[Closed] What car(s)?

Avensis
Accord
Mondeo

The above but in an Avensis she may be in danger of being bored to death.

Probably be able to get a cheap diesel 3-series for that money as well.

Is there a car that will make 350 motorway miles a week interesting?

350 motorway miles a week requires somewhere comfy to sit
I'd start with the driving seat/position as she'll be spending a lot of time just sat there (rocking, staring & foaming at the mouth are optional)

comfortable & economical (reduce time spent filling up)
Auto and Cruise?
What sort of motorway miles though I did 50/day round the M62/60 and I was lucky to clear 2nd/30mph for most of it.

Is there a car that will make 350 motorway miles a week interesting?

Probably not but I can think of better places to sit than an Avensis, had one for 2yrs, even though it was top of the range it was still awful.

Mondeo cheap mile munching and all very average

Is a mondeo really that economical? Motorway miles will be between Sheffield and Nottingham.

Ouch 50mph at mo all the way to j28 so a real bore for her

Don't forget cruise control for the 50mph sections

Mondeo diesel should give you mid-high forties mpg at "motorway speeds"

Is there a car that will make 350 motorway miles a week interesting?

Audiobooks made my 90mile/day commute interesting!

(Car was an i30 for reference...)

I know just how dull the drive is. I'm doing it in the other direction currently.

Mondeo diesel here doing same journey but opposite way-50mpg ave

Avensis hatchback, bomb proof, 2 bikes in with wheels on, my wife loves hers. When i borrow it i feel like a proper grown up, i have a Micra K11.

Citroen C6 2.7HDi

[img] http://pictures2.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=083bc0af4cc42871a4ea362b41f9584d&width=1024&height=576 [/img]

i do this kinda of mileage before at work. Focus is the answer 2.0TDCI cheap and cheerful, good sitting position ..comfy and cheap to run. I still regret I have sold it for a stupid van because im a mtber 😡

Ooh, good choice Daffy

I love those C6s they look fantastic. Never been in one but it looks like the perfect motorway barge.

Diesel golf?

Alfa Romeom159 sport wagon 😉

Not a Citroen C6. The 2.7 diesel seems to only ever come up with an autobox and costs £500 a year to tax. It'll depreciate like a stone.

I do that sort of mileage in a SAAB 9-3. It's got awesome seats, it's quiet and it goes well. It's also a cabrio which is fantastic for retaining your sanity when you get stuck in traffic on a sunny day. They are also pretty cheap to pick up - easily in your budget. The standard hard top models are cheaper and very quiet at 100mph. A lot of bits are off the Vectra, and a the SAAB parts business is still running, so parts aren't the issue some expect.

That said, the drive from Sheff to Notts will be bloody hard work with the narrow lanes and no hard shoulder. There are regularly traffic problems due to breakdowns.

Buy her a 20 year old Land Rover Defender. It certainly has presence and she will never be bored as she will be constantly worrying about when it is going to break down next. Would probably work out quite economical as over half her journeys would be completed fuel-free on the back of an AA truck 🙂

Onzadog - Member

Is a mondeo really that economical?

Not especially- I get high 50s/sometimes 60s for a 60mph motorway cruise in my mk3 estate, though probably my tractor tyres drag that down a bit. So it's not stellar but it's decent. It's a nice place to spend time, not luxurious but very sensible, quiet at cruise and comfy. Ticks the presence box, should be reliable at your price...

But they are big, like, sometimes irritatingly big- mine physically doesn't fit in some car park spaces frinstance, at work I can park bumper against the wall and still stick out into the road, at Morrisons the tyres touch the white lines on both sides too! I love it but I think you do need a reason to buy a big car generally, for what you describe I wouldn't choose one. Though then again Focuses and the like seem to have a price premium and it's annoying to get less car for more. (I wanted a 2 litre diesel Focus, could barely find one and those I could find were about £2000 more than the nearest equivalent mondeo)

Honda Civic Petrol. £5k will get you a good one, they appear to be very reliable and all come with Cruise control for motorway use.

