How to buy a cheapo car for 25K+ miles per year?
Discussion
Hi All
First post here. I did use the search and was surprised there's not a permanent thread of "Petrol vs Diesel"
Here's my situation: I don't have a lot of money and whatever car I buy next will have to be reliable and economic for for 25-30k miles per year. For these distances I guess that lease deals are not good, but I can get credit at 3.3%, so let's say £8000 will be around £200 per month over 4-5 years.
The current one is a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDI, which I purchased with 67K miles and has served me really well in the first year. Ever since it reached 100,000 miles I've had a few problems which required replacing the fuel lines and now I'm hoping that the "Anti-pollutant fault" it's displaying will not require a huge repair - I will know more from the mechanic next Tuesday.
Due to my job requirements and to living near Northampton far away from all my customers, I end up driving a lot on the A14, M6 and M42. My average speed between fuel ups is 44mph, and I keep to speed limits most of the time (really!) so you can see that I just cruise a lot. 60mpg is my average since I bought this car.
The Peugeot is likely to get worse with age, and I have a 4K miles trip scheduled for Christmas, so I'm really thinking of replacing it in time to have a better year of motoring with fewer pit stops.
I like the idea of going back to petrol, *IF* the mpg don't take a huge hit. It's just smoother and quieter, and I value that.
There's a few models that look like they could be an upgrade from where I am today. One time the 207 was in the garage, I drove a loan 208 1.2 (82bhp) for the same route I normally do, and my mpg was 55. Other than that, it was 10 years younger and much nicer, of course. On a different occasion, it was a Fiesta 1.0 turbo that felt like such a nicer, quieter experience.
The 208 also has 1.4 and 1.6 diesels which should be at least as good was what I have today, perhaps attracting higher insurance for the bigger engine.
Then there's the less obvious chose of the Suzuki Baleno 1.0 turbo. I haven't road tested it yet, but on paper it looks like it will be as economic as my car, but smoother and bigger.
So... what's the situation with the diesel vs petrol debate in mid-2017? Any thoughts on buying with next to no-miles every 90,000 miles I drive vs a 70,000 miles machine every year?
Thanks
First post here. I did use the search and was surprised there's not a permanent thread of "Petrol vs Diesel"
Here's my situation: I don't have a lot of money and whatever car I buy next will have to be reliable and economic for for 25-30k miles per year. For these distances I guess that lease deals are not good, but I can get credit at 3.3%, so let's say £8000 will be around £200 per month over 4-5 years.
The current one is a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDI, which I purchased with 67K miles and has served me really well in the first year. Ever since it reached 100,000 miles I've had a few problems which required replacing the fuel lines and now I'm hoping that the "Anti-pollutant fault" it's displaying will not require a huge repair - I will know more from the mechanic next Tuesday.
Due to my job requirements and to living near Northampton far away from all my customers, I end up driving a lot on the A14, M6 and M42. My average speed between fuel ups is 44mph, and I keep to speed limits most of the time (really!) so you can see that I just cruise a lot. 60mpg is my average since I bought this car.
The Peugeot is likely to get worse with age, and I have a 4K miles trip scheduled for Christmas, so I'm really thinking of replacing it in time to have a better year of motoring with fewer pit stops.
I like the idea of going back to petrol, *IF* the mpg don't take a huge hit. It's just smoother and quieter, and I value that.
There's a few models that look like they could be an upgrade from where I am today. One time the 207 was in the garage, I drove a loan 208 1.2 (82bhp) for the same route I normally do, and my mpg was 55. Other than that, it was 10 years younger and much nicer, of course. On a different occasion, it was a Fiesta 1.0 turbo that felt like such a nicer, quieter experience.
The 208 also has 1.4 and 1.6 diesels which should be at least as good was what I have today, perhaps attracting higher insurance for the bigger engine.
Then there's the less obvious chose of the Suzuki Baleno 1.0 turbo. I haven't road tested it yet, but on paper it looks like it will be as economic as my car, but smoother and bigger.
So... what's the situation with the diesel vs petrol debate in mid-2017? Any thoughts on buying with next to no-miles every 90,000 miles I drive vs a 70,000 miles machine every year?
Thanks
Hi all
Thanks for your ideas so far.
Here's some extra info and some opinions of my own:
1) Peugeot 20x are common cars, it's not hard to find parts on short notice and any mechanic I've met has dealt with my issues quickly. I do not expect this to happen with any hybrid car. I hope one day to go straight to electric, skipping the hybrid generation.
2) Small diesel vs big diesel. My car is from 2008 and pays £30 tax per year. I like that.
3) I like manual gearboxes
Thanks for your ideas so far.
Here's some extra info and some opinions of my own:
1) Peugeot 20x are common cars, it's not hard to find parts on short notice and any mechanic I've met has dealt with my issues quickly. I do not expect this to happen with any hybrid car. I hope one day to go straight to electric, skipping the hybrid generation.
2) Small diesel vs big diesel. My car is from 2008 and pays £30 tax per year. I like that.
3) I like manual gearboxes
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