140 mile daily commute 70mpg - realistic ?
Discussion
H6Nathan said:
I've been doing 140 miles a day commuting round the M25 for the last 8 months....
Get a VAG Diesel with adaptive cruise (and a Tesco Club Card).
My Passat GT 150 (non adblue) on lease was sourced specifically for this grind, and it's working well. Comfy seats, iPod Dock, 20k service intervals, 50 mpg and about 25ppm all in.
how did you manage to get such high mileage on a lease to work out cost effective ?Get a VAG Diesel with adaptive cruise (and a Tesco Club Card).
My Passat GT 150 (non adblue) on lease was sourced specifically for this grind, and it's working well. Comfy seats, iPod Dock, 20k service intervals, 50 mpg and about 25ppm all in.
crosseyedlion said:
In 2015 I did a few months doing a 190 miles per day commuting in a 2005 Golf TDI GT, it was the perfect tool for the job even though it was on 180k (ish) - the previous owner had done 30k miles per year in it for a few years.
Bought it for 1400, spent about 400 on a couple of fixes and Goodyear eco tyres and sold it 20k miles later for 1600. All in decent comfort (good driving position, enough motorway grunt, good climate control) and a real 60mpg+ (it was often 650miles per tank). Type of driving didn't seem to influence it much either, the worst I saw was 50.
Couldn't fault it for the commute. And it has to be the cheapest way to do it. About 9p/mile in fuel & almost 0 depreciation. Cheap parts and easy to fix.
Your commute would cost about £12.50 vs.
Quite fancy another...
I did almost exactly the same thing in 2011, with a high-mileage 2004 Golf GT TDi. As the Lion says above, it was perfect for the task of schlepping up and down motorways. Similarly, I used to get 60+ mpg, too.Bought it for 1400, spent about 400 on a couple of fixes and Goodyear eco tyres and sold it 20k miles later for 1600. All in decent comfort (good driving position, enough motorway grunt, good climate control) and a real 60mpg+ (it was often 650miles per tank). Type of driving didn't seem to influence it much either, the worst I saw was 50.
Couldn't fault it for the commute. And it has to be the cheapest way to do it. About 9p/mile in fuel & almost 0 depreciation. Cheap parts and easy to fix.
Your commute would cost about £12.50 vs.
Quite fancy another...
Super Slo Mo said:
RobM77 said:
As above, I see over 70mpg every day in summer and that's from a RWD saloon that's good to drive - no need for a Prius! 
Matter of opinion I guess. I was quite disapponted with the 320ed and that was as a direct comparison to a V70. You won't get 70 mpg out of a 320ed when driven with any enthusiasm. 45 is more like it, and that is based on the assumption the car's computer is accurate which I very much doubt.
My Auris lacks steering feel but is a perfectly competent handler, arguably in a similar league to the 320. It's very well balanced and competent, albeit not terribly exciting. I have no doubt a Prius is similar.
My 70-75mpg is from a 45 minute motorway commute with 10 minutes of C roads, as stated above - that is what is relevant to the OP's intended use and that's why I replied to the thread. I suspect he'll get more on such a long commute - we got 75mpg visiting my in-laws the other day doing about 80mph, purely because it was a longer trip - the C roads are what brings my average down because I drive pretty quickly on them. 45mpg does seem very low, and I've never seen anywhere near that (ETA: unless I'm towing), but I guess it's possible with a lot of town driving and a heavy right foot, but that's hardly relevant to the OP is it?
Personally after embarking on high mileage commuting like this for some time and then being rendered partially disabled by a severe lower disc herniation probably brought on by years of poor posture, I'd be getting some sort of barge with the comfiest seats possible and setting the mpg sights lower. You have to take ergonomics seriously and doing 35k a year in some sort of super-mini is asking for trouble.
you've missed out servicing costs, tyres and everything else. A lot of stuff probably needs doing to a car if you're doing 35k a year.
joking aside- get a "leaf" IF you can do a fast charge at work/near work. in fact if the car was sat at work all day, you could even conventionally charge it up on a slow charge.
they do the equivalent of 343 mpg.
joking aside- get a "leaf" IF you can do a fast charge at work/near work. in fact if the car was sat at work all day, you could even conventionally charge it up on a slow charge.
they do the equivalent of 343 mpg.
theboss said:
Personally after embarking on high mileage commuting like this for some time and then being rendered partially disabled by a severe lower disc herniation probably brought on by years of poor posture, I'd be getting some sort of barge with the comfiest seats possible and setting the mpg sights lower. You have to take ergonomics seriously and doing 35k a year in some sort of super-mini is asking for trouble.
I have back issues anyway thanks to an accident 20 odd years ago so i appreciate your post its a good point.I don't intend to do this long term - hopefully 2 years max.
Just been looking, the new golf bluemotion diesel shows 84mpg combined (yes i know, VAG figures lol) and the 1 series 120d looks like a great compromise. I had also considered the 330e but can't find any figures on long distance MPG (180mpg on short commutes sounds pretty impressive!)
Old school Honda Insight will do it if you can find one and it also isn't rusted away.
