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Hi can you help me? Me and the wife can't decide upon what car to get and how to finance it. So many trips to car lot s and scouring autotrader.
We're just after an estate but the main issue is that it's cheap to run, higher mpg the better. Looking to spend 5000-10000. This obvs rules out most if not all hybrids
Is it generally true that the newer the car the more economical it is? There seems to be a real surge in that last couple of years, any reason i.e legislation? As you can tell I'm not a car person
I'm going to be commuting for an hour on country lanes soon as well so will need it for that
Please any suggestions would be gratefully received
What have you looked at previously and liked / not liked. And estate covers a multitude of different cars....
Cavernous capacity, reliable, relatively cheap to service - Mondeo. Would be plenty in your price range.
Smaller - I quite liked a Focus a mate had a while back - but there are loads of options
Cheap to run?
Japanese. Honda Civic Tourer or Avenue Estate.
at the cheaper end of your budget mpg becomes less relevant compared to other costs. 10k @ 35mpg is approx £1200 per year (reasonable petrol). 10k @ 45mpg is around £950 per year. its pretty quick to wipe that out with an expensive repair (hence the reccomendation above for a japanese car, despite the rarity of diesels from there)
SEAT Exeo? Audi looks and build at SEAT prices. Older model so most bugs all ironed out. I had one for a year and liked it. Diesel and petrol available (my 2.0 petrol TSI only managed @30mpg though)
VW Passat .- Electric Handbrake can fail
Honda Accord .- Pretty good
Toyota Avensis.- Cabbies favourite
BMW 520. Loads of potential expensive repairs
Volvo V70 . Solid big barges with lots of gizmos. see BMW
Volvo V50 . Focus re-engineered by Volvo
Focus .- Dunno much about them ,probably OK if you avoid diesel
Golf .- Overrated and untrue VAG reliablity no better or worse than any other make
1.9tdi 130pd golf estate.
Sips the fuel.
Carries all the bikes.
You can sleep in the completely flat folding back seats.
Eats headlight bulbs.
Skoda Superb, because......em, I have one. Seems good to me. 2014 model. Comfy, loads of room for rear passengers, efficient, non-electric handbrake, decent boot. Was cheaper than equivalent smaller Octavia when I got it. But there are loads of good estates in the same sort or price range, so maybe drive a couple and see what you like.
Cheapest most reliable probably an Avensis Tourer 1.8 petrol CVT. The 2012 face lift version has revised suspension and improved handling. It’s far superior to the earlier version. Good fuel economy and spec. Plenty of low mileage examples about. They make good taxis for a reason!
Classic recommend what you have......
Mondeo.
Titanium X.
Lots of toys. Lovely to to drive. Loads of space. Reliable. Well reviewed.
Best bit is that everyone loves German cars so the Mondeo depreciates hard meaning you can get a right bargain.
We got a 4.5 year old Titanium X with 18k on the clock for £8100.....
Bargain
I had a Mondeo (hatch) for several years, took it from 80k to 140k.
Ticked all the boxes for me, big boot, reliabl, decent mpg and very comfy on long journeys but very, very dull. Would recommend.
Biggest cost on your £10k car is going to be depreciation
I'm quite surprised no-one's recommending the old STW IT worker car du jour from a few years back - the Skoda Octavia. We've got one (a 1.4 TSI petrol at 120k with a new timing chain) that just keeps on truckin'. We'll probably replace it with a Superb when it eventually conks out. I think we bought for just a smidge under £10k and it's worth a fifth of that now, probably less as the miniature Udderlets have had their way with the interior.
It was probably more expensive than a similar Mundane-o, and actually, at the prices various people above are quoting, the Ford option does sound like a very good one. Always had good luck with Fords.
You could consider the Dacia Logan MCV the diesel gives almost 60mpg in real world driving. The boot’s bigger than most in its class. It’s pretty old school inside, but you’ll get one a year old for that budget.
I read the budget as 500-1000
Anything more than that you could buy a bike with.
