Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • What is fun to drive, capacious, does 40+ to the gallon and cost less that £5K ?
  • Raindog
    Free Member

    Any ideas, I’d love to hear them. It looks like my commute is about to increase and I may be buying a renovation project as my new post divorce house, so I’ll need space to carry some building stuff (and my bike). My Clio is a bit thirsty and small for the job.

    dawson
    Full Member

    old mondeo? vauxhall zafira?

    ok – not fun to drive I’ll admit!

    maybe need more info..

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    A van driven carefully

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    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    Avensis estate, petrol, to avoid any DPF/EGR/DMF issues.

    toys19
    Free Member

    I have an accord estate ctdi, very big boot, can be thristy if driven for fun, but drive like an old man and it frugal. Avensis is a great car too, not thrilling but v reliable, smaller boot..

    carlosg
    Free Member

    MG-ZTT diesel . I’ve got the softer Rover75 version and get over 43mpg urban and over 54mpg on a run.

    ji
    Free Member

    Peugeot 406 HDi Exec (saloon is even cheaper than estate but is still pretty massive inside). Loads of change from your budget.

    or

    LPG converted Lexus LS430 – just swapped my 406 for one of these and it is great fun to drive (4.3 litre engine is fast….). Economy wise it is about the same as my auto 406 was. Fun wise is would be hard to beat for the price.

    nickhart
    Free Member

    Vw touran, if you can find one for that money. Go for the base diesel model unless you’re bothered about tiny details. I get forty to fifty mpg out of ours. Oh and the early ones can be found in five sweater or seven. Unless you have loads of kids go for the five as the boot is bigger.

    gusamc
    Free Member

    check out diesel Berlingo/Partner range

    e.g 2007 Berlingo 1.6HDI (cost 7k with 7000 miles), about 50mpg in normal use (roughly to speed limits, mainly rural, driving), drops to about 30 at 90 on motorway. Rear seats can be unbolted easily(as a 1 or 2 or 3)) – so it cn be vanned, it’s NOT a sport drive ie it rolls on orners and lacks overtaking power on A roads

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    I didn’t notice a steering wheel attached to the stick at the end of the moon 😆

    lucien
    Full Member

    Oops – double post

    lucien
    Full Member

    My 06 citroen c6 does all that even with 100k on the clock

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    A motorbike for commuting and a van for moving stuff?

    randomjeremy
    Free Member

    subaru legacy

    hamishthecat
    Full Member

    Legacy won’t achieve that fuel economy.

    I have an E39 525d Touring – they’re getting a bit old in the tooth now but excellent to drive, 40+mpg is achieveable – easily on longer, faster runs, and I can get three bikes and three peeps inside. Nearly 170bhp.

    Having said that, it is a lot more expensive to run (surprise!) than the Passat I had before – tyres £90 a corner, bits have gone wrong and have been pricey to fix, complex suspension etc.

    Gribs
    Full Member

    A 525d falls in budget and just about fits all the criteria. However even though they much better to drive than anything listed above, a petrol 528/530 would be far better especially as I’m guessing your coming from a Renaultsport Clio.

    If you just want a hack then a mk1/2 Mondeo estate would be very useful as a second car and you don’t need to worry about damage to the inside.

    aguesty1
    Free Member

    Older shape Seat Leon Cupra, 1.9TDI, 150bhp, nippy, fun and economical or the new shape Leon 2.0 TDI, Iver had the latter and a friend had the older. Great cars and good value for money compared to VW

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Vauxhall Signum diesel? Kinda cool in a quirky way.

    tomaso
    Free Member

    The practical option is something like an S Max 2.0 diesel should do the fun and practical bit well.

    The fun option is one of these

    alfa 159

    Or if you have Germanic leanings
    bmw autotrader

    slowboydickie
    Full Member

    Go Skoda octavia tdi VRS. It will do 52 mpg driven sensibly or 139mph (not that I’ve driven it that fast).

    higgo
    Free Member

    Have you thought about a Nissan X-Trail? 😉

    I’ve had one for a couple of weeks and really like it.

    It’s definitely capacious, fun to drive in a sort of ‘Tonka Toy’ way, should return close to 40mpg (with the right engine) and can be had for less than £5k.

    bedmaker
    Full Member

    I got an octavia vrs tdi estate at new year for 5700. 56 plate FSH so you should be able to get a hatch version of that for 5k.
    mid 40’s easily and much more fun than an a4 to drive

    Ewan
    Free Member

    My 51 plate mondeo estate is surprisingly good in the corners, drives nicely. Certainly better than the more ‘sporty’ hire cars i’ve had recently.

