Go with head or heart? Advice on long distance commuter
Discussion
So I have a 130-mile commute one-way which I'll have to do twice a week (total of 260 miles a week). Budget sub £25k but probably PCP with £1k down. My heart is saying get a car I'll be proud to drive and enjoy, current fave is an MX-5 RF but concerned about reports of excessive road/ cabin noise. My head is saying get a Hyundai i30 or some kind of bulletproof engined commuter. Also interested in the MX3 or (forthcoming? Not sure) CX30.
I hope this kind of query is permitted here. Looking for serious responses please because I came here to bow to your expertise and knowledge. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I hope this kind of query is permitted here. Looking for serious responses please because I came here to bow to your expertise and knowledge. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Edited by maxev on Thursday 27th June 20:25
If the commute is mostly motorways I fail to understand how an interesting car ruled by your heart will make driving any less tedious. An open sports car on busy roads is no fun, a stylish coupe or something some think has style or image may look nice but your IN the car not outside it. ( Most reports of the pseudo Targa MX-5 moan about noise)
Your head says you need comfort, practical appointments such as a/c & cruise control + economy but your heart or ego says otherwise.
Maybe buy what is merely an appliance to undertake what is merely a chore. Either buy something else for fun or forget that driving is fun anyway & find a hobby to distract you from cars & driving.
However IF your commute is via interesting varied roads likely to have minimal congestion then yes life IS too short for something boring.
Your head says you need comfort, practical appointments such as a/c & cruise control + economy but your heart or ego says otherwise.
Maybe buy what is merely an appliance to undertake what is merely a chore. Either buy something else for fun or forget that driving is fun anyway & find a hobby to distract you from cars & driving.
However IF your commute is via interesting varied roads likely to have minimal congestion then yes life IS too short for something boring.
Vaud said:
Take this the right way, that's not long distance. That's 12k a year.
Any requirements from your company on the age of car?
If not, then for that mileage, why not get a barge (730d etc) or a something swift (370z), etc at the 10-15k mark? Why 25k?
You're right, of course, it's not a lot of miles over a year, just a fairly long commute. No requirements from the company. Thanks! Any requirements from your company on the age of car?
If not, then for that mileage, why not get a barge (730d etc) or a something swift (370z), etc at the 10-15k mark? Why 25k?
WJNB said:
If the commute is mostly motorways I fail to understand how an interesting car ruled by your heart will make driving any less tedious. An open sports car on busy roads is no fun, a stylish coupe or something some think has style or image may look nice but your IN the car not outside it. ( Most reports of the pseudo Targa MX-5 moan about noise)
Your head says you need comfort, practical appointments such as a/c & cruise control + economy but your heart or ego says otherwise.
Maybe buy what is merely an appliance to undertake what is merely a chore. Either buy something else for fun or forget that driving is fun anyway & find at\ hobby to distract you from cars & driving.
However IF your commute is via interesting varied roads likely to have minimal congestion then yes life IS too short for something boring.
Thanks. I didn't really give you enough context I think, but appreciate your thoughts. I'm a biker really, so there's very little on four wheels that would be a great substitute for me. But can't argue with the winters, icy and slippery winter roads, etc, so a car it is. The 130 miles is about 80 miles A/M roads and the rest over national park roads, which becomes a lot more fun, so hard to generalise there. Your head says you need comfort, practical appointments such as a/c & cruise control + economy but your heart or ego says otherwise.
Maybe buy what is merely an appliance to undertake what is merely a chore. Either buy something else for fun or forget that driving is fun anyway & find at\ hobby to distract you from cars & driving.
However IF your commute is via interesting varied roads likely to have minimal congestion then yes life IS too short for something boring.
Johnnytheboy said:
So something comfortable is the key here, as even though it's not a huge mileage it's a small number of long journeys.
Yes, you've understood perfectly, exactly my point. I spend most of my time/money on motorcycles, so want something comfy, economical but also fun....if there's such a thing! I’d buy a cheap Volvo D5 auto for your boring motorway commute something low £££Sub £2k) and buy something impractical and fun for the rest of the time.
