Economic Car or Train?
Discussion
Something with LPG would seem like a sensible option. Cheap to insure depends on your age and driving history, but all manner of barges can be had for reasonable cost. Assuming that at 500 miles you will mostly be doing motorway miles, something big and wafty with nice long gearing would seem preferable. Perhaps an E39 5 series or equivalent Merc with a 6 cylinder engine and LPG. A Lexus would also be a good call (GS I think the big one is). Pre 2001 cars will keep the price of tax down, and I believe you get a small discount for LPG cars too.
Even a diesel doing 55mpg would cost over £3,000 a year just in fuel. However if you can get hold of something cheap, with tax, MOT and something vaguely approaching a service history and you can get cheap insurance then it'll be worth the excess over £4k.
Hot weather and leaves don't stop your car working.
Hot weather and leaves don't stop your car working.
clarkey328is said:
Pre 2001 cars will keep the price of tax down, and I believe you get a small discount for LPG cars too.
You can get a discount but not on pre-2001 cars.Edited by martin84 on Wednesday 4th April 19:07
My quick maths reckons at 50 mpg and a conservative cost of £1.40/l you'll spend ~£3300 on fuel alone. If you can run an average of 70 mpg, which is a tall order, you'll still only have around £1600 for car, insurance, tax, MOT etc...
Being cheaper than the train all in would be nigh on impossible
Being cheaper than the train all in would be nigh on impossible
It won't be cheaper than the train but i'd urge the OP to decide whether the extra cost is worth it.
£4k on train tickets leaves you with a train ticket. £5k ish on a cheap car leaves you with a perfectly usable motor vehicle which is not confuzzled by leaves on the line, drooping cables in the heat and does not require a bus replacement service.
Not to mention the fact a train is full of other people, eating, talking and breathing in your vacinity. The extra grand is worth it to avoid this alone.
£4k on train tickets leaves you with a train ticket. £5k ish on a cheap car leaves you with a perfectly usable motor vehicle which is not confuzzled by leaves on the line, drooping cables in the heat and does not require a bus replacement service.
Not to mention the fact a train is full of other people, eating, talking and breathing in your vacinity. The extra grand is worth it to avoid this alone.
king bike?As others have said, even at 50-55mpg you will spending over £3k in fuel. A grand isn't a lot to buy a diesel car (in a lot of demand)and tax (£200?), insurance (no idea, probably a few hundred though), MOT, tyres, possibly repairs.
If you were going to try though, you could spend £300 on PSA non-turbo diesel (Pug 306, Citroen ZX etc.) with a Bosch pump then run it on veg oil at about a quid a litre. That'd save you about a grand straight away, bits of trim aside they shouldn't break, insurance should be peanuts, part worn tyres for a tenner, service it yourself. Probably possible if you look hard enough but to do 25k miles on 4 grand it will be a struggle.
Other alternatives available like the equivalent VAG diesel which will also take veg oil but they tend to be more expensive to buy.
If you were going to try though, you could spend £300 on PSA non-turbo diesel (Pug 306, Citroen ZX etc.) with a Bosch pump then run it on veg oil at about a quid a litre. That'd save you about a grand straight away, bits of trim aside they shouldn't break, insurance should be peanuts, part worn tyres for a tenner, service it yourself. Probably possible if you look hard enough but to do 25k miles on 4 grand it will be a struggle.
Other alternatives available like the equivalent VAG diesel which will also take veg oil but they tend to be more expensive to buy.
Edited by twazzock on Wednesday 4th April 19:19
I'm going to make a slightly left field suggestion - Mazda 6 Diesel. Yes, that same Mazda 6 diesel well known for being completely and utterly hopeless with a tendancy to go wrong badly.
However, diesels love that sort of mileage and even Mazda 6 ones have run to 200k+ on that sort of heavy use and they are quite cheap because they break down alot.
However, diesels love that sort of mileage and even Mazda 6 ones have run to 200k+ on that sort of heavy use and they are quite cheap because they break down alot.
YeahYeahWhatever said:
I travel an hour into London on the train and it's relatively stress-free even if crowded and you can't get a seat.
It also provide 'thinking time' which isn't the same by car.
May be different depending on your journey though
Same here and wouldn't drive it if you paid me. Spend my commute reading books and catching up on tv/films. A pretty much stress free experience tbh.It also provide 'thinking time' which isn't the same by car.
May be different depending on your journey though
I spent a hell of a lot more time sat on motorways in traffic because of idiots on the road than I ever have waiting at stations because of "leaves on the line"
samdale said:
My quick maths reckons at 50 mpg and a conservative cost of £1.40/l you'll spend ~£3300 on fuel alone. If you can run an average of 70 mpg, which is a tall order, you'll still only have around £1600 for car, insurance, tax, MOT etc...
Being cheaper than the train all in would be nigh on impossible
That's true but come next year your outlay shouldn't include another car, you could sell and get some of your money back, or carry on with this (now known) car, however the car may need servicing, tyres or a new exhaust etc.Being cheaper than the train all in would be nigh on impossible
And the odd trip to the next town, tip run, picking up a mate and so on, may be quite handy.
Fiesta 1.4 tdci diesel.
Or Peugeot 206 hdi (same engine)
A bit less budget - Peugeot 306 Dturbo
I'm currently doing the same. Bought a 1.7D (non turbo!) Pug 205.
1996, nearly mint, 46k on the clock and 60 mpg (I reckon, I've had it a fortnight and not filled it up yet. Probably easily get 500 miles/tank)
£700. Bargain-tastic.
Though if I could train it to work, for the same price/time as commuting in a car, I'd do that and buy something more interesting as a weekend car. Porsche 924/mx5/Reliant Scimitar, etc
Or Peugeot 206 hdi (same engine)
A bit less budget - Peugeot 306 Dturbo
I'm currently doing the same. Bought a 1.7D (non turbo!) Pug 205.
1996, nearly mint, 46k on the clock and 60 mpg (I reckon, I've had it a fortnight and not filled it up yet. Probably easily get 500 miles/tank)
£700. Bargain-tastic.
Though if I could train it to work, for the same price/time as commuting in a car, I'd do that and buy something more interesting as a weekend car. Porsche 924/mx5/Reliant Scimitar, etc
With the train it will be £4k this year and the following year and the following year and the following year,etc,etc.
You'll buy a car once and the following years will be fuel.maintainance,tax,etc.
Cars are handy with other stuff as well and you go by your timetable not the train company.
Get to know this phrase well:
REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICE.
You'll buy a car once and the following years will be fuel.maintainance,tax,etc.
Cars are handy with other stuff as well and you go by your timetable not the train company.
Get to know this phrase well:
REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICE.
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