25,000 miles a year in comfort (and on a budget)

[Jez]

I'd definitely be looking at something like this if it were me.

Not sure if missed while you quoted that one but that example has a manual shifter/clutch. I’d personally not be willing to drive that locally let alone for heavy mileage.

Skodamarts suggestion of an old a3 or similar is very poor. Even ignoring everything else, id put it to him that I’d trust the Mercedes chain timed engines (which are not known to fail as some bmw chains can) and 7g Tronic box orders of magnitude over the belt driven engine/dsg whatever is in an a3. The Mercedes will likely only ever want consumables and the odd ancillary part, they are excellent cars.

 

[SkodaMart]

We are never going to agree on that I'm afraid. I'd not want to do that sort of distance in either of those vehicles.

I can see you in one of those vehicles more than I could imagine you sat on a bus.
I did check the mot history on the Octavia, it’s utterly dreadful.
I will stick with my Citroen’s for cheap high mileage motoring.
Second hand car market is still a bonkers place atm.

 

[Scania]

I’d buy the best V70 D5 Volvo you could find, for a fraction of your budget, it’ll give you great mpg (especially pre 06) and be pretty bomb proof reliability wise.
£5k (well below that actually) would buy you a minter, why spend more?

This said as an owner of one, supremely comfortable, reliable, well built, durable. Ticks the boxes I’d say.

 

[jpaul]

could have had a poll at the start

If Octavia is on the menu, then why never Seat ? or, is the equivalent age/price an older vw chassis/fitments & reliability.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

Not sure if missed while you quoted that one but that example has a manual shifter/clutch.

Thus the 'something like this'. For that budget, entering the market with high mileage and wanting something comfortable, I'd be looking at something Japanese. Obviously thats my own preference.

 

[tom_nieto]

Not sure if missed while you quoted that one but that example has a manual shifter/clutch. I’d personally not be willing to drive that locally let alone for heavy mileage.

Skodamarts suggestion of an old a3 or similar is very poor. Even ignoring everything else, id put it to him that I’d trust the Mercedes chain timed engines (which are not known to fail as some bmw chains can) and 7g Tronic box orders of magnitude over the belt driven engine/dsg whatever is in an a3. The Mercedes will likely only ever want consumables and the odd ancillary part, they are excellent cars.

Yes and yes. Definitely don't want a manual for this task and compared to the inside of the Mercedes, the Avensis looks depressing - which would you prefer to arrive if you ordered an Uber? I'm sure the Mercedes has some expensive bits to go wrong, but at the end of the day it's still a turbo diesel high pressure injection engine with a DPF which can throw unpleasant bills in a Toyota, Skoda or a Mercedes. Servicing from a well reviewed independent garage in Moseley is £149 for a minor and £219 for a major. The person I spoke to reckoned the timing chain should be replaced, but this is not a part of Mercedes official servicing schedule. They also don't have air suspension which is good for the wallet, but bad for the waft. The reason I'm gravitating towards a Mercedes E class is that it's a considerably nicer place to sit than a great many cars, especially at this budget.

I'd love to just buy a brand new car or spend considerably more, but I don't want to sell the 911, so need to keep outlay relatively low.

Cruise control will be mandatory on any barge that is purchased!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the thread so far, a lot of food for thought! Always great to get so many opinions, and the predictable "get a different job" responses

 

[Jez]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109147350119

Here is the "brave" option

 

[Greebo]

I’d buy the best V70 D5 Volvo you could find, for a fraction of your budget, it’ll give you great mpg (especially pre 06) and be pretty bomb proof reliability wise.
£5k (well below that actually) would buy you a minter, why spend more?

This said as an owner of one, supremely comfortable, reliable, well built, durable. Ticks the boxes I’d say.

This. All the 3 volvos I have owned was when i was doing highish mileage around 30,000 per year and they have the comfiest seats full stop, feel safe to be sat in and are v.safe in accidents, superb fuel economy and none of them ever missed a beat.

If you service and look after the engines then they will easily do 300,000+ no problems.

There are good reasons Volvos appear twice on the highest mileage cars in the world with top stop at 3.2 million miles!

https://www.everlance.com/blog/10-highest-mileage-vehicles

Ok Volvos probably arent quite build as well as they were in the last couple of decades but they are still good.