Cheap reliable comfy and frugal motorway hack

[mwahahaha]

Hi,

My work has changed and now I have a 60 mile round commute primarily on the motorway. I'm looking for something uber frugal, cheap and comfortable as well as reliable. Ideally want to stay away from DPFs and DMFs. I have a budget of £1500-£2000. Image not important at all as it's just a commuter for me.

On my shortlist currently are:-

1) Skoda Fabia 1.4 TDI
2) Yaris 1.4 D4D
3) Civic diesel
4) Kia Ceed/ Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel

Please feel free to recommend others but please bare in my running costs, simplicity and reliability are key. Anecdotal feedback in terms of MPG at motorway speeds in real world would also be hugely appreciated.

I also recognise that this is a very un-PH request, but needs must.

Thanks

[MrGTI6]

Civic 2.2 diesel.

[georgeyboy12345]

I'm not sure which manual diesels do and don't have DMFs, to be honest I thought pretty much all of them did these days. The most sure fire way to avoid one with a DMF is to buy one with a torque converter auto (not a dual clutch). I guess the best way to get one with no DPF is to go pre-2006. If you are putting loads of miles on it, I'd try and find as low a mileage as possible.


2001 Mercedes C220 CDI - very low mileage and looks genuine. OM611 engine should be very reliable.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108176...


2002 Peugeot 406 2.0 HDi estate
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106133...


Saab 9-3 1.9 TiD Vector Sportwagon - I had an Alfa 147 with the same engine and it was very reliable, it was just the rest of the car and drivetrain that fell apart around the engine! You shouldn't have that problem with the Saab.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108045...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Monday 23 August 21:54

[village24]

I have a polo 9n3 1.4tdi so similar to the fabia 1.4tdi

I wouldn't say its the most comfortable car for the motorway, I do two 120mile journeys everyweek on the m6. At 70mph it's sitting around 2800 it could genuinely do with longer gearing.

Obviously is cheap as chips to run, tax is £30 a year and parts are genuinely easy to come by and cheap. Only major issue I had was injectors with the bnm engine. I replaced all of mine for refurb units. But other than that I've not encountered much to go wrong.

I'm currently getting around 500-600 miles off the full tank. Mpg ranges from mid 50s to early 60s.

Long term I'm thinking to change to a 1.9pd engine instead just due to the lack of power and sometimes its needed on the motorway to get around trucks etc. Also has no cruise control which I think is a must for consistent motorway journeys.

As above the civic 2.2 is meant to be a good engine and as I say have a look at the 1.9pd engines. Tax is slightly more however the engines are robust and have been known to go past 200k easily.

[cologne2792]

georgeyboy12345 said:

I'm not sure which manual diesels do and don't have DMFs, to be honest I thought pretty much all of them did these days. The most sure fire way to avoid one with a DMF is to buy one with a torque converter auto (not a dual clutch). I guess the best way to get one with no DPF is to go pre-2006. If you are putting loads of miles on it, I'd try and find as low a mileage as possible.


2001 Mercedes C220 CDI - very low mileage and looks genuine. OM611 engine should be very reliable.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108176...


2002 Peugeot 406 2.0 HDi estate
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106133...


Saab 9-3 1.9 TiD Vector Sportwagon - I had an Alfa 147 with the same engine and it was very reliable, it was just the rest of the car and drivetrain that fell apart around the engine! You shouldn't have that problem with the Saab.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108045...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Monday 23 August 21:54

That's a cracking 406!

90 bhp versions don't have a DMF but 110 bhp versions do.
Neither has a DPF.

[Phil Dicky]

The Saab mentioned would be my choice and auto. First long motorway queue and you'll be thankful of an auto.

[mikeyr]

MrGTI6 said:

Civic 2.2 diesel.

Agree, from my experience it was bulletproof and utterly reliable. They don't do a auto version though if that's a must. Believe the clutch is only real weak point. There's one on autotrader with 231k on it so the engines can certainly last!

[MattyD803]

Based on 40mpg (petrol) compared to 50mpg (derv), as a real rough and ready guestimate, your probably looking at £40 month saving in fuel (based on 4 days a week commute), but IMO you might be chancing your arm with a high mile small derv engine, which may not necessarily be overly reliable and it might only take one large repair bill (even ignoring DPF, I'm thinking diesel specific parts like turbo, injectors etc) to wipe out all your "diesel" savings.

I'd personally be more inclined to go as simple as possible, probably Japanese manufacturer with a tried and tested simple petrol normally aspirated lump, say a 1.6 VVT-i Corolla, 1.5 Swift or dare I say it, even a 1.4 Jazz.....something which you'll like pick up as a one or two owner car, say 50-80k on the clock, FDSH....it'll be a little more refined and smoother to drive everyday, and to my mind, probably a touch more reliable.

Probably just personal opinion as I've sworn by petrol NA jap stuff for years, but something to consider....

