With the new job having daily motorway miles I think it’s about time I switched to a more modern diesel that is cost effective.

Budget is around £5 maximum and the lower the age, insurance and tax the better.

I’ve got 8 years no claims and I’m a 30+ male so insurance tends to be ok.

So far I’ve looked at:

Hyundai I30
Citroen c4 1.6 hdi
Kia Cee’d

All the above have good insurance groups and are £30 or less road tax. All have around 50.000 on the clock too.

All are 2008 models too.

Is there anything else I should be considering?

I’ve looked at Golf TDI but in budget all have over 100.000 miles.

Cheers all

Have you thought of increasing your budget at all?

Skoda Octavia?

or in true STW fashion a
330d beamer for £350 a month
a 5l turbo charged 3mpg beast with winter tyres

Have you thought of increasing your budget at all?

+1

😆

I would have thought that for what I need it for a 50.000 08 diesel would be a good buy within budget.

Is there an issue with that sort if age or mileage?

Why do people think I need to up the budget?

These are genuine questions by the way not having a go.

Why do people think I need to up the budget?

Budget is around £5

Not the 1.6 c4 thats for sure. A 2.0 hdi one yes but 1.6 exploding turbo of doom nooooo.

Honda civic 2.2ctdi. Over 50mpg, pretty powerful and absolutely cavernous with the back seats folded down flat.

Andyl that’s helpful mate.

I’m asking because are people saying I can’t get a car for that budget?

Am I being unrealistic with my budget? I just want a more economical car and a diesel for my motorway miles.

My current car is an 04 Astra petrol.

£5 barely gets you a car magazine these days mate

Read your post again mosey

Think I’m missing something here.

I just asked would people explain the reasons for upping the budget.

🙂

Chuckling away here. STW at its best. Chill out mate, its Spring…. 😀

£5…£5k

Not sure if they have dropped into the £5k range yet, but having had a few modern diesels, I’d happily buy a Toyota D4D Auris. To be honest, your not going to go that far wrong unless you buy a 1.6 TDCi Focus. Avoid that engine like the plague.

Work out the total cost of owning & running first though. Petrols usually cheaper to buy, & the saving in fuel over a year has to be significant to make them pay in the long run. Our next family runabout will be a petrol.

Ha ha ha ha ha apologies everyone.

I’ll get my coat.

Its because you said £5, not the £5k you meant.

You should be fine at that budget.

I don’t have a suggestion but after a sleepless night with a new baby this has made me chuckle 🙂

Andyl that’s helpful mate.

Ha ha ha ha ha apologies everyone.

I’ll get my coat.

I thought i was being obvious enough for you to get we were pulling your leg without spelling it out! 😆

Avoid Vauxhall and Renault

Check out Focus pricing. (not looked myself)

edit: just looked at Foci, definitely doable and the ride should be better than any on your list above

Ha it wasn’t you mate it was me worrying about budget.

It’s STW so it has to be Audi – A3 should fit yiour needs/budget
Got an A4, like it a lot

VW anything, there’s a reason they cost more.

jekkyl – Member 
VW anything, there’s a reason they cost more.

Correct, it’s because they are overpriced.

Anything Japanese will be most reliable, Toyota, Honda, Mazda.

VW anything, there’s a reason they cost more.

Disillusioned much ?

Mondeo would give you more car for your money

To be honest, your not going to go that far wrong unless you buy a 1.6 TDCi Focus. Avoid that engine like the plague.

+100000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I bought an ’09 Focus Estate 1.6 TDCi approx 10 days ago. It’s been back to the garage 3 times with Engine Malfunctions of various sorts (they’ve replaced several hoses, the solenoid and the turbo) and the light came on again yesterday on the way to work. I’m taking it back tomorrow for good! From what i understand, the same engine is used in both Peugeot and Citroën cars.

Yes euro it is thats why you hear of so many issues with them.

