Motorway cars

[MrDuke]

So over the next few months I shall be spending a lot of time travelling between Anglesey and Herts/Beds, and as such am thinking of getting a banger that won't give me an actual headache and back pain after 1.5 hours of driving (unlike the Fiesta).

 

I appreciate that what I really need is a waftastic luxobarge, and given the choice I'd have another Xantia, but it will all depend on what I can find at the time within my paltry budget. Can anyone suggest any less-obvious or off-beat models for consideration? Preferably based on personal experience?

 

Priorities are:

• Interior space - I have long legs and a fat arse and would like to have some stretching room. This doesn't necessitate a huge car - I remember the Cherry having acres of space inside despite being a small hatch.
• Smoothness - I don't really care about handling, as long as I don't get jarred by every bump and dimple in the road surface.
• Economy - no big pez engines, although an auto-box would be tempting.

 

I'm not after actual cars yet, just suggestions that I might not otherwise consider due to them not looking suitable.

 

Ta muchly.

[fairkens]

Peugeot 405?

[PiperCub]

Or 406 1.9 or 2.1 dizzle? (my one is great for long runs). Cheap too.

[dollywobbler]

Rover 600, especially the dizzler.

[hairnet]

trigs merc

 

for cheapz obv

[Pillock]

I don't suppose there's any 6-speed cars in budget? That seems to make the biggest difference to economy on the motorway, just idling along at 70mph.

[rml2345]

Small Volvo? S/V40s seem plentiful, reasonably refined and cheap.

Is the mk1 Laguna any good? Only ever sat in one and they seem comfortable but no real experience of them otherwise.

Edit; Rover 75s are good.

[hairnet]

any of the 405s in the last 3 pages of the 200 quid thread

 

or a civic or http://www.gumtree.com/p/rover/rover-25-for-sale.../1094916201

[EssDeeWon]

Mr B011's 1.8 75

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Mondeo mk1 /mk2 are like driving a sofa, and in diesel flavour pretty frugal

 

rover 620 diesel

 

Rover 420 diesel

 

Any Volvo - diesel S80 would make a nice motorway companion

[cms206]

Cavalier TD.

[Lacquer Peel]

I don't suppose there's any 6-speed cars in budget? That seems to make the biggest difference to economy on the motorway, just idling along at 70mph.

Maybe the Audi 100/A6 2.5 TDI so fitted, if you can find one.

 

I have just bought a V70 with that engine, it's lovely for a diesel, but a 4 speed automatic. Still averages 40mpg+ and should be veg friendly.

[Pillock]

For me it would be all about driving position. My new steed looks good on paper for munching motorway miles, but I simply ache after 100 miles. The seat won't adjust anywhere near right, the wheel forces my legs into the centre console and there is no visibility so I'm constantly leaning forward to make sure I'm not going to have some bloke off his motorbike whenever I change lanes.

 

For that reason, you might either have to be lucky, or disappoint a few ebay sellers by test driving and then walking away.

[MrDuke]

From what I've seen, 405s seem to go for more than Xantias - I'd definitely be on the lookout for one though. Likewise with the smaller Volvos, they're on the radar but not quite dirt cheap yet. I don't imagine that any 6-speeders would fall within budget, but I don't have a leaden right foot anyway (not all the time).

 

I've considered a few Rover options. The 75s I've seen are all very high mileage, although I've no idea what kind of mileage they're good for? I've never driven a 25, but they look a bit cramped? 600s don't seem to come up often, but they would be an option, along with the 400s.

 

Cav TD would be an absolute score, but I can't remember the last time I saw one... or a Mk1 Mondeo, come to that!

 

 

Good suggestions, cheers.

[doobietoo]

 

 

 

Rover 420 diesel

 

 

 

This...... cheap to buy, comfy seats, plenty of room, good ride and 60mpg

 

/end thread

 

 

[eddyramrod]

Volvo 740.

 

Or, Peugeot 405/306/406; Toyota Carina E/mk1 Avensis; Daewoo Leganza; Xantia/XM; Rover 600/75.  I should think any of those would do what you want, and you have a wide range of engine choices too.  Good luck!

[skattrd]

Merc

My c250TD was ideal for me last year when going back and forth to Dundee every week, not the most frugal at 40mpg, but comfy and relaxed auto with cruise eats up the miles.

Depending on budget I'd look at the 220 cdi - not veg friendly but 50+mpg.

 

Volvo

S80 2.5TD with the VAG 5-pot, should be veg friendly. Super comfy and gr9 motoray machine, I did 24k in mine in about 4 months before I sold it. The later D5 motors have more power and allegedly better economy. One of these would likely be my first choice, with the Merc a close second.

 

Citroen XM I enjoyed it, but preferred the Volvo above.

