W210 E220CDI vs Corolla D4D vs Saab 9-5 2.2TiD vs MR2 etc.
Discussion
A house move in a few weeks means my commuting mileage will jump from 10k pa to 25k pa. Journey will be 20 mins on single carriage A road; then 45 mins on dual carriageway; then 10 mins through town. My lovely MR2 Roadster (2000W on 110k) is not exactly ideal - need something a bit more comfy and solid in case an HGV doesn't notice me, and besides the miles would render it worthless in a couple of years. It's at that age where it wants tucking up in the garage every night with a Horlicks. Me too actually...
What I need:
At least 40mpg; reliable; comfy seats; safe; family sized; no more than £3-4k
What would be nice:
50mpg; cruise control; auto; decent estate/hatch for bike carrying duties; vaguely interesting; never ever going wrong...
My options range from sensible: 04 Corolla D4D; Avensis D4D; to err.. still pretty sensible: 06 Civic petrol/diesel; to still quite sensible but potentially a bit more interesting: 00-03 W210 E220CDI estate with 7 seats (very specific I know, but the earlier E suffers from rust, and the later W211 E suffers from electrical gremlins) or 04 C220 CDI estate.
I've worked out likely costs (fuel, road tax, likely repairs etc.) and the Corolla sits at the top (cheapest) and the E class at the bottom, but I still quite fancy one... this is PH after all!
Anyway, thought I'd throw it open to you lot. I think I've explored all the options, but hey, it's a good excuse for a long and winding discussion. And no, I can't afford an M135i
What I need:
At least 40mpg; reliable; comfy seats; safe; family sized; no more than £3-4k
What would be nice:
50mpg; cruise control; auto; decent estate/hatch for bike carrying duties; vaguely interesting; never ever going wrong...
My options range from sensible: 04 Corolla D4D; Avensis D4D; to err.. still pretty sensible: 06 Civic petrol/diesel; to still quite sensible but potentially a bit more interesting: 00-03 W210 E220CDI estate with 7 seats (very specific I know, but the earlier E suffers from rust, and the later W211 E suffers from electrical gremlins) or 04 C220 CDI estate.
I've worked out likely costs (fuel, road tax, likely repairs etc.) and the Corolla sits at the top (cheapest) and the E class at the bottom, but I still quite fancy one... this is PH after all!
Anyway, thought I'd throw it open to you lot. I think I've explored all the options, but hey, it's a good excuse for a long and winding discussion. And no, I can't afford an M135i
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