Motorway cruiser, sub £10k, estate pref.

[Mully1906]

As per the title really…

I’ve recently started a new job and will be looking to get a new car in the (hopefully) not-to-distant future.

Requirements are:
- Sub £10k
- Auto only
- Estate preferred (to get my bike in the back - no saloons!)
- Diesel or petrol?

My commute is 60 miles a day, not sure if petrol or diesel would be better long-term. 40+ MPG would be nice.

Any suggestions?

[AddyT.]

Depends on how big the estate needs to be but I would probably be looking at an E Class or Audi A6.

[Vsix and Vtec]

Ford Mondeo Estate, thats strong enough money to buy really good examples, and you get A LOT of car for your money. Especially if you pick out the Vignale trim, id go fir the biggest engine you can get as the smaller engines are less long lived, so a 2.0 TDCi or 2.0 petrol etc.

[ZX10R NIN]

Pick a car with a conventional auto

Insignia in either Elite Nav/SRI VX line Nav spec:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511278...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409164...

508 GT:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511187...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601229...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601219...

E250:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511097...

220d:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601209...

CLS250d:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202512048...

2.2d XF:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601179...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312124...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601179...

[nobrakes]

^. That 220d Eclass will be a nice place to sit in all weathers, too.

Comfy, frugal.

Well proven.

Relatively cheap to maintain.

Will hold its value and look the part for many years.

[scot_aln]

nobrakes said:

^. That 220d Eclass will be a nice place to sit in all weathers, too.

Comfy, frugal.

Well proven.

Relatively cheap to maintain.

Will hold its value and look the part for many years.

But being Euro5 will be costly to take into more and more cities. Of course if there is no need to do so then that matters little. Well depending on your environmental view.

[Skodillac]

My petrol Skoda Superb 1.5TSI DSG Auto can be coaxed to do 60mpg on the motorway at an indicated 65-68mph, but I usually settle for 50-52 at an indicated 70. I expect the older 1.4 is similarly frugal and could well be in budget for you. Lovely comfy quiet spacious relaxing place to be on a motorway.

[Mully1906]

The Merc's really take my fancy at the moment. I hadn't thought about a Jaaaaag - maybe this needs to be considered.

I'd need to do a bit of research on the Merc's - I'm not too familiar with engine, spec and trim options.

I would quite like an F-series 330d or 530d but they seem to be quite leggy with this budget.

[ZX10R NIN]

The 2.2d XF is a well proven drivetrain & a very nice place to be.

[carinaman]

ZX10R NIN - Thanks for all your suggestions and knowledge.

[TrevorHill]

ZX10R NIN said:

The 2.2d XF is a well proven drivetrain & a very nice place to be.

As is the 3.0D. £10k might just get you into an X260 Sportbrake.

[otolith]

Mully1906 said:

I would quite like an F-series 330d or 530d but they seem to be quite leggy with this budget.

If you're looking at the F series estate, also consider the F34 (the Gran Turismo body shape). It's a 3 series with a hatchback and a longer wheelbase. More luggage space than the estate, and more rear legroom too.

[ZX10R NIN]

carinaman said:

ZX10R NIN - Thanks for all your suggestions and knowledge.

No problem that's what PH is for.

[AddyT.]

Mully1906 said:

The Merc's really take my fancy at the moment. I hadn't thought about a Jaaaaag - maybe this needs to be considered.

I'd need to do a bit of research on the Merc's - I'm not too familiar with engine, spec and trim options.

I would quite like an F-series 330d or 530d but they seem to be quite leggy with this budget.

Recommend Premium Plus for the E Class. You get pretty much everything on it including the excellent Burmester sound system and pan roof etc. Would advise leaning to one either from main dealer or that you can put an MB warranty on. I could have just been very unlucky of course but last summer I got an E220d coupe with 40k on the clock. Its not started since Boxing Day and is currently with an auto electrician and its looking like an ECU failure! Lovely, lovely cars to cruise down the motorway in. Would just recommend slapping an MB warranty on it if not from a main dealer. Think you can do this up to 10 years old / 100k miles. Wish I had in hindsight!

[AlmostUseful]

nobrakes said:

^. That 220d Eclass will be a nice place to sit in all weathers, too.

Comfy, frugal.

Well proven.

Relatively cheap to maintain.

Will hold its value and look the part for many years.

I bought a 2014 one of those in 2019 for £13k, sold it with 110k miles for £9.600 in 2021, they’ve held their money eh!
Lovely car, if my mileage had stayed as high I’d have kept it but I felt sorry for it only doing short school runs during the COVID years, stupidly replaced it with an ID3 that I wanted to set fire to after a short time.

Currently looking to get back into something similar, could do hours of driving effortlessly.