Choosing the proper car/engine size for 50-mile commute in London highways

alihd

I am confused about what engine size is more suitable for me. It's very confusing what kind of car is best for me now. I need to buy a used car (£2-3K budget) for commuting on either of these roads every day:

• “A40, M25” (50 miles round-trip, higher speed limit) or 
• “M4, M25” (40 miles round-trip, lower speed limit / more traffic).

My main objectives when choosing the car are "safety", "running cost", and "maintenance costs"; NOT the "how it feels" aspects.

The question is whether to choose from:

• Option A: Small 1.0L cars such as Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108, and Volkswagen Up which have an MPG around 60-70MPG. 
• Option B: Medium-sized 1.2 L cars such as Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Corsa, with and MPG around 50MPG
• Option C: Larger cars with 1.5L-1.8L such as Ford Focus or the 1.5L version of the Option B cars, with an MPG below 50.
  

The insurance and fuel costs are usually much lower on small-engine cars, but I have two concerns:

• Concern 1: I have heard that "small-sized" cars (in terms of cabin size, like Toyota Aygo)  are not safe for a 50-mile commute on motorways like M25 and also A50. 
• Concern 2: I have heard that using a small-engine car (1.0L) for such a high annual mileage of 10K-15K is too much for those engines and hence the engine is very likely to break down, thus the overall cost of maintaining a small car could be actually higher. 

Are these concerns correct? 
What's the best option for my case?

Scrapit

Where are you getting these pieces of info from?
"Not safe"? What does that mean?
"Such a high milage"? You are talking about average milage.
Where you getting these mpg figures from? Also these are petrol only cars I assume? Would you not consider a diesel? Do you need to consider the ULEZ?

alihd

Scrapit said:

Where are you getting these pieces of info from?
"Not safe"? What does that mean?
"Such a high milage"? You are talking about average milage.
Where you getting these mpg figures from? Also these are petrol only cars I assume? Would you not consider a diesel? Do you need to consider the ULEZ?

I do need ULEZ as my area will be well inside the ULEZ area from October 2021.

Concern 2 (safety of small cars in motorways) is regarding the stability of such small cars in motorways. I feel like when I'm in a small car and need to overtake a big vehicle or drive despite a crosswind; the car seems to be out of control, supposedly because the car is lightweight. I don't know whether larger cars are better at this or are safer. (Yes? No?)

If both concerns are invalid, then can we conclude that the smaller cars / engines are more efficient from every single "economic" aspect? Any reasonable incentive for buying a medium-sized car like Toyota Yaris, etc?

(I'm talking about a car for a £2-3K budget so the larger hybrid cars are not an option)

Korkyb

You've said the "feel" of the car doesn't come into it but if being buffeted in a small car by a juggernaut at motorway speed induces brown pant syndrome then one could argue that the feel of a car does play a factor :-)

In the same position as you I'd be looking for a medium sized diesel with low annual tax (maybe something like a Fiesta or Corsa).

Commuting for a reasonable distance in a very small car is going to get very old very quickly.

My daughter drives a 2013 Fiesta & I have to admit its drivers seat is not a bad place to sit. (I normally drive a Jaguar XE).

elsien

I was doing 18,000 annual mileage on the motorway in 1.0 l engine and had no engine issues whatsoever. I did manage to eventually write it off, but that was on a 30 mile an hour single lane.
Make of that what you will. 

cymruchris

Personally I would choose a larger vehicle over something tiny. You say 'the feel' isn't important - you'll change your mind after driving 50 miles a day, 5 days a week, 12 months a year. It won't take long for you to realise that 'the feel' is important. I would ensure that I picked a 'common' car with a 'common' engine, so that spare parts were readily available, and not extortionate in price. Insurance costs are not  based on size of car alone, many other factors come into play, again related to cost and availability of replacement parts and ease of repair. It can be that there are certain cars in your group C that would be similar in insurance cost to those in your group A.  It's not as black and white as you're trying to define it. I'd shortlist some cars that do interest you, get some sample insurance quotes, and then decide from there. 

tacpot12

Having more metal around you is a good idea in an accident. Motorway speeds create a lot of kinetic energy, and you need a lot of metal to absorb this if you get hit. The more you drive on Motorways the more likely it is that you will be involved in an accident of some sort. I would look to the larger size vehicles. Motorway driving also needs a car with reasonable performance, The 1.0 litre vehicles will have slower acceleration, and this can create problems when none would exist in a car with more performance. You don't have to use the excess performance if you don't need it.

I would tend to look to German and Japanese models of family hatchbacks for this sort of commute, unless you are so young and inexperienced that you can't afford to insure them. 

AdrianC

alihd said:

• Concern 1: I have heard that "small-sized" cars (in terms of cabin size, like Toyota Aygo)  are not safe for a 50-mile commute on motorways like M25 and also A50. 
• Concern 2: I have heard that using a small-engine car (1.0L) for such a high annual mileage of 10K-15K is too much for those engines and hence the engine is very likely to break down, thus the overall cost of maintaining a small car could be actually higher. 

These are both cobblers.

Everything is perfectly safe if you don't drive into anything. Small city-cars go through the same crash testing as everything else. Crashing on a motorway in any car is perfectly capable of spoiling more than just your day.

10-15k/yr is not "such a high mileage" - it's a little over average. There's 20ish Aygo/107/C1s for sale on Autotrader with 125k+ miles.
(All three are the exact same car, built in the same factory, just with different badges and mildly different styling)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=TOYOTA&model=AYGO&minimum-mileage=125000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=PEUGEOT&model=107&minimum-mileage=125000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=CITROEN&model=C1&minimum-mileage=125000
The highest mileage is 170k, and reportedly running fine.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010295557142

photome

what happened to the car you already own  ( the one you took the test in). 

In answer to your question , any modern car will be ok to do those journeys/mileage and be safe 

AdrianC

tacpot12 said:

Motorway driving also needs a car with reasonable performance, The 1.0 litre vehicles will have slower acceleration, and this can create problems when none would exist in a car with more performance.

Look around you on any motorway.

How fast do you think a 38t HGV is? Flat out at 56mph, and take ages to get there.

You only need acceleration on a motorway if your observation is so bad that you've got yourself into a situation... Even then, the brakes are more likely to be appropriate. In rush-hour M25/M4 traffic, you'll be simply following nose-to-tail at low speed much of the time (at best).

I would tend to look to German and Japanese models of family hatchbacks for this sort of commute

Given that he's asking about a Toyota, I'd say we've got the "Japanese" angle covered there, wouldn't you?
Do you include Ford Europe and Opel in "German"? If not, why not?

Grumpy_chap

Any of the car types the OP mentioned will be safe and reliable for the sort of mileage and commute that is considered.  

If it were my choice, I would prefer one of the larger (Fiesta / Focus) cars as that will be more comfortable and may even come with a higher equipment specification for largely the same purchase and running costs.  The smaller (108 / Up) cars mentioned are designed and marketed as city cars but that doe snot make them any less reliable for the 50 mile/day if that is what the OP chooses.

Insurance will vary, but for the motorway commute, the actual fuel economy achieved will likely be much-of-a-muchness at around 1 gallon per day for any of the cars.

The OP should see what is available on the week of purchase, but sometimes there can be better value with the larger (Focus / Astra) because demand for the smaller cars (Up / Fiesta) can be very high as there are many learner / new drivers after these smaller cars under the belief (or their parent's belief) that is all they can afford.  Also, don't get hung up on brand - for example a Citigo is every bit as good as an Up.

With buying a car at the £2-3k level, the main thing is to consider is the condition of the car in question, and there was a post recently that gave some good advice in this regard:

Deleted_User said:

It is a bit of a gamble in the £2k range for used car unless you are mechanically minded and can thoroughly inspect the car. My last 3 cars have been in the £2k - £2.5k range and each lasted 3 years before I decided to replace.

My checklist for £2k cars:
1. Minimal number of previous owners - 1 is ideal, rare but can be found
2. Full service history including cambelt change at appropriate age or mileage << ask this question
3. 12 month MOT and check out the MOT history online for clues to the treatment of the car

All the above can be done before even viewing the car. When viewing the car:
1. Exterior check - good body work shows it has been looked after, check tyres for enough tread / all same brand / wheels are not damaged. Check brakes, you can usually see how much pad / disk left. Look under car, any major rust. Check exhaust.
2. Interior - often a reflection on the owner, should be all good, everything working, try all switches, doors, mirrors, windows etc
3. Engine bay - Check all fluids, oil should be clean if just serviced. Check for signs of leaks. 
4. Must take it for a test drive - 10 miles recommended. If they let you out on your own, rag it with some hard acceleration and and emergency stop where safe. Check for any warning lights on dash and any unusual noises. Try everything out, heater, air con, wipers, lights etc.
5. I can spend an hour including a test drive inspecting a car, don't rush.

Don't buy the first car you look at, you can always come back to it, aim to view 3 or 4 to get a feel for what is good / bad before deciding.