This one:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/h...
This one:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/h...
Edited by cib24 on Friday 24th February 10:59
RobM77 said:
I guess it depends where your priorities lie, but for me RWD with 50:50 weight distribution and a manual gearbox is always the way forward; something like a Prius or a V70 wouldn't even get a look in - yuk. I'll admit though, in terms of FE/RWD the ED certainly has a lot of room for improvement - I'm about to change the springs and dampers, and may go on to change the bushes as well - we'll see.
Makes little difference for motorway driving really. However, I still stand by my comparison with the V70, the 320ed isn't any better. The V70 is admittedly wallowy at low to medium cornering speeds but really came into its own the harder it was pushed. To the point wher it felt perfectly balanced. The 3 series was a bit understeery and disappointing by comparison.
Anyway it's irrelevant to the OP. I doubt a 320ed is in budget anyway.
Super Slo Mo said:
RobM77 said:
I guess it depends where your priorities lie, but for me RWD with 50:50 weight distribution and a manual gearbox is always the way forward; something like a Prius or a V70 wouldn't even get a look in - yuk. I'll admit though, in terms of FE/RWD the ED certainly has a lot of room for improvement - I'm about to change the springs and dampers, and may go on to change the bushes as well - we'll see.
Makes little difference for motorway driving really. 
For me, the chassis is obviously there for the 20 minutes a day I spend driving down C roads and non commuting driving on twisty roads. I have to say though, I've never been in a better motorway car than the E90, provided you get one on 16" wheels and tyres. The Volvo is very, very good, but I still prefer the low noise levels of the E90.Super Slo Mo said:
However, I still stand by my comparison with the V70, the 320ed isn't any better. The V70 is admittedly wallowy at low to medium cornering speeds but really came into its own the harder it was pushed. To the point wher it felt perfectly balanced. The 3 series was a bit understeery and disappointing by comparison.
How strange - I wouldn't even consider taking a Volvo around a corner unless I had to! 
The 3 series I play around in corners constantly and yes, it's no sports car, but I've never driven a better saloon from a driving point of view. I say '3 series' generically, because we can't forget the E36 and E30 as well, which in many ways I prefer on twisty roads to the E90. For a buyer wanting a car to do 35k a year in though, an E36 doesn't really work (I tried it and it cost me £5.5k in two years!). I guess we're all different though 
RobM77 said:
My 70-75mpg is from a 45 minute motorway commute with 10 minutes of C roads, as stated above - that is what is relevant to the OP's intended use and that's why I replied to the thread. I suspect he'll get more on such a long commute - we got 75mpg visiting my in-laws the other day doing about 80mph, purely because it was a longer trip - the C roads are what brings my average down because I drive pretty quickly on them. 45mpg does seem very low, and I've never seen anywhere near that (ETA: unless I'm towing), but I guess it's possible with a lot of town driving and a heavy right foot, but that's hardly relevant to the OP is it?
I am really surprised that you got anywhere near those figures. I have two colleagues with 320ED cars, neither gets much over 50 mpg average. How many miles have you done, and how many litres have you put in?RobM77 said:
How strange - I wouldn't even consider taking a Volvo around a corner unless I had to! The 3 series I play around in corners constantly and yes, it's no sports car, but I've never driven a better saloon from a driving point of view. I say '3 series' generically, because we can't forget the E36 and E30 as well, which in many ways I prefer on twisty roads to the E90. For a buyer wanting a car to do 35k a year in though, an E36 doesn't really work (I tried it and it cost me £5.5k in two years!). I guess we're all different though
I know. I was excited to be given the keys to the 3 series although it was a brand new f10 (? I think, 2012 model as it was), thinking it would run rings around my 180000 mile Volvo. I was disappointed to say the least. Although to be fair it was the 8 speed auto which I hated. The manual was far better. The 3 series I play around in corners constantly and yes, it's no sports car, but I've never driven a better saloon from a driving point of view. I say '3 series' generically, because we can't forget the E36 and E30 as well, which in many ways I prefer on twisty roads to the E90. For a buyer wanting a car to do 35k a year in though, an E36 doesn't really work (I tried it and it cost me £5.5k in two years!). I guess we're all different though I think maybe the gap between ordinary cars and the 3 has narrowed in recent times.
For that distance, get a reasonable size engine, it will be just as economical.
FYI my wife has a Seat 1.2 TDI Ibiza Ecomotive (same as VW Polo Bluemotion). She averages about 60 MPG
I have a C220d, cruise at about 80 on the motorway and don't ever drive for economy. I average about 60 MPG. when I was following her on the motorway at 70 once, I averaged over 70MPG on that journey.
Your call.
FYI my wife has a Seat 1.2 TDI Ibiza Ecomotive (same as VW Polo Bluemotion). She averages about 60 MPG
I have a C220d, cruise at about 80 on the motorway and don't ever drive for economy. I average about 60 MPG. when I was following her on the motorway at 70 once, I averaged over 70MPG on that journey.
Your call.
