What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Motorway mileage muncher
I have a quandry. I live 1 mile down a rutted farm track. I commute 250 (motorway) miles to work each week but the 10 miles at each end of the journey are on rough windy country lanes.
I have long legs requiring a decent footwell and longer seat plus decent legroom in the back seats for 2 tall teenage children and a hatch boot to occasionally carry the dog short distances.
As a physiotherapist, I need to be able to fold the seats down flat to transport a folding treatment couch and other equipment. I am presently driving a Nissan Note 1.4 which ticks most of the boxes and is very economical returning 48-50mpg but I am increasingly finding the long commute in a noisy car very tiring.
By limiting my speed I can quieten the journey (and improve fuel economy) but this extends the journey time. My husband has suggested I look at a bigger engine and cruise control to improve road comfort on long journeys but I don't want to unduly compromise functionality and economy nor the ability to negotiate the farm track.
My pocket is not deep, and I am not a badge collector but wonder if you have any suggestions for an alternative car that might improve the commuting nightmare that is Friday and Sunday evenings!
I have long legs requiring a decent footwell and longer seat plus decent legroom in the back seats for 2 tall teenage children and a hatch boot to occasionally carry the dog short distances.
As a physiotherapist, I need to be able to fold the seats down flat to transport a folding treatment couch and other equipment. I am presently driving a Nissan Note 1.4 which ticks most of the boxes and is very economical returning 48-50mpg but I am increasingly finding the long commute in a noisy car very tiring.
By limiting my speed I can quieten the journey (and improve fuel economy) but this extends the journey time. My husband has suggested I look at a bigger engine and cruise control to improve road comfort on long journeys but I don't want to unduly compromise functionality and economy nor the ability to negotiate the farm track.
My pocket is not deep, and I am not a badge collector but wonder if you have any suggestions for an alternative car that might improve the commuting nightmare that is Friday and Sunday evenings!
Asked on 1 June 2011 by Leh Car
Answered by
Honest John
First thing, thing small wheels and deep profile tyres to cope with the tracks. 15" with 195/65 R15 tyres are much better then 16" with 205/55 R16 tyres, for instance. The figure after the forward slash relates to the depth of profile of the tyre. You could consider a Note 1.5 diesel, which will be higher geared so the engine runs at lower revs on the motorway. Probably about 30mph per 1,000rpm in 5th rather than the 20mph per 1,000rpm you will get with a 1.4 petrol. Also consider the spacious KIA Venga and Hyundai ix20 1.6 diesels, which have the advantage of being chain cam engines. Finally, take a look at a Suzuki SX4 which can be two or four wheel drive with 1.6i or 2.0 diesel engines, all of which have quite deep profile tyres.
Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.
Honest Used Car Prices
Real MPG enables you to register the fuel economy you are actually getting against your make and model of car, its engine and type of transmission.
Every time you enter an average consumption figure against your car, the overall average automatically adjusts to reflect it.
Dear Honest John,
Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
Similar questions
I drive 30,000 miles per year commuting to and from work, with 90% of this on the motorway. What is the most efficient car I could buy for traveling at speeds of 65 to 70 mph? The size and type of the...
What small/ medium 3 year old car/ mpv will achieve 30 mph per 1000 rpm in top gear? Anything from Ford Ka to Focus in size.
Our weather is frequently blamed for causing many of the potholes we're currently subjected to. If that is the case, why do motorways not suffer similarly especially with the high volume of traffic?
Related models
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Spacious back seats and wide-opening doors. Easy to drive and park. Good visibility. Decent boot capacity.
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Easy to drive and manouevre into small spaces, roomy cabin with plenty of headroom in the back, some clever and practical features inside, economical dCi diesels, well built.
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Reasonably spacious five-seater with a decent boot, strong and economical diesel, tidy handling in 4WD.
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Cheap to run. Good visibility. Plenty of rear passenger and boot space. Better engines and transmissions in 2016.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