 

Volvo with 6-pot VW van diesel - not had, but on the list, others should be able to comment.

 

For pure minebagness - pre-pd VAG TDi, I say it all the time, but 55+ mpg on veg is hard to beat.

[320touring]

I just popped on here to say skattrds merc..

 

Alternatively, an e36 328i with lpg.my estate did 28 on gas(46 equiv on cost) snd was comfortable

[gordonbennet]

Ovlov would be as good a bet as any, S60 bargainous and a superb motorway bruiser, but also consider Kia Magentis and Hyundai Sonata, low mileage giffer specials for pin money.

[skattrd]

Cheers Neil.

I know you said you weren't looking for a car quite yet Mr Duke, but if you were interested in the Merc it could be available at a bit of a shiters discount. Plus I'm starting work in Manchester next week so I'm halfway to Wales .... I'll even tell you all the faults I know of

[Richard]

Another vote for Volvo 850 or S/V70 with the VAG TDi engine. Plenty of room, lots of adjustment on seats and steering wheel, close to 50mpg on a run even with an auto and effortless to drive.

[DS20]

My 130bhp PD VAG tdi manages 50-60mpg on the motorway, if kept to just under 2000rpm, and although it's is fitted to a 2002 Golf (OMGBLASPHEMY), that engine also went into other things, like a Skoda Octavia or Seat Leon, both of which I'd imagine would be comfortable and could be bought for £notmuch.  Touch wood, mine's been faultlessly reliable over the 30,000 miles I've had it (now I've said that it'll be guaranteed to blow up).  

 

Personally, for motorway miles I'd avoid anything with a 1.5 litre engine or smaller (because gearing), anything with frameless windows (because ears), and anything with a DPF (because DPFs don't help with fuel economies).  Bonus points for anything Swedish (because mega-comfortable seats) 

[Albert Ross]

Certainly Volvo, or a largish Citroen for Motorway work. S/V40 are good, would a Xantia suit?

[vulgalour]

Lexus LS400 is a superb mile-muncher, can be got cheaply but aren't without problems.

 

Xantia also would suit, but that's already been covered.

 

Volvo 240 is good, but the 740 better, don't much rate the 940.

 

Ford Granada jellymould shape is also very good, but quite tricky to find now surprisingly.

[MrDuke]

Aye, I'll probably steer clear of luxobarges mainly because at the lower end of the price-range, there are bound to be reliability issues. If my budget was larger, Xantias would be at the top of the list.

 

I'll probably end up going for a Rover or small Volvo. I wouldn't mind a pez engine up to 2.0, as long as the gearing was fairly tall, but a diesel would be preferable (especially on veg).

[fordperv]

oh vulg you beat me to it, reading through and my first thought was a mk3 granada 

 

i had to go to ebay and look 

 

ooh you sexy thing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ford-granada-/191474907586?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2c94cb39c2

 

this pre facelift is love custard worthy but needs a gearbox input shaft seal, a bargain at £475

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Granada-Mk3-pre-facelift-2-0-Ghia-I-saloon-White-1990-/221655979131?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item339bb9d47b

 

another choice is a bug eye scorpio

[Lacquer Peel]

Peugeot 305 VERA.

[Matt]

I don't suppose there's any 6-speed cars in budget? That seems to make the biggest difference to economy on the motorway, just idling along at 70mph.

 

The MK4 Golf and Bora came with 6-speeds, not as standard though and there'll be a slight premium for 'Highline' specced cars although I'm sure 6-speed boxes found their way into specs lower than Highline. By VW family tree logic anything on the PQ34 platform could well have a 6-speed mated to a PD TDI engine.

 

Audi A3 Mk1

Audi TT Mk1 

VW Golf Mk4

VW Bora

VW New Beetle

SEAT León Mk1

SEAT Toledo Mk2

Å koda Octavia Mk1

[willswitchengage]

Get an Octavia 1.9TDI or an Avensis D-4D or whatever they're called. 1,000,000 minicab drivers can't be wrong.

 

Yes a 405 has novelty value and you can enjoy the disappointment that running on vegetable oil doesn't actually work, but a high mileage one of the former will be so much more refined for those miles, more reliable and far better on fuel (and as a 6'3"er I can vouch for the extra legroom of modern cars)

[mrcitroen]

Another vote for a Xantia. I had a Xantia HDi exclusive years back and is was so comfy. Done loads of long distance trips in it and always got out pain free and if I had done a journey quarter of the distance.

Seats were brilliant, supportive but nice and soft. Economy was in the high 40's had plenty of torque and never felt a slouch. Loads of toys as well. Sunroof and brilliant aircon.

 

But my car views are quite biased towards French or Italian.