[mwahahaha]

I'm open to petrol engines too as long as they are frugal on the motorway and not too noisy. Just think for motorway driving diesel would possibly be more appropriate with the lower down torque.

With the Saab/Alfa stuff appreciate the drivetrain will be relatively robust but will the remainder of the car be?

[Zumbruk]

mwahahaha said:

With the Saab/Alfa stuff appreciate the drivetrain will be relatively robust but will the remainder of the car be?

Alfa probably not, but SAABs are well known for doing huge mileages. I had a loaner once (a 9-5? I forget) with 265000 miles on it and although "well patinated", it was fine.

[ZX10R NIN]

mwahahaha said:

I'm open to petrol engines too as long as they are frugal on the motorway and not too noisy. Just think for motorway driving diesel would possibly be more appropriate with the lower down torque.

With the Saab/Alfa stuff appreciate the drivetrain will be relatively robust but will the remainder of the car be?

Here's the thing 1.4/1.6 tdi's (& small engined petrols) etc all generally have short gearing so they're buzzing when you're on the motorway speeds & actually end up being very close to 2.0d fuel economy in reality.

To give you an idea my OH's sister has a 70 mile round trip from Dartford to Enfield (so pretty much the worst the M25 has to offer) she does this commute in a 2009 remapped CLK320cdi with 121k on the clock which is averaging 47.4mpg tank to tank.

Before she got this she had a 1.5dci Renault Clio which averaged 49.3mpg tank to tank (if she'd gone for a mapped 220cdi she would be in the low 50's) she's also in a nicer more relaxed place too.

Something like a Mercedes C220cdi will see you in real world mid to high 40's a remap will see you into the 50's they don't have DMF's & are pretty much bulletproof BUT you need to see receipts for the gearbox filter & fluid being changed if there are no receipts then budget £250-300 to get this done.

C220cdi things like cruise control heated seats etc also make the journey more relaxing.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108206...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107235...

Low mileage Elegance SE this one has already had the stereo changed for a more modern one.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108035...

You can change the stereo for something more up to date with modern connectivity for sensible money.

Low mileage CLK 220cdi Sport the Orthopedic & Heated seats make this the pick for me, but I'm bias as I've owned a lot of CLK's.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108156...

220cdi Avantgarde:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108035...

[mwahahaha]

Hmm certainly food for thought. I'm now discounting Fabia sized cars as what has been stated does make sense, as I'd envisage I'd want to run the commuter for 3 years/to the ground. As things stand I'm replacing them with Jetta/Octavia- non DPF only, Merc 220 of whatever variety. So new list as follows:-

1) Jetta/Octavia
2) Merc 220 diesel
3) Civic diesel
4) Ceed/ i30

Which would be the best overall package in terms of durability/reliability and fuel consumption?

P.S- also had a look at S60 D5 but pre DPF seem very difficult to find with sensible mileage.

[ZX10R NIN]

It would be Mercedes at the top of the list:

CLC

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107245...

C Coupe

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107175...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108126...

C Class

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107235...

Followed by the Civic:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108065...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107084...

With the Astra 2.0d SRI 160 in third

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107165...

2.0tdi Jetta over the Octavia everytime:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108116...

[mwahahaha]

ZX10R NIN Your input is greatly appreciated. Why would you prefer a Jetta over an Octavia? I was under the impression it was just a case of badge engineering as platform would be pretty much the same underneath? Thanks

[AJB88]

I had an 07 Ibiza 1.4 TDI, manual, these have DMF. I had it stage 1 tuned approx 100bhp, it went well but wasn't brilliant on the motorway. But, it was very very good on fuel.

Only realised this when I got my next car which was a 58 Leon FR 2.0TDI.

[ZX10R NIN]

mwahahaha said:

ZX10R NIN Your input is greatly appreciated. Why would you prefer a Jetta over an Octavia? I was under the impression it was just a case of badge engineering as platform would be pretty much the same underneath? Thanks

The Jetta will be quieter & a little nicer all round but you will get a lower mileage L&K Octavia for the same money:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108096...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107064...

Mechanically there's no reason to pick one over the other.

[Thebaggers]

I have had a few octavia diesels, great cars. Those L&Ks are good value.

I also really enjoyed my 2003 a6 estate 1.9PD. Superbly comfortable and 47mpg all day long, traded it in at 198k, was running perfectly after 2 years of heavy motorway commuting and a DIY remap to 170bhp from 130.

The VAG 1.9 PD units are very good you may find many up to 2008 are non DPF. The 2.0 CR is smoother but no more economical and all are DPF.

[fflump]

Why spew soot into the atmosphere in a DPF-free diesel when the nature of your commute ensures a regular burn-off?

[ZX10R NIN]

fflump said:

Why spew soot into the atmosphere in a DPF-free diesel when the nature of your commute ensures a regular burn-off?

Because of the OP's budget

[Type R Tom]

Another vote for Civic 2.2. Dad had one and did 170k with little issue, colleague had one with 200k+ and again was fine.

Obviously, some other bits wear but the engine was sound.