running one car

littleD

I could use some advise about cars please.

At the moment we run two cars, a Pajero Exceed which is a great car, only has 50k on the clock and is used because we often need the room it provides BUT it is thirsty, the other is a little Renault Clio £35 year road tax, low insurance and runs on fresh (diesel) air- this is the one we use the most for day to day usage, but it is too tiny for long distances and the Pajero is too thirsty for long distances.

We can now manage with one car and would like the best of both worlds, space and economy - could any one suggest any cars that fit these requirements please? Thanks in advance

vikingaero

A roofbox for the Clio?

AdrianHi

An estate car rather than a 4x4 would seem to be the answer.
Skoda Octavia Estate, possible the 110bhp or 130bhp diesel might be a good option. There is even a 4x4 version if you really need that. You should see 45-50mpg or more on long trips.

I seem to remember getting about 26mpg out of a petrol Pajero and that was motorway cruising. I had it as a loan car while my Galant was in for service a few years ago now.

LandyAndy

littleD wrote: »

I could use some advise about cars please.

At the moment we run two cars, a Pajero Exceed which is a great car, only has 50k on the clock and is used because we often need the room it provides BUT it is thirsty, the other is a little Renault Clio £35 year road tax, low insurance and runs on fresh (diesel) air- this is the one we use the most for day to day usage, but it is too tiny for long distances and the Pajero is too thirsty for long distances.

We can now manage with one car and would like the best of both worlds, space and economy - could any one suggest any cars that fit these requirements please? Thanks in advance

So which, unsuitable, car do you use for long journeys now?

How old are the cars you have now?

What is your budget for a replacement?

How many of you are there?

How often do you make 'long' journeys?

Would something like a Ford Focus be large enough or do you need more space than that?

forgotmyname

Roofbox will kill your mpg, fit a towbar and get a small camping trailer.

When i have been to cornwall without the roofbox i have a quarter of a tank of fuel left, With the box fitted i am on the red, Took 40 miles+ off a tank of fuel.

Rolandtheroadie

Is the pajero a diesel?

AdrianHi

I see fuel consumption increase by about 2mpg with the roof box on on the trip to Cornwall, not a vast difference, it is about 5% and around 30-40 miles over a whole tank. Assumes 70mph cruising.

I wonder what effect the increased rolling resistance of towing a trailer would do to mpg and how it compares with having a decent modern aerodynamic roof box.

Either way it's a lot less fuel used than the Pajero, but then having just one vehicle will be money saving even if the vehicle you keep is the "expensive" one.

littleD

Thank you for the replies, based on these I'll add some more detail.

On long journeys (to caravan/general sightseeing etc) the Clio is too small for 3 adults and one large dog ( I end up being squashed in the back with the dog) and the boot space is only really big enough for a small shopping trip, also my husband goes fishing with his friend and can only fit in one lot of gear - so we end up using the Pajero (diesel, but still thirsty) for these type of trips and using the Clio for general day to day needs, the roofbox/trailer wouldn't solve the problem.

Now we can manage with one car we are looking at maybe an estate or MPV with space enough for passengers to be comfortable and also enough space should we need to transport lots of gear ie: fishing bags/holiday items etc, but a vehicle that we can get the most economy from as it will also be used for short daily trips.

thanks again

LandyAndy

littleD wrote: »

Thank you for the replies, based on these I'll add some more detail.

On long journeys (to caravan/general sightseeing etc) the Clio is too small for 3 adults and one large dog ( I end up being squashed in the back with the dog) and the boot space is only really big enough for a small shopping trip, also my husband goes fishing with his friend and can only fit in one lot of gear - so we end up using the Pajero (diesel, but still thirsty) for these type of trips and using the Clio for general day to day needs, the roofbox/trailer wouldn't solve the problem.

Now we can manage with one car we are looking at maybe an estate or MPV with space enough for passengers to be comfortable and also enough space should we need to transport lots of gear ie: fishing bags/holiday items etc, but a vehicle that we can get the most economy from as it will also be used for short daily trips.

thanks again

And how much are you intending to spend?

I'm, unsurprisingly, going to suggest a Mazda6 estate. A 2 litre petrol will probably be best for you. Bags of room, decent fuel consumption, a good drive and very reliable.

Hintza

LandyAndy wrote: »

And how much are you intending to spend?

I was thinking of an Octavia Estate (or of budget is tight an old Passat Estate...legendary mpg)

However I find VAG Group cars a little too low for our lane.

AdrianHi

Mazda 6 usually gets my vote too but with the early up to about 2006 (previous model and before facelife) cars the diesel needs avoiding (relibility issues, not that economical and big services bill around the 72K miles time) and the estate has a different suspension set up to the saloon and hatchback resulting in a much too harsh ride ... for our tastes anyway. Wifes car is a 2003 Mazda 6 hatchback.