Motorway commuter, 50 mpg non dpf estate recommendations
Discussion
- Just spotted the car buying forum, apologies for wrong section***
I'm looking for some help from people who do a long, fast commute in older, practical diesel cars.
We are currently to and from Cornwall quite a lot and i'm considering changing my current greenline Octavia.
I'm looking for some recommendations for an estate car/ people carrier that ticks the following:
Can carry 2 adults and 3 smaller children (only one booster seat now required)
Reasonable boot space
Does a real 50 ish mpg when driven at 75 to 80 mph indicated
Doesn't have a dpf
Isn't in a crazy tax bracket
Whilst I appreciate I'll be looking at older diesels, and the car will need repairs and tlc I'd prefer something that's known to be at the reliable end of the scale.
I currently have an Octavia greenline, 'unfixed' by vag. It ticks a lot of boxes as above but the 1.6 unit mpg really drops above 65 mph as it's working a bit harder. Plus it seems it's injectors and egr are probably a ticking timebomb.
I've been considering:
520 manual estates
Audi A4 Avant in 1.9 pd facelift format
Passat as above
Honda accord 2.2
I'd be willing to go a bit bigger to like seat Alhambra (space would be useful) but I guess the mpg will suffer a lot.
Ideally looking for units that can handle big miles as I suspect I'll put 30k a year onto it, so I'd rather buy something that's already got a few miles on it.
Looking in and around 3k ish price range, not really fussed by image or brand for this commuter. Looking for a low average cost over the next couple of years
Thanks if you can share experiences of what you commute in.
Edited by AlexH22 on Wednesday 16th May 15:21
I think the Accord is a great shout, massive space. I have a Civic diesel and it's a great engine, really good torque and very economical. Honda spent a lot on R&D to create the diesel engine just as the new euro emissions regulations came in so it's probably the most modern non-dpf diesel you can buy. Funnily enough nearly all of my driving is from London to Cornwall as well and I will easily (and I mean easily) achieve 50+ mpg on that run and not necessarily sticking consistently to the speed preferred by her majesty's government 
watch out for the chocolate clutch as it's a known issue but I wouldn't overlook the car because of that issue. My Honda is now 11 years old and I've owned mine for 5 years. In that time it's needed 2x relays for the folding wing mirrors and a relay for the A/C. Other than that consumables only and everything works.
watch out for the chocolate clutch as it's a known issue but I wouldn't overlook the car because of that issue. My Honda is now 11 years old and I've owned mine for 5 years. In that time it's needed 2x relays for the folding wing mirrors and a relay for the A/C. Other than that consumables only and everything works.I have a 2003 Merc E320 CDI which I use for exactly this kind of driving, basically carting kids and their stuff around up and down the motorway. It has 124k on the clock but drives brilliantly and the engine has plenty of torque. Surprising that for a 3.2 six cylinder engine that it manages a genuine 50mpg and has plenty of torque. No DPF either so no worries on that front.
The S211 (Estate rather than mine which is a W211 saloon) can be had for very good prices, the older 3.2 models have the 5 speed gearbox where the newer 3.0 V6 has the 7 speed. For wafting up and down the motorway, both are decent really.
Obviously others will have recommendations but for what I paid for my E Class, it's covered 20k since I bought it and I've spent very little on maintenance.
The S211 (Estate rather than mine which is a W211 saloon) can be had for very good prices, the older 3.2 models have the 5 speed gearbox where the newer 3.0 V6 has the 7 speed. For wafting up and down the motorway, both are decent really.
Obviously others will have recommendations but for what I paid for my E Class, it's covered 20k since I bought it and I've spent very little on maintenance.
Thanks all so far, looks like I'm on the right path so far.
I did wonder about the Merc but I expected it to be very heavy on juice. That's an unexpected possibility.
They can be had for good prices, just need to shop carefully with respect to rust I expect. A wafty barge would be perfect.
I've sold my motoring soul and replaced it with a home that needs a lot of work.
I did wonder about the Merc but I expected it to be very heavy on juice. That's an unexpected possibility.
