I currently have a Mazda RX-8, which I bought in May last year. Love it, fantastic car!
The problem is, 3 weeks ago I've gone from working 12miles from my home to about 75! I'm getting expensed, which just about covers the cost of the fuel/oil but I don't think the RX-8 is the kind of car you put 500 miles/week on and run into the ground.
It's an 04, done about 30k. I want a more fuel efficient car that I can put the miles on and don't really want to spend more than my trade-in plus a couple of hundred quid.
Looked at a BMW 118d or Lexus 220d but I'm not sure they're quite in my price range.
Does anyone have any suggestions? For the first time I'm really not sure what to be looking at...
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You're looking at 25,000 miles a year which is a lot, so diesel is probably your best bet, unless you feel your expenses make fuel costs irrelevant.
Doesn't sound like your type of car, but the workhorses are still low to medium spec Fords or Vauxhalls.
I like Fords, so my choice would be a diesel Focus, 1.6 or 1.8 in lx, zetec, or style trim - if you can afford a newer one.
Ford dealers seem to have a lot of year-old delivery mileage styles at the moment for around £9k.
Plenty of worse ways to get about and one of those should hack the miles you'll be putting on it.
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Apparently you can lease a Honda Legend for 249.99 per mth (+VAT if appropriate) - I'd give it some thought ;-)
(from advert on homepage as of 21/2/09)
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Apparently you can lease a Honda Legend for 249.99 per mth (+VAT if appropriate) - I'd give it some thought ;-) (from advert on homepage as of 21/2/09)
Small print - mileage limit - over payments on an extra 15K miles / year would be horrendous!
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A colleague got a car on a lease deal. Did a lot more miles than he agreed and cheapest option was to buy it at the end.
I stayed in the company scheme and have ended up doing a lot fewer miles than I thought.
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All good advice above and probably the wisest course of action.
However...... ;-)
For a bit of alternative arithmetic, consider this.....
You say you love your car ? It's a fab drive ? You are now going to spend a lot more time driving ? Presumably, given your choice of car you are a keen driver ?
Hmmm...
Ok, now the justifier,......
You have only had your car since May you said ? All cars have lost shedloads of money since then but even given a level playing field you will be paying for a dealers margin whatever you buy for the second time in less than a year. That might be measured in at least several hundred and more than possibly some thousands of pounds ?
Buys a lot of petrol that does.......
But of course if you would rather be sensible and have a diesel Focus or something.......
;-)
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Yea I'll have lost at least a couple of grand on it but the way I see it the money's already lost and I could be saving a fair chunk by getting something more sensible.
I keep telling myself sensible is the way to go, problem is I might get bored with a diesel focus or something and might end up changing it in less than a year again so was ideally trying to strike some kind of balance. :)
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Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
I think the mileage charges for a leased car would be too much, and I don't like the idea of being tied in as I may go back closer to home in a year or two.
I get a flat 25p/mile for fuel so the costs are important to me.
I'll look into a Focus I think. Hopefully want to sort it within a week or so...
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....I might get bored with a diesel focus or something...
dpwc,
All I can tell you is a diesel Focus is the least boring of the boring hatchbacks - they drive a treat and can put a smile on your face.
I could suggest you get a Kia cee'd and take advantage of the seven-year 100k miles warranty.
That really is boring.
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I reckon you will get circa 4k in a private sale for your Rex.
What kind of diesel focus will you get for that?
Keep the mazda, great looking car.
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Indeed, diesel doesn't have to mean boring. The Focus has a slightly boring image simply because there are so many of them about.
I'd go for the Focus 2.0 TDCI (more performance over the 1.6 and 1.8, and little cost penalty if you're doing long runs), but test drive others as well, like a Golf GTD - but you'd almost certainly get a newer Skoda Octavia or SEAT Leon for the same money.
If you were looking at the Lexus, the Mondeo rather than the Focus is the equivalent size. The Mondeo TDCi is a favourite of many people on this forum, as it's given them good service over high mileages.
An older BMW 320d is a possibility, but with your high mileage you probably ought to go for something newer and cheaper to repair.
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The only sensible answer: stick with your current car.
If you change it, you will lose another 2k - inevitably your new car will be worth less than what you got for the old one unless you have masses of time to spend trawling autotrader.
And 2k buys a klot of extra petrol.
And the RX8 engine LOVES long journeys, and hates short ones.
Don't see what your problem is? (Unless it really is 15mpg as mentioned elsewhere on this forum.) In which case, I suggest a 1k budget and a 100k 5 year old fully-loaded Mondeo TDCi must be the sensible answer for all those miles.
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Just remember that the RX8 likes long journeys where the motor gets properly warmed up.
It hates short trips.
Therefore you are driving it as it was designed to be driven.
Keep the car. Enjoy your commute. Don't buy a Ford or a Diesel.
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I drive 600 miles to work and back each week. Did have Xsara, now Megan Estate, 1.9cDi - 55+mpg, 130bhp. all the toys like CD, cruise control etc. Yes its a big-ish car just for work, but occassionally carry fellow workers and the odd box of stuff (including filing cabinets) so great all rounder. Handles roads well - from twisty B roads to long M-way stretches), 18 months old, 36,000 miles and part from headlamp bulbs blowing 9I drive lots at night) no problmes at all. Thinking of replacing in Sept when it turns two years old.
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