can i get a new(ish) family car cheaper then my current one is costing me?

gtanny

Hi,

i currently run an 03 mondeo that i got for £500 when i went bankrupt last january (long story but the other area of this board got me through it) it has 230k on the clock and costs £53 a month in insurance, £180 a month in average in fuel (about 1000 miles a month roughly 30mpg) and is £135 every 6 months for tax this is averaging about £240 a month and thats excluding any issues like its due for new tyres soon and the MOT is up next month and i know there are a few minor issues but i think it will fail

size is an issue as i have a wife and a 4yr old daughter with number 2 due end of next month so boot space for buggy and general kid stuff is a must so a C1 size car isnt suitable but im just after some advice on if its worth paying the stupid fuel and tax costs on a stupidly high mileage car when a slightly smaller car may be much cheaper

few details,
im 26 with 8 years no claims (soon to be 9) but it is kept on the road overnight.
daily run to work is 14 miles each way 50:50 motorway and stop start busy docks about 25 mins
im not interested in a 'fun' car as i cruse everywhere i enjoy a relaxing drive im rarely in a rush.

with my financial background i know credit may be an issue but my dad be my guatentor

any help will be great, im willing to go used but only if its worth while (im a big focus fan but i feel they will be out my budget)

Notmyrealname

Car finance will cost you about £200 a month. So over 1000 miles per month that adds 20p per mile. At the moment the fuel costs you 20p per mile so running a car that costs you £200 a month in repayments for 1000 miles per month will nearly double the cost. Also your insurance will rise quite considerably.

Unless you can pay for it outright, you're not going to be better off. If it can do 60MPG you'll probably break even but there is no way you're going to be saving money and a car that can do 60MPG is going to be a small one.

Oh and finance isn't just an issue, it'll be impossible even with a guarantor except possibly for places that charge 30%+APR so you end up paying back twice what you bought it for. BTW did you apply to be discharged?

rodenal

Your mondeo is at the age now where I think your best option is to keep it and run it until it's truly uneconomical to repair whilst sticking a little in the bank each month for a replacement. Likelyhood is you'll get at least another year out of the car without spending major money, if you can do this and save even 6/700 for a new car you'll be laughing. Only you will know how you feel about the cars overall condition - if it's absolutely hanging then it could be time to get rid, but I think i'd be spending between £500 and £1000 on something similar.

What will probably save you the most is if you tackle some of the jobs on the car yourself, if you think it'll fail on suspension / brake issues then the majority of these are easy diy tasks and you could save an easy couple of hundred in labour costs.

Loganfire

All ways make me laugh when people say size matters ( NO PUN ) but down sizing is never a bad thing I have a family, wife two kids dog etc and we can all fit into a polo. You want to cut costs then you need to think of a smaller car plenty out there.

gtanny

I have been looking at the kia rio ecothingymajig that advertises 80+mpg which would reduce my fuel costs to around £80 a month with zero road tax or mot for 3 years, i know the finance will still be around £200 a month but without the worry of tax coming around.

Ill have a look into insurance tonight.

Alternativly ill look at some used cars see what there running costs are

Btw notmyrealname i got automatic discharge after 6 months

pitkin2020

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Car finance will cost you about £200 a month. So over 1000 miles per month that adds 20p per mile. At the moment the fuel costs you 20p per mile so running a car that costs you £200 a month in repayments for 1000 miles per month will nearly double the cost. Also your insurance will rise quite considerably.

Unless you can pay for it outright, you're not going to be better off. If it can do 60MPG you'll probably break even but there is no way you're going to be saving money and a car that can do 60MPG is going to be a small one.

Oh and finance isn't just an issue, it'll be impossible even with a guarantor except possibly for places that charge 30%+APR so you end up paying back twice what you bought it for. BTW did you apply to be discharged?

Really?? I get 60mpg from a 1.8 petrol avensis estate when on a run 50mpg around a mix of A-roads/B roads. 2.0TDi A4 avant a friend bought a few months ago has been averaging 65mpg and thats being used daily on a 20 mile run each way on windy country roads.

Other avensis owners with the 2.0 D4D engine are claiming over 70 mpg as being achievable which wouldn't surprise me.

Notmyrealname

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Really?? I get 60mpg from a 1.8 petrol avensis estate when on a run 50mpg around a mix of A-roads/B roads. 2.0TDi A4 avant a friend bought a few months ago has been averaging 65mpg and thats being used daily on a 20 mile run each way on windy country roads.

Other avensis owners with the 2.0 D4D engine are claiming over 70 mpg as being achievable which wouldn't surprise me.

I think you'll find reality and the trip computer are two different things. My Mondeo is over optimistic by about 5% comparing trip computer to what I put in the tank.

pitkin2020

Notmyrealname wrote: »

I think you'll find reality and the trip computer are two different things. My Mondeo is over optimistic by about 5% comparing trip computer to what I put in the tank.

Thanks for the tip but I am fully aware, hence why only give MPG figures after using the brim to brim method. Although I have to say the MPG computer in my car is only out by about 2 MPG so its pretty close.

forgotmyname

80+mpg in the manufacturers specified tests, ie a simulated drive in a wind tunnel with no traffic.

In real life your going to get 40 - 60 in most diesel cars.

My mondeo diesel does low 30's because of my short journey's in heavy traffic. On a fairly clear run
on A roads i can exceed 50mpg though.

mikey72

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Really?? I get 60mpg from a 1.8 petrol avensis estate when on a run 50mpg around a mix of A-roads/B roads. 2.0TDi A4 avant a friend bought a few months ago has been averaging 65mpg and thats being used daily on a 20 mile run each way on windy country roads.

Other avensis owners with the 2.0 D4D engine are claiming over 70 mpg as being achievable which wouldn't surprise me.

That's impressive, Toyota only claim 40mpg for the petrol, and the best diesel D4D is only claims to be 51mpg.

forgotmyname

Tried some new batteries in the calculator?

Or someone else uses the car and fills up and doesnt tell you. 60mpg average over a full tank in 1.8 petrol?