Spec me a car ?

simon06

Looking for a cheap to run and insure small car 3 door for around 2k to 3k that will happily chug along and chew up many miles.

Criteria :
Good on a motorway cruising for hours.
Really good on fuel at least 50 mpg at a minimum.
Cheap insurance + tax.
Reliable.
Cheap parts and easy to service.

Suggestions ?



Thanks

Ebe_Scrooge

I just know I'm gonna get flamed for this, but ....

I've got a Peugeot 307 diesel, I do about 500 miles per week. I'm averaging 52 mpg, mixture of town, motorway and open country roads ( where I must admit I don't exactly drive economically - I think "spirited" is the word ! ). Never had a problem with it in the 3 years I've had it, bought it at 5 years old. Only thing I've ever done is service it myself, regular oil & filter changes, I can't fault it.

The Nissan Micra and Fiat Panda always seem to get good press - not sure how comfortable they'd be for long motorway munching though.

avantra

If you ignore the the road tax consideration and size (which you should if you want a bit comfort over long journeys) I will look for a good example mk 4 VW Passat (2001-2005) with the famous PD 130 Turbo Diesel.

We have one and at 200k miles and ownership of about 9 years we hardly had any issues. It is about £150 a year to insure in our case and tax is at £180 this year, returns around 50mpg on the motorway and it is quiet (for a diesel) and comfortable.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311049673960/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/body-type/saloon/fuel-type/diesel/transmission/manual/radius/1500/maximum-mileage/up_to_90000_miles/model/passat/postcode/gl116hx/page/2/make/volkswagen?logcode=p

BeenThroughItAll

avantra wrote: »

If you ignore the the road tax consideration and size (which you should if you want a bit comfort over long journeys) I will look for a good example mk 4 VW Passat (2001-2005) with the famous PD 130 Turbo Diesel.

We have one and at 200k miles and ownership of about 9 years we hardly had any issues. It is about £150 a year to insure in our case and tax is at £180 this year, returns around 50mpg on the motorway and it is quiet (for a diesel) and comfortable.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311049673960/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/body-type/saloon/fuel-type/diesel/transmission/manual/radius/1500/maximum-mileage/up_to_90000_miles/model/passat/postcode/gl116hx/page/2/make/volkswagen?logcode=p

Or for better spec, more space and otherwise identical bar the extra 20cm of length, a Skoda Superb will fit your budget, and you should be able to get a PD130 manual with all the toys in Elegance spec on a 2004+ plate.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

the above and to ad to the list rover 75 CDTI (bmw engine) many people go on about how MPG can reach as much as 50-70MPG on motorway trips.


cheap parts and reliable.


as with all cars do your research first then look at them later with knowledge for what to look out for.

getmore4less

Why 3 door
Why small

For good economy and reliable the 1.9PD in VAG group cars give a lot of choice.

What's the budget for the vehicle?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

getmore4less wrote: »

Why 3 door
Why small

For good economy and reliable the 1.9PD in VAG group cars give a lot of choice.

What's the budget for the vehicle?

2-3k.


I know small cars can offer good MPG on motorways with a hit to comfort, I hated driving a small fiesta on the motorway my bum went numb the horrible seats, my back ached after 2 or so hours behind the wheel and I really got fed up with the road noise after a while.


if you do allot of motorways then do it comfort.

jimjames

getmore4less wrote: »

Why 3 door
Why small

For good economy and reliable the 1.9PD in VAG group cars give a lot of choice.

What's the budget for the vehicle?

I'd completely agree with the suggestion for 1.9 PD in a VW/Seat/Audi/Skoda. The 130PD is a delight to drive, great power and economy. Engines that will run and run if properly serviced. Mileage is no issue so don't worry if it is well over 100k as long as all the servicing has been done on time.

Just bought a VW 150PD with over 230k on the clock. VW inspected today and found no issues with it - not bad for a 12 year old car with that mileage which I think is testament to the build of the cars!

wba31

2001-2005 Honda Civic 1.7 diesel.

quite rare in 3 door, but a great car, great to drive, £125 a year tax, group 6 insurance, i could get 70mpg on motorways (if doing 60), normally sat around 55-60mpg at 70...

motorguy

simon06 wrote: »

Looking for a cheap to run and insure small car 3 door for around 2k to 3k that will happily chug along and chew up many miles.

Criteria :
Good on a motorway cruising for hours.
Really good on fuel at least 50 mpg at a minimum.
Cheap insurance + tax.
Reliable.
Cheap parts and easy to service.

Suggestions ?



Thanks

VW Golf 1.9 TDI. Buy privately, check for FSH and timing belt done.

motorguy

getmore4less wrote: »

Why 3 door
Why small

For good economy and reliable the 1.9PD in VAG group cars give a lot of choice.

What's the budget for the vehicle?

Totally agree.