New (used) commuting car advice

Jigglebiz

Cisco thanks , I noticed this in the 2015 Auris that I read drove too. The noise seemed to quieten once it got to a constant speed though.

Cisco001

Jigglebiz wrote: »

Cisco thanks , I noticed this in the 2015 Auris that I read drove too. The noise seemed to quieten once it got to a constant speed though.

i switch on cruise control once hit 70

Yaris hybrid literally make me drive less aggressive due to its engine noise.
Is it a good thing?

Accretion quickly is noisy, i need to be gentle with it and tends to do less overtaking.
Driving at 75 too noisy, stick to 70.

[Deleted User]

You could get a used Leaf or Zoe around that price and able to do that kind of distance. Bonus if you can can charge for free at work, always worth asking as some companies get benefits from allowing it.

Even if you end up paying a little more for an EV you will save so much in petrol and on maintenance (no exhaust, no gearbox, no spark plugs, no radiator, no belts, no oil, even the brakes get less ware) it will be worth it.

foxy-stoat

Jigglebiz wrote: »

Foxy the £6000 Yaris would be out of warranty and would have MOTs from day 1. It would also be an older model (1.33 engine) which I don’t like as much.
Last time I bought a Honda Jazz for about £6.5k that was 4 years old, it has been good but is not suitable for me now as, like the 1.33 Yaris, is underpowered for motorway driving in my opinion.

I stick to Japanese cars for their reliability and have not been disappointed yet.

Well if your next car has to be a Yaris then go for a loan for the maximum you can afford and buy the newest car you can for your £12,500.

My £5k car hasnt let me down in the 45,000 miles/2 years I have owed it. My MOT's cost me £40 a year - no warranty but then in my 27 years of driving I have never had a break-down that would of been covered under a warranty.

DrEskimo

DELETED USER wrote:

You could get a used Leaf or Zoe around that price and able to do that kind of distance. Bonus if you can can charge for free at work, always worth asking as some companies get benefits from allowing it.

Even if you end up paying a little more for an EV you will save so much in petrol and on maintenance (no exhaust, no gearbox, no spark plugs, no radiator, no belts, no oil, even the brakes get less ware) it will be worth it.

I thought about recommending a used EV like a Zoe or Leaf, but reframed for a few reasons:

At £12,500 as their max budget, they are looking at the 24/30kWh Leaf or 22kWh Zoe.

A battery owned 22kWh Zoe is as rare as hen's teeth. It would be around the £10k if you did happen upon one, but then the battery warranty on these were only 5yrs, so there is that to consider. You would also have to make sure the car warranty was either extended or not expired yet, as keeping Renaults warranty on the car is quite important (more important than the battery IMO!).

I also don't think the 22kWh will give a stable range in winter with motorway speeds and slight battery degradation (although it's generally minimal on the Zoes').

So that leaves the 41kWh Zoe, battery owned. If they are lucky, they might found one around the £15k mark, and the extended 8yr warranty on the battery would be a bonus. Precisely why I went for this model myself. Range would also be no problem, as 130 in winter and 180 in summer is more than feasible.....But it's a fair increase in budget, and they are hard to find at that price point.

So that leaves the Leaf, where a 24kWh probably won't cut it, and a 30kWh would be much more expensive (around the 40kWh Zoe price). Again, you have concerns on warranty and degradation on the Leaf is much more pronounced....

So a decent 40kWh battery owned Zoe or 30kWh Leaf with £12,500 budget is a tall order....

Jigglebiz

Thanks, it’s good to hear perspectives on EVs. My instinct is that we wouldn’t get a good enough one for our budget - although I am interested in EVs and have the driveway space to add a fast charging point in future.
No facility to charge at work unfortunately.
Going to test drive a Yaris hybrid later this week but am edging toward a petrol manual at £9.5k or even less if I’m willing to travel to buy it. Probably put the £6k down as deposit then finance the rest on 0% HP over 2 years.

DrEskimo

Jigglebiz wrote: »

Thanks, it’s good to hear perspectives on EVs. My instinct is that we wouldn’t get a good enough one for our budget - although I am interested in EVs and have the driveway space to add a fast charging point in future.
No facility to charge at work unfortunately.
Going to test drive a Yaris hybrid later this week but am edging toward a petrol manual at £9.5k or even less if I’m willing to travel to buy it. Probably put the £6k down as deposit then finance the rest on 0% HP over 2 years.