Can you claim your mileage back? If you get 50p per mile then you have paid for the cheap barge after the first 6 months - my last D5 Volvo I took it from 155k to 165k in 18 months and all it needed was an oil change and 2 mots (some ball joints and a lower arm -£180). Bought it for £800 and sold it 2 years later for £900.
Spend the big money on something that will hold its value and put a grin on your face each time you drive it.
Can you claim your mileage back? If you get 50p per mile then you have paid for the cheap barge after the first 6 months - my last D5 Volvo I took it from 155k to 165k in 18 months and all it needed was an oil change and 2 mots (some ball joints and a lower arm -£180). Bought it for £800 and sold it 2 years later for £900.
Spend the big money on something that will hold its value and put a grin on your face each time you drive it.
OP, I get that’s it’s about 12k a year commuting but I presume you will use the car on evenings and weekends, I’m going to assume that it’s 15k per annum net.
I agree with others in that a long commute on busy roads won’t be fun in a sports car. If you want something nice/to be proud of, a bmw/merc diesel saloon with an auto box will be a nice drive, a quality product and doing 130 each way will give you fabulous mpg
I agree with others in that a long commute on busy roads won’t be fun in a sports car. If you want something nice/to be proud of, a bmw/merc diesel saloon with an auto box will be a nice drive, a quality product and doing 130 each way will give you fabulous mpg
maxev said:
Thanks. I didn't really give you enough context I think, but appreciate your thoughts. I'm a biker really, so there's very little on four wheels that would be a great substitute for me. But can't argue with the winters, icy and slippery winter roads, etc, so a car it is. The 130 miles is about 80 miles A/M roads and the rest over national park roads, which becomes a lot more fun, so hard to generalise there.
Mx5 would suit this perfectly I think & the little bit of cabin noise it makes won’t be anywhere near as noisy as a bike! In fairness it’s only around 1hr on the motorway!Deffo barge. Comfort auto for commuting although 12k is nothing (but a pain every day.)
Maybe a used Audi A6 diesel or similar? Dull but massively preferable to a used Hynundai or Vauxhall...
You’ll want to minimise road noise in my view, fun cars can be wearing used as dailies and I never found an Mx5 had much power.
Maybe a used Audi A6 diesel or similar? Dull but massively preferable to a used Hynundai or Vauxhall...
You’ll want to minimise road noise in my view, fun cars can be wearing used as dailies and I never found an Mx5 had much power.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 27th June 21:12
I do that , or slightly more in a 54 Mazda 6.
It handles the journey easily, as they are the Mazda equivalent to a Mondeo, but it's dull as dishwater and due to be changed soon for either a Legacy diesel Estate (cheap, a bit of punch at 150 BHP, reliability and good in the Winter with the AWD and a set of decent boots and full heated leather on the SE) or a BMW 320 diesel estate as the mileage is due to increase.
While the 6 is a comfy car and slightly wafty on a long journey, the 1.8 petrol is getting a bit tired now, plus I could do with the extra space the legacy offers. I have heard good reports about the reliability of them, and am a bit of a Subaru fanboy as I also run an Impreza.
It handles the journey easily, as they are the Mazda equivalent to a Mondeo, but it's dull as dishwater and due to be changed soon for either a Legacy diesel Estate (cheap, a bit of punch at 150 BHP, reliability and good in the Winter with the AWD and a set of decent boots and full heated leather on the SE) or a BMW 320 diesel estate as the mileage is due to increase.
While the 6 is a comfy car and slightly wafty on a long journey, the 1.8 petrol is getting a bit tired now, plus I could do with the extra space the legacy offers. I have heard good reports about the reliability of them, and am a bit of a Subaru fanboy as I also run an Impreza.
Dr Jekyll said:
TheAngryDog said:
I used to so a 400 mile each way every 4 days commute in an E39 M5. I then used it as my car for visiting clients. I did 12k in 3 months. Life is too short to drive dull cars.
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