Suggestions for an economical run around?

TradePro

steve-L wrote: »

BMW 330D 2006 with 100k = £6000, extra urban = 50 mpg fuel cost @1.40, annual milage 10,000 depreciation of 3500 over 6 years and 60,000 miles (my car so I know the price I paid)
(£3500 price of a 11 year old 330 with 180,000 on autotrader)
Insurance = 400, road tax = 180
vs

Nissan Micra 2007 with 30k, 1,4 petrol = £6000 (autotrader), extra urban = 50 mpg, fuel cost @ 1.30 annual milage 10,000 depreciation of 4500 over 6 years and 60,000 miles insurance = 180, road tax = 80

TOTAL COST of BMW 330D = 2856.21/yr
TOTAL COST of MICRA 1,4 = 2778.63/yr

So correct the 3L BMW is not worth buying when you can have a Micra and save £80/yr. Over 6 years that's £480 saved with the Micra so long as it doesn't break or need a new clutch at 100,000 ... which isn't then end of the world but costs more than the car is worth.

Sorry Steve, but I think you have your 'German-tinted glasses' on...

1) I doubt the 330D will do a true 50mpg (I know it's capable of doing so if you really try hard) day in, day out. Also, what are the 330D's like for oil consumption? Micra will barely use a drop.

2) Is it really going to still be worth £2500 at 13 years old and with 160k covered? (I'm guessing the example is an 'asking' price)

3) There's no way the car will reach 13yrs/160k without LOTS of maintenenance and repair money spent on it, unless you are super, super, super lucky

4) I guess tyres will cost 3 times as much as the Micra, etc...

I accept that I am more of a fan of Japanese cars (and with good reason due to extensive experience with both) but be assured, the difference will be much, much more than £80 per annum

fivetide

TradePro wrote: »

Sorry Steve, but I think you have your 'German-tinted glasses' on...

1) I doubt the 330D will do a true 50mpg (I know it's capable of doing so if you really try hard) day in, day out. Also, what are the 330D's like for oil consumption? Micra will barely use a drop.

2) Is it really going to still be worth £2500 at 13 years old and with 160k covered? (I'm guessing the example is an 'asking' price)

3) There's no way the car will reach 13yrs/160k without LOTS of maintenenance and repair money spent on it, unless you are super, super, super lucky

4) I guess tyres will cost 3 times as much as the Micra, etc...

I accept that I am more of a fan of Japanese cars (and with good reason due to extensive experience with both) but be assured, the difference will be much, much more than £80 per annum

Agree. OP asked for a cheap runabout to do 8000 miles a year.

Even the Daily Heil thinks 10k minimum to make diesel worhtwhile.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2130561/Diesel-vs-petrol-Used-diesel-car-cheaper-10-000-miles.html

A 1.2 petrol will not be that far behind a 3.0 diesel, especially when it isn't being used for a long run. Given the typical higher cost of diesel you need to do a lot of miles to make it work. As you can see, i'm not the only one who thinks that.

Not having a go so no need to be defensive, i just don't think a large family saloon/diesel is what the OP was asking for or needs.

steve-L

TradePro wrote: »

Sorry Steve, but I think you have your 'German-tinted glasses' on...

1) I doubt the 330D will do a true 50mpg (I know it's capable of doing so if you really try hard) day in, day out. Also, what are the 330D's like for oil consumption? Micra will barely use a drop.

My present daily commute is about the same as the OP (30m/day), I get just over 50mpg (driving economically)... weekends I get less because I don't drive so economically. (But then its the weekly commute that pays for the car in a way)
Never had to add any oil between services

2) Is it really going to still be worth £2500 at 13 years old and with 160k covered? (I'm guessing the example is an 'asking' price)

Yes and obviously the calculator doesn't take inflation into account but it will still be a saleable car (i.e. worth more than scrap)

3) There's no way the car will reach 13yrs/160k without LOTS of maintenenance and repair money spent on it, unless you are super, super, super lucky

I'll wait and see.... however so far I really don't see much difference to my Honda that my OH drives....(on running costs)

4) I guess tyres will cost 3 times as much as the Micra, etc...

Yes.. tyres will be more, especially if driven hard....

I accept that I am more of a fan of Japanese cars (and with good reason due to extensive experience with both) but be assured, the difference will be much, much more than £80 per annum

I also have a Accord. (TDCI exec) now driven by my OH....
It got 111,000 before 1st clutch and 180,000 before it needed a DMF. Its more expensive to change the clutch (by a fair way) than a RWD BMW. (£1050 at a local garage = 8 hrs labour)

BMW has 125,000 on first clutch, and will need another soon, will change DMF at the same time (unless its really pristine which I doubt) and this will cost me <£800 (at BMW specialist = 4 hrs labour)

Accord needed the Turbo cleaned at 175,000 .... (£250) plus some miscellaneous (suspension, steering about £300 in 30,000 miles)
A new battery, wipers ....

I can put in the Accord (on running costs) and its similar to the BMW.... (forgetting the previous owner had the VSA fail ...)

fivetide wrote:

Even the Daily Heil thinks 10k minimum to make diesel worhtwhile.

Those figures are for NEW cars......

If you look at residuals on a used 3yr old+ car then they have almost nothing to do with it and increasingly less as the car gets older and more miles. Those figures include initial depreciation off the forecourt.

People keep pointing at the 10k figure (which is for new cars) and misleading people (and probably themselves) unintentionally., its a big urban myth that 10k applies to all diesels. It's an average for NEW cars.

Buy a copy of (or if your a MSE cheapskate browse in WH Smiths for free) Parkers and look at the adjustment bands for 10k miles....
A 3yr old decent diesel (preferably not French) will reduce in value much less per 10k than the Micra.

My (present)commute is 30m/d and I still do over 10k/yr by the time other stuff is thrown in.

but be assured, the difference will be much, much more than £80 per annum

See, Im not convinced.... and I chose a quite extreme example, I could have used the Honda ..... and
This all assumes the Micra doesn't break.... in which case Nissan would need to be way way more reliable than Honda....

In the meantime sitting or driving in either the Accord or 330 is much more pleasant than a Micra IMHO.....

I also don't believe that the difference between Japanese and German car's is as big as you make out.... I'm not saying they are not reliable however I don't believe its quite so chalk and cheese.


edits after reading article:
Even after reading I don't believe it's sound unless you go with the average change the car every 3 years and other averages etc.

Every time you change car you lose money (with rare exceptions).... say £400-500 on average.
If you buy a diesel even with 100,000+ you can run it for way beyond 6 years....
We currently had the Honda more than 3 and have no intention at all of changing it for another 6....

mymiisfitterthanme

Thanks everyone, in the end I went for a Peugeot 107.... and I love it! I've never had a car that uses so little petrol, it's fun to drive and was only £20 tax for the year. Fully comp insurance was less than £150 which was very welcome.

Sure, I'm not going to be getting anywhere superfast in it (I haven't been above 50 yet!) but, it's cheap to run and that's what I was after.