With home charging, you can sign up to an EV electric tariff like the one from Octopus called GO. This allows you to charge the car from 00:30-04:30 for only £0.05 per kWh. Given your mileage of about 15,000 per year, that would roughly equal 150 full charge cycles on a 41kWh Renault Zoe (averages around 150miles range over the year). 100 charges of a 41kWh battery would be 4,100kWh in total energy over the year, and at £0.05/kWh, that amounts to a yearly 'fuel' cost of £205....

According to this fuel calculator, 15,000 miles at 55MPG and £1.30/lt (assuming no increases over the year) you're paying £1,600 in fuel costs.

So a £1,400 saving in fuel, or £117/month. Also got the VED saving of about £12/month. Feasibly, you could roll these savings into the cost of the finance for the EV.

If the £12,500 Yaris is £6k down, and £6,500 on 0% finance over 24months, that's £270/month, plus the £130/month in fuel, plus the £12/month in VED. Total £412/month.

A £15,000 41kWh battery owned Zoe would be £9,000 on 0% finance over 24months, that's £375. Electricity is £17/month and no VED. Total £392/month..

Then there is the fact that the EV market is very strong, so depreciation is much lower (although that makes it difficult to find one for £15k in the first place!), reduced servicing and reduced maintenance costs (brakes & tyres wear much slower, no oil changes, etc.). Overall it will not only amount to cheaper monthly costs over the 24months, but also overall much cheaper total cost of ownership.

Not to mention that the Zoe comes very well equipped relative to the Yaris. The 'automatic' gearbox is unlike anything you have driven (no delay with changes, no jerking and always in the 'powerband') and the instant torque is great. Mine has Android Auto, reversing camera, climate control, Sat Nav, DAB, auto lights/wipers and even the ability to schedule heating/cooling at set periods (think fully warm and defrosted car at 6am in the depths of December!).

This is what led me to decide on the Zoe as a cheap short commuter....maybe don't write it off yet...!

Jigglebiz

DrEskimo thanks for running the figures, an EV does make sense when put like that...
I will have a look at whether there are any 40kw Zoes about and might request a test drive as I’m curious.
Octopus energy already supply us so the tariff you mentioned is of interest too.
If an EV is out of our reach this time I’ll probably get a £9k ish petrol yaris and try and put aside some cash for an EV to replace our other car (11yr old honda jazz that the other half needs for work).

DrEskimo

Jigglebiz wrote: »

DrEskimo thanks for running the figures, an EV does make sense when put like that...
I will have a look at whether there are any 40kw Zoes about and might request a test drive as I’m curious.
Octopus energy already supply us so the tariff you mentioned is of interest too.
If an EV is out of our reach this time I’ll probably get a £9k ish petrol yaris and try and put aside some cash for an EV to replace our other car (11yr old honda jazz that the other half needs for work).

No problem!

If you are near Milton Keynes, you can hire one for up to 7days for a nominal fee. I found it useful, and was also able to get a refund on the hire cost when I finally bought my own!

https://evexperiencecentre.co.uk/

This is where the biggest catch is though...finding a battery owned 41kWh Zoe is not easy. There is no shortage of battery leased 41kWh Zoe's (I personally don't think these offer similar cost savings), but it took me around 6months before I finally found mine. I still look most days (habit..) and I haven't seen a well priced one in months....I imagine you can get a Yaris from a local dealer tomorrow!

I think more will come to market as we approach 3yrs since the first lot were launched and are ending the typically 3yr lease/PCP though.

Jigglebiz

I’ve booked a test drive for the Zoe tomorrow , so I’ll give it a go.
I was wondering that if I do end up going with EV, that PCP or leasing is often a wise choice because of the changing technology? Or is that not true?
Had a look at used Zoe’s and as you said the battery owned ones are very rare.
New Zoe’s aren’t as eye wateringly expensive as I thought due to the govt contribution. Was quoted on carwow £5600 as a deposit and £202 for 40 months at 10,000 miles but I don’t know what the MFV would be.
Anyway will test drive , see if I like it First. On a bit of a tight timescale now.