Cheap dependable way to cover 14,000 miles a year?
Discussion
I've been pondering options to this riddle and wanted to see if anyone else had any insight I hadn't thought of. 
I typically cover 8000 - 10,000 miles a year socially in 4x4's and V8's.
However I also have to cover approx 14,000 miles a year commuting or for work. All paid for out of my own pocket.
As the 'social' miles are quite expensive ones at relatively low mpg. I need the 14,000 miles to be done as cheaply as possible. And just as importantly in a dependable fashion. Having a car have an unplanned downtime due to a breakdown causes a real inconvenience. Not only on monthly cashflow for the cost of the repair (and time/my time), but the fact that a poor mpg vehicle has to cover while the daily is out of action. Adding to the cost and cashflow issues.
What options can you think of?
-I've thought of running a beater. Cheap to buy and no monthly finance. But hassle of downtime is a big pain and adds unscheduled costs. Also old cars don't have the modern day luxury features and amenities, may not be the most fun or economical. And pushing them hard can make you feel like you are asking for the vehicle to breakdown.
-New car. Limited choice in terms of potential budget. Should be dependable, but incur monthly finance cost. Means monthly costs + fuel is a lot more expensive.
-EV's. Same as a new car, but with the addition of potentially 'free' or cheap fuel. Battery hire/lease costs seem to completely scupper this. Making them no more cost effective, as the battery hire easily equals or gets close the fuel cost of a fairly frugal petrol/diesel vehicle for this mileage.
Other considerations. I usually spend 2 1/2 hours a day commuting. While the car doesn't need to be exciting, something truly boring and soul destroying would make the journey far more hard work than needed. Guess fun or relaxed would suit but not essential for consideration.
If I could afford to run something wild for the daily commute, I most certainly would. But that would currently require me to either do half the commuting mileage or earn a lot more money.
And at 14,000 miles a year I really can't afford for the daily to be out of action for weeks at a time waiting for parts/repair or parts that cost loads of money.
In short, I think I've been covering the miles quite cheaply over the past few years. But the dependability is wearing a little thin, as in, I've used my AA card more times than I'd like and spent too much time at weekends doing repairs and the like.
If I wasn't a petrol head with other cars, this likely wouldn't be an issue. But my free time is precious and I'd rather spend it tinkering on my weekend vehicles over keeping the daily on the road.
I typically cover 8000 - 10,000 miles a year socially in 4x4's and V8's.
However I also have to cover approx 14,000 miles a year commuting or for work. All paid for out of my own pocket.
As the 'social' miles are quite expensive ones at relatively low mpg. I need the 14,000 miles to be done as cheaply as possible. And just as importantly in a dependable fashion. Having a car have an unplanned downtime due to a breakdown causes a real inconvenience. Not only on monthly cashflow for the cost of the repair (and time/my time), but the fact that a poor mpg vehicle has to cover while the daily is out of action. Adding to the cost and cashflow issues.
What options can you think of?
-I've thought of running a beater. Cheap to buy and no monthly finance. But hassle of downtime is a big pain and adds unscheduled costs. Also old cars don't have the modern day luxury features and amenities, may not be the most fun or economical. And pushing them hard can make you feel like you are asking for the vehicle to breakdown.
-New car. Limited choice in terms of potential budget. Should be dependable, but incur monthly finance cost. Means monthly costs + fuel is a lot more expensive.
-EV's. Same as a new car, but with the addition of potentially 'free' or cheap fuel. Battery hire/lease costs seem to completely scupper this. Making them no more cost effective, as the battery hire easily equals or gets close the fuel cost of a fairly frugal petrol/diesel vehicle for this mileage.
Other considerations. I usually spend 2 1/2 hours a day commuting. While the car doesn't need to be exciting, something truly boring and soul destroying would make the journey far more hard work than needed. Guess fun or relaxed would suit but not essential for consideration.
If I could afford to run something wild for the daily commute, I most certainly would. But that would currently require me to either do half the commuting mileage or earn a lot more money.
And at 14,000 miles a year I really can't afford for the daily to be out of action for weeks at a time waiting for parts/repair or parts that cost loads of money.
