Well it appears that I'm going to be working at a different office for the next two years and my leisurely 100 miles a week is going to change to 600-800+ a week.
Now, I know nothing I can do is going to remove depreciation from the equation but what can I do to minimise it (does it make more sense to buy a 2 year old Ford/Vauxhall/Renault or look towards a VW or something posher).
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Buy something thats already been crucified by depreciation yet will still proove a reliable and comfortable companion for high mileage.
A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo with cruise, leather and climate control for about 3k will do the trick.
Anything its worth at the end is a bonus compared to what you'll loose buying a newer one.
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A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo with cruise, leather and climate control for about 3k will do the trick.
Michael, is there any car-buying question to which the answer is not "A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo ..."?
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Lol.
Agree with the other part of what Michael says though - don't buy new. If you buy something where the heaviest depreciation has hit then you'll be fine. Even 1 year can make all the difference.
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Adam
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Agree with the other part of what Michael says though - don't buy new.
I agreed with that too. Any vehicle doing that sort mileage is going to be next-to-worthless before long, so best to start with something which ain't worth too much.
But putting 40k miles a year onto a five-year-old car which already has 100k plus on the clock seems to me to be running a risk of big bills for replacement parts. Better, surely, to start with something a little younger?
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Oh bless my cotton socks NW. That's twice I agree with you in one day!
I don't feel too good...
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Adam
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Arrghh. Sorry! I didn't think when I typed.
I can't apologise enough. Not big or clever. I'm sure it'll get sorted soon.
Sorry again.
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Adam
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Arrghh. Sorry! I didn't think when I typed. I'm sure it'll get sorted soon.
Yes indeed!! Now go stand in the naughty corner.
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Standing in the naughty corner with my naughty hat on no less!
Sorry again Dave. Cheers for sorting it out.
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Adam
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Michael, is there any car-buying question to which the answer is not "A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo ..."?
For once I have to agree with NW.
ps, go for a Vectra ;o)
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>>For once I have to agree with NW.<<
It's contagious today isn't it.
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Adam
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ps, go for a Vectra ;o)
Dave, you are cheating. To displace Michael, you will have to specify the precise age, mileage and variant of Vectra ... ;-)
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Michael, is there any car-buying question to which the answer is not "A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo ..."?
Yes, some questions are answered by "two and a half year old Mondeo Ghia X TDCi 130"!
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>> A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo with cruise, leather and >> climate control for about 3k will do the trick. Michael, is there any car-buying question to which the answer is not "A 5 year old Ghia X Mondeo ..."?
Yes, any question I can answer with 'A post 2000 E39 5 Series' ;)
Seriously though I thought it was worth a recommendation - whatever he buys is going to be worthless when he finishes so he may as well start with the best car he can thats already worthless.
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Find something comfortable. Ending up with a bad back to save a little on depreciation doesn't make sense. That depends a lot on your persona; choice.
Make sure its economical. 50mpg is necessary, so it has to be a diesel.
Then find something that can be serviced easily and cheaply by a local garage. That depends on what specialist independants are near you. Anything thats used as a reps car, about £4k should be ok so long as its sub 100k miles.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Something big, comfortable, reliable, diesel, new and cheap seems to be the way to go then.
What that would be doesn't really matter. To my mind, a late 406 (2 years old now) could be an excellent way to go but it was an old design when it was replaced but if it's £7k with 40k up then who cares?
Otherwise, a Mondeo/Vectra is a good choice - loads around and again, won't be expensive. They're from £10k for a six-month old, £12k new for the Mondeo, ~£14k for the Vectra. £8k would get you a 2 year old diesel with 40k.
If performance doesn't matter too much, a 1.6 HDi C5 (post-facelift) can be had for £12k and that would be a sound choice as they're probably the most comfortable and economical cars in the class, even if they're not so strong in other areas.
The Toyota Avensis and Mazda6 are worth a look, too, although as they're reliable, they tend to hold their value a bit *too* well, saving their depreciation for once you get your hands on them.
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And the other reason for a diesel is that with a petrol car, you'll be refilling every other day. A VAG diesel will give you a week's range (I get 600 miles per tank from my Golf 110TDi, got 700 miles from my 110TDi Passat).
Make sure your choice is quiet - the old joke about turning up the stereo volume just means you get a bigger headache each day... (Passat is much better than the Golf MKIV in this respect)
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Something potentially reliable, comfortable and economical:
Perhaps Skoda Fabia or Octavia 1.9TDi (depending on the size you want)
Similarly Toyota Corolla or Avensis 2.0 diesel.
Focus or Mondeo? Depends if your budget will run to the newer TDCi diesel.
Dynamic Dave will be able to tell you when Vauxhall first fitted a decent turbodiesel engine in the Astra and Vectra.
I think the others are right to say 'don't buy new' - but if you can afford it something 1 to 2 years old might be best. 5 years is too old to be sure of reliability.
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Young with higher mileage usually means plenty of motorway, rather than town use, so much less wear than low mileage, older cars.
Chain cam engines (see HJ ad infinitum), and something French for best comfort perhaps. The quietest HJ says is the 406 or C5. However, I got a 4 year old Saab 9-3, 2.2 for £8,000 at 95,000 miles, never had a problem since, although servicing is relatively costly.
I'd also consider a diesel Volvo now, with better Ford diesels - saloons much cheaper than Estates if you don't need the latter.
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I'm sort of agreeing with some of the comments - I found myself in a similar position when I moved jobs, having previously had a Mondeo, the new list didn't have anything good on so I opted out. I bought a Jan 02 Golf GTTDI in September 04 with 90K on the clock, for £8950 and since then have put 15K on the clock.
Cost wise, a main service is £120 at a local specialist, tyres were £165 for 4. The only other costs were new brake pads at £50, and a a new turbo hose at £75. (Oops, apart from my 'trip' over a roundabout which cost £300, but then that was my fault....)
So, I'm recommending something 2yrs old but with high mileage - [new shape obviously] TDCi Mondeos with 70-80K on the clock can be had for £5,500 to £6,000 from ex-company car supermarkets.
In which part of the country do you live?
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after watching some crash video's, im thinking more of a solid motor to drive 25-30K a year on motorways. like a volvo.
in a crash which would come off better a volvo v70 or bmw 530d ?
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Your best bet would be not to crash ;-)
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Search the Forum for "370,000" and you will find the story of the chap who bought a six-year old Merc at 40k and has run it for a further 330k with almost no problems. If you buy a well built car and look after it -- frequent oil changes, regular servicing -- you can rack up the miles without many worries, and if it's a really well built one you'll be better protected in a crash.
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1. Diesel
2. 3 year-old typical fleet car, eg Passat, as these have lots of depreciation at 3 years ! After you have un it to stellar mileage, it becomes a popular taxi !
3. Seat comfort:
Look at:
www.car-seat-data.co.uk/xlcardata.htm
The Mondeo:
serious layout problems, retrograde step!
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well yes obviously, but you cant help other people when they crash into you !
so a safe strong car would help your chance of survival.
yes?
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Well it appears that I'm going to be working at a different office for the next two years and my leisurely 100 miles a week is going to change to 600-800+ a week.
What car do you have at the moment, and would that not do the job?
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With that much mileage to cover I'd be looking for comfort, reliability and a decent warranty. A six month old ex demo diesel should fit the bill - choose the manufacturer by your budget. If you have 10 grand buy a Ford, a Skoda, 15 a VW or a Honda, 20 an Audi or a BMW etc.
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