    Raindog
    Free Member

    higgo – Member

    Have you thought about a Nissan X-Trail?

    I’ve had one for a couple of weeks and really like it.

    Funny you should ask, I used to have one and I think I’m going to regret selling it 🙂 I didn’t expect to find a new house to buy so quickly….

    Glad you’re enjoying it anyway 😀

    djglover
    Free Member

    BMW 330i petrol… Mine last week after a motorway run 🙂

    stu1972
    Free Member

    Golf mk4 1.9 TDI ?

    tonyg2003
    Full Member

    The VII gen accord 2.2 estate we had was a decent drive and big. Also a Mondeo ST diesel or an early Skoda Vrs diesel. They are probably some of the better handling big busses.

    singlecrack
    Free Member

    I’d go for a mk1 focus estate ……they handle really well and diesel would give you 45 mpg

    neilthewheel
    Full Member

    I’ve loved my Peugeot 306 1.9 turbo diesel estate. Carries huge loads, fun to drive, does 50+ to the gallon, lovely ride and reliable. What a pity they stopped making them and now they’re getting hard to find.

    randomjeremy
    Free Member

    Vauxhall Signum diesel? Kinda cool in a quirky way.

    Yes I would second this, one of the most underrated cars out there, and they are pennies on the trader. Built in Germany too.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    £5000 will get you a Mondeo 2.0 or 2.2 TD without too many years or miles on it- very big boot, especially with the seats flat, easy access, and there’s a million of them out there.

    (a lot of estate cars have boot lips which make a big difference to usability… If you’re carrying heavy or awkward stuff you’ll want to be able to slide it straight in and out)

    You could get something huge- Galaxy etc- but if you’re carrying building materials weight might be a limitation too. And it’s less convenient to have to remove seats than to just fold them flat.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Vw touran, if you can find one for that money. Go for the base diesel model unless you’re bothered about tiny details

    Aye, like a family car with two speakers, no wiring for towbar or more speakers, poor reliability and costly. Good car, but not great. I would not buy another (6 years and 80k in our ours…in garage again for £350 this week)

    MrOvershoot
    Full Member

    higgo – Member

    Have you thought about a Nissan X-Trail?

    I’ve had one for a couple of weeks and really like it.
    Thought you would.

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    Easy. Mk 2 Golf 16v. There are modern hot hatches which wouldn’t know where you went.

    If I’m being sensible, it’d be a vote for the 159 though.

    bruk
    Full Member

    I would go with a 5 series BMW too, drive pretty well and boot is ok too.

    Otherwise Mondeo would be a newer model and more toys most likely!

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    I had the same criteria end ended up with a 1.6 petrol Ford C-max

    Just driven from Derby to Teesside and got 45mpg (usualy anywhere between 39 and 47 depending on how much of a hurry I’m in, somehow the missus got 33 from it when she borrowed it :S, even trying hard I can’t do that! ), with the rear seats out it’s big enough for anything, and the floorpans from the 2nd gen focus, so unlike van based (or plenty of purpose built) MPV’s it goes round corners without inducing sea sickness or rolling into a hedge.

    I’d go for a mk1 focus estate ……they handle really well and diesel would give you 45 mpg

    The petrol does that (with care)!

    Trekster
    Full Member

    I would not buy another (6 years and 80k in our ours…in garage again for £350 this week)

    I would….5yrs and 60k and only needed servicing 😆

    unfitgeezer
    Free Member

    forget the fords vauxhalls and french stuff get a Mercedes diesel c220 estate well withing your budget !

    hora
    Free Member

    Auto diesel Mondeo avoids all the known issues.

    therag
    Free Member

    I’m looking for the same car as a 2nd vehicle because the wife wrote off our old reliable bora. 😉
    Preferably german, but on the odd occasion that I can’t use my van I don’t want to rock up to a trail centre in an Audi a4 estate with bike on top and get stoned to death!
    On the short list
    Mercedes c220
    BMW 320
    Audi a4 sorry
    Passat
    But all I can find for my £4500 has + 115000 miles so may end up going for a c max or mondeo

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)

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