What 80 mile a day shite?

[af1]

So now I commute by car not train

 

The 205 is great around town but at motorway speeds the 1.0 4 speed drinks quite heavily as it needs constant revs and pedal pressure to keep it going...

 

I have never really bought a car for OMGMPG any suggestions?

I'd love a 605 diesel but they are rarer than rare

 

Ne1 wntz swop 205 £74 cllct 2nyt m8

[Shep Shepherd]

406 diesel?

[richardmorris]

Xantia 1.9 TD

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-CITROEN-XANTIA-LX-TD-GREEN-long-test-taxed-any-trial-/151401562133?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item23403c8015

[af1]

Xantia is sexy!!

[skattrd]

Buy an XUD powered motor if you're in to French things or a late 90's tdi VAG if you like German things.

Both will do 50+ mpg and may* run on veg.

 

Me, I prefer the German things as they have more power, there's a not hugely cheap Audi tdi on here that looks quite nice, similar engine to my boring, so 55+ mpg on veg whilst being thrashed. There's also a DW8 306 on here for less than half the price.

The VAG's can also be chipped to produce 300Nm torque, which is nice.

 

Pug: http://autoshite.com/topic/17837-w-reg-306-diesel-full-mot-%C2%A3450-lincs/

Audi: http://autoshite.com/topic/18021-not-cheap-or-particularly-shite-either-but-for-sale-a4-tdi/

[Inspector Morose]

Late BX TZD? (Well I would say that, wouldn't I?)

Peugeot 405 diesel

Early Pug 406

Late 205 TD

Xantia

Audi A4 (B5 - had one. A surprisingly capable if dull mile muncher that's not bad on juice)

Late Cav mk3 (nice and long legged)

Horsey Horseless sporting?

 

There's lots to choose from out there!

[srad34]

>99 VAG TDI....job done**

 

 

 

**Bring yer own pineapples tho

[Stanky]

I do between 90 and 120 miles a day on my commute, I employ a 1.4 pez Nissan Almera which cost me £400 two and a half years ago. I've stuck 45k miles on it in that time, 50% more than it had accumulated up to that point and it hasn't missed a beat. 

 

I get 45 to the gallon out of it (as measured with Fuelly over 35k miles) and its perfectly able to keep up with motorway traffic. Other than rust, they seem to be unkillable.

[dollywobbler]

Petrol certainly worth a shout. I'd vote K-Series (no, really) in 200 or 400 form - 1.4 so cheap tax, 45mpg, nice and sprightly.

[Cavcraft]

Iveco Cargo 75E14.

[af1]

I hate all things vag... Well I'm slowly warming to them again

[skattrd]

Rover L-series like Wuv & RoD

[dave21478]

All vorxhawls r shit etc, but really I would suggest a Calibra. Basic, tough mechanicals, pretty long gearing and its aerodynamic shape mean MPG is pretty reasonable from them all. 2 litre 8v engines are pretty much indestructable, the 16v redtop is maybe getting on a bit these days but its slightly less powerful ecotec replacement is perfectly capable. Pick of the bunch IMO is the V6, which due to even longer gearing and the fact that you dont need to work it hard to make progress means it doesnt use any more petrol on a run than the smaller engined versions.

I would avoid the turbo though....bit of a complicated beast and the 4wd system is not particularly strong and just adds a load of drag and weight but gives you no benefit when sitting at 70mph on the motorway.

 

I used to do a 90 miles round trip every day when I was in Scotland and my V6 Calibra was the pick of the bunch from all the cars I had...comfortable, quiet and smooth. 

 

Getting hard to find these days though, especially rust-free ones. 

[af1]

Well Dave that's certainly a curveball

[beko1987]

Xud derv here! I do 50 a day, and get 400 miles to £30

[willswitchengage]

Corolla 2.0 diesel. Boss commutes Southampton - Reading daily and he's done 200k and averages 59mpg.

 

You need a direct injected engine ideally, VW and Toyota make the only ones that work.

[af1]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171422632757

 

I doubt a 2.0 16v is the answer to my fuel woes

[PiperCub]

406 diesel - did 40K in three years in mine without any major and only a couple of v.minor problems. Don't really like diesels but this is a good one.

