Time to sell the V6 and buy a diesel?
Discussion
My workplace has just moved, and now I have a 70 mile return commute which is costing me £80 a week or £3220 a year, plus any other driving. This annoys me, because its really just dead money.
110k miles X-type 3.0 petrol worth £2.5k, it does 27mpg, VED £245 and costs £900 to insure.
Rather than buy an old banger, I'd like a newish economical car that holds most of its value, so how about:
Fiesta Econetic, £8k, it would save me £2000 a year in fuel, £245 a year in road tax and £300 insurance.
I know the outlay is a lot, but I dont think it'll depreciate too badly?
As said, dont really want to buy an old 130k Mondeo diesel for £1500, just asking for trouble and I want something new.
110k miles X-type 3.0 petrol worth £2.5k, it does 27mpg, VED £245 and costs £900 to insure.
Rather than buy an old banger, I'd like a newish economical car that holds most of its value, so how about:
Fiesta Econetic, £8k, it would save me £2000 a year in fuel, £245 a year in road tax and £300 insurance.
I know the outlay is a lot, but I dont think it'll depreciate too badly?
As said, dont really want to buy an old 130k Mondeo diesel for £1500, just asking for trouble and I want something new.
Well I dont want another X-type because ive had one for years, plus neither of those cars can offer the savings comparable to the Fiesta. In my experience saloon diesels arent that much more economical than the petrol counterparts which is why I've always had the petrol, however I can make a massive long term saving by downsizing to a small diesel (i.e. no tax, cheaper insurance, triple the MPG).
Trevor McDonald said:
My workplace has just moved, and now I have a 70 mile return commute which is costing me £80 a week or £3220 a year, plus any other driving. This annoys me, because its really just dead money.
110k miles X-type 3.0 petrol worth £2.5k, it does 27mpg, VED £245 and costs £900 to insure.
Rather than buy an old banger, I'd like a newish economical car that holds most of its value, so how about:
Fiesta Econetic, £8k, it would save me £2000 a year in fuel, £245 a year in road tax and £300 insurance.
I know the outlay is a lot, but I dont think it'll depreciate too badly?
As said, dont really want to buy an old 130k Mondeo diesel for £1500, just asking for trouble and I want something new.
you save £2545 per year NET which is good money as you have to earn say 4k ish to earn around £2500 after tax.110k miles X-type 3.0 petrol worth £2.5k, it does 27mpg, VED £245 and costs £900 to insure.
Rather than buy an old banger, I'd like a newish economical car that holds most of its value, so how about:
Fiesta Econetic, £8k, it would save me £2000 a year in fuel, £245 a year in road tax and £300 insurance.
I know the outlay is a lot, but I dont think it'll depreciate too badly?
As said, dont really want to buy an old 130k Mondeo diesel for £1500, just asking for trouble and I want something new.
Further to this your servicing is going to be cheaper and so are your consumables such as tyres and the car is likely not to need discs and pads etc too so with all the bits and bats you may even be £3,000 per year net better off.
Therefore if you have the car for over 3 years you have virtually paid for it from the savings and a high mpg fiesta is also going to be worth a bit in a few years whereas the jag would have to go for scrap
the fiat 500 twinair isn't bad and is quite quick but think it will be a bit expensive for you.
what you have said is a good suggestion if you can live with the blandness and lack of power but yeah the savings are worth considering.
champ54321 said:
The fiesta will be worth nothing in a few years time.
I would rather spend less money on a diesel saloon which can still get between 50-60 mpg on the motorway.
i doubt it will be worth nothing - a well cared for fiesta on an X plate can still be £1500.I would rather spend less money on a diesel saloon which can still get between 50-60 mpg on the motorway.
more and more people are shifting to high mpg cars which is why stuff like x types are so cheap because no one wants them.
polo bluemotion is another option.
jonah35 said:
you save £2545 per year NET which is good money as you have to earn say 4k ish to earn around £2500 after tax.
Further to this your servicing is going to be cheaper and so are your consumables such as tyres and the car is likely not to need discs and pads etc too so with all the bits and bats you may even be £3,000 per year net better off.
Therefore if you have the car for over 3 years you have virtually paid for it from the savings and a high mpg fiesta is also going to be worth a bit in a few years whereas the jag would have to go for scrap
the fiat 500 twinair isn't bad and is quite quick but think it will be a bit expensive for you.
what you have said is a good suggestion if you can live with the blandness and lack of power but yeah the savings are worth considering.
This is exactly my thinking. My jag is worth buttons, and nature dictates it'll need a new clutch and probably new suspension soon, its had a hard life. Further to this your servicing is going to be cheaper and so are your consumables such as tyres and the car is likely not to need discs and pads etc too so with all the bits and bats you may even be £3,000 per year net better off.
Therefore if you have the car for over 3 years you have virtually paid for it from the savings and a high mpg fiesta is also going to be worth a bit in a few years whereas the jag would have to go for scrap
the fiat 500 twinair isn't bad and is quite quick but think it will be a bit expensive for you.
what you have said is a good suggestion if you can live with the blandness and lack of power but yeah the savings are worth considering.
Fiestas have brilliant residules, look at the price of a 5 year old Fiesta compared to a 5 year old Jaguar or Mondeo etc.
I think £3k a year saving is realistic, by which time the £8k fiesta will still be worth £4k or so in 3 years time.
70k mile diesel vectra, £2k, 45-50mpg, 4-5 years old, loads of toys if you get the right one, ALOT cheaper than a astra with similar age miles for some reason ?