Over the last three-ish years have had 2 Mk3 Mondeo estates (2005-2006 models). Paid a combined £1950 for them. First one went from 85k - 115k miles before being written off on ice. Second one from 120k - 170k before being replaced by a Mk2 Galaxy. Superb cars, cavernous, comfortable and surprisingly good to drive. Sailed through MOTs and very cheap to service. Above all they're reliable. Newer versions review very well. Toyotas and Skodas mentioned above also worth a gander. If you're after space then the Ford Galaxies are extra cavernous and drive very well for a people carrier, though you pay a bit of a premium for them
How much space do you need? We've got a skoda fabia estate. It's cheap, It's pretty good on fuel, surprisingly fun to drive and has enough room to fit camping gear in the back and bikes on the roof. It also doesn't look too bad in monte carlo spec.
Having said that, when I replace it I will go bigger and get an octavia or similar. We only got the fabia as a compromise as the other half was scared of driving a big car but I've been happy with it for the last year.
Recommend what you run.
V70 2004 owned since 70k miles now with 170k.
Heavy on fuel but other than an alternator and a few suspension bits has been great.
Indestructible tank with years left in it
Mazda 6?
You could consider the Dacia Logan MCV the diesel gives almost 60mpg in real world driving. The boot’s bigger than most in its class. It’s pretty old school inside, but you’ll get one a year old for that budget.
Plus, it feels like it was designed and built in the 1980's. Get what you pay for. If you are not fussy, and never look at an alternative (to show you how shocking it is), it might do.
Mondeo. Petrol engine. Lower trim level. Pretty much any garage can fix them, usually cheaply.
If looked after they go on & on.
Try to ignore MPG as a big bill could wipe it out.
SEAT Exeo? Audi looks and build at SEAT prices. Older model so most bugs all ironed out. I had one for a year and liked it. Diesel and petrol available (my 2.0 petrol TSI only managed @30mpg though)
I've had mine for 4 and bit years now, there's nothing bad to say about it apart from I'm bored of it now, and the paint is knackered, but that's partly the fault of the garage to bodged it before sale and well, my Wife for scraping things in it despite reversing sensors... (she won't admit it...)
Anyway, yes it's a revised old shape A4, in fact if you go for a later Exeo it's VAGs 4th go at perfecting the model.
Mine's not worth much (not a well known model and the Seat bit's are ugly) but it's got Leather, Sat-Nav, Bose speakers, bluetooth, dual climate, auto lights, auto wipers.
It does 50+mpg if you drive half-way sensible on the motorway. Less with racks on.
Compared to the Audi version that was well thought of, it's got better engines (if you look past the whole Dieselgate thing) it's quieter, handles and riders better (suspension is different) and the steering wheel, pedals and seat all line up better in the RHD versions.
Downsides include:
Tiny boot for an estate.
In fact it's not a big car at all, I always thought A4s / Exeo were sort of Mondeo / Insigna sized, but they're actually smaller. Octavias are bigger. Rear leg room isn't great for adults at all.
When they're very cold the clutch 'donks' - something to do with the gearbox being a bit oddly mounted to allow for CR gen engine being longitudinally mounted in the B7 chassis.
The rear suspension can start to rattle on crap roads at about 80k miles, again the independent rear set-up is unique to the Exeo so didn't have the "4th go at it" vibe of the rest of the car.
Oh, did I mention it's ugly?
even i drew the line at a dacia logan mcv.
horrible seating position and unsupported seats
1.2TCE engine gutless and noisy at NSL
handled like bambi on ice (and im by no means a racing driver)
scared to touch the dash incase i dented the easter egg blow mould plastics.
meanwhile i bought angeldusts favorite car a peugeot partner - must be reliable , all the taxis round my way use em.....
i got 3 years old with all the toys within the OPs budget.
Depreciation, as mentioned above, is going to be the killer when it comes to overall cost per mile.
For ultimate cheapness I'd go for something Japanese, in a rubbish colour, but insist on paperwork for a service history.
Toyota Avensis T3-X VVT-I 1.8 5dr - 103,000miles £995
The difference between the £5k and £10k mooted purchase price has a massive effect on the price per mile difference mooted for fuel. As also said above, for this kind of cash I'd probably get a Mondeo. Far nicer than the badge suggests, mahooosive, cheap to run and fix, looks good.