146 mile a day commute.... what car?

[Mc lovin]

I currently have the pleasure of a 146 mile a day commute (there and back. I'm spending a fortune on fuel, as you can imagine as well as clocking up some serious miles on my 911.

I'm looking for something very cheap and reliable that I can use and abuse and run into the ground.

I'm very blinkered when it comes to cars, I tend to start and end my searches with vw, so I thought i'd put it to the masses on PH.

petrol or diesel... not bothered

[Dave Hedgehog]

mx5

Golf GTD? Its like a golf

budget?

[Deerfoot]

Mc lovin said:

I'm looking for something very cheap

Your very cheap may differ from others, how much are we talking exactly?

[Mc lovin]

mx5.... I've already got the 911 for fun, plus soft tops tend to leak and i'm not up for that during winter.

Price wise, under a grand would be ideal. tempted by a mk2 golf 16v, but then, not really the most frugal of options really.

[Wombat3]

What's "cheap" and what kind of Journey is it (Motorway/X-country or mixed?)

If its a straight plod up a motorway then a BMW 318D (or 320D). Bit dull but comfortable, quiet & uber-efficient.

[MX7]

Volvo S60?

[chickenkebab]

I'd go for something Volvo. Will run to the moon and back and should be fairly decent on fuel if its a diesel.

[CDP]

Vectra or Mondeo? Both pretty unfashionable of really cheap and capable of running up big mileages.

[chickenkebab]

Not the very PH option but if your doing 150 miles a day, say £20 in fuel, £100 a week? Rent a cheap flat near to work?

[MagicalTrevor]

MX7 said:

Volvo S60?

That's what I was going to suggest too. The D5 SE (2003-2005) is supposedly economical and will do huge miles in immense comfortable. £2-3k should get one

[Mc lovin]

That was sort of the logic I was going with, I don't really want to rent a room during the week as it works out more expensive than petrol over the course of each week.

I was also thinking a small engined hatch might be the way to go?

[djwimbledon]

I went with the R32 - only doing 80 miles per day but........I do it with a smile........

[Terminator X]

I do 180m p/d & use a Pug 307 diesel, verified 50mpg even at speed & very little has gone wrong over last year.

TX.

[sparks_E39]

306D Turbo.

[Mc lovin]

I have looked at the TD pugs, my main worry is HGF and turbo failure, but i am tempted to take my chances.

I have also spotted a few lupo diesels that have got me thinking.

[Roadrunner23]

I would recommend a Pug HDi or a VAG diesel

[CDP]

If you're doing 146 miles per day you might want to consider spending more and getting an A2, Polo or Fabia 1.4TDI. Possibly a BlueMotion. Assuming you do it for 45 weeks per year it's about 32,000 miles. 1000 gallons in a regular 2 litre petrol saloon or half that in one of those. A mate with a 2001 Polo 1.4 TDI normally averages 60mpg and achieves 70 on long runs. Well worth spending an extra grand or two for the right car.

[Mc lovin]

A good point well made, I will look at those now .

[West4x4]

do they put the 1.4tdi in a skoda or seat? be cheaper than the VW

[Stuart Truman]

I was doing a similar commute. Eventually I quit as it was killing me. Cross Country, no motorways and the world's supply of traffic embuggerances around Oxford

The only thing that made it bearable was a Mk5 Golf GTI Diesel. It was badged a GTI, but had the 150bhp diesel engine. 50+mpg, rock solid reliable and comfortable. 0 - 85,000 miles on the clock in 2yrs.