Take a good look at a Toyota Avensis or Auris, the ones with the 2.0ltr D4D motor in it (not the 2.2)
No cam belt or DPF to worry about
Boring but reliable as the sunrise and reasonably economical, The T-Spirit models have good specs

My 350 a mile per week commute is in a
Lupo 1.4 TDI...gently chipped to 100bhp by awesome gti
so far 65k on the car

50 % of the journey is motorway and the rest A road

so not sure if you need a ;big car; something that is comfortable for you to sit in, you like and is steady at 70ish with a little umpf as required,

Previous to this commute it was 435 per week in Mk 2 Golf GTI then a Polo TDI sport new then a golf tdi gt ......the lupo makes me laugh as much as the Mk2 but is really great on the fuel and road tax is 30quid per year.I was worried on the size and being windswept but it is absolutely fine.

Just something more left field.............and in STW fashion recommending something I have 😀

Is Honda Civic cruise control standard on Petrols? As my wife's 09 Diesel doesn't have it.

Have to agree though, if you want to make a journey interesting, doing it in something that looks like you are piloting a spaceship is one way of doing it 🙂

[img] [/img]

Why are you choosing for her, let her choose one for herself based on comfort and what she likes after all it's going to be her clocking up the miles?

I used to do 600miles per week in a Subaru legacy. 60mpg very comfortable quick enough and safe in every weather. Doubt you'll get one for £5k though. Would recommend a focus. Big enough and safe enough. To be fair these days pretty much any car would do. I used to do 450 per week in a 1.1 mk2 fiesta when I was young and skint.

Late model Vectra. Cheap, comfy, 2.0D will get close to 50 mpg.

31 posts and no Skoda recommendations..are you all mad!!?

I bought the Fabia to do a a 100mile per day commute three days a week as a last effort before I duck out of the rat race, does the job well, nice and comfy, sits high up, feels safe, good mpg, lots of cup holders and radio 4 on the wireless, perfect!

Mondeo diesel should give you mid-high forties mpg at "motorway speeds"

Passat - I get low 60s at motorway speeds, and it's auto.

My advice - get a larger car ie Passat, Mondeo. Some people are leary of them because they can't park them or whatever, but they are more comfortable and better for cruising on the motorway. And you often get more kit like cruise control etc.

Check a few out. As aboce, the one your wife finds most comfy is the right one.

Mid 40s would be poor for a mondeo diesel at cruise tbh. (that's pretty much what mine returned when it had no MAF sensor fitted and was running in open loop mode!)

I used to commute 100 miles a day Bradford to Sheffield and back.

Had a Mk3 Mondeo 2.0d would do 50ish mpg at 75/80.

Go big car, much more stable, comfortable cruiser than anything focus sized and just as good/better mpg. Cruise control essential, after 2 years of doing it I wish I had got an auto. Climate was nice too.

Factor in tyre costs and servicing etc. I could get premium tyres for the Mondeo for £70, some cars are twice that. Mondeo chain driven so no expensive cambelt changes

What about a Volvo C30,based on the focus platform so will handle ok and just a bit smarter inside.

Or a Jag X type basically a Mondeo in a Smart Jacket.

[i]Late model Vectra. Cheap, comfy, 2.0D will get close to 50 mpg. [/i]

+1

Paid £5k for mine at 5 y/o with 50k on it - plenty of car for the money.

320 miles a week isn't that far per day, really. Not sure you need such a big car as some are mentioning.

I've done a 500 mile weekly commute, a 600 mile weekly commute and currently a 400 mile weekly commute in my Seat Ibiza.
It's quite crashy over poor road surfaces but otherwise perfectly comfortable and more to do with the suspension setup on the Ibiza than the size of the car (my Wife's original Ka rode much better).

Just get something that she likes, will be happy to drive, is reliable and economical...simple! 😀

I have this for sale if you are interested - quite high mileage, but not missed a beat for me and comes in quite a bit under your £5k

[img] [/img]

131k miles
Service history / 9 months MOT
Electric windows /mirrors
Dual zone climate control
Electric heated seats
Full leather
Auto headlights & wipers
6 disc cd/mp3 player
Parrot Bluetooth handsfree
Steering wheel controls
Auto dimming rear view mirror
Hill hold, electronic handbrake
ABS/ESP/Traction control
Parking sensors
17 inch alloys

Good runner
A few marks and scuffs in relation to it's age, but generally a nice clean motor
Good tyre condition

I'm based in Matlock