Which car for £6k to do 16 to 22k miles/year?
Discussion
Hello all. This is my first post so please be gentle.
I've just got a new job which means I'll be having to drive between 16 and 22k miles per year. This will be mainly be motorway driving. Therefore I need a new car.
I have a budget of roughly £6k. The car must be reliable, can be 3 or 5 door, I don't need a family car, it must be economical, be relatively cheap to run and if possible I would like it to be fun to drive.
I have looked at various cars in the classifieds, namely Golf GT TDI's, Focus TDCI's and even Mondeo ST TDCI's and BMW 320D (although these cars may be a little too big for just one person). Can anyone recommend any other cars that would be suitable and within budget?
However, I have been reading posts on this forum for a while and I'm a little corcerned by the horror stories and costs relating to running a modern diesel. Therefore I need a little advice about which cars would be best as due to the mileage I'll be doing, a petrol car seems unsuitable.
Any help and advise would be appreciated.
(Apologies if this has been done before, but I did try the search function but it wasn't working)
I've just got a new job which means I'll be having to drive between 16 and 22k miles per year. This will be mainly be motorway driving. Therefore I need a new car.
I have a budget of roughly £6k. The car must be reliable, can be 3 or 5 door, I don't need a family car, it must be economical, be relatively cheap to run and if possible I would like it to be fun to drive.
I have looked at various cars in the classifieds, namely Golf GT TDI's, Focus TDCI's and even Mondeo ST TDCI's and BMW 320D (although these cars may be a little too big for just one person). Can anyone recommend any other cars that would be suitable and within budget?
However, I have been reading posts on this forum for a while and I'm a little corcerned by the horror stories and costs relating to running a modern diesel. Therefore I need a little advice about which cars would be best as due to the mileage I'll be doing, a petrol car seems unsuitable.
Any help and advise would be appreciated.
(Apologies if this has been done before, but I did try the search function but it wasn't working)
I do ~30K and have done for 13 years
currently accord diesel, maps to 180bhp if you want, 140 without, 45-50K at fast motorway speed, very comfy, spacious( estate ) for taking stuff where it needs to be, decent looking, no DPF, just turning 150K at 5.5 YO and still on original clutch....
I paid 4.8K for mine, servicing is 35 quid at National for oil and filter, 12 quid for an air filter at motor factors, I'll do the fuel filter at the next service and above that its a 30min check round with an oil can and a look at brake pads.
a bit "old man" for some but at teh milage you just need something to get you to work and back and this thing does it with ease.
currently accord diesel, maps to 180bhp if you want, 140 without, 45-50K at fast motorway speed, very comfy, spacious( estate ) for taking stuff where it needs to be, decent looking, no DPF, just turning 150K at 5.5 YO and still on original clutch....
I paid 4.8K for mine, servicing is 35 quid at National for oil and filter, 12 quid for an air filter at motor factors, I'll do the fuel filter at the next service and above that its a 30min check round with an oil can and a look at brake pads.
a bit "old man" for some but at teh milage you just need something to get you to work and back and this thing does it with ease.
What about a skoda fabia vrs? Nippy turbo diesel and 6 speed gearbox(correct me if am wrong) perfect for motorway. Seen them with not alot of mods and remap with just over 400 Ib/ft,but even a few subtle mods and a remap will c u over the 300 Ib/ft mark, great fun in a little car! Seat ibiza/leon tdi?Hope this helps mate
Edited by Sparky1988 on Wednesday 29th September 21:50
Edited by Sparky1988 on Wednesday 29th September 21:53
If it helps sway your decision. I have a B6 audi a4 2001. 1.9tdi130bhp though easy remap to 150 for around 500 quid.
It has lumbar support leccy windows 10 speaker sound system with the sub in the rear shelf the works.
Best bit however is that it is on 295k miles.
In that time most serious failure was the alternator which snapped its belt and sheared a bolt in the engine bay. Car still ran but would not charge and had no power steering. Cost me around 400 quid to fix iirc.
Oh also had a new clutch release bearing and clutch at 120k miles iirc
A full tank of disiesel is 70 or so quid and will get you roughly 650 to 700 miles.
Servicing is very cheap if indy. Services only required every 16-18k miles dep on mileage. Cambelt every 60k miles.3-500 quid.
Its never failed to start.
Skoda uses the same engine so if you wanted to go smaller get a vrs with the same engine.
It has lumbar support leccy windows 10 speaker sound system with the sub in the rear shelf the works.
Best bit however is that it is on 295k miles.
In that time most serious failure was the alternator which snapped its belt and sheared a bolt in the engine bay. Car still ran but would not charge and had no power steering. Cost me around 400 quid to fix iirc.
Oh also had a new clutch release bearing and clutch at 120k miles iirc
A full tank of disiesel is 70 or so quid and will get you roughly 650 to 700 miles.
Servicing is very cheap if indy. Services only required every 16-18k miles dep on mileage. Cambelt every 60k miles.3-500 quid.
Its never failed to start.
Skoda uses the same engine so if you wanted to go smaller get a vrs with the same engine.
If you're going for the Mondeo don't bother with the ST TDCI. I love mine (in the second week of ownership) but the stiffer suspension won't suit constant motorway driving imo. Ghia/X/Titanium/X would be my choice (of Mondeos).
Volvo D5 variant, Civic, Mazda 6 and a whole load of others worth a look too.
For the modern diesel problems, just make sure you get an extended warranty. See if you can get one that guarantees a replacement car too.
For the size of the car, I prefer a bigger car as a mile muncher. Seats always seem to be nicer + stereo + toys.
Oh yeah - get something with cruise control doing that kind of mileage!
Volvo D5 variant, Civic, Mazda 6 and a whole load of others worth a look too.
For the modern diesel problems, just make sure you get an extended warranty. See if you can get one that guarantees a replacement car too.
For the size of the car, I prefer a bigger car as a mile muncher. Seats always seem to be nicer + stereo + toys.
Oh yeah - get something with cruise control doing that kind of mileage!
killsta said:
Why diesel? Be a man and buy petrol.
Mondeo ST220.
End of thread.
Apart from the 2nd part about buying a Mondeo, the first question is very valid.Mondeo ST220.
End of thread.
£16-20k miles isn't THAT much really, and £6000 doesn't really go THAT far considering the premium that their economy attracts.
A £6000 petrol car will be lower mileage, and better equipped at the same age. Sure it may cost a few more quid at the pumps, but that additional cost isn't really enormous enough to justify at your mileage in my opinion, and there are more than enough expensive diesel related things that can go wrong to wipe out several years of fuel saving in one swift stroke.
Private purchase? Out of warranty? Paying for repairs and maintenance yourself? - Petrol every time!!!
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