In short, I think I've been covering the miles quite cheaply over the past few years. But the dependability is wearing a little thin, as in, I've used my AA card more times than I'd like and spent too much time at weekends doing repairs and the like.
If I wasn't a petrol head with other cars, this likely wouldn't be an issue. But my free time is precious and I'd rather spend it tinkering on my weekend vehicles over keeping the daily on the road.
Chris1712 said:
Depends what your definition of cheap is, but I'd guess a PCH Hybrid/EV is the best bang for buck.
Personally I cover a 15kpa commute in a 330e M-Sport, not cheap at all but under £500pcm all in so imo extremely good value. It's also my only car. Hyundai Ioniq's were looking a bargain lately, calculated I could do my commute for £300pcm all in, but crikey it's boring.
Yeah that's a little too rich for my tastes/cashflow sadly.Personally I cover a 15kpa commute in a 330e M-Sport, not cheap at all but under £500pcm all in so imo extremely good value. It's also my only car. Hyundai Ioniq's were looking a bargain lately, calculated I could do my commute for £300pcm all in, but crikey it's boring.
And once you add fuel + other running costs to any of those, that's quite a chunk of money a month. And this wouldn't be my only car. I enjoy lots of motoring pursuits, but sadly they just don't suit what a daily driver can offer.
Willy Nilly said:
It will almost certainly be cheaper to put extra miles on one car than get an additional one. Alternately, take a leaf out of your own book and get a 1991 Ford Crown Victoria. 
What one car, what additional one? Did you read the op? 
Doing 14,000 miles a year in a 1970's diesel Land Rover is
a) very noisy
b) highly unrefined
c) not the most economical form of transport
Doing 14,000 miles a year in any of the V8 powered vehicles I own, would cost considerably more than putting those miles onto another car.
e.g. 14,000 miles at 17mpg (p38a for example) would cost over £370 in fuel alone!!
I'm already doing 14,000 miles a year extra and have been for a number of years. Just looking for alternate ways to do it in a cheaper and/or more dependable way.
i.e. As boring as a Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf are. If you didn't have to pay the battery hire, just the electricity. They would cost no more to run (as in the finance payment) vs what I currently spend on fuel only now. But in return I'd get a new dependable vehicle.
Not saying this is an option I'd go for. But is one I'd thought of. Just wondering what other options exist.
king opening posts???exelero said:
According to you garage Mr OP you have a 2.0d Jaguar X type. Is that not good enough? I'm going to suggest a Volvo S60 or something japanese if you want more reliability, like Toyota Corolla T sport or an Avensis. Maybe a Mondeo or Focus?
The X-Type is very nice, but has some limitations. It hasn't be unreliable exactly, but is annoying when something needs money, time and attention to sort.It also lacks some of the more 'modern' amenities. Such as integrated bluetooth. An aftermarket head unit could address this, but requires cables, facia and other bits. Again all time and money.
But this is the crux of what I'm trying to weigh up.
Keep running older cars, generally cheap to buy. But run the risk of issues vs running something new, which in theory is unlikely to need much doing to it for a good number of years.
Electric cars sort of cloud the decision, on face value they appeal a lot. But somehow don't seem to actually deliver.
To further my own research on this topic, I have this ForTwo Prime Sport for an extended test drive/demo. It goes back tomorrow.
I did speak to the smart dealer about the forthcoming electric smarts. They claim a range of 160km (I do about 72-75 miles a day). So it could be interesting.
Sadly they have no pricing plan announced yet, nor what the score is with batteries. That plus pre-orders means end of this year, or even this time next year to maybe get one. Plus I would not be willing to order one without first knowing the list price and if you have to pay for the battery extra or lease it.
I did speak to the smart dealer about the forthcoming electric smarts. They claim a range of 160km (I do about 72-75 miles a day). So it could be interesting.
Sadly they have no pricing plan announced yet, nor what the score is with batteries. That plus pre-orders means end of this year, or even this time next year to maybe get one. Plus I would not be willing to order one without first knowing the list price and if you have to pay for the battery extra or lease it.
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