Going to switch our cars around – missus with her short commute gets the decent 'family' car and I (with my 60 mile each way commute) am going to get something smallish, cheap to buy and run and economical (thus removing the massive depreciation on our 'nice' car by doing 600 miles a week!). I think a 2003ish Polo TDI fits that bill (diesel, £35 tax and 60mpg+. But, is there something I'm missing? I know some newer petrol engines in smaller cars are just as economical. Only looking to spend £3k though…

Anyone?

ibiza tdi, same but different, sort of 😕

Try it first. If I were commuting 120 miles a day there's no way in hell you'd get me doing it in anything smaller than a Golf.

Small cars often have poxy seats and nowhere near enough sound deadening.

I'd always go for a small petrol in a small car over a small diesel though – the derv is heavier (and a large proportion of the car's total weight in a small one), and costs more to repair. End result is you don't get big benefits from the derv, but you do get the chance of big repair bills (ie, Dual mass flywheels, fuel pumps).

+1 tron

IMO you've your priorities the wrong way around. I've commuted that kinda distance before, for long periods – and the comfier the better.

And you've already taken the depreciation hit on the 'dearer' car anyway, extra miles will only add a percentage to this.

I agree with the comment above.

I used to have a nice sports car but sold it and now have £4k worth of Ford Mondeo diesel to do a 500 mile per week commute

Small cars may get you a few more mpg but they are so much less comfortable on long journeys. I'd prefer to pay the £100 or so more extra tax per year and get 50mpg in comfort and safety with cruise control rather than a small car.

120 mile commute A DAY?!!! Holy cr4p!!

I'd want the comfiest, most toy laden car ever made with a HUGE stereo and super comfy seats.

Ibiza ecomotive. 95mpg (allegedly).

Only problem with all the eco versions is that there are few available second hand.

You could consider a used Prius depending on how much you want to spend. Decent proper usefully large comfy car with 60mpg.

Diesel Mondeo will return 50mpg on a run.
I'd rather get there in comfort and spend a few quid a year more on fuel, then save the money but feel stiff and beat up at the end of the journey.
It's something you can't really tell on a quick test drive.

I've got a Mondeo at the moment (6speed ST so 56mpg is easy). Problem is the mileage I'm doing is meaning its value is dropping like a stone so I'd rather get rid now whilst its still worth something, get something newer/lower mileage to replace it for the missus/weekend/holiday duties etc and sell our little Polo GTI and get something similar but more economical. Its a commute I've been doing for nearly a year now so I'm well aware of what its like and doing it in a smaller car isn't something I'm bothered about. I just want something I don't mind running into the ground rather than using our more expensive family car to slowly kill!

Same era Ibiza TDI is also on the list. Same chassis etc as the 9N Polo I think. Mk4 Golf GT TDI is also on there. Mate has one at 175k miles and still running fine…

Seriously, try it. It's amazing how much more tiring driving a noisy car is.

Is the value really dropping that much? Mondeos are standard rep mobiles and I'd be amazed if most don't do 20k a year.

Get a grip of yourselves, 60 miles is hardly epic. I used to clock up 600 miles a day and a comfortable seat to sit on and a cup holder is all you need. If you are worried you can't happily sit in a car for an hour or so for gods sake don't ever try riding a bike :-). Unless you are especially tall or a funny shape there isn't a car on the market that you couldn't comfortably and happily drive all day.

Small cars are fine for long journeys. I'm 6'6" and use a lot of hire vehicles. I usually choose small cars over mid-sized ones as medium size cars try too hard to create space in the rear and cheat it from the front seats to achieve it. Sit in a few cars, if you find one that fits you nice, thats the one.

'Small' cars are massive these days anyway. Polos are certainly worth a look, the ones I've had seem biased to longer journeys and are quite relaxed to drive, rather than being buzzy, urgent city run-arounds.

Prius has always been super comfortable for me on long drives btw, woudn't think twice about driving across Europe in it. Seats are more minimal and less supportive than my Passat, but that is actually kind of nice as the Passat seats feel too claustrophobic after a while.

Prius isn't an option. The older shape one which I might just be able to afford is one of (if not, the) worst car I've ever been in. Or maybe a Renault Scenic wins that. Either way, its out.

Cheers skidartist – an answer to the question I asked 😉

My Mondeo is an ST TDCI so yes, mad economical for a big car and the ideal car for the journey but consumables like 18/40/225 tyres isn't much fun and I want to try and sell it whilst its worth something rather than in a years time when its got potentially 140K+ on it and is almost worthless.

You may be able to pick up a nice Toyota Yaris for that price, the 1.4d4-d engine is great and will easily do 50+, or the 1.3 petrol is also good.

Other small economical cars worth a nosey I guess would be, 1.4tdci fiesta, maybe an early Honda Jazz, Fabia (again with the polo chassis/engines). think the 1.5dci micra is also in the £30pa tax bracket.

Worst car ever? Get off! I've driven way way way worse cars. You're not talking about the original MkI thing with the boot are you? That was indeed crap.

Don't bother with the Micra tho, they are tiny city cars not drivers.

DBW – swapping 2 cars over will just put your money with the dealers, and as said, high mileage only has a 'marginal' impact on the value of your car.

If your Mondeo had 40k on it now, probably worth £8k, what is another 60k going to impact it over the next 2 years vs swapping cars and still suffering the depreciation on the replacement car.

Fabia Tdi (1.4/1.9?). Should do 60+mpg, £45 tyres, bland but solid. Far comfier than the brand new Focus I hired recently. 1.9tdio is reasonably swift. Try to get an Elegance spec for heated seats etc. Avoid the SDi like the plague though…

Having driven a Felicia I understand why Skoda have the reputation they do but Fabia is in a different league.

