"Interesting" Commuting Car £2.5k - Discuss.

[GreatGranny]

Ok its another What Car thread.

We are moving to Lincolnshire in a few months and I will have to commute to Sheffield 3 days a week. Me being tight the chance of living mortgage free in a 4 bed house with double garage was too good to turn down + childcare on tap from the in laws.

The route is approx. 75% mway/dual and the rest is A roads, a total distance of 60 miles each way.

I have a budget of £3k but £500 is for insurance, tax and any little jobs that need doing so £2.5k for the car.

It must do the following:-

1. Insurance Group 13 or lower

2. Max. £205 tax per year

3. 35+ mpg

4. As reliable as you can get for £2.5k

5. Something I will not get bored with after a few months.

6. A/C or climate

7. Decent seats.

8. Seat at least 4

9. Decent boot for weekends away.

I had a E21 years ago and loved it so something like an E36 318iS is a candidate but I've no idea if its ok for a 60 mile commute.

I'm open to all suggestions but don't feel offended if I dismiss it for seemingly illogical reasons. There are some cars I just may not like.

Thanks for reading.

[trickywoo]

e39 528

Ticks all the boxes but might be tight on mpg and insurance (not far off though).

[300bhp/ton]

Rover 75 V6??? Comfy, good steer, nice inside, comfy, fairly fast and should meet all other requirements.

MG ZT if you want more sporty.

Thing you'll struggle to better comfort, drive, age and price.

[GreatGranny]

300bhp/ton said:

Rover 75 V6??? Comfy, good steer, nice inside, comfy, fairly fast and should meet all other requirements.

MG ZT if you want more sporty.

Thing you'll struggle to better comfort, drive, age and price.

Sorry, I did forget to add that it must be able to be entertaining for a blast at weekends. What are the big MG's like in the corners?

[pmanson]

Mondeo?
Skoda Octavia/Fabia VRS?

[GreatGranny]

pmanson said:

Mondeo?
Skoda Octavia/Fabia VRS?

Owned a Mondeo and vowed never to go back and its a bit too big.

Octavia is a possibility but its a bit too mainstream.

VRS - not for my budget, I have looked.

Keep them coming.

What about a 523i instead of a 528i? Are they much cheaper to run?

Edited by GreatGranny on Tuesday 17th August 15:28

[trickywoo]

GreatGranny said:

What about a 523i instead of a 528i? Are they much cheaper to run?

No.

A tidy 528 will cost peanuts unless you are unlucky.

[pmanson]

Saab 9-5...

I think the Aero is out of your insurance requirements (17) but the 2.0t or 2.3t in Vector spec are very nice to be.

My Dad used to get 36-38mpg out of his 2.3t (185bhp) on a run.

Might not win on the handling stakes though but it didn't seem too bad when I drove it

[rallycross]

BMW 323 / 325.

Try and find one that had the sports suspension fitted new (rare).

Will give mid 30's mpg, 170 bhp, reliable, pleasure to drive, very smooth & quiet on the m/way.

[GreatGranny]

rallycross said:

BMW 323 / 325.

Try and find one that had the sports suspension fitted new (rare).

Will give mid 30's mpg, 170 bhp, reliable, pleasure to drive, very smooth & quiet on the m/way.

So worth it over a nice E36 318iS?

I chose Group 13 because that what these are and I can get decent insurance quotes even with 0 NCB (on as named driver on wifes car, not had own insurance for nearly 3 years).

Something like this?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1903041.htm

Edited by GreatGranny on Tuesday 17th August 16:02

[BluePurpleRed]

I always smile when I see people asking if older cars are OK for doing 60 miles a day. No offence meant to the OP at all, I just love classics and so look at it in a way that some person ordered their brand new E36 which would have been the peak of saloon tech at the time. The car now its older will of course need to have been looked after but modern cars are so good now. I guess they aren't as strictly comfy as a newer one maybe, but I would have great great confidence in a tidy E36 for that money, esp if N of London where the prices are keener?

I am also skewed having taken 2 £100 bangers on a rally over the Alps etc and they hardly missed a beat, all from not being used / stored properly / st state too!

[rallycross]

GreatGranny said:

rallycross said:

BMW 323 / 325.

