It's getting time to replace my Mondeo, but with what
Discussion
I've had my 2014 plate Mondeo MkIV Titanium X tdci for eight years and it has now covered 238 thousand miles. It cost me about £4000 when it was four years old and had 118 thousand miles on it.
It's still comfortable, still does 50mpg when driven gently and is still quick enough and handles well, but it's starting to fall apart round the edges.
There's rust underneath and on one wing, the fold in mirrors no longer fold, it will need a new cambelt as also another gearbox oil change. The gearbox oil change alone is about £350.
My commute, two or three times a week is a 100 mile round trip. A few times a year it will do a 140 mile trip each to visit relatives, usually returning the same day. It could sit on a granny charger for a few hours whilst there.
Once a year it will do a 250 mile trip on holiday. Charging whilst having lunch on the journey is possible.
It needs to be able to carry almost as much luggage as the Mondeo, be comfortable and handle well.
I do like something cheap to run, and the Mondeo has cost very little in depreciation and been sensible on fuel, but it's time for it to find a new owner and common sense dictates I replace it with an EV but I know nothing about them.
Not fussed about the purchase price, and I know that I'll have to spend a lot more than £4000 to buy it, but I also know I won't be spending £2000 a year on fuel. I don't have an upper limit on purchase price so long at it represents value.
What can people recommend?
It's still comfortable, still does 50mpg when driven gently and is still quick enough and handles well, but it's starting to fall apart round the edges.
There's rust underneath and on one wing, the fold in mirrors no longer fold, it will need a new cambelt as also another gearbox oil change. The gearbox oil change alone is about £350.
My commute, two or three times a week is a 100 mile round trip. A few times a year it will do a 140 mile trip each to visit relatives, usually returning the same day. It could sit on a granny charger for a few hours whilst there.
Once a year it will do a 250 mile trip on holiday. Charging whilst having lunch on the journey is possible.
It needs to be able to carry almost as much luggage as the Mondeo, be comfortable and handle well.
I do like something cheap to run, and the Mondeo has cost very little in depreciation and been sensible on fuel, but it's time for it to find a new owner and common sense dictates I replace it with an EV but I know nothing about them.
Not fussed about the purchase price, and I know that I'll have to spend a lot more than £4000 to buy it, but I also know I won't be spending £2000 a year on fuel. I don't have an upper limit on purchase price so long at it represents value.
What can people recommend?
The answer is... a MKV Mondeo 1.5 TDCi ECOnetic
Comfortable, huge boot and passenger area, frugal, cheap to maintain. We have had no diesel engine related problems such as DPF and such like. No rust after 10 years and 120k miles.
Until this year the VED was £0 (now it's £20)
The hatchback has a bigger boot than the estate.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601299...
Comfortable, huge boot and passenger area, frugal, cheap to maintain. We have had no diesel engine related problems such as DPF and such like. No rust after 10 years and 120k miles.
Until this year the VED was £0 (now it's £20)
The hatchback has a bigger boot than the estate.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601299...
Edited by WhiskyDisco on Wednesday 29th April 06:40
Thanks to all for your suggestions, keep them coming
Therefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
johnnyreggae said:
Have I got this right: you are happy with several thousand pound annual depreciation on your large upfront payment just to save maybe a grand a year on fuel ?
It's at least two grand a year on fuel, and come what may, there's no way I'll get another excellent deisel at the price I picked up the last one. I'd love to keep the old Mondeo running for a few more years, but it will either mean lots of my valuable time swearing at rusted fasteners or paying someone else to deal with it. Plus at least a grand of needed work to be done in the next yearTherefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
spikeyhead said:
Therefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
Our EV is coming up to 9 years old, owned from new, just about to hit 100k. Absolutely zero chance it's going to last any where near 2 decades without some major £££££. It's currently sitting idle on the driveway with air suspension issues that's going to cost me at least £2K to sort out just for the fronts. If the pnboard charger fails its a £3k+ bill I believe, battery is £20K+ and once you hit 150K it become a when not if for the battery. If you want cheap/reliable motoring that can do 100miles+ commutes all year round for the next 2 decades stick to something simple, the MG is a good suggestion, or a Toyota hybrid.
gangzoom said:
spikeyhead said:
Therefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
Our EV is coming up to 9 years old, owned from new, just about to hit 100k. Absolutely zero chance it's going to last any where near 2 decades without some major £££££. It's currently sitting idle on the driveway with air suspension issues that's going to cost me at least £2K to sort out just for the fronts. If the pnboard charger fails its a £3k+ bill I believe, battery is £20K+ and once you hit 150K it become a when not if for the battery. If you want cheap/reliable motoring that can do 100miles+ commutes all year round for the next 2 decades stick to something really simple/basic for an EV, the MG is a good suggestion, or a Toyota hybrid.
gangzoom said:
If you want cheap/reliable motoring that can do 100miles+ commutes all year round for the next 2 decades stick to something simple, the MG is a good suggestion, or a Toyota hybrid.
A million taxi drivers can't be wrong - the Corolla estate could be a good choice.A Dacia Jogger hybrid will be a very practical, efficient and cheap to run alternative, although probably not as refined/quiet/comfortable as a Mondeo
For full EV probably Tesla Model Y ticks the boxes
Impressive to cover that mileage without need much maintenance. I had a Mondeo back in the day and they had a pretty large boot and decent leg room.
You haven't mentioned your budget yet, but you aren t going to find much for £4k these days with reasonable mileage. I m guessing you re doing about 20k miles a year? That is high usage and would be quite expensive on a PCP or similar finance agreement.
If your budget is closer to £10k, your EV options are somewhat limited. You d likely be looking at a Nissan Leaf, Hyundai IONIQ, or MG ZS around four years old with under 50k miles on the clock. The main issue is that these typically have a 52kWh battery, which provides a real-world range of roughly 200 miles.
Charging: This only works if you can reliably charge at home. If you can t, an EV probably isn't a viable option for you.
Hybrids: These likely won't suit your needs either, given the long commute and holiday trips.
That leaves petrol or diesel. An MG3 1.5 could be a strong contender for you. Notably, the MG uses a timing chain, whereas many other cars of this age use a "wet belt." Wet belts can be problematic and are generally not as reliable as the cam belt in your current Mondeo.
Hope this helps
You haven't mentioned your budget yet, but you aren t going to find much for £4k these days with reasonable mileage. I m guessing you re doing about 20k miles a year? That is high usage and would be quite expensive on a PCP or similar finance agreement.
If your budget is closer to £10k, your EV options are somewhat limited. You d likely be looking at a Nissan Leaf, Hyundai IONIQ, or MG ZS around four years old with under 50k miles on the clock. The main issue is that these typically have a 52kWh battery, which provides a real-world range of roughly 200 miles.
Charging: This only works if you can reliably charge at home. If you can t, an EV probably isn't a viable option for you.
Hybrids: These likely won't suit your needs either, given the long commute and holiday trips.
That leaves petrol or diesel. An MG3 1.5 could be a strong contender for you. Notably, the MG uses a timing chain, whereas many other cars of this age use a "wet belt." Wet belts can be problematic and are generally not as reliable as the cam belt in your current Mondeo.
Hope this helps
Edited by ashenfie on Wednesday 29th April 09:34
Tractor Driver said:
MG5 is worth a look. No street cred but very good value and appears to be reliable.
This. I was considering a nearly new one for myself at some point, after Uber drivers who picked me up in them raved about nothing going wrong in a couple of hundred thousand miles. The James and Kate video where they shared how much its cost to run a 2021 MG5 over 172k miles. Still on the original brake pads! The comments make for interesting reading too, from others who have got one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM1keOJ5vjQ
There is a 70k mile new shape MG5 that is 3 years old and up for just over £10k.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202604231...
Best of luck with your search.
spikeyhead said:
Thanks to all for your suggestions, keep them coming
Therefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
Also... johnnyreggae has failed to account for the fact that a relatively new EV might be quite a lot nicer to drive, more kit and tech etc and faster than a 12 year old diesel that's been to the moon and back johnnyreggae said:
Have I got this right: you are happy with several thousand pound annual depreciation on your large upfront payment just to save maybe a grand a year on fuel ?
It's at least two grand a year on fuel, and come what may, there's no way I'll get another excellent deisel at the price I picked up the last one. I'd love to keep the old Mondeo running for a few more years, but it will either mean lots of my valuable time swearing at rusted fasteners or paying someone else to deal with it. Plus at least a grand of needed work to be done in the next yearTherefore I'm prepared to pay for some depreciation. Realistically, a new EV is likely to last me at least a decade and possibly two. I'm rolling slowly towards retirement so mileage will drop in around five years to little more than pottering locally and holidays.
It always blows my mind that people attribute no value at all to having a better and/or newer car. Of course that costs some money
There's nothing much wrong with earlier Audi etrons other than not great range - but more than enough for your requirements. Some are very well specced and not particularly costly on auto trader...
Or a Tesla model Y. The suspension is a bit twitchy/crashy on harsh roads but I expect your shocks on the old Mondeo are not the best anyway - it'll be better than that and it's hard to argue against the value proposition.
Or if you want some carefree power grab a new lease BYD with several hundred horsepower. The 2k fuel saving alone will pay most of the lease cost and you get a brand new car on the drive every 3-4 years!
TheDeuce said:
Also... johnnyreggae has failed to account for the fact that a relatively new EV might be quite a lot nicer to drive, more kit and tech etc and faster than a 12 year old diesel that's been to the moon and back
It always blows my mind that people attribute no value at all to having a better and/or newer car. Of course that costs some money
There's nothing much wrong with earlier Audi etrons other than not great range - but more than enough for your requirements. Some are very well specced and not particularly costly on auto trader...
Or a Tesla model Y. The suspension is a bit twitchy/crashy on harsh roads but I expect your shocks on the old Mondeo are not the best anyway - it'll be better than that and it's hard to argue against the value proposition.
Or if you want some carefree power grab a new lease BYD with several hundred horsepower. The 2k fuel saving alone will pay most of the lease cost and you get a brand new car on the drive every 3-4 years!
Nothing beats a Mondeo, the closest to boot space would be an id7, as for tech, The Mondeo having buttons to operate things is much better than the new way of thinking of touchscreen. It always blows my mind that people attribute no value at all to having a better and/or newer car. Of course that costs some money
There's nothing much wrong with earlier Audi etrons other than not great range - but more than enough for your requirements. Some are very well specced and not particularly costly on auto trader...
Or a Tesla model Y. The suspension is a bit twitchy/crashy on harsh roads but I expect your shocks on the old Mondeo are not the best anyway - it'll be better than that and it's hard to argue against the value proposition.
Or if you want some carefree power grab a new lease BYD with several hundred horsepower. The 2k fuel saving alone will pay most of the lease cost and you get a brand new car on the drive every 3-4 years!
As for the Etron - having watched a video on YouTube last night of them rebuilding the gearboxes that fill with coolant due too a poor design it’s the last car on earths I would buy - the thinking is 150metres in reverse is enough to kill the seal that separates the coolant from the gearbox rendering the car very expensive to fix and a large paper weight.
Too many EVs fit the bill, to be able to list.
But 20k will get you a decent one under a couple of years old.
Will drive very nicely, a good upgrade.
Will come with at least an 8 year battery warranty, no reason why it wouldn’t last 10+ years.
£2k a year fuel savings, but factor in £1k for a home charger. But a decent tariff will make your overall house Electric cheaper without much effort.
Put this way, my Enyaq is 2.5 years old & has had 0 problems, been nowhere near a dealer (apart from the free service @2).
My previous cars had all had warranty issues by then. Less parts in an Ev..
The battery is always raised as a negative, but again it has 8 year cover.
But 20k will get you a decent one under a couple of years old.
Will drive very nicely, a good upgrade.
Will come with at least an 8 year battery warranty, no reason why it wouldn’t last 10+ years.
£2k a year fuel savings, but factor in £1k for a home charger. But a decent tariff will make your overall house Electric cheaper without much effort.
Put this way, my Enyaq is 2.5 years old & has had 0 problems, been nowhere near a dealer (apart from the free service @2).
My previous cars had all had warranty issues by then. Less parts in an Ev..
The battery is always raised as a negative, but again it has 8 year cover.
I never get this fuel savings thing, surely if you own a car and your only major outgoing is fuel then you spend 20k on buying or leasing then any savings are zero.
I’ve been looking at ev’s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won’t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
I’ve been looking at ev’s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won’t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
stevemcs said:
I never get this fuel savings thing, surely if you own a car and your only major outgoing is fuel then you spend 20k on buying or leasing then any savings are zero.
I ve been looking at ev s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
You can buy a car for 20k and maybe in 4’years it’s work 10k. You have lost 10k, pcp just means you pay the depreciation monthly with added interest. You still have 20k in the savings. I ve been looking at ev s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
Running cost don’t come into the depreciation calculation.
ashenfie said:
stevemcs said:
I never get this fuel savings thing, surely if you own a car and your only major outgoing is fuel then you spend 20k on buying or leasing then any savings are zero.