I'm with the above, do the actual maths. in 2 years the milage difference in the mondeo will probably make ~£1k difference to the price – consumables like tyres won't wear that hard if it's on the motorway either. compare that to trading in a car, and getting another one, you'll probably lose £500 – thus making it 70p/day (or 1/2p per mile!) to sit in a nice, comfy car rather than some crappy run down tinbox. That's approx 5% of the fuel cost. next to nothing really

A2 1.6 FSI, I have one and get 50mpg, its great on long trips and good to drive. Everyone thinks its a girls car though.

2005 – same engine as the polo you are thinking but with more room and less than 3k
http://belfast.gumtree.com/belfast/57/61743657.html

i think you would be better not switching things around..

just stick with the mundano – decent mpg, comfy and just the sort of car to do a 120mile per day commute and just deal with the depreciation.

rover 75 diesel?

either the cheap l series engine or the bmw one.

big and comfy, good mpg and there is no more depreciation left to go… generally has all the toys too. Parts are easy to get too

A mate of mine commutes 80 miles each way, he bought an Audi A2 1.4 TDi new and it did over 220,000 miles before the engine went pop, he got a second hand engine and its still going strong, and doing around 60 mpg.

I would not be impressed with an engine going pop in a modern car at 220k.

Drove to the Alps in a Polo from Surrey no worries. Good choice.

The wife had a 2003 polo tdi sport, was great on the motorway, was chipped to 130bhp and was really nippy and got high 50s mpg. Was a great car and can heartily recommend it. Steer clear of the Audi a2 though, we had a tdi version and they have without doubt one of the harshest rides I have ever had in a car, too uncomfortable for us. I'd go polo all the way, make sure it is a 1.9 though.

I do 120 miles/day commute in my Ibiza Tdi and it's more than up to the job. The equivalent Fabia may be comfier as it's got softer suspension, but it doesn't bother me. Mine's the 130 bhp version and is currently averaging 58mpg. If there's no traffic then it's nearer 60mpg.
They also do a 100 bhp version that'll get a few more mpg and is still brisk enough.

Edit – meant to say – the Polo is basically an expensive Ibiza or Fabia, so better off saving your cash and get one of them instead.

Polos are the same mechanically as Ibizas and Fabias, but the interiors are different, the configurations are different (eg Ibizas have firmer springs than Polos and a sportier ride), and refinement different too.

DWB if I'm honest with a 60miles commute each way you need something thats better sound-proofed rather than 'small'. By small I assume you also mean on cost?

If I was doing 60miles each way I'd want as barge-like as possible otherwise over a year it'll wear you down.

Either rethink who gets what car or go for something bland like the Passat (but eats miles and has lower road noise)… or something similar.

Key is road noise IMO.

Road noise and seats, and general security and ease of driving. Couldn't believe how refreshed I felt at the end of my 2.5 hour drive in my new Passat compared to my old old one.

Passats are a good one actually because people view them as boring repmobiles (the saloons). Doesn't stop them being nice cars tho. My sister just got an R reg diesel with 90k miles on it (very low for that car and engine) for £1300, and it's amazingly good for that price.

I dare say the thought has never entered your mind, but I can happily confirm that a 200TDi engined 110 Defender is a terrible choice for any sort of commuting whatsoever (when I bought it I only worked 15 minutes up the road, so 'twas neither here nor there).

As a consequence … I've hired loads of stuff lately, and have been most impressed with the Golf I had last, which I think was a two litre diesel, not many toys, but extremely comfortable (I thought).

Love the complaints about small cars. Some of you should try high mileage motorbike commuting.

Problem is the mileage I'm doing is meaning its value is dropping like a stone

I think the blue oval badge is doing that for you 😉

seriously though, all cars except top end Germans depreciate something rotten at high mileage; I had a BMW 320d Touring and after 100k miles that was only worth £4k when I traded it in (yeah, I know, you get less for a trade in than private sale but I can't be arsed with private sales).

It was dead comfy on my 30 miles each way commute though 😉

Love the complaints about small cars. Some of you should try high mileage motorbike commuting.

I have, and its the same 'type of' answer – big engined bike, with a fairing and heated grips – and good riding gear.

Plus a need to service and keep on top of any issues.

And all cars depreciate heavily, including top-end German cars (might be low in percentage terms, but high in £'s) – high mileage just makes it worst. I've a 5 series.

If anything, top end German cars are the worst – look at prices for big Mercs, BMWs, VW Phaetons, Touraegs, etc – they lose hideous money.

Basically all cars depreciate (except classics)- people get too hung up on resale value. Just buy a car if you like it and accept it will lose a lot of money.

My "desirable" VW Golf R32 lost far more per year than my very "dull" Astra 1.9CDTi 150 Estate (both bought new). My current car briefly gained value but is now probably worth about a quid.

if your going to continue doing that sort of mileage, just get over the depreciation – it only matters if you sell anyway. keep the car you have (or buy a cheaper rep mobile if you wish) and keep it until its fully depreciated.

Cheers everyone for the concern.

And thanks to the few people that did actually help with my original question… Polo/Ibiza/Fabia it is then.

Dave

RE the original question 😉 I drove many long journeys in my Ibiza 1.9 TDi S 105ps (53 vintage) and it was great. Lovely driving car and quite comfortable on long trips. A tad more road noise than a more expensive car was the only disadvantage, but quieter tyres helped a bit.

Why not buy another Mondeo, diesel one with 150k miles. Someone else has already had the depreciation pain, and you get a car you know you like. Get a less sporty version with smaller/cheaper tyres. (sorry if this has already been suggested, only read to about 1/2 way down the thread)

You may be able to pick up a nice Toyota Yaris for that price, the 1.4d4-d engine is great and will easily do 50+, or

That's a shopping car, not one for a long drive