20k Budget - 25k miles a year

[AB564]

Hello,

I am leaving the company car scheme in the next few months. Do a mix of urban/motorway driving at roughly 25k miles a year and unable to use public transport. Budget is 20k and the car will need to last 5 years.

Essentials:
- Estate
- Diesel
- Adaptive cruise
- Auto
- CarPlay
- Comfy seats
- 50mpg +
- Reasonable running costs

Initial thoughts are a Volvo V90 D4 and a Mk7.5 Golf GTD.

Any other suggestions or advice?

[Matt_T]

Mazda 6?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19454510

[AyBee]

Skoda Superb.

[CMTMB]

Superb or a Passat would probably be my choice.

[Stick Legs]

As a couple we had a horrible couple of years doing 60k a year between us.

I had a BMW F10 530d and she had a BMW F31 320d.

Consensus was that the 530d was the better car. Not much worse on fuel but so much more relaxing a place to be.

You could but the best F10 BMW 530d in the world for your budget and have some money left over.

If I had to go back to 25-30k a year that is what I would buy without hesitation.

Mega low mileage for this kind of car, Pre stop/start, SE spec, nice colours. This is what I would buy.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18639808

Or - 535d, huge spec with HK sound system and another great colour combination.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19731006

Edited by Stick Legs on Tuesday 10th February 12:12

Edited by Stick Legs on Tuesday 10th February 12:17

[Stick Legs]

^^ I missed 50mpg. Does all the other things so well though. I'd also add that the running costs were minimal outside of the BMW main dealer group.
If you have a good local BMW specialist I'd seriously consider one.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

BMW 320d M Sport Touring (not sure if it has Carplay or if it can be added):
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511268...

Skoda Superb (they are like a Tardis inside):
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510097...


Mercedes C220d (Carplay?):
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601149...

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Stick Legs said:

^^ I missed 50mpg. Does all the other things so well though. I'd also add that the running costs were minimal outside of the BMW main dealer group.
If you have a good local BMW specialist I'd seriously consider one.

Neither are estates (as requested)?

[covmutley]

Not diesel, but add corollla estate to the list? Should hit other requirements.

Although I'd probably go V90, superb or 530d

[blue_haddock]

covmutley said:

Not diesel, but add corollla estate to the list? Should hit other requirements.

Although I'd probably go V90, superb or 530d

Yep the first thought i had was the corolla estate hybrid

[Stick Legs]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Stick Legs said:

^^ I missed 50mpg. Does all the other things so well though. I'd also add that the running costs were minimal outside of the BMW main dealer group.
If you have a good local BMW specialist I'd seriously consider one.

Neither are estates (as requested)?

Estates are available.

[AB564]

Thanks for the suggestions so far, adaptive cruise is absolutely essential as I’ve been spoiled with it in the mk8 golf I’ve been driving.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Stick Legs said:

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Stick Legs said:

^^ I missed 50mpg. Does all the other things so well though. I'd also add that the running costs were minimal outside of the BMW main dealer group.
If you have a good local BMW specialist I'd seriously consider one.

Neither are estates (as requested)?

Estates are available.

Then find some.

I can only find two 530d estates in the PH classifieds under 20K and they have done 65,000 miles and 147,000 miles respectively. Given that the OP is planning to do another 125,000 miles over the next five years I'd want to start with something with a much lower mileage. The same 65,000 mile car is also on Autotrader, after that the next lowest is 78,000miles

[TryingHard]

Just went through a very similar purchase. Albeit slightly less miles but similar budget and requirements. Main thing for me was comfort and also some nice options.


After lots of research I got down to 2 options:

Volvo V90 D5 (no real reason to get a D4 and you get AWD with a D5) - but need the B&W system as whilst the standard stereo is quite good its not amazing. I was looking for the Inscription or Inscription Plus/Pro models with 360 cameras etc. If you get a Pro model you tend to get ventilated and massaging seats as well (although not sure how good they are).

Mercedes E-Class Premium Plus - with driving assistance plus package. The package is rare as rocking horse poo but managed to find one so snapped it up. Premium Plus so Burmester sound, pan roof etc.

The Mercedes do have well reported issues with the Ad-Blue system which can be expensive whereas the Volvo, apart from the PowerPulse pipe which is reasonably cheap, didn't pose any major red flags.

Skoda Superb is a good shout though as often highly specced. Or what about the Vignale Mondeo?

I like BMW's but I found them quite stingy on options and radar cruise in particular was impossible to find.

[Stick Legs]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Stick Legs said:

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Stick Legs said:

^^ I missed 50mpg. Does all the other things so well though. I'd also add that the running costs were minimal outside of the BMW main dealer group.
If you have a good local BMW specialist I'd seriously consider one.

Neither are estates (as requested)?

Estates are available.

Then find some.

I can only find two 530d estates in the PH classifieds under 20K and they have done 65,000 miles and 147,000 miles respectively. Given that the OP is planning to do another 125,000 miles over the next five years I'd want to start with something with a much lower mileage. The same 65,000 mile car is also on Autotrader, after that the next lowest is 78,000miles

Seriously are you always this aggressive?

tt.

[Crumpet]

Would an EV not work? We’ve got an iX3 with all the adaptive cruise and tech that you’d ever need and it’s a very comfortable and quiet car, even compared to the big Land Rover products we’ve had before.

Rather than £200 a month in diesel it’s £20 of electric, the only big issues being a realistic range of 200 miles. They’re available for £20k and for a daily use car I don’t think we’d ever go back to ICE. Of course if you need regular long range or can’t charge at home then they’re in chocolate teapot territory……

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Skoda Octavia?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511077...

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Stick Legs said:

Seriously are you always this aggressive?

tt.

I wasn't meaning to be aggressive, apologies if you read it that way. Is it possible to find a 530d estate for that budget, genuinely interested.

[OutInTheShed]

Spending £20k is an expensive way to set yourself up to be driving a high mileage shed in 4 years time.
How much of that adaptive technocrp will be working after 3 years or so?

If driving cars with >100k miles is acceptable, consider buying something with say 40k on it and running it for 3 years or so?

At 25k miles a year, the fuel savings from an EV are much more real than they are for Mr Average doing 7 k a year.

A total of 125k miles over 5 years, I would consider there's a case for splitting that over two cars (or more) either in series or parallel so to speak.

[AB564]

EVs are out due to range and charging issues; appreciate they are more cost effective though.

The comment on splitting the mileage over two cars is a sensible suggestion.

Skoda octavia and Mazda 6 looks dreary.

Finding adaptive cruise on a BMW, Audi, and Mercedes seems hard work and a bit of a minefield.