What an earth do I buy?

I've quite a large selection of the Astra range, unfortunately. Was my learning car and now I’m driving them as Enterprise rentals. The Focus is the better car in all be-it looks. Evidentially the most important aspect for you. I have also had the miss fortune of the Vectra in the 1.8 and 2.2 variants, utter piddle compared to the heavily used Mk3 2.2 Mondeo pool cars we have.




So you’re a courier?

No i'm a field technician for Dell and Sony.

Vectra's are crap, I agree with that.

I thought the Astra SRi 1.9 CDti I test drove handled and performed pretty well for a 5 door hatch.
 
Did this a few weeks back on the Astra SRI's because it was easier.

Astra 1.8 SRi VVTi 120 XP 30,000 miles, 39mpg @ 106.9p = £3738.29


Astra 1.9 CDTi SRI 150 XP 30,000 miles, 48mpg @ 118.9p = £3378.31


Petrol's insurance group is 8. Diesels is 12.


so you save £400 a year, on a more expensive car, with higher service costs, higher insurance?

How many years will it take to earn the difference back?
 
so you save £400 a year, on a more expensive car, with higher service costs, higher insurance?

How many years will it take to earn the difference back?

Yeah but by then the car will be worth nothing anyway.

The Saxo needs to be replaced with something more suitable.

The Saxo is adequate as my personal car, it's fun, small and nippy and I was strongly considering getting a Clio 182 next until I was offered a new job.


It's looking like I need 2 cars.
 
It's looking like I need 2 cars.

now you want TWO cars to save you money? :eek:


Do you run a Bank or something? Because you ain't got a clue on finances it seems.


Why not buy the "fun car" and use it as your work car too, then the savings on not buying a 2nd car and the savings on tax/insurance will cover the extra costs of the petrol easily.

Or are you thinking you going to be spending 6k on petrol a year?
 
But the combined cost of insuring two cars - one for a huge amount of business miles and one for normal personal miles - isn't that much?

exactly. Its Daft. 2 cars to save money? Where is the logic in that?

A comprise is needed really. Something fast, fun, but comfy. Mondeo ST fits the bill but he thinks its a barge for reps (which he is but doesnt see it that way)
 
Petrol - £1.10pl
Diesel - £1.22pl

Assuming 30k, the annual fuel bills at different MPG are as follows:-

Petrol - 30mpg - £4,994.00 - £0.166ppm
Petrol - 35mpg - £4,280.57 - £0.143ppm
Diesel - 40mpg - £4,154.10 - £0.138ppm
Diesel - 45mpg - £3,692.53 - £0.123ppm
Diesel - 50mpg - £3,323.28 - £0.111ppm

Clear savings can be made at this mileage level by going diesel. However, the difference at the higher end of the MPG scale is minimal. Discounting a 48mpg car in favour of a 53mpg on purely financial grounds is madness as you are talking about a saving of under £30 a month. With this sort of mileage the key points are comfort, reliability, and running costs.

Personally I quite liked the ST TDCi until I found out about the reliability of the 2.2.

Discounting the Mondeo ST because it looks like a barge in comparision to the 3 series which is driven exclusively by men under the age of 40 is ridiculous, but discounting it do to it's ability to spring 4 figure bills would be sound.

Don't get too hung up purely on MPG though, while you can save ~£80 a month running a typical four pot diesel (~50mpg) over a typical four pot petrol (~35mpg), this saving is wasted when you consider the potential drepreciation in asset value associated with running a £9k car for 30k a year. You can spend under half that on a decent VAG/Ford/Vauxhall diesel hatch, and such a saving will dwarf the costs you may have to face with a car not under warranty.

A Mondeo or a BMW may not be your favoured choice, and if you want a Fiat Grand Punto instead then that's fine as it's your money, or at least it's your responsibility to pay it back, but don't kid yourself that there are any circumstances in which such a decision could be considered logical.
 
Rules of Spec Me threads in Motors

1) Decide what car it is you want.
2) Post a thread asking advice anyway
3) Dismiss all suggestions that arent what you have already chosen
4) Abuse those who dissagree with you
5) Go out and buy the car you decided on in the first place
6) Year later, post thread complaining how rubbish your car is


Sorry, couldnt resits the "Holy thread revival Batman!"
 
The current astra is complete crap. I just gave back a brand new one. The handling is bordering on matress, they STILL have issues with clutch judder, this is since release.

The whole dash flexs like you wouldnt believe, the steering is dead in the middle at speed, The gear selection is like stirring porridge. Brakes are massively over assisted with no feel.

The car feels a chore to drive, and once the WEEEEE TURBO! feeling of the sri derv wears off your left with a blandmobile with fairly stiff suspension that doesnt seem to improve the handling but helps knock your fillings out.
 
Reading this has been enlightening. I'm sure the decision has been made but for interest's sake, had the question been asked now, I would have suggested a MkV Golf GT. Now the 6 is out, they will fall / have fallen in price by a significant portion and are actually pretty good cars, though if a Mondeo is too bland I doubt the OP would have been interested.

Couple of people being well over the top though. Attacking a man for his occupation? That is weak.
 
Back
Top Bottom