Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute)

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Wed 6 Oct 2010 22:39
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - IneptPig

Hi all,

I'll shortly be switching jobs meaning that I'll need to go from Cambridgeshire to Bristol at the beginning and end of each week (until I move house at least) - I've been looking at public transport but it doesn't look ideal and I don't fancy trips through London or late night trains home after a week at the office - so I was wondering if there was any particular make/model of car that you would recommend that would be cheap to run, and also capable of making the 200 mile trip (each way) with minimal fuss?

As I'll only really need the car for the next six months or so; I'd rather not spend lots and if I could pick up a reliable second-hand car for a reasonable price that would certainly be my favoured option.

Cheers

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Oct 2010 23:08
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - madf

You can buy a VERY low mielage, one owner Daewoo Matiz for well under £2k. Unfashionable.. Or (later model) Chevrolet Matiz for under £3k.

Reliable, small and 50mpg... Just don't expect to cruise above 65mph without a bit of noise...

(By low mileage I mean under 25k),

Cheap to insure.. Just check that it has been maintained... and on the 800cc model that the inlet manifold has not cracked.. (it's plastic)..

Just bought a 1 ltre one which goes very well. Very cheap spares if needed.

Edited by madf on 06/10/2010 at 23:10

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 00:09
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - Avant

You don't tell us what your budget is, but if you want to spend, say, under £2,000, condition is more important than make and model.

But if you want a suggestion, a Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra or Skoda Octavia / Fabia would be worth looking at. I'd go for this size of car if you're doing a long trip like this. Avoid diesels - anything more than about three years old is at risk of expensive failure unless the car has been looked after and properly serviced.

Edited by Avant on 07/10/2010 at 00:10

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 10:42
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - IneptPig
Thanks for the recommendations - on budget, as I'm only going to be using the car for half a year or so (if all goes well); I'd rather keep the spending sub-5k (and even then 5k is perhaps a bit much).

Obviously appreciate that you can get the same make/model/year on vastly different prices depending on how the car has been treated - but obviously also understand that there has to be cars that are more reliable and age better than others.

The Matiz is a cheap option (price, insurance, etc) but given the amount of major A roads and Motorway driving I'll be doing I wonder if it's noise above 65mph may be a bit of an issue?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 10:50
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - Paul G1pdc

2 days ago sold my sister in laws car...would have been ideal for you.

.

ford focus 1.6vvti ghia. 55 plate 2005. abs,esp, mp3 heated front and rear windows.

all for 4k. with 64k and full dealer history with one owner from new....

did it sell quickly....no...it was on ebay/autotrader and the local rag. was on sale for 5 days before the first person to view it bought it....

42mpg average. trip computer/ cruise control. and by this age lost 12k over the new price..

it had also only just been (2 weeks earlier) serviced and mot'd at the supplying ford dealer

get a focus. it'll be a good cruiser on the 200 miles trips.

paul...

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 15:21
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - john96
I was eyeing up that car Paul! But it sounded too good to be true!! Oh well.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 15:28
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - retgwte

fiat panda multijet diesel

very powerful good on motorways for size of car

economical

cheap insurance

there is nothing else comes close

08 plate with 15,000 miles is only 4,200 top value trade in - but they are popular and normally high mileage so it all depends whether you can find one thats been looked after

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 16:28
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - Paul G1pdc

HI john. started at 4600, not a single call. so dropped it to 4300. and that helped to get things moving. advert on ebay said all the good and bad. standard ghia polished alloys not there best. peeling laquer. and light scuffs on front and rear bumpers. but nothing that £100 from chipsaway couldn't sort out...

reason for price.....the dealers had offered her 3200 for it....basically focus are for sale all over the place with the new plate coming out, and none of the audi dealers she tried wanted it. 3200 and 3300 was all she was offered, dealers in Kiddlington/oxfordshire and Coventry.

guy who bought it was in the trade of buying vw transporters and changing them into camper vans. he was really pleased with the car, and went over it with a fine tooth combe. then paid via bank transfer an ideal buyer....4k was the final price, and all parties happy. Car was for his wife who wanted something cheaper to run than there soft roader.

oh the car was group 6 insurance.....half what her new A3 2LITRE 170hp costs.....

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 18:22
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - brettmick

Not a car but a route recommendation.

I went Cambridgeshire to Yeovil for a while and the best route (depending on where you start from in Cambs) is A14 > A45 > A43 > B430 (or M40 depending on the time of day) > A34 > M4.

It takes a bit longer than the A1 > M25 when both are empty, but the M25 is so rarely empty....

I had a 150 BHP Diesel Saab 93, which I liked as a motorway car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Oct 2010 20:01
Reliable car recommendation (crosscountry commute) - IneptPig

Thanks for this - I've been looking at this too; didn't want to go via the M25 (as you say rarely empty) so was thinking about a route along those lines - good to know that it's possible!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link