreciation and maintenance, but the train takes about 2 hours plus 45 minutes of walking each way and costs £16.90 for a return ticket. So it's a choice of 1.5 hours a day commuting for £10, or 5.5 hours a day commuting for £16.90. I don't know the OP's situation, but that's mine.crosseyedlion said:
Why should they? An hour and a bits commuting each way isn't that bad. If you have something to go home to then its totally understandable. Some jobs are very location specific.
Its ridiculous. You work say 9 hours a day and sleep for 8 which leaves you 7 hours for yourself. So you then spend 3 hours a day commuting - half your free time. Daft. Life is too short for that.bordseye said:
crosseyedlion said:
Why should they? An hour and a bits commuting each way isn't that bad. If you have something to go home to then its totally understandable. Some jobs are very location specific.
Its ridiculous. You work say 9 hours a day and sleep for 8 which leaves you 7 hours for yourself. So you then spend 3 hours a day commuting - half your free time. Daft. Life is too short for that.I've done both, now living 1 mile from work but I think i'd take the commute again (apart from the cost)
crosseyedlion said:
bordseye said:
crosseyedlion said:
Why should they? An hour and a bits commuting each way isn't that bad. If you have something to go home to then its totally understandable. Some jobs are very location specific.
Its ridiculous. You work say 9 hours a day and sleep for 8 which leaves you 7 hours for yourself. So you then spend 3 hours a day commuting - half your free time. Daft. Life is too short for that.I've done both, now living 1 mile from work but I think i'd take the commute again (apart from the cost)
RobM77 said:
I'm a contractor, so I change job a lot, and if a job is more than an hour's drive away then I'll get a hotel or a flat, if not every day then at least for a few days a week. It's a very personal thing though, I work with lots of people who do up to two or even three hours each way. The guy I sit next to at work at the moment (a PHer) has been at the company for about fifteen years and for that whole time he's driven at least an hour each way every day, plus he never works from home! Furthermore, a lot of that commuting has been in PH style cars with loud exhausts, lowered suspension, even a roll cage at one stage. He has four kids to see each day though - which shows that everyone's situation is different so everyone is going to make different decisions.
Contractor too! conversely because of that I've actually been reluctant to lay down long term roots in an area. I guess I'm now in a similar setup, I spend the weekends and 1-2 nights a week in sheffield but the rest of the time a short walk to work. Seems to work well! If sheffield was about an hour nearer (instead of 2 1/2 hours each way with traffic) then Id be there full time. RobM77 said:
I'm a contractor, so I change job a lot, and if a job is more than an hour's drive away then I'll get a hotel or a flat, if not every day then at least for a few days a week. It's a very personal thing though, I work with lots of people who do up to two or even three hours each way. The guy I sit next to at work at the moment (a PHer) has been at the company for about fifteen years and for that whole time he's driven at least an hour each way every day, plus he never works from home! Furthermore, a lot of that commuting has been in PH style cars with loud exhausts, lowered suspension, even a roll cage at one stage. He has four kids to see each day though - which shows that everyone's situation is different so everyone is going to make different decisions.
I absolutely hate staying away from home.I have driven 400 miles a day 3 days in a row (Newbury to Liverpool).
To be honest it's not that bad and as long as you stop and have a break mid way through on the return journey not too bad.
My car I did that in was my Scirocco which is semi stripped out. I've got a Fiesta 1.0 EcoBOOOOOOOOST coming as a daily replacement for the shorter journeys and when my Scirocco is being upgraded
Dan_1981 said:
si2085 said:
About 5 years ago I bought a 2 year old Passat Bluemotion to do a similar task for my work which involved site visits all over England. In that time I've done over 200,000 miles in it and it's averaged about 67mpg, based on a complete mix of driving. On a longer journey it returns high 70's. It has quite a large tank so is capable of over 1000 miles on a single fill.
Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
Is that the 2.0 or the 1.6?Touch wood it's been utterly reliable. It's only cost me in consumables (brakes, tyres, cambelt etc), it's on it's original clutch & gearbox, the front brake pads lasted 140k miles and the rears lasted 200k! It also has 20k mile service intervals which is a bonus. I have always fitted Michelin Energy Saver tyres which really help to keep the mpg high when kept at the correct pressure. I've found them to be good tyres anyway in their own right.
It's worth about 50p now so I can't justify selling it, I'm secretly hoping that something breaks soon so I can treat myself to a new car. I would buy another Passat in a heartbeat to do a similar job, the only thing I would change is that I'd get an auto to make crawling in traffic more comfortable.
I'd echo what others have said about getting a larger, comfy car. Good seats, cruise control and a good stereo really do make a difference on repeated long journeys and will leave you feeling less fatigued.
The 1.6 is only 103bhp - isn't that a little slow?
Dan_1981 said:
Is that the 2.0 or the 1.6?
The 1.6 is only 103bhp - isn't that a little slow?
I've driven the 1.6 and in 6th, foot to the floor, nothing happens. Literally. It's a completely pointless gear if you need even a slight change of speed. I found myself driving in 5th everywhere instead.The 1.6 is only 103bhp - isn't that a little slow?
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