Commuting car

I do 60 miles a day 4-7 days a week, plus the occasional 200mile round trip. Fast A roads, some twisty, or the m1.

No rough engine size really - been tempted by volvo s60s with the 2-2.5 turbo engines, and also tempted by some of the v8 lexus' but they are perhaps a little too thirsty.

Other thoughts have included Honda Accord 2.0 (boring, but reliable apparently), x type jag estate (simply as I don't like the look of the saloon), saab 9000 (hard to find a decent rust free one for the money now), some sort of mondeo but they just do nothinf for ME, mazda 6 2.3.

I guess the best car for the money, and one that won't fall to bits. Servicing and maintenance are something I spare no expense on but I don't want components failing all the time.

Thanks for your reply

Ghost

They do seem to be capable of big mileages! I think I'm after something a bit quicker though, I'd possibly go 530i

Forgot to say, it has only around 50,000 miles on it and does average 37-40mpg on a run. (Mileage will increase as Wife using it daily until my P100 is finished) It has power steering, electric windows, central remote locking and electric tilt slide sunroof too. Everything works, just as it should including ice cold air con.

Saab 900's are cheap as cheaps now.

Get one with the B204L engine (2.0 not the 2.3) and make sure it has a intercooler at the front and it will be 150bhp, quick map (which is almost diy) and you could have nearly 200bhp. The cars are a bit dull but the engine should go out for many many miles

Go back a bit and get a Mk3 Granada Cosworth?

Scorpio Ultima's are still unloved and cheap, LPG would make running a 2.9 as a daily a sensible option. There are quite a few of those come up with history.

What is so wrong with the Alfa? Those 2.4 JTDms are not too bad as long as you adhere to a few things.

-Ensuring they are serviced on the dot including the fuel filter change despite the cost ; IME not going for genuine bits here will cause issues regarding the latter (water in fuel isssues, sensor fitting problems and so on, Timing belt with water pump change, Silicone boost hoses, EGR gasket mod via the later gasket.

Once I did this my Alfa 147 ran spot on. I had garages telling me I had all sorts of issues until I checked a few things and had a few pointers from a known specialist. To say that I saved a fortune was an understatement ; that car is still running like a dream today.



Agreed fully there. If someone said that I could have a near 205 GTi experience with more poke and far more creature comforts I would have felt they were lying. The Clio does it very well though!

I'd personally say that £2k would get a nice 172. Yes you can get them for £1k but most owners I have seen with such cars have moaned at how they are rattly and unreliable despite buying a 'potentially good' (read dog of a) car. Mine has been superb if I am honest and it is very tidy. Mine was less than £2k but quite a bit more than £2k although it did come with alot of history for a new(ish) car. It's still taken a cambelt/dephaser which was an oversight on my part regarding the paperwork (although the specialist did say it was one of the cleanest 172 he had seen), along with an AC regas and front brake service (this could have been avoided if the last garage/person actually changed the discs/pads correctly and cleaned things as opposed to just fitting them!). www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1492990&mid=142054&nmt=Another+Clio!++A+172+this+time+as+a+Daily! is a thread of my experience with a 172 . That said it was not my first choice of car but I am glad that it panned out this way , almost everything else I saw for more cash was a nail in comparion (Audi TT, Volvo T5 (850 or V70) & a Mini 1275GT; that was better than the others but it still would have taken far more cash than the Clio, and it wasn't that bad for a Mini either!).

With the Clios the biggest issue is not finding an abused one (most have been!) and keeping an eye on the cambelt ; they are £360-600 to do correctly with some garages taking shortcuts resulting in engines becoming rattly, a little like the Pug 306 GTi-6).


Mk3 Mondeo would be another suggestion, they have done huge mileages under my ownership. If going for a V6 which would be my choice it would be foolish to take a change on the cooling system on them.

Regarding retro stuff I can recommend Volvo 740s (although the pre-89 cars can rust badly ; my '89 was and that was 8 years ago!), possibly even a VW Golf GTi albeit in 8v flavour (but despite the naysayers I would say the Clio 172 would be a better car).