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.
My V70 is great for the kind of trips you're talking about, long motorway miles mean good seats, good stereo and easy engine are the important factors
The 163bhp D5 engine would be my choice, very smooth, quiet at motorway speeds, plenty of torque and more economical than the 185, I don't for a second think OBC readouts are accurate, mine reads ~44mpg when the reality brim to brim is 41, but this is the result of an S60 Glasgow to London and back:
The 163bhp D5 engine would be my choice, very smooth, quiet at motorway speeds, plenty of torque and more economical than the 185, I don't for a second think OBC readouts are accurate, mine reads ~44mpg when the reality brim to brim is 41, but this is the result of an S60 Glasgow to London and back:
dapearson said:
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.
Almost identical situation to me, 70 mile each way commute A1M and A14 & a bit of M11!! 2/3 times a week. I also need a comfy good mpg car that I know will depreciate fast. Watching with interest! 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.
edit to make mileage more realistic!!!
Edited by Steve H on Friday 1st November 10:14
My Avensis 2.2 D4-D diesel is great. It's a 2008 model, so not sure how it differs to yours, but the stereo is one of the best I've had, it's very comfortable and smooth and I really like it. It's manual, but I don't find it a pain in the frequent stop start traffic I'm forced to sit in.
Fuel wise - my daily commute (which is pretty much all it gets used for) is a 54 mile round trip, of which 23 miles is motorway, 18 country lane / winding A-roads (depending on route chosen) and 13 miles of suburban stop start, and I have averaged 46 mpg since I've had it. Will sit at 60+mpg on the motorway without problem.
Fuel wise - my daily commute (which is pretty much all it gets used for) is a 54 mile round trip, of which 23 miles is motorway, 18 country lane / winding A-roads (depending on route chosen) and 13 miles of suburban stop start, and I have averaged 46 mpg since I've had it. Will sit at 60+mpg on the motorway without problem.
Steve H said:
Almost identical situation to me, 701 mile each way commute A1M and A14 & a bit of M11!! 2/3 times a week. I also need a comfy good mpg car that I know will depreciate fast. Watching with interest!
Blimey!I would (have) go for a Saab.
Loads of car for your money and an excellent cruiser. Lots of space, uber comfy seats and oomph when you need.
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?
dapearson said:
MYOB said:
VW Passat?
Huge boot, older models are cheap and are economical.
What's the reliability like of the auto boxes on those?Huge boot, older models are cheap and are economical.
For some reason i don't really trust VAG to do auto boxes. I have nothing to back up this prejudice though!
BMW E39 530d
Ford Mondeo (may scrape a higher mileage MK4? in budget)
Vauxhall Vecra/Zafira - Boring as anything but cavernous and cheap - make sure it is at least design spec for comfort
Saab 93/95 estate in either 2.2 or 1.9 flavor - very comfortable?
Skoda Octavia - shared VAG autoboxes - shame the superb hasn't depreciated enough!
V70 or V50 as above - either 2.0d or preferably D5 form
Ford Mondeo (may scrape a higher mileage MK4? in budget)
Vauxhall Vecra/Zafira - Boring as anything but cavernous and cheap - make sure it is at least design spec for comfort
Saab 93/95 estate in either 2.2 or 1.9 flavor - very comfortable?
Skoda Octavia - shared VAG autoboxes - shame the superb hasn't depreciated enough!
V70 or V50 as above - either 2.0d or preferably D5 form
dapearson said:
What's the reliability like of the auto boxes on those?
For some reason i don't really trust VAG to do auto boxes. I have nothing to back up this prejudice though!
I wouldn't trust the DSG box myself so would have a manual, although I prefer autos. But as this is primarily a workhorse and second vehicle, I'm sure a manual would be fine.For some reason i don't really trust VAG to do auto boxes. I have nothing to back up this prejudice though!
I have a V70 D5 myself - but it's not economical.
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.
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.
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.
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
dapearson said:
In terms of MPG what are you seeing?
Using the trip meter, we get an average of 35mpg - this is a mixture of driving. Quite economical on the motorway, even fully laden, but the local pottering around is not good for the fuel economy. Ours is the 2011 D5 with 205bhp. The D5 is a peach but you will get better economy from the smaller D2, D3 or D4s.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.CraigyMc said:
dapearson said:
MYOB said:
VW Passat?
Huge boot, older models are cheap and are economical.
What's the reliability like of the auto boxes on those?Huge boot, older models are cheap and are economical.
For some reason i don't really trust VAG to do auto boxes. I have nothing to back up this prejudice though!
dapearson said:
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.
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