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What's the best car for poor condition roads as well as a motorway commute?
I live in a rural location which means lots of rough roads and potholes, but I commute a 70- mile round trip to work on a motorway, often at rush hour. I don't do much city driving. I want something around four years old, economical and small that can cope with the bad roads but has speed to overtake for around £12,000. I initially looked at SUVs and test drove a Diesel Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi but it felt light and not in touch with the road. It was a bit lacklustre. Now I think i want a small car like an Aygo, an Ignis or Citigo but I am overwhelmed by the varying reviews. Can you advise?
Asked on 22 March 2023 by Sacha Geeson
Answered by
David Ross
This is quite a difficult set of attributes to find in a single car. You say you want something small and economical like a Toyota Aygo or Suzuki Ignis, but cars like this don't tend to come with powerful engines for overtaking, nor are they best-suited to motorways and rough rural roads.
We would suggest a small SUV with a diesel engine, giving you the ability to cope with rough roads but with a useful turn of speed and good fuel economy. For your budget we would look at the Mitsubishi ASX, as it is relatively compact, comes with a choice of two- or four-wheel-drive and 1.8-litre or 2.2-litre diesels engines depending on the year.
Alternatively you could try the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, which is also available with a diesel engine and is well equipped. if you want something smaller, look at a Suzuki Ignis.
We would suggest a small SUV with a diesel engine, giving you the ability to cope with rough roads but with a useful turn of speed and good fuel economy. For your budget we would look at the Mitsubishi ASX, as it is relatively compact, comes with a choice of two- or four-wheel-drive and 1.8-litre or 2.2-litre diesels engines depending on the year.
Alternatively you could try the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, which is also available with a diesel engine and is well equipped. if you want something smaller, look at a Suzuki Ignis.
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