They can be had for good prices, just need to shop carefully with respect to rust I expect. A wafty barge would be perfect.
I've sold my motoring soul and replaced it with a home that needs a lot of work.
The early 211 won't manage a true 50mpg on the motorway (except crawling at 50mph) in my experience, but I get 43mpg from pump measurements on a decent journey (150+ miles, 100 motorway, the rest A-roads) at a reasonable pace.
For the difference in economy swapping to a lesser-engined diesel it wouldn't be worth it, the engine is a masterpiece, and very smooth.
Another one to consider would be an early E61 30d - again, nice smooth engine. See also the V70 D5 of that age too - exceptionally comfortable.
For the difference in economy swapping to a lesser-engined diesel it wouldn't be worth it, the engine is a masterpiece, and very smooth.
Another one to consider would be an early E61 30d - again, nice smooth engine. See also the V70 D5 of that age too - exceptionally comfortable.
Bumblebee7 said:
I think the Accord is a great shout, massive space. I have a Civic diesel and it's a great engine, really good torque and very economical. Honda spent a lot on R&D to create the diesel engine just as the new euro emissions regulations came in so it's probably the most modern non-dpf diesel you can buy. Funnily enough nearly all of my driving is from London to Cornwall as well and I will easily (and I mean easily) achieve 50+ mpg on that run and not necessarily sticking consistently to the speed preferred by her majesty's government watch out for the chocolate clutch as it's a known issue but I wouldn't overlook the car because of that issue. My Honda is now 11 years old and I've owned mine for 5 years. In that time it's needed 2x relays for the folding wing mirrors and a relay for the A/C. Other than that consumables only and everything works.
Thanks BB, watch out for the chocolate clutch as it's a known issue but I wouldn't overlook the car because of that issue. My Honda is now 11 years old and I've owned mine for 5 years. In that time it's needed 2x relays for the folding wing mirrors and a relay for the A/C. Other than that consumables only and everything works.We have owned an 07 civic 2.2 in the past and sadly I know all too well about the chocolate clutches. Ours had a replacement flywheel in the end and honda said, "a revised pressure plate" I'm not sure if that was gumph but it did bite a lot firmer. I've got fond memories of that engine, I just wasn't sure how they were handling bigger miles.
AlexH22 said:
I did wonder about the Merc but I expected it to be very heavy on juice. That's an unexpected possibility.
I was pleasantly surprised with mine. I wanted 40mpg or more as I appreciate it's not a light car nor is it lacking in power (210bhp/370lbs) so the higher MPG figures were appreciated. During the warmer months an indicated 51mpg is entirely doable at a steady 70mph on cruise control. I admit I was skeptical as I know these gauges often over estimate but I have done the maths on a few ocassions and a genuine 48/49mpg is the result.
My partner has a Merc CLS350 CDI which is a 2009. This has the newer 3.0 V6 diesel/7 speed and I cannot get it to achieve the same MPG figures. The gearbox is smoother and the engine is far more refined but it doesn't seem to be able to quite match the 3.2 straight six for efficiency.
Not sure it will hit 50mpg real world, but a Volvo V70 would be worth considering.
I had the older (less economical) 2.5TD engine and it returned 47mpg average during my ownership, which involved a lot of narrow Dorset lanes etc. On a good run I would expect you could get close to 50mpg.
Pretty bulletproof as well, as long as they are looked after.
I had the older (less economical) 2.5TD engine and it returned 47mpg average during my ownership, which involved a lot of narrow Dorset lanes etc. On a good run I would expect you could get close to 50mpg.
Pretty bulletproof as well, as long as they are looked after.
AlexH22 said:
Thanks BB,
We have owned an 07 civic 2.2 in the past and sadly I know all too well about the chocolate clutches. Ours had a replacement flywheel in the end and honda said, "a revised pressure plate" I'm not sure if that was gumph but it did bite a lot firmer. I've got fond memories of that engine, I just wasn't sure how they were handling bigger miles.