I ve been looking at ev s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
You can buy a car for 20k and maybe in 4 years it s work 10k. You have lost 10k, pcp just means you pay the depreciation monthly with added interest. You still have 20k in the savings. I ve been looking at ev s recently but with the aim of £120 per month pcp - it won t save me anything, in fact it will probably cost more as I will have to tax,insure and run an additional car, yes it will be better than 21mpg in the Skoda but the upkeep will negate any savings
Running cost don t come into the depreciation calculation.
Given a choice of an older diesel for £10k that will need £2500 a year on fuel and another £1000 on maintenance, or £20k for a newer EV with nearly free fuel and cheaper maintenance then I'd rather go with the EV, especially as I'm getting too old to want to be lying underneath a rusty car cursing stubborn fasteners
I recently purchased a used EV for £20k I was moving from a Skoda Superb, and wanted to keep similar levels of space and practicality. It's not easy at that price point as the only real answer is a VW ID7, and they're too new and well over budget.
So my shortlist came down to the following:
Polestar 2
Skoda Enyaq
Hyundai Ioniq 5
KIA EV6
VW ID4 or 5
Ford Mustang
Audi Q4 e-Tron
Genesis GV60
BMW i4
Of those, there were very few of the following at my budget nationally and on Approved Used, so I discounted them: BMW i4, Genesis GV60.
I discounted (regretfully, as they were my favourite models) Ioniq 5 and EV6, because of the ICCU reliability problems. Did not want to get stuck with that. Right or wrong, that was my decision as I'm a bit risk averse.
I discounted the Ford Mustang because they look like utter crap and I'd be embarrassed to be seen in one.
For similar reasons to the Stang, I discounted the Audi, along with the poor efficiency on them.
Polestar 2 was out because the rear passenger compartment looked a bit cramped, and I have 6'3" offspring to cart around.
And in a shoot-out between Enyaq, ID 4 and ID 5, the ID 5 won simply because there was a choice of them at my budget at my local dealer. And I like buying locally. I think I'd have preferred the Enyaq 80 ceteris paribus, but they were thin on the ground here and my local dealer seems to only sell premium second hand ones at very high prices, so didn't have anything at my budget.
I am pleased enough with the ID5, it's hugely capacious inside and a nice drive. The software menus take a bit of getting used to, and the interior trim could be screwed down better as it rattles a bit over the bumps. The seat could be more supportive under the buttocks, but we're all different in that regard. I'm getting round town efficiency over 4mpkwh, and motorway 3.6-3.8. So real world near/just over 300 miles.
YMMV.
Happy hunting.
So my shortlist came down to the following:
Polestar 2
Skoda Enyaq
Hyundai Ioniq 5
KIA EV6
VW ID4 or 5
Ford Mustang
Audi Q4 e-Tron
Genesis GV60
BMW i4
Of those, there were very few of the following at my budget nationally and on Approved Used, so I discounted them: BMW i4, Genesis GV60.
I discounted (regretfully, as they were my favourite models) Ioniq 5 and EV6, because of the ICCU reliability problems. Did not want to get stuck with that. Right or wrong, that was my decision as I'm a bit risk averse.
I discounted the Ford Mustang because they look like utter crap and I'd be embarrassed to be seen in one.
For similar reasons to the Stang, I discounted the Audi, along with the poor efficiency on them.
Polestar 2 was out because the rear passenger compartment looked a bit cramped, and I have 6'3" offspring to cart around.
And in a shoot-out between Enyaq, ID 4 and ID 5, the ID 5 won simply because there was a choice of them at my budget at my local dealer. And I like buying locally. I think I'd have preferred the Enyaq 80 ceteris paribus, but they were thin on the ground here and my local dealer seems to only sell premium second hand ones at very high prices, so didn't have anything at my budget.
I am pleased enough with the ID5, it's hugely capacious inside and a nice drive. The software menus take a bit of getting used to, and the interior trim could be screwed down better as it rattles a bit over the bumps. The seat could be more supportive under the buttocks, but we're all different in that regard. I'm getting round town efficiency over 4mpkwh, and motorway 3.6-3.8. So real world near/just over 300 miles.
YMMV.
Happy hunting.
Edited by Skodillac on Thursday 30th April 13:24
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