Try and find one that had the sports suspension fitted new (rare).

Will give mid 30's mpg, 170 bhp, reliable, pleasure to drive, very smooth & quiet on the m/way.

So worth it over a nice E36 318iS?

I chose Group 13 because that what these are and I can get decent insurance quotes even with 0 NCB (on as named driver on wifes car, not had own insurance for nearly 3 years).

The 323 is a much much nicer car than the 4 cyl models, a great all rounder. 318 is is good but wouldnt fancy using one as my commuting car.

[Gun]

As you've already had an E21 how about something else Germanic


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1947065.htm

Looks to be in good nick

[GreatGranny]

Gun said:

As you've already had an E21 how about something else Germanic


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1947065.htm

Looks to be in good nick

Looks nice, just thinking it won't be much fun going off for a blast on a Sunday morning.

[clarkey328is]

GreatGranny said:

rallycross said:

BMW 323 / 325.

Try and find one that had the sports suspension fitted new (rare).

Will give mid 30's mpg, 170 bhp, reliable, pleasure to drive, very smooth & quiet on the m/way.

So worth it over a nice E36 318iS?

I chose Group 13 because that what these are and I can get decent insurance quotes even with 0 NCB (on as named driver on wifes car, not had own insurance for nearly 3 years).

Something like this?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1903041.htm

Edited by GreatGranny on Tuesday 17th August 16:02

I've got a 318is and a 328is so I feel qualified to comment here:
The 318 got the same economy on a motorway run as the 328, but the 328 feels more relaxed and its also nice to be able to overtake with ease. The 318is is by no means underpowered by normal car standards but it's certainly no rocket ship.
In my case, the insurance isn't much different. I swapped the insurance from the 318is to the 328is and it was "only" 400 quid a year more, but as a percentage of my premium it wasn't that much. It went from 1200 to 1600, but then I'm 20 with no NCB. Try Admiral for insurance actually because they recognise named driver no claims, to a certain extent. Ring them up though the facility isn't on their website.

[IOM Q]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1947065.htm

It's tidy, but I'm sure you'll find a better merc than that for the money.

Also whats with the 'leather' seats in the ad? are they faux leather?

Perhaps this http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1861423.htm although I have no idea what the tax would be (different rules over here)

[300bhp/ton]

GreatGranny said:

300bhp/ton said:

Rover 75 V6??? Comfy, good steer, nice inside, comfy, fairly fast and should meet all other requirements.

MG ZT if you want more sporty.

Thing you'll struggle to better comfort, drive, age and price.

Sorry, I did forget to add that it must be able to be entertaining for a blast at weekends. What are the big MG's like in the corners?

In a non powerslidy way, but I suspect more fun than a lot of the rwd barges suggested. Esp in the case of the ZT.

[Gravy]

I use my 318is as a daily drive and it isn't a bad place to be.

The car handles pretty neatly, the economy for me is around 33mpg on mixed roads but will do a bit better on a longer run.
If I am heading out on the motorway I use my Audi because its more comfortable, quicker and the engine is no where near as frenetic at m'way speeds. If A and B roads are involved then I take the 318is because it's much more fun in the twisties.

However, it isn't a sports car and it is not quick by modern standards. I shall be replacing mine soon as I need something more comfortable and quicker but it's good as a budget run around.

If you do get one, I'd recommend getting one with a centre arm rest or at least fit one as it's very uncomfortable on long journeys without one.

ETA - If you can flex on the insurance group I'd put my money into an E36 328i instead

Edited by Gravy on Tuesday 17th August 16:56

[The Lukas]

I'd second that. I have a 318IS and it's a great car. It just lacks the word "interesting" (for me) which is why I'm selling mine soon (pm me if you like) as my commute is small and would rather sacrifice a little comfort for something with more character. But I'm getting 36mpg+ out of it, and drives superbly (though it would having only 60k on the clock).

[Chris71]

Gravy said:

If you can flex on the insurance group I'd put my money into an E36 328i instead

Worth looking into. I considered a 3-Series a few years back and found one insurer actually charged less for the 6 cylinders! I presume at the time there were more inexperienced drivers ragging the 4 cyclinder E30s they could just about afford into hedges or something...