VW Golf 5 GT TDi 170PS

Can't say I have a predefined budget, but like everyone is saying, throwing £10k at a Merc only to put 40-60k on it would be like peeing into the wind.

This is starting to look unfeasible. 5 hour commute for an 8 hour day? I suppose we've all had to make sacrifices in our lives. This might be mine.
 
thewanted said:
Wives 'eh :( We have a flat in Cardiff at the moment but she's staying at her mom's in Hampshire while she works in London and it's putting a strain on things.
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Can I make a suggestion? I do hope you don't take offence, but might it be a possibility for you to rent the Cardiff flat out and stay in Hampshire with her? If that means getting a job in London for you, would that be possible? Could your company tansfer you to a London office/branch?
 
6k miles a month?

I would buy Japanese if I was that reliant on a car, more so if you had only a few k to spend.
 
For 6k miles a month your first consideration should be a very comfortable seat. Second should be a good stereo. Volvo S60 springs to mind as cheap as you can get.
 
The Mad Rapper said:
Can I make a suggestion? I do hope you don't take offence, but might it be a possibility for you to rent the Cardiff flat out and stay in Hampshire with her? If that means getting a job in London for you, would that be possible? Could your company tansfer you to a London office/branch?
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No offence taken :) Unfortunately the flat isn't ours so that isn't an option. I do want to stay with her in Hampshire (hence the 6k miles per month). I have a contract to work at the Cardiff office until Apr 2010 so I can't be transferred anywhere until then.
 
[TW]Fox;14948435 said:
It doesn't neccesarily need to be a diesel, a decent petrol will be pretty economical at constant Motorway speeds. Infact diesel is quite limiting as the sort of cars I'm thinking would suit didn't have diesel options until 'recently' which would be outside of budget.
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What sort of mpg would you be expecting from cars like that on the motorway?

Just thinking, even a small mpg difference could mean a lot of money with this sort of mileage
 
[TW]Fox;14948388 said:
It'll be the 94-00 shape for that money, not what I had in mind. You want a barge not a small saloon. I'm thinking 1998 S280 or similar :D
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That's just plain dumb. If anything goes wrong on it, the cost of parts/labour is going to be stratospheric. And its not going to be very economical on the motorway. Even if he drives a geriatric grandad, there's no getting around the fact that its almost a 2 tonne car. Hate to think what mpg is going to be like if he actually tries ragging it.
 
Is it the one with the DPF - I'm guessing it's not the CR version?
You'd probably see about 44-48 on a good day. High 30s at worst - if you're driving like a granny/nun low 50s.
 
Jono said:
Is it the one with the DPF - I'm guessing it's not the CR version?
You'd probably see about 44-48 on a good day. High 30s at worst - if you're driving like a granny/nun low 50s.
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44-48 doesn't seem all that impressive but I guess 170PS and not being able to stick to a strict 70MPH on the M4 would cause that.

After driving to Hampshire last night (lol) and talking it over, we've decided not to do the commute. By the 3rd day I'd be so knackered that arguments could flare up and it would be pointless.

So, back to nice car hunting and only 2000-2500 miles a month! I'll have a look at the 120d today and see what it has to offer. Thanks again for all the advice.
 
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MarkDavis said:
That's just plain dumb. If anything goes wrong on it, the cost of parts/labour is going to be stratospheric. And its not going to be very economical on the motorway. Even if he drives a geriatric grandad, there's no getting around the fact that its almost a 2 tonne car. Hate to think what mpg is going to be like if he actually tries ragging it.
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They are pretty reliable - it was the last of the truely impeccably built Mercedes. The S280 is the base model and does without complex air suspension. The 6 cylinder engine is reasonably economical but we are talking 30mpg rather than 40mpg.

However... they are about £2.5k. This is many thousands of quid less than the other suggestions. And it's supremely comfortable.

Mind you, its academic now as he's not doing the commute. Enjoyed the irony of MarkDavis calling an engine choice 'plain dumb' but then I guess he has practical experience of picking the wrong powerplant :p
 
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