£1800 used car for motorway commute?

I'm looking for a used car to run for just a few years on a motorway commute. I'll be doing 17,000 per year and have a budget of £1800.

Ideally, the larger the better (e.g. Ford Mondeo), but I'm not adamant on it - I'd be content with a medium sized hatchback (e.g. a Skoda Fabia). I also understand a diesel 'might' be the way to go.

What cars would you suggest will be economical to run for this budget?

Asked on 15 January 2015 by Patrick

Answered by Honest John
£1800 only gets you an old banger of a diesel, already with a high mileage and extremely unlikely to be fitted with a DPF. Your problems are likely to be mechanical: turbo, injectors, injection pump, etc.

A cheap diesel will probably use less fuel but eat up far more than its economy advantage in repair bills. The best economical car for £1800 is probably a Toyota Yaris 1.3, but that still doesn't guarantee that any you find for £1800 will be a good car.
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