It’s been so long since I’ve needed to buy a car I’ve not the foggiest with what is current go to or how much to pay, everything looks bloody expensive.

The Mrs is considering taking a new job that is 40 miles each direction from home, mainly motorway. Her current car (Seat Ibiza TDI) is on it’s last legs anyway and needs more money spending on it to pass MOT that it’s ever worth so it’s time for a new motor.

She likes the looks of 1 Series BMW, Golf, that sort of thing. She won’t under ANY circumstances consider a Skoda, so don’t even go there! (yes, She’s a brand snob) Might be able to get her in a Focus. She’s the type that is firmly fixed on one thing, but changes her mind so test drives I think are key.

We don’t need a massive car to put bikes in as we have a van for that, although the ability to get them in would be nice.

I have up to £12k, it would be nice to see change! it’s 20k miles a year just for work so I’m thinking it’s got to be Diesel, right? or maybe Petrol tech has caught up recently, as like I say, it’s been so long since I’ve looked I’m not sure what’s what.

Suggest away please, if you can be bothered. Thanks in advance.

My suggestion would be to not take the job. My wife did a longish motorway commute for several years and hated it. Loved the job so it was hard to leave but now she has and mostly works from home. Much happier. 😆

depends which motorway!! 40 each way could be 40 mins or 4 hrs!!
Comfy seats, nice driving position, avoid anything too sporty, sensible tyres and good service intervals. Probably built in bluetooth?

No idea what but as she will be hammering the miles a bit something that has depreciated a bit too…

I agree with the non commuting option actually as she has another offer which is 10 mins cycle ride from home. The commuting option is a different role that was offered recently, pays significantly more but I suggested the 2hrs a day saved commuting plus the cost of damage to the car would out weigh the wage increase.

The M-way in question is specifically the M1 j22-j27. She’s already wavering as she tried to get there for a chat yesterday and due to a crash only made it as far as Loughborough (6 miles) in 2hrs! Not a good start.

Currently on my 4th Golf estate – yes i am boring and dont really care about cars

does everything you need

Unless there is an astoundingly good reason to take the 40 miler job (or vice versa), your overall quality of life will be massively better if she’s 10 mins away…

I would have suggested an Octavia for mway cruising. So I’ve have no other useful input to make.

Don’t even think about it – the section past the M42 and then Nottingham is always hideous (I pass over it to work and it is always stationary)

She will have an utterly shit commute every day – take the local job

The M-way in question is specifically the M1 j22-j27.

I hope the money’s good! 😉

She will have an utterly shit commute every day – take the local job

^This

he M-way in question is specifically the M1 j22-j27

urg 🙁

Two of my colleagues do just about that commute, 22-26, and most of the time it’s fine but it is an hour at each end of the day. I’d not commute like that again but that route’s not the nightmare people make it out to be.

Seat Leon might be an idea, about as nice as a Golf but more interesting looking and cheaper, and the same underneath.

Tbh, I think the local one will swing it anyway, infact its 90/10 in favour at moment. I’d take a 10k pay cut to not have to drive up the M1 daily personally. (That isn’t the difference in wages we’re talking about either btw)

The only thing that skews it is we’re looking at moving in a couple of years so we could consider moving more northbound.

…but that route’s not the nightmare people make it out to be.

If he hadn’t mentioned the job that’s 10 mins away I’d probably agree! I wouldn’t choose to do it though.

Warning: (not very) stealth advert incoming

Would you like to buy my Golf Estate?

It’s a blooming lovely car. Selling because I’m getting a T5 🙂

45k miles and 3 years old. Diesel and averages about 65mph

It’s got adapive cruise control which if like me these days you do 20k miles a year is a lifesaver.

It’s going on autotrader for £11.5k but i do singletrackworld discounts.

Mods pls don’t ban me! :-/

Indeed, I took what ended up being a small paycut to have a shorter drive and the difference in happiness is enormous. And I save loads of money on fuel (£50/month instead of £50/week) which more than makes up for the difference in pay.

The wage increase will easily cover fuel/ware and tear etc. plus a small surplus. It may even cover a car allowance, needs to be discussed.

I still say she’s better off having 2 more hours a day to do what she wants rather than driving, but she wants to take a look anyway as there will be a quicker progress path.

curto80 – Maybe, see if she wants the job 1st!

I’m sorry I’ve tried all morning not to post but I can’t take it any longer, it’s Advice. Past tense would be advised though. sorry sorry sorry. ❗ 🙂

google map the route at the time she’ll be driving each day and get a feel for what it could be like. I’v been stuck on there way to often at rush hour to do it daily. If flexible working hours are offered, then doing the motorway part of the commute after 9am makes an enourmous difference.

To give some balance to your situation my wife has just gone from a 10min drive to work to an hour or more.

She worked in a small insurance brokers in a local town but she was bored and needed to move on. The big insurance brokers tend to be based in cities though!

Although the place where she is now is only 12 miles away she has to drive across the city in rush hour as is currently leaving the house at 7.45 and not getting back until 6.30/7.00 at night depending on traffic and it does annoy her a lot.

She does like the new job though and the money is a lot better and there is scope for promotion.

If the job further away has a lot more to offer it may still be worth considering.

I used to do 26-24 and a bit at each end! It could be great i.e. 35 minutes or completely dire. Longest recorded was over 4 hours due to an accident. I would say on average the time would be well over an hour for getting home, but less in a morning setting off at 6:30. Adding on extra junctions will not be fun!
I now work from home so my commute is across the landing 🙂

but less in a morning setting off at 6:30

think these days you’d need to be more like 5:30, it’s chuffing busy just after 6.

I’m sorry I’ve tried all morning not to post but I can’t take it any longer, it’s Advice. Past tense would be advised though. sorry sorry sorry.

Well that’s years of STW tradition down the pan.

Everyone else manages to just let it go*

*God I’m glad somebody finally said it.

I’m sorry I’ve tried all morning not to post but I can’t take it any longer, it’s Advice. Past tense would be advised though. sorry sorry sorry.

I’m sorry, I feel dirty and ashamed. 🙁

Nothing wrong with the BMW 1 series. My wife has had one for the last 3 years and loves it. Only costs are servicing (dealer), tyres and brakes which have all been relatively cheap. In fact the cost of maintenance since she bought it has been less than my Octavia has cost in just over year and I’ve not even due the cam belt changed yet.
This is my first and last VAG car, I won’t be touching another as the build quality is worse than the 10 year older Mondeo it replaced. Whatever VAG had they’ve lost and not a patch on Ford and leagues below BMW.

I would be looking big and safe. Big cars cruise far better on motorways.

Mondeo with cruise control, you could get a good one well within budget

Hateful bit of motorway that though, always crashes, always blocked.

Problem solved! She’s decided to take the job close by as the thought of loosing the time to commuting was too much to commit to.

Thanks all who contributed, especially the spelling and grammar pedants. 🙂

Problem solved! She’s decided to take the job close by as the thought of loosing losing the time to commuting was too much to commit to.

😀

think these days you’d need to be more like 5:30, it’s chuffing busy just after 6

Yeah it was about 8 years ago so can imagine it’s even more unpleasant now.
Glad I don’t do it anymore, although I do remember fondly the feeling of being in whacky races every time I go between 25 and 24 😐

arrrrghhh! Can’t even blame predictive text, it’s just plain stupidity.