Loads about and very reliable ( currently driving a petrol version and getting 45mpg + out of it driving like miss daisy, 90 lepton down to the south of france fully load saw 37 mpg over 700 miles ( and that the 1.8 petrol ).
Loads about and very reliable ( currently driving a petrol version and getting 45mpg + out of it driving like miss daisy, 90 lepton down to the south of france fully load saw 37 mpg over 700 miles ( and that the 1.8 petrol ).
We have 2 ten year old fiestas in the family, my sisters and mothers. They are virtually worthless and require constant expenditure.
Why? Because they are small cars with small components that invariably don't stand up to hard commuting as well as a big car.
I'd say a similar aged/mileage Jag would be in much better condition all round.
Its your money, but I think you're crazy to spend £8k on a Fiesta, the depreciation will kill any savings you make in fuel IMO.
Why? Because they are small cars with small components that invariably don't stand up to hard commuting as well as a big car.
I'd say a similar aged/mileage Jag would be in much better condition all round.
Its your money, but I think you're crazy to spend £8k on a Fiesta, the depreciation will kill any savings you make in fuel IMO.
This will give you 45-50mpg on a run, will have a bit of grunt and a nice place to sit.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2394334.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2394334.htm
Having done the small car to commute reasonable miles trick, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, due to comfort and noise levels. Having said that, you're only doing 35 miles each way which isn't that much.
My priorities changed from minimal cost (which wasn't all that minimal when the maintenance requirements of hacking a small car all around the country were taken into account), to comfort and quietness. The difference in driver fatigue levels after a long drive in a small car compared to something big and comfy are not to be sniffed at.
By way of example, my car was off the road for a few days a couple of weeks ago, and so I hired an Astra to get me around. The difference between that and my Volvo was incredible, I felt dreadful for the entire week (and 800 miles) that I had it.
However, since you're only doing relatively short stints, it probably won't affect you quite so much. If I were you though, I'd try one on an extended test (or hire) before committing to buying.
My priorities changed from minimal cost (which wasn't all that minimal when the maintenance requirements of hacking a small car all around the country were taken into account), to comfort and quietness. The difference in driver fatigue levels after a long drive in a small car compared to something big and comfy are not to be sniffed at.
By way of example, my car was off the road for a few days a couple of weeks ago, and so I hired an Astra to get me around. The difference between that and my Volvo was incredible, I felt dreadful for the entire week (and 800 miles) that I had it.
However, since you're only doing relatively short stints, it probably won't affect you quite so much. If I were you though, I'd try one on an extended test (or hire) before committing to buying.
fiesta will depreciated massively, and doesnt exactly feel exciting or even interesting. either run the jag and just accept you own a cheap car and a downside is high running costs or sell get it, get something reliable and economical like a 03ish passat and buy something interesting alongside
Have just done something similar to this myself and would like to point out a few things if I may....
The general idea you have got is a good one however:
1) My experience of Fiestas is, much like one person has pointed out, a more expensive proposition that it at first appears. Primarily this is because the fiesta is built to a smaller budget than some of the other Ford Models and the components do have a habit of failing a fair bit. Could just be that I've been unlucky but I doubt it
2) doing 70 miles a day in a fiesta which is quite a small car will soon become a bit of a grind and you'd probably have preferred to have been in something bigger in hindsight
What I have just done and have been very pleased with is to go for the Ford Focus instead. In the end, I bought a 2006 plate 1.6 diesel with 70k on the clock for £4k. Personally I think that's good value considering the MPG figure it is capable of and the fact that it can't loose much of that value in the next 3 years (say £2k max).
The car is a bit bigger, rides very nicely on the motorway and is all round a nice car for general motorway duties.
Tax is £90 a year which I admit is more than the fiesta you are referring to, but apart from that I can't see the total cost of ownership being that much worse, if any, over the fiesta.
Just food for thought really so I hope it helps.
The general idea you have got is a good one however:
1) My experience of Fiestas is, much like one person has pointed out, a more expensive proposition that it at first appears. Primarily this is because the fiesta is built to a smaller budget than some of the other Ford Models and the components do have a habit of failing a fair bit. Could just be that I've been unlucky but I doubt it
2) doing 70 miles a day in a fiesta which is quite a small car will soon become a bit of a grind and you'd probably have preferred to have been in something bigger in hindsight
What I have just done and have been very pleased with is to go for the Ford Focus instead. In the end, I bought a 2006 plate 1.6 diesel with 70k on the clock for £4k. Personally I think that's good value considering the MPG figure it is capable of and the fact that it can't loose much of that value in the next 3 years (say £2k max).
The car is a bit bigger, rides very nicely on the motorway and is all round a nice car for general motorway duties.
Tax is £90 a year which I admit is more than the fiesta you are referring to, but apart from that I can't see the total cost of ownership being that much worse, if any, over the fiesta.
Just food for thought really so I hope it helps.
sjc said:
This will give you 45-50mpg on a run, will have a bit of grunt and a nice place to sit.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2394334.htm
Wife has one. (Has reverse sensors http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2394334.htm
![smile](/inc/images/smile.gif)
Awesomly comfortable (owners compare the ride to S Class Mercs), superb economy and handle really well. They are really solidly built and the engine is bullet proof, BMW running gear! Can be tweeked for extra torque (will pull a supertanker with Diesel Rons Modifications)
Watch out for the clutch/dual mass flywheel/master/slave cylinders, looking at about a grand to replace them all but once they're done a vastly underated car.
I use Millers XFD oil every 6000 miles and throw in some Eco Power into the fuel system to look after the pump/injectors.
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