[willswitchengage]

Ugly as sin but will never break down

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-V-TOYOTA-COROLLA-2-0-GS-DIESEL-ESTATE-MAUVE-PURPLE-LOW-MILEAGE-/121426908361?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c459b94c9

[EssDeeWon]

Classic Range Rover 3.9 Vogue

 

*Just need to learn the art of bilking on a regular basis

[Stanky]

Phil_lihp's 323 1.5 is probably pretty thrifty if CAPEX is a concern?

[garethj]

I've just stopped my job where I was doing 75 miles a day, I'm now down to a mere 50.  I used a Pug 205 diesel which was pretty good, nice enough on B roads but lacked power for overtaking.  But it did me proud for about 30,000 miles (18 months).

 

For the last year I've used a 1999 Skoda Octavia diesel.  It's very efficient, doing 60mpg now (the 205 did 55mpg at best) and being the 110bhp version it's got enough power too.  Aircon is nice for the summer and you save almost a grand on a comparable Audi A3.  I bought it with 150,000 miles and last week it clicked past 170,000.  I had the cambelt and water pump done at 160,000 but other than oil changes, brakes and tyres, it's needed nothing.

 

It's dull though.

[kinkersaab]

I am selling my Xantia Bosch pump td. I have just fitted a new tear height corrector thing. I did 700 miles in it over three days last week with no dramas, its done 89k with 2 owners and mot u til end may next year and tax til November i think. it wafts along effortlessly, everything works as it should and it feels like it has years left in it. 450.

[forddeliveryboy]

Older Audis are well known for lasting well with little more than routine servicing - which doesn't mean modern VW-Audi style bits which wear out ten-a-penny. But they're almost extinct, other than those in the hands of those who know. On the other hand, if you can find a dirt-cheap more modern one with a year's test then it may be worth a go. Otherwise I'm thinking 80s and 100s/A6s (to '97). Galvanising was done to a North Sea standard back then. The diesels are barely any cheaper unless you can run on waste veg.

 

Xantias and 406s both great cars, not much difference other than the badge and the suspension. Very rot-resistant. They last well if properly serviced by someone who knows their foibles.

[gtd2000]

I hate all things vag... Well I'm slowly warming to them agai

 

I love vag but there's a distinct lack of it here in Saudi Arabia, unfortunately...

[twosmoke300]

We had an Audi 80 2.0e years ago and I had to go about 130 miles across devon with a bike trailer on with 2 mx bikes . My mate drove and I took a nearly new Civic 1.4 (2004 ish) with our riding gear in . Brim to brim test , Civic used more fuel !!

 

Great cars. (ours was a 1990 with the grille seperate to the bonnet)

[Junkman]

Rover 75 Diesel.

Because it is the nicest place I can imagine to be in for three hours daily while not being in bed.

Also, buy British.

[dollywobbler]

I liked our 75, but it always felt like something was about to go wrong. Also, I found the seats uncomfortable after a few hours, in exactly the way W124 seats weren't. 

[Junkman]

See, I find Mercedes seats unbearable.

It takes all types to make up a world.

[himoverthere]

I did 200 miles yesterday in my 170,000 miles-old Picasso. Nothing went wrong nor did it threaten to. It did 48mpg at a cruising speed of 75mph. It would be higher if I got the EGR valve cleaned, but Citroen put it on the back of the engine and my mechanic can't be bothered to do it. It's passed at least 2 MOTs with it like that. It has a single mass flywheel and no particulate filter, so injectors aside it doesn't have most of the problematic/expensive parts that most modern diesels have. It's really dull, but is usefully sized (as in family camping holiday with no roof box or trailer sized) cheap as anything and reliable. So far it's cost me basic servicing plus about £100 for a replacement of something or other, and however much it was for the precautionary (and as it turned out, very necessary) cambelt change when I bought it in, er, something like 30k miles now. The seats are comfortable but the arm rests have a tendency to fall off because they are welded to the seat frame with tar and chewing gum. We only have one now, so we have to share. The top spec ones like mine (oh yes, I don't do shite Autoshite, only top of the range Autoshite) can control the cruise and the climate and has a big sunroof.

 

Despite all these virtues, it's so dull I sort of want it to die, but that feels a long way off and I can't justifty swapping it until it does since it's now worth less than the almost-nothing I paid for it because it's got a few more dents and 30k more miles.