Super Slo Mo said:
RobM77 said:
How strange - I wouldn't even consider taking a Volvo around a corner unless I had to! The 3 series I play around in corners constantly and yes, it's no sports car, but I've never driven a better saloon from a driving point of view. I say '3 series' generically, because we can't forget the E36 and E30 as well, which in many ways I prefer on twisty roads to the E90. For a buyer wanting a car to do 35k a year in though, an E36 doesn't really work (I tried it and it cost me £5.5k in two years!). I guess we're all different though
I know. I was excited to be given the keys to the 3 series although it was a brand new f10 (? I think, 2012 model as it was), thinking it would run rings around my 180000 mile Volvo. I was disappointed to say the least. Although to be fair it was the 8 speed auto which I hated. The manual was far better. The 3 series I play around in corners constantly and yes, it's no sports car, but I've never driven a better saloon from a driving point of view. I say '3 series' generically, because we can't forget the E36 and E30 as well, which in many ways I prefer on twisty roads to the E90. For a buyer wanting a car to do 35k a year in though, an E36 doesn't really work (I tried it and it cost me £5.5k in two years!). I guess we're all different though I think maybe the gap between ordinary cars and the 3 has narrowed in recent times.
With the F11 generation you need M Sport suspension, otherwise it just understeers. The same applies to the 1 and 5 series. The core layout's there though, so you're just a set of new suspension away from enjoying all that has to offer.KevinCamaroSS said:
RobM77 said:
My 70-75mpg is from a 45 minute motorway commute with 10 minutes of C roads, as stated above - that is what is relevant to the OP's intended use and that's why I replied to the thread. I suspect he'll get more on such a long commute - we got 75mpg visiting my in-laws the other day doing about 80mph, purely because it was a longer trip - the C roads are what brings my average down because I drive pretty quickly on them. 45mpg does seem very low, and I've never seen anywhere near that (ETA: unless I'm towing), but I guess it's possible with a lot of town driving and a heavy right foot, but that's hardly relevant to the OP is it?
I am really surprised that you got anywhere near those figures. I have two colleagues with 320ED cars, neither gets much over 50 mpg average. How many miles have you done, and how many litres have you put in?I bought the car at Christmas at 70k miles and have done 6k in it so far (I do a very low mileage in winter time). It doesn't use much oil at all (if that's what you meant by your question about litres put in?).
For my daily commute I have 8-10 minutes of C roads, which I enjoy to the full, and then it's 35 minutes of dual carriageway and motorway, punctuated by some glorious long curving slip roads, which I also enjoy to the full. When I'm on the motorway though I just sit at 70mph with the cruise control on. I tried 65mph for a while, but it made no real difference to my mpg. As I said before, for that journey I average about 70mpg in summer, and right now in winter (so on winter fuel with winter tyres and my old E90 SE wheels), I average about 67. Both those figures go up by 2-3mpg if I'm more careful on the back roads. For longer journeys you can also add 2-3 mpg, because obviously the C roads are a lower percentage of the journey. My other half's parents live in London, and to go and see them is 10 minutes of C roads, an hour or so of motorway and 15 minutes of London roads, and for that journey at Christmas we averaged 75-76mpg if I remember rightly. A friend of mine has an F11 ED and commutes across the North of England (Gateshead to Manchester I think) and his mpg is well into the 70s all the time.
DoubleD said:
Get the car with the best seats and stereo. Ive heard very good things about Volvo for seats. If you are just doing motorways then ignore anything about corner handling. Good high speed stability is what you need.
This. And you will love cruise control once you're used to it. Comfy, long wheelbase cars make a journey more relaxing.I have been covering 140 miles per day for the last two years, mostly motorway driving.
Over that time I have come to the conclusion that you need something big and comfortable. Traffic hold ups are frequent at rush hour so an auto box is a definite plus, as is cruise control.
I ended up using two cars, a diesel SUV 4x4 for winter and something more fun for summer. After all if you are covering high miles you must like driving so why not have something rewarding to travel in.
Fuel consmuption and maintenance just have to be lived with if you want comfort and a higher degree of crash-worthiness. If you become paranoid about the MPG then you will end up getting stressed out in every hold up/slow traffic.
I use a Jag XK8 for the summer, very comfy and effortless. It returns all of 30 mpg if you play nicely,
Also a good idea not to get involved with any stressed out loonies doing 90 down the outside lane or you will end up knackered after a while.
Over that time I have come to the conclusion that you need something big and comfortable. Traffic hold ups are frequent at rush hour so an auto box is a definite plus, as is cruise control.
I ended up using two cars, a diesel SUV 4x4 for winter and something more fun for summer. After all if you are covering high miles you must like driving so why not have something rewarding to travel in.
Fuel consmuption and maintenance just have to be lived with if you want comfort and a higher degree of crash-worthiness. If you become paranoid about the MPG then you will end up getting stressed out in every hold up/slow traffic.
I use a Jag XK8 for the summer, very comfy and effortless. It returns all of 30 mpg if you play nicely,
Also a good idea not to get involved with any stressed out loonies doing 90 down the outside lane or you will end up knackered after a while.
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