My mechanic always buys bangers that he repairs a bit and drives around in for 3/4 years before taking them to the scrapyard. He is looking for a diesel estate as his current petrol V70 is too expensive on fuel. He was telling me about a number of Accords he looked at that had 300k+ mileages and the engine was still pulling well. So from that info it certainly seems they're robust units. I've personally taken mine from 29k to 90k with no plans to replace it any time soon. My clutch has been slipping for the last 4 years so I should probably sort that out at some point... We have owned an 07 civic 2.2 in the past and sadly I know all too well about the chocolate clutches. Ours had a replacement flywheel in the end and honda said, "a revised pressure plate" I'm not sure if that was gumph but it did bite a lot firmer. I've got fond memories of that engine, I just wasn't sure how they were handling bigger miles.
I plan to put a CG motorsport clutch and SMF kit into the car at some point and then take it down to Celtic tuning in Newquay for a Stage 2 map. Mind you I've been saying that for 5 years now... My next motoring priority is to buy an MX5 and I'll get the work on the Honda done then.
Edited by Bumblebee7 on Wednesday 16th May 16:21
Most trip computers lie. Some lie by so much that they're not worth having. Occasionally a manufacturer is honest.
Probably the best indication of what to expect is Honest John's 'Real mpg':
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/
Most likely you'll find that pounding motorways all day at 80mph will give lower mpg than Honest John's figures.
DPFs have been widely fitted to diesel cars for almost a decade now so you'll have to look at older cars (probably Euro-4, pre-2010) with lower emissions standards which will be first to be targeted/persecuted by government.
Probably the best indication of what to expect is Honest John's 'Real mpg':
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/
Most likely you'll find that pounding motorways all day at 80mph will give lower mpg than Honest John's figures.
DPFs have been widely fitted to diesel cars for almost a decade now so you'll have to look at older cars (probably Euro-4, pre-2010) with lower emissions standards which will be first to be targeted/persecuted by government.
I would look at a Audi C5 A6 Avant, they ran until 2005 and the 1.9PDi engine is famously strong/ reliable. They can smoke a bit but as there is no DPF won't be affected by new MOT regs, will do 50MPG and 500 miles to a tank. The engine is very torquey so they have a decent amount of shove on the motorway too. A Revo remap took my 130 to 175-180BHP. The value of these now is staggering, always get leather too (especially when you have kids).
Forgive me if I’ve missed something, however:
Similar sized, similar category cars will have similar aero.
Said cars will all require similar bhp/torque for the same speeds, assuming similar gearing (which is likely given they’re all seeking the same fuel economy, performance, NVH targets)
The bhp/torque required at, say, 70mph will need similar levels of energy (ie fuel) for any of the cars suggested so far.
Therefore, there’d be very little difference between, say, a Skoda Octavia using enough fuel to stay at 70mph, and an Accord trying to do the same.
As your Octavia Greenline is made for plodding up and down motorways at steady speeds, well...would there be enough of a financial benefit to changing cars, all things considered?
Similar sized, similar category cars will have similar aero.
Said cars will all require similar bhp/torque for the same speeds, assuming similar gearing (which is likely given they’re all seeking the same fuel economy, performance, NVH targets)
The bhp/torque required at, say, 70mph will need similar levels of energy (ie fuel) for any of the cars suggested so far.
Therefore, there’d be very little difference between, say, a Skoda Octavia using enough fuel to stay at 70mph, and an Accord trying to do the same.
As your Octavia Greenline is made for plodding up and down motorways at steady speeds, well...would there be enough of a financial benefit to changing cars, all things considered?
ExPat2B said:
Barring a car that has a known issue with the DPF( Skoda Ocavia and Nissan Quashqai ) , you should not be scared of DPF at all.
Constant long 70mph+ journeys are perfect for DPF/EGRs they get nice and hot and burn all the crud off.
Its pretty much the perfect use scenario for them.
ExactlyConstant long 70mph+ journeys are perfect for DPF/EGRs they get nice and hot and burn all the crud off.
Its pretty much the perfect use scenario for them.
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