*THREAD UPDATE*
So we finally settled with the insurance company and are looking at a budget of £3,500.
I'm definitely looking at Mk3 Mondeos but now I'm trying to decide on petrol or diesel.
I've run some figures on the Ghia X based on combined cycle MPG and current fuel costs, insurance quotes and road tax etc. It looks like the 2.0 petrol will cost £650 more per year to run than the 2.0 TDCI and the 1.8 Sci would cost £375 per year more.
The purchase price seems to be pretty equal for the age and mileage so it's not like I'd be getting a huge saving on petrol over diesel.
Now assuming I buy a TDCI that's already had the DMF done and the service history is good, it seems unlikely that it would cost ~£650 a year more to run every year.
Am I missing something glaringly obvious? As much as I'd rather drive a petrol than a derv, I'm not sure it's worth an extra £54 a month, especially when the petrol still has the potential to throw up big bills (even if it's less likely than the TDCI).
What would you do in this situation?
*ORIGINAL POST*
Following this thread, it's time to start thinking about what to replace the Corsa with if, as is likely, the insurers decide to write it off.
It will be my girlfriend's car but I'll be buying it and I'll be doing 90% of the driving.
I commute 215 miles a week so that's almost 12k a year, plus frequent weekend trips to Cornwall and the like I think we'll cover between 15-20k a year.
My commute is a mixture of motorway (M27) and city driving (inner Portsmouth and Southampton) and this is similar to the mixed conditions we get on our trips to Cornwall.
My priority is comfort and waftability, for my girlfriend it's economy and running costs.
Depending on what the insurance payout amounts to I think we'll have about £3k to spend, possibly extended to £3.5k if we have to but the budget it tight. I'm saving for a house deposit and this expense wasn't really calculated for.
My girlfriend seems pretty adamant about getting a diesel and I suppose with our estimated mileage we're creeping into the category where this becomes semi-acceptable, although it wouldn't be my first choice.
The Shortlist
1. This being Motors, the obvious choice is a Mk3 Mondeo starting at the 2.0d Ghia X and then working down the trim levels to fit the budget.
2. However, she isn't a huge fan of the Mondeo and would prefer a Focus due to it being smaller. However, it seems to me that you get a lot more car for your money with a Mondeo. I know less about the Focus in terms of engines, trim levels and facelift intervals but I assume we'd be looking for something similar to the Mondeo.
3. The wildcard (I'm prepared for this to be a lolpanzer moment). What about an X-Type?
There seem to be quite a few 2.0d X-Types with around 100k miles on the clock doing the rounds on AutoTrader etc. She has always wanted a Jag and doesn't seem to mind that it's bigger than a Focus when it's a Jag rather than a Mondeo. I'd rather waft to work in one of these than either of the Fords. I'm prepared for higher running costs with the Jag (I'm used to running the 530d after all) and I think it would be worth the extra expense. However, I have no idea about the 2.0d lump. Are there well-know issues with these cars at this age? Basically, if you don't instantly laugh me down for suggesting it, what should I be looking for when trying to get one of these?
At the moment, my heart says X-type but my head says Mondeo. My girlfriend is the same but would probably prefer the Focus.
People of Motors, what would you recommend?
So we finally settled with the insurance company and are looking at a budget of £3,500.
I'm definitely looking at Mk3 Mondeos but now I'm trying to decide on petrol or diesel.
I've run some figures on the Ghia X based on combined cycle MPG and current fuel costs, insurance quotes and road tax etc. It looks like the 2.0 petrol will cost £650 more per year to run than the 2.0 TDCI and the 1.8 Sci would cost £375 per year more.
The purchase price seems to be pretty equal for the age and mileage so it's not like I'd be getting a huge saving on petrol over diesel.
Now assuming I buy a TDCI that's already had the DMF done and the service history is good, it seems unlikely that it would cost ~£650 a year more to run every year.
Am I missing something glaringly obvious? As much as I'd rather drive a petrol than a derv, I'm not sure it's worth an extra £54 a month, especially when the petrol still has the potential to throw up big bills (even if it's less likely than the TDCI).
What would you do in this situation?
*ORIGINAL POST*
Following this thread, it's time to start thinking about what to replace the Corsa with if, as is likely, the insurers decide to write it off.
It will be my girlfriend's car but I'll be buying it and I'll be doing 90% of the driving.
I commute 215 miles a week so that's almost 12k a year, plus frequent weekend trips to Cornwall and the like I think we'll cover between 15-20k a year.
My commute is a mixture of motorway (M27) and city driving (inner Portsmouth and Southampton) and this is similar to the mixed conditions we get on our trips to Cornwall.
My priority is comfort and waftability, for my girlfriend it's economy and running costs.
Depending on what the insurance payout amounts to I think we'll have about £3k to spend, possibly extended to £3.5k if we have to but the budget it tight. I'm saving for a house deposit and this expense wasn't really calculated for.
My girlfriend seems pretty adamant about getting a diesel and I suppose with our estimated mileage we're creeping into the category where this becomes semi-acceptable, although it wouldn't be my first choice.
The Shortlist
1. This being Motors, the obvious choice is a Mk3 Mondeo starting at the 2.0d Ghia X and then working down the trim levels to fit the budget.
2. However, she isn't a huge fan of the Mondeo and would prefer a Focus due to it being smaller. However, it seems to me that you get a lot more car for your money with a Mondeo. I know less about the Focus in terms of engines, trim levels and facelift intervals but I assume we'd be looking for something similar to the Mondeo.
3. The wildcard (I'm prepared for this to be a lolpanzer moment). What about an X-Type?
There seem to be quite a few 2.0d X-Types with around 100k miles on the clock doing the rounds on AutoTrader etc. She has always wanted a Jag and doesn't seem to mind that it's bigger than a Focus when it's a Jag rather than a Mondeo. I'd rather waft to work in one of these than either of the Fords. I'm prepared for higher running costs with the Jag (I'm used to running the 530d after all) and I think it would be worth the extra expense. However, I have no idea about the 2.0d lump. Are there well-know issues with these cars at this age? Basically, if you don't instantly laugh me down for suggesting it, what should I be looking for when trying to get one of these?
At the moment, my heart says X-type but my head says Mondeo. My girlfriend is the same but would probably prefer the Focus.
People of Motors, what would you recommend?
Last edited:
