Ideas please.....?

[LittleRedB]

OK all, I am currently commuting 450-500 miles a week and its taking its toll on LRB! The shiny RED paintwork that those of you who know me are used to is beginning to look like its been peppered by a machine gun - also the gearbox noise is getting worse and I have had to change the front tyres after just 1 month!

It looks as if the contract could extend for 6 months which means I will be working in Devon for a total of 9 months, that means I could be putting 15k miles on LRB which will probably result in lots more issues so.

I am thinking of buying a motorway barge for 9 months and would like your sensible suggestions, I have about 3-ish k to spend and it must be;

Comfy (on the 3 1/2 hour drive I do twice a week)
Reliable (probably German, Swedish or Japanese)
Excellent m'way cruiser (so 2.0l +)
Well appointed (cruise control, air-cond, CD etc)
Not loose too much in 9 months as I will sell it once the contract has finished.

My current thoughts are;

Lexus GS300
Volvo S60 or S80
BMW E39 5 series or E46 3 series
Audi A6 or A4
Merc CLK or C class

Any other suggestions?

Alternatively I might go down the route of hiring a car for 9 months............

 

[colin79666]

With a budget of 3k you could get a really nice Saab 93 2001-2003 with 50k on the clock. Can have leather seats, climate control, cd player etc.
The 1.9 diesels go on for years and will return 45mpg easy on the motorway.

 

[dave]

could get 2 jtd stilos for that

 

[Rich_65402]

im thinking mondeo, they are cheap reliable and handle fair well for a car of their size or maybe even a focus, really cheap now

avoid audis, unless you have sprouted a cock on your head

if i was going for Jap id pick a primera.. good looking car around 2003 kinda age

 

[Mad Matt]

I was doing a bit more than that, in mileage terms, going up and down to Luxembourg and didn't have any real problems. My tyres certainly had loads of life left in them. It was certainly more wearing than driving a motorway barge though.

Anyway, to the subject at hand:

VW Polo diesel:
Pros: Economy and holds price fairly well.
Cons: Tiny and not so comfortable. What you hit is what you get.

Golf:
As Polo but a bit more comfortable, bit less economical. Also a bit over priced in my opinion.

Passat:
See Golf and a add a bit , but fits your requirements.

Skoda Octavia:
Still a VW but at least it's cheap and when I drove one to Scotland it was not so bad.

Perhaps: Mazda 6, Alfa 156 and really from the left, a Rover 75. know they weren't popular in the UK but everyone else liked them and they are very cheap for what you get.........

 

[Tarique]

The Saab Saloon is a good choice with all the modern comforts and performance and is very cheap second hand as are the Volvos.

Can i put in a shout for a Jag S type (brilliant diesel engine but might be beyond price range) or X type 2.0l Sport. Great V6 engine and alloys. The looks and image are questionable depending on what you like.

All the others on your list except the older BMW 5 series and possibly the Lexus are overpriced in the UK market. Not sure i can think of any others beyond what the others have already mentioned except one of the newer small cars i.e. Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris which are very economical and reliable.

 

[SeiSporting]

Dont Buy any v6 Jag for Mway work. They are not economical. At all.
A 2.0d x-type maybe.
I'd go for a Bora tbh. Just because they are cheap.

 

[simonmac]

vw gold mk4 or mk5 tdi all day long, 60mpg and ok performance.

i like a4's but i am biased because apparently i have a cock growing out mof my head, still i'm apparently also gay for driving a barchetta so go figure.

 

[JFL]

if your wanting a motorway car why not get what you see many reps driving... i know some might say there boring etc but you cant fault a vectra or mondeo etc (or even focus/astra).

the 128bhp tdci and 150bhp cdti should be enough (even the lower powered ones should do)

you can pick them up for a bargain to

 

[Jamie]

if your wanting a motorway car why not get what you see many reps driving... i know some might say there boring etc but you cant fault a vectra or mondeo etc (or even focus/astra).

the 128bhp tdci and 150bhp cdti should be enough (even the lower powered ones should do)

you can pick them up for a bargain to

i have the vectra D 1.9 cdti 150

its a great cruiser! eats miles!

 

[LittleRedB]

Some food for thought there, I will have a ponder and let you know what I go for.

To be honest there don't seem to be many bargains about at the moment, I guess people are holding onto their cars for longer and have stopped buying new ones - strange as I was expecting to find the market flooded given the credit crunch etc...........

 

[wolfracepunto]

Saab 9-5 or Vauxhall Omega. So cheap for what you get.

 

[jug]

156 jtd, then you can cruise cheaply and reliably, yet also have a lot of fun whenever you want, and still travel in style and comfort. £3k will get you a facelift 16v mjet these days.

be warned, the B will lose a lot of its appeal once you find that the 156 is more fun to drive.

 

[ChrisUK]

could get 2 jtd stilos for that

He said comfy and reliable, sorry but that rules out nearly all fiats except maybe the croma and the marea.

be warned, the B will lose a lot of its appeal once you find that the 156 is more fun to drive.

Not sure if its a mjet 156 (maybe remapped to 200bhp :devil, although any petrol one and i'd totally agree.

 

[Hellcat]

Stilo's are pretty comfy and the JTD/multijets are just as reliable as any other car.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

if i needed a cheap muncher quick i'd look at vectras and mondeos as plenty of cheap bits to keep em running and any garage isused to them