200 mile a day commute and 6k budget

[Ursicles]

Potentially have a new role which will be a 200 mile round trip 3 days a week and need something more economical than my Skoda vrs lease.

Will see if I can sell that lease on in future, but in the meantime looking for suggestions on what to buy with a 6k budget.

Will be 90% motorways, so thinking diesel auto would be a good start?

[Big_Dan]

I do 150 mile round trip in my leased (petrol) VRS - on the M1 and M25 and I easily achieve 40 mpg in stop start traffic and 45+ mpg if it's clear

I wish I'd spent the extra £20 a month on DSG when it is snarled up, but it's comfortable and has everything you need

Is it worth stepping out to a 6k car rather than paying the excess mileage?

[Shiv_P]

You are right on the edge of mk7 2.0tdi golf territory. I've just got a 2013 2.0tdi blue motion SE with adaptive cruise for 6400 and to be honest it is exceptional for the motorway run. Adaptive cruise is very good, the small wheels and tyres mean the ride is very soft and there is not a lot of road noise either. Only issues with it are it has no climate control/heated seats, I think it is a base spec SE but it is generally a good car.
Very boring though

[xjay1337]

You can get a Mk6 Golf TDI which would be brilliant for that?
My dad had a 2010 Octavia VRS, with a Revo stage 1. It could get a legit 700 miles from a tank. And was plenty fast enough.

If you can get a Mk7, then you'll get the adaptive cruise which would be helpful!

[strath44]

Big_Dan said:

I do 150 mile round trip in my leased (petrol) VRS - on the M1 and M25 and I easily achieve 40 mpg in stop start traffic and 45+ mpg if it's clear

I wish I'd spent the extra £20 a month on DSG when it is snarled up, but it's comfortable and has everything you need

Is it worth stepping out to a 6k car rather than paying the excess mileage?

If that's frequently the cost of that must be adding up in fuel and excess mileage?

OP I would go with the consensus which is Tdi Golf or similar you won't go wrong, I do heavy miles and have always had manuals now starting to with I had an auto of some form!

Anything Audi / Vw / Skoda will eat up motorway miles with very few problems!

Barely run in -

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

yeah its £500 over budget but OP your actual budget was probably £5.5k in the first place if you work the way I do!

Edited by strath44 on Thursday 28th February 11:11

[strath44]

If you are tire kicking here's a good example of what to look out for -

passenger side rear door colour is at least a shade darker than the front door, the sill looks likes its had a fair bit of work and the rear quarter panel looks inset from the door, pretty rough stuff!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[PixelpeepS3]

we have a 140 mile round trip commute, bought a 1.5 turbo diesel civic - £20 a year to tax, remaps to 165bhp, returns 70mpg if you're careful.

[DailyHack]

PixelpeepS3 said:

we have a 140 mile round trip commute, bought a 1.5 turbo diesel civic - £20 a year to tax, remaps to 165bhp, returns 70mpg if you're careful.

Pretty impressive tbh

[Ursicles]

My lease is 8k per annum ... if i get this role, ill be doing 3k a month! The extra in mileage and petrol would soon add up. Going to see if its possible to sell the lease onto someone else as was one of those cheap £226 a month deals.

Am half tempted to add another £1500 to the budget and go get a 2009 E Class 220/250.

[mickymellon1]

old Honda ST1100 / old BMW tourer

100 miles can take hours and hours if sat in traffic / if you want to get home to see family etc

I did 200 miles (London - Southampton - London) every day first in a selection of cars then a R1 - motorbike was always my preference unless there was chance of ice or snow

[RobM83]

Ursicles said:

My lease is 8k per annum ... if i get this role, ill be doing 3k a month! The extra in mileage and petrol would soon add up. Going to see if its possible to sell the lease onto someone else as was one of those cheap £226 a month deals.

Am half tempted to add another £1500 to the budget and go get a 2009 E Class 220/250.

The Merc will be a lovely drive, but with your mileage it may need two services some years and wear-and-tear maintenance will start to rack up. That's going to be more expensive than any Golf you'll find.

I think the Golf is a great shout, but I'd throw a Focus into the mix as well. It won't be as nicely built as the Golf, but value for money may increase.

[ElectricSoup]

Lexus GS300h.

[Jimi.K.]

ElectricSoup said:

Lexus GS300h.

For £6k?

[aaron_2000]

320d. Tried and tested. Might as well get one that's lived on the motorway all it's life

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[aaron_2000]

Or this would probably fit the bill

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[ElectricSoup]

Jimi.K. said:

ElectricSoup said:

Lexus GS300h.

For £6k?

OK, I meant the older 450h, and OP now says £7.5k might be available.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

CT200h maybe too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Edited by ElectricSoup on Thursday 28th February 15:41

[HenryHippo]

ElectricSoup said:

OK, I meant the older 450h, and OP now says £7.5k might be available.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Bank on mid 30s MPG on the motorway at 70 mph in this..

[MaxSo]

I'd definitely be looking for something with adaptive cruise control if it were me. I think an Octavia like this should have it.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or a Passat:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[quinny100]

I've done a few thousand miles in the last couple of months in a 2015 Volvo S60 D4 that's ended up as a company pool car.

180BHP and a genuine 60MPG on a motorway run not trying. Even on a high speed run from London to the North West it did 57MPG.

Better than that is the thing is incredibly quiet - even compared to my daily drive which is Merc C350e PHEV, and the seats are fantastic and I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but it's a very pleasant thing to cover a few hundred miles in.

It needs to be a 64 plate or newer D4 to get the Volvo engine - the older D4 had the Ford 160BHP engine which is not as economical.

Only negative is the Sat Nav input is fiddly, but I'm sure its better once you're used to it. The nav instructions and dynamic routing work well.

You can pick these up for £6k, but it'll be high mileage.

I'm in a similar position, currently flapping between a £10k ish S60, £25k current gen E-Class, or leasing an Octavia 1.0 SE Tech DSG with a 3p excess mileage charge.

Edited by quinny100 on Thursday 28th February 16:25

[flatso]

Slightly used last built year of the Citroen C5 with exclusive trim (including double glased windows, massage seats, hydropneumatic suspension etc, etc, etc)
Nothing mentioned will come anywhere close to the level of comfort of this. Wellness on wheels! And it will not break the budget.