Large amounts of it down to poor maintainance schedule and poor maintainance. Change the oil and ALL the filters regularly – be absolutely sure it has a full service history done every year /milage interval to the letter and no sign of a replacement turbo and it should be grand.

This car has to do Stockport to Oldham on a daily basis and Stockport Rotherham on a weekend.

I figured with that mileage a diesel would be far mor economical, plus £30 road tax beats my £110 for 6 months now.

From what i understand, the same engine is used in both Peugeot and Citroën cars.

It is a Peugeot / Citroën engine, but it is at its most unreliable form when in a Ford. Somehow Ford managed to completely cock up the oil feed to the turbo causing endless problems. It’s very well documented- avoid!

Ford Cmax. Essentially a Focus but much more room.

They have the same issues in partners and berlingos mike – id argue theres just simply more fords out there.

The C4 had pretty good reviews too but now I’m worried.

Getting the road tax down is a massive plus.

Roadtax reduction is a red herring – depreciation and economy are the real car costs. Esp with your insuance history its unlikely to be megabucks on any car

I could change to a car that gets zero road tax – would cost me 5 grand to do it – ill continue to drive my older simpler to fix more expensive to tax car thanks.

Yeah I understand that. To be honest I drove a diesel for 6 years and the motorway mile savings were worth it.

Work is a 40ish minute motorway commute so the engine would be warmed up.

The Astra is getting on now and it makes sense to trade it in whilst I’d still get a good price for it.

Also I could tax the new car for 3 years compared to 6 months on the Astra.

I appreciate all the advice. Really gives me something to think about.

I don’t get this fixation with road tax. The difference between £30 and what you are paying now is about two tanks of fuel- whoopee doo.
As said above depreciation and fuel are the biggest motoring costs*, road tax (or vehicle excise duty for the pedants) is a drop in the ocean compared to those.
I recently repaired a car belonging to an old duffer who told me with great pride how he had traded in his old Jazz for this new hybrid “No road tax, you know. I don’t want to give that b*****d George Osborne a single penny I don’t have to”
I didn’t like to mention the four grand VAT he had just paid…

*Unless you buy a French car, in which case you need to factor in large repair bills as well.**

**A slight generalisation, granted. I’m sure there must be the odd reliable French car out there.

But roadtax is a big outlay for some people. Finding £100 every 6 months can be hard compared to £30 for the year.

I’m judging this compared to what I currently own.

I’m guessing that means the Citreon is out then 🙂

I’d be looking at Foci with the 2.0 TDCI, they’re relatively uncommon as everyone bought the horrible 1.6 petrol and horribler 1.6 diesel but doable in your price range with a nice spec, good to drive (though most at this price will be mk2s and they’re not the best ergonomically).

Do you know what the road tax (12 months) is on the 2.0TDCI?

But its easier to find x grand to buy an in vogue car with 30 quid tax.

Never mind – just means that the better quality examples of the 200quid tax catagory depreciates even quicker into my price range and the masses fall over them selves to buy low road tax models.

MoseyMTB – Member

Do you know what the road tax (12 months) is on the 2.0TDCI?

F I think, £140. Wouldn’t even be a consideration for me personally, as long as it’s out of the mad bands.

MoseyMTB – Member 
Do you know what the road tax (12 months) is on the 2.0TDCI?

Ok, your £5000 car will probably depreciate by £1000-£1500 over the course of the year and you’ll probably spend more on that on fuel. Service and mot will add another £200-£300. Add on insurance and you are probably looking at a cost of £3000 to run the car for a year. *
So does it matter if the road tax is £100 more? It is a tiny fraction of the cost of running your car. Depreciation and reliability should be top of your wish list, road tax is insignificant.

* And thats assuming nothing breaks- modern turbodiesels are very finicky and large bills are not uncommon.

Civic 2.2 diesel would be in budget and tick those boxes. Huge boot for the size of car, and the flip-up seats are ace. No DPF to cause issues either. Tax is £125pa but I’d take the higher tax over potential DPF costs – and soon you won’t be able to just remove them, they have to be present for MOT.