We have two cars one of which is a Volvo V70 T5 that I bought from new 9 years ago as our main car. Since then the family has grown and we got a bigger car as well.
We live in the sticks about 2 miles from any shops and 3 miles from the school where the 3 girls now go.
At the moment my wife uses the V70 as the runaround car but as it only does an average of about 25mpg it's not particularly suitable. It's been pretty good cost-wise and has done 70K. Average mileage is about 8-9000/yr.

I have the opportunity of buying from a mate a '56 Golf Tdi 1.9 Sport which has about 105K on the clock – most of which is motorway use. The care has a very complete service history and was used by a guy who looks after his stuff. Although the price should be about £6500 I think I can get it for £5000.
I think this would be a better car for us as a 'taxi' mainly due to the 45mpg we could hope to get seeing as fuel isn't going to fall in price any time soon, or ever. We'd also save a bit on road tax and probably insurance also.

If I sold the V70 I'd prob get about £3000 for it leaving £2000 extra to get the Golf. Although I've got the money business is rubbish this year and I'm trying to save where I can.

So, should I stick with the V70 and hope nothing goes wrong with it and just use more fuel, or stump up some cash and get the newer, less thirsty but higher mileage Golf? What would you do?

If economy is the issue then both cars are high spec/high cost cars, in terms of servicing, repairs and consumables for what is a pretty low milage application.

Given than you aren't clocking up many miles, do the sums and see what the real difference would be fuel wise, on a week by week basis – would you notice/feel the difference?

EDIT
To which I would add…. with used cars, the best car is the one you know.

with used cars, the best car is the one you know.

Have to agree

You won't save £2000 worth of fuel, not even £2000 worth of fuel + insurance + car tax. keep the volvo

fwiw, 2 miles to the shops and 3 miles to school is hardly the sticks?

excuse to buy bikes for your lasses? 😉

are you going to see 45mpg on a 3mile run? in lanes?

keep the volvo imo

To which I would add…. with used cars, the best car is the one you know.

+1 – it'd have to be a pretty compelling financial improvement for me to consider flogging my known-evil for an unknown evil. I had to think very hard about changing from a 20mpg car to a 50mpg car (I actually kept both in the end, but one SORNd) after Id spent a lot of money looking after it but was likely to be doing 25000 a year.

are you going to see 45mpg on a 3mile run? in lanes?

keep the volvo imo

While I agree with the result, I'd say yes – I dont seem to be able to get my HDi BELOW 45 despite trying very hard at times.

Do the golf's have a DMF? could be a deciding factor at that kind of milage.

I've never understood some people and cars, my housemate decreed that he had the best car in the house, despite it being a diesel focus, with way above average milage, and a coked up engine as he regulalry uses it on hideously short journeys. Simply because he paid more for it, over the odds, 2 years ago, I'd rather have my housemates TD4 freelander Van (which is a bit of a dark hores under the bonet!)

I think for the majority of the population, new/expensive car = better. While they have some benefits, undeniably, it completely depends on who's using the car and for what. I get endless ribbing for owning a near-20-year-old car and lavishing more cash on it than I do on just about anything else non-essential, but most of the people doing the ribbing are dying for a drive of it and those who are not I respect more because I know they have their own requirements in a car and have thought carefully about it rather than just wanting a new car for the sake of it.

Keep the volvo – i doubt you'll get 3k for a 9 year old one even with only 70k on it.

The book value on my 51plate (reg feb 2002) with nigh on 140k on it is about 1200quid…

Plus driven carefully you can get 28mpg out of a T5 on short runs.

Im right foot heavy and tend to accelerate hard and i average 27.6mpg.