Spec me - 6k commuter

[Frozennova]

I rather unexpectedly need to replace my Jetta.

Usage is 2/3 day a week 65 mile commute of M1/M25

Cruise, climate and automatic are my must haves.

So far it looks like a W204 C220/250cdi or an E90 320D are falling into the 6k budget.

I'm coming from a PD105 so either of them is going to be a step up in performance.

A superb would be a consideration but they appear to be few and far between with reasonable mileage for the budget.

Anything else I should be considering? Any horrors lurk with either of the above?

 

[Frozennova]

B7 Passat? Dull as dishwater but the 2.0TDI is pretty solid. At least the rattling bag of spanners in a bigger bag of spanners in my C6 A6 is..

I’d go anything VAG 1.9/2.0 TDI for that budget.

Passat was on the list initially, and it's perhaps foolish but I'd like something that feels like an upgrade.

I'd covered the best part of 90k miles in the Jetta in just under 3 years so I'm keen to steer away from another VAG product

 

[Frozennova]

ANy other reason you are looking at cars that size? If you were prepared to go with a smaller car then your budget would go further?

There's very few Mondeo/Focus Autos within budget, although the 1 of each on AT at the moment are a couple of years newer, and similar/slightly lower mileage. I know I SHOULD be looking at Golfs et all, but I irrationally can't bring myself to being stuck in another VAG product

if you are moving on m1/m25 is the ULEZ charge of significance, so - the compatability of any diesel


but as Greebo said aforementioned cars may not give low running cost and fuel consumption for a 130 mile triple weekly round-trip in congested traffic.

Uxbridge is well outside of the LEZ/ULEZ and looks like it will continue to be for at least a few more years yet

Mondeo??

It was the first contender, the choice is very limited. Auto is a requirement I'm not willing to compromise on and I know nothing about the powershift boxes. I got bitten by the DSG 6 months into ownership of the Jetta

 

[Frozennova]

I forgot to update this.

Spent some time looking for a decent S60, but there was nothing in the price range within a reasonable distance. I didn't want to be buying something 100k+ miles as I'm likely to end up putting that again on top.

Ended up with a C220 that popped up locally. 1 owner, extensive MB service history