140 mile daily commute 70mpg - realistic ?
Discussion
The Spruce goose said:
An Astra 1.7 dti will do 60mpg and can be picked up for sub 500 quid. that would be my bet, cheap as chips to run big mileage.
A 206 1.4 hdi will do similar mpg and cheap. I would get something like this and save the money.
140 miles a day in a £500 Astra and 206?A 206 1.4 hdi will do similar mpg and cheap. I would get something like this and save the money.
Not something I would choose unless I was skint and only had £500 to spend.
Can't believe the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC has only received one mention. Does no one remember this...
100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
The Spruce goose said:
the police used them, the 206 is a push, the Astra (old shape) are built for miles. just a option, as the OP is fixated on costs.
Agree that Astra would be ok but maybe push the budget for a newer one?Just bought a 1.4 petrol 206 for my daughter. It's on 95k miles and cost £500 and I'm impressed with the condition of it. Still feels tight and has good level of equipment for a basic 14 year old car, working A/C, EW, RCL and electric mirrors. Not sure I would want to do 140 miles a day in it though.
911p said:
Can't believe the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC has only received one mention. Does no one remember this...
100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
That's a bargain prices, but Autotrader suggests that you'd struggle to find one for less than 10k, and of those 2 one is a Cat D.100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
Good car otherwise, but expensive for lack of kit.
Evanivitch said:
911p said:
Can't believe the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC has only received one mention. Does no one remember this...
100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
That's a bargain prices, but Autotrader suggests that you'd struggle to find one for less than 10k, and of those 2 one is a Cat D.100mpg over 8000 miles. 70mpg is supposed to be more than possible for real world motorway miles. I was recently looking for a car myself for 25,000 miles per year, with almost the exact criteria you mention.
Top option was to pick up a 1.6 i-DTEC Civic from a Honda main dealer for £7-8k, complete with 12 month warranty.
Good car otherwise, but expensive for lack of kit.
iirc i was averaging around 0.90mph and 60odd mpg - that was the 2.2diesel too..
docter fox said:
RobM77 said:
My E90 320d ED is a 2010 model and I bought it from my Dad at 70k miles for £6k, but I think it's worth about £8500 private sale. It has leather sports seats, upgraded stereo and nav (with a HDD that rips your CDs and stores them - very handy!), an aftermarket tow bar, folding mirrors and few other extras. I bought mine cash, and I know nothing about loans, but just on the back of an envelope: if you borrowed £8k at 4% over 3 years that'd be £235 a month. Servicing costs me about ££150-200 a year from a BMW specialist (figures from the last 6 years with my 320d SE), which is £16 a month if we assume £200. Fuel at the OP's 35k a year and 70mpg would be £2800 at £1.23 per litre, which is £232 per month. That's £483 a month total so far. The 16" Tyres are about £80 each and for motorway miles I'd expect the OP to replace all four every two years, which is £13 a month. That's £496 a month. The extra fiver can be to have it washed by your friendly local car wash people 
The only thing I should say is that the standard suspension is awful - way too bouncy and it understeers. It's still better than an everyday FWD car, but then again, most things are. I'm currently looking into upgrades for the suspension, and may get the Birds kit with springs, dampers and ARBs for £1500. If you like driving once you're off the motorway then I'd add that to any purchase costs. On the motorway it makes no difference.
As nice as it may be, I don't think anyone should ever buy a car for economy without taking into account depreciation at the same time. I'd probably spend a couple of grand on a diesel mk2 focus, easily getting 50/60mpg and not losing as much the process.The only thing I should say is that the standard suspension is awful - way too bouncy and it understeers. It's still better than an everyday FWD car, but then again, most things are. I'm currently looking into upgrades for the suspension, and may get the Birds kit with springs, dampers and ARBs for £1500. If you like driving once you're off the motorway then I'd add that to any purchase costs. On the motorway it makes no difference.
Edited by RobM77 on Sunday 26th February 17:48
That's a very fair point. Everyone has a minimum standard they're looking for I guess, and the 3 series meets mine. The OP should decide what he wants out of a car besides the things he's stated.Evanivitch said:
That's a bargain prices, but Autotrader suggests that you'd struggle to find one for less than 10k, and of those 2 one is a Cat D.
Plenty of Honda Approved Used examples for <£8k, with 12 month warranty.https://goo.gl/MYG5sp
911p said:
Sorry, for some reason I had it in my head we were limited to estates.911p 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...
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 too ended up with a herniated disc, from 2 years of a 140 mile commute with a desk job in between.My advice would be not to do it at any cost. And if you do, screw the economy, get your foot down and get the journey done asap.
For that journey ( which is very similar to mine M25, A1, A505 and then a country bit) as has been said before get something comfortable and wafty !!! 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 !!
If I had the choice I wouldnt do it but you go where the work is
Phib
If I had the choice I wouldnt do it but you go where the work is
Phib
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).
phib said:
For that journey ( which is very similar to mine M25, A1, A505 and then a country bit) as has been said before get something comfortable and wafty !!! 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 !!
If I had the choice I wouldnt do it but you go where the work is
Phib
Eh?!?If I had the choice I wouldnt do it but you go where the work is
Phib
If you have put £500 206 in place of Golf or Civic I would agree!
Yes they may not be as comfortable as an A8/S Class etc.. but they are perfectly fine for travelling 3 hours in on a Friday evening.
I used to do 120 miles per day in an E36 318is and I found it perfectly ok.
I'm 50 with a dodgy knee so like my comfort.
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