I feel dirty even thinking it...

Ev0

Ev0

Ev0

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
14,221
Well the time has come, I'm having those thoughts everyone has at one point in their life but never likes to admit it, should I chop my car in for a diesel? :/

Currently got an Impreza WRX, average mpg for a tank at the moment is 30.

My weekly driving consists of 140 miles up a motorway on a Monday, about 20/30 miles through the week, then 140 miles back down a motorway on a Friday, with some odds and sods at the weekend.

It's using a tank a week, with a tank costing about £70.

Now that on it's own is not a compelling enough argument to chop it in, afterall it's only about 340 miles a week and the Impreza to give it credit has been reliable as anything and hasn't cost much to run at all.

The diesel option starts becoming more appealing though as due to my working arrangement at the moment I'm away from home all week, which sucks to be honest.

But it's what I have to do at the moment, it's not forever, but it's where I am now and won't be changing for a little while. But that's another dicussion I need to have with myself....

So the thought popped into my head of rather than being away Monday to Friday, I could do 2 days away, 1 day home, a final day away then back again.

Now I know to most here that seems like omg madness I work in my back garden or as close as, but as said above it's what I'm having to do and the extra night at home with the wife would make things a little better at the moment.

This is where a dirty derv comes in as potentially for a little extra fuel a week I could get 2 trips up and down the motorway out of it, plus all the other driving.

Seen a nice E46 320d sport saloon for sale at a good price and the thought of going to take a look keeps creeping into my tiny little brain.

So ignoring the madness of the logistics (hey if I could get a job doing what I do closer to home I would!) would it be a semi-sensible thing to do?

The time driving isn't an issue, yeah I wouldn't want to do it everyday but couple of times a week is no bother, I'd do it now if it didn't mean an extra £60 a week in fuel.

But then there are all the unknowns of a new car, and an expensive to fix diesel at that.

Or I just man up and keep things as they are (and hope that my plan of doing 4 days in the office and a day at home is pulled off)...
 
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Depends whether you're going to miss the WRX and if you really use any of it's potential other than occasionally or not very often?

I've just gone from a 182 (miles behind a WRX!) to a E90 330D as my commute is increasing to around 1,000 miles per month (excluding leisure) from about 150 miles, not galactic miles. Economy wasn't the sole reason but more so comfort, going a little further per £ is a little bonus. That along with not sitting at 4,000rpm the whole way and not being exhausted after each journey.

I have found it great so far for wafting along on the motorway & dual carriage way on the few occasions I've used them though I'm not sure how an e90 will differ from an e46.

I guess it just comes down to whether or not you're going to regret it?
 
Disco Boy said:
Have you actually done some sums of costs?
Click to expand...

Yup, 63litre tank in the beemer to fill up is what about 85/90 quid?

And that'll do the whole week with 2 trips, the Impreza is £70 a tank and lasts a week with one trip.

So paying that extra to have another night at home isn't too bad.

I'm just in a little bit of a confusing place at the moment as to what to do and the car is just one little part of it :)

As for regretting it, I really don't know lol. I love the WRX, always wanted one and it's been exactly what I wanted from it, but £140 a week on fuel if I do 2 trips, on top of the mortgage and rent here, is pushing it

But then I might only be in this job for 6 months in which case it's all change again.

End of the day nothing will probably change but just needed to get some of my ramblings off my chest rather than keeping things to myself.

Plus I'm still sat at work now, and could really do with getting back to my lovely rented room up here!
 
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Are you likely to have a similar or longer commute on your hand in 6 months time when work changes? If so then it's another inclination to change.

You do have the unknown with a new car and also the potential for large bills with a BMW and a diesel so it could throw a £ shape spanner in the works.
 
sovietspybob said:
Does it have to be a BMW?

If you lowered your goal to something like a Skoda Octavia it might be more worth while?
Click to expand...

Isn't that the definition of hell?

Subaru Impreza -> Skoda :p



Personally... depending on how much you like the scoob... I would be thinking along the lines of picking up a shed and keeping the Subaru.

Mine's in for a rebuild and won't be getting it back til the end of the month. Needed transport in the mean time so picked up a shed. It's reliable, comfortable... just not so frugal on the fuel. Could have always gone for a diesel/smaller engine, just didn't want/need to.
 
Mate - seems like you have other issues going on.

If it were me I'd try the new routine with the current car for a month and see if it sorts out what you want it to. Then you're better informed and can decide if you want to keep it going and change the car if you need to..
 
What if you were to put the Subaru in storage during the week and get yourself a really cheap diesel, I mean something like a 206 diesel or something over 10 years old? You could always use the Subaru over weekends or something.

An older diesel will probably cost under £900, it won't be too much to insure, it will return something like 55mpg+ or more and it won't be expensive to fix if it went wrong. Generally the newer ones with turbos and electrical things can go wrong, but not normally.

My 1.7 1998 Corsa (non turbo) has only needed belt changes and my normal annual oil and filter change which I do for each of my cars religiously each year.

If you are spending £140/week on Subaru fuel; and you got a cheap diesel; you could be spending £10-£20/week on the Subaru (for weekend use) and £20/week on the diesel, assuming 5 litres = 1 gallon, diesel is 1.33p/litre and you are getting 50mpg and you are covering 150 miles a week.

In 9 weeks you would have paid for the diesel car (assuming you pay £900) and after 9 weeks you will start going into profit.

This doesn't take into account any storage costs on the Subaru, diesel insurance costs, which may change the time to 'break even' but it is an option for you.

Depending on how long the Mot and Tax is on the diesel, and the possibility of your circumstances changing, you could choose to sell the diesel sooner, or later with or without an MoT & tax and still make most of the £900 back, whilst still being in the possession of the car you have always wanted.

Of course, that is just one idea and I may well get flamed for even suggesting it.

I would suggest totaling up what your Subaru costs to run and fill up and how many smiles it gives you, then compare this with the insurance/purchase price/tax/fuel/running costs of say the BMW you were thinking of and calculating if you will ever break even and how long it will take to do so.

If you have the option of covering less miles, or moving nearer to work, or changing to a nearer job, you will still have the Subura plus a cheap daily driver.

I don't recommend getting rid of your dream car, as it may be hard to get one again, or one that you know so well and it does sound like there is a lot going on at the moment, so it's not a good idea to make any rash decisions either!

Just my pennies worth.

Kind regards
 
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