Advice - Want to get people's opinions

munzab

I've always been a "live in dublin work in dublin" man, but soon things are going to change.

I will have to commute daily to Navan every day (google maps tell me its a 60km trip through m50 and n3 - adding 2 tolls in the process). its not as if i am going to be subsidised for the travel, actually ill be paid less - but i have no choice.

Added to that are a few trips here in there of about a total of 100-200km per week.

Assuming i manage to work all the time and not fall sick - that would make it a total of about 30,000km per year (itll probably be less than that - thats a worse case scenario - working 50 weeks a year).


I currently have a 2004 e60 520i which has been a joy to have, but does make me think twice when i fill up. currently i am doing about 250-300km per week and its costing me about 250-350 euros to fill per month (10.7l/100km) - the cost is not exact as mileage varies per week + tax of 268 per quarter (never could lump 951 in one go).


The car has 80k miles and is actually really good with no issues - its due back break pads in about 900km incidentally, but im holding out as i need to figure out what to do.


