Which £7500 car is capable of covering large mileages in comfort?

I am currently driving about 650-700 miles per week (rarely on motorways) in my Laguna 2.0 auto petrol, and really need to change to a more economical vehicle because of my mileage. The Renault does about 32mpg and I am looking to replace it with something that will return 50+ mpg to reduce my fuel costs significantly. I have a budget of around £7500 for the new car and would hope to get something no more than four years old. Being six feet five inches tall, I need a reasonable amount of legroom, so would not really be interested in a small car. Saloons, hatchbacks, estates and convertibles, whether automatic or manual, are all OK.

I am happy to purchase from a large auction house (BCA/ADT) as my last three cars have been sourced in that way. I do not mind if the mileage is highish (80,000) as I will be adding a fair bit to it anyway. What do you would think would suit my requirements?

Asked on 6 July 2010 by petebish

Answered by Honest John
A lot of people rate the old VAG 1.9 TDI 105 engine in cars like the Skoda Octavia, SEAT Leon, etc. See thread in Backroom about cars that give best fuel economy at 80mph.
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