Cheap motorway driving

ncfcfan

Hi there

I have a new job which means I’ll be travelling from Birmingham to Reading 2 days a week.

we only have one car right now, a Kia sportage but my wife will need to use this for her work and to drive the kids around. So we need another motor.

We’re trying to keep costs down here. And unfortunately im in a state of paralysis when it comes to this decision. We obviously need an additional car to keep to these work commitments. 

We have a budget of around £2.5-£3k. We’ve been out of the car market for a few years now so it’s unclear what is good value. 

We need something economical, family sized, low insurance band. Good for motorway driving. Scared of being ripped off by someone on Facebook. What is recommended?

p00hsticks

I presume you've discounted the idea of travelling by rail ?

oldernonethewiser

Why do you need another family sized car?

Would a smallish one for your commute not be sufficient?

tacpot12

Skoda Fabia 1.4 TDI (Euro 6) would be my choice for a small commuting car. Zero Road Tax to pay and should get about 60mpg on a long run. 

Bigwheels1111

500 miles for two trips. A diesel is a must.

Pre April 2017 is a good bet as road tax was very cheap, some are £0.00 a year.

This might change next your but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Also dropping your speed from 70 to 60 or 65mph makes a big differance on mpg.

My 5008, 1.6 bluehdi does 45mpg on a run at 70mph.

At 65 on cruise which is 62mph I get 58mpg.

Nobbie1967

BMW 1 series diesel are good for motorway cruising and big enough for the family. Plenty to choose from and £35 tax. Something like this maybe https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407312349880?sort=price-asc&aggregatedTrim=116d&make=BMW&model=1%20Series&page=2&postcode=sk94bg&radius=1500&year-to=2020&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra

sheslookinhot

Another recommendation for the Skoda. Maybe an Octavia if you want a bigger car. You cannot go wrong with a well maintained car.

fatbelly

The Fabia is a solid little car. I particularly like the estate version. Had an early model that I regret selling.

At that price you may be looking at a 1.6 or 1.9 diesel. Both engines worth considering

Also consider Kia Ceed, Hyundai i30

born_again

ncfcfan said:

Hi there

I have a new job which means I’ll be travelling from Birmingham to Reading 2 days a week.

we only have one car right now, a Kia sportage but my wife will need to use this for her work and to drive the kids around. So we need another motor.

We’re trying to keep costs down here. And unfortunately im in a state of paralysis when it comes to this decision. We obviously need an additional car to keep to these work commitments. 

We have a budget of around £2.5-£3k. We’ve been out of the car market for a few years now so it’s unclear what is good value. 

We need something economical, family sized, low insurance band. Good for motorway driving. Scared of being ripped off by someone on Facebook. What is recommended?

So what sort of mileage does your wife do & does she actually need the Sportage, so you could use that for the 2 days a week?

Something like a older EV (Leaf or Zoe) if you can stretch the budget a bit, if she does not travel far each day? Would be far cheaper to run than a petrol/diesel car. 

Goudy

I agree with perhaps getting a small diesel.
For your budget, I would look less at the car and more at which engine.

My favourite small diesel is the 1.5 DCi (K9K) which was developed in conjunction with Renault/Nissan/Mercedes that got fitted to a host of models from these and other manufacturers. (like the Infinity Q30)

It was a pretty clean engine right off the bat so they don't suffer as much from problems that other manufacturers suffered when they strangled their diesel engines to meet emission standards.

They fitted this engine in the diesel Dacia Sandero and that will fit right into your budget if you can live with a bit of low rent interior trim. In fact it's the best version of the Sandero.

It also went in the Nissan Note, another car that should be in budget.

boxosox

p00hsticks said:

I presume you've discounted the idea of travelling by rail ?

They clearly say cheap.  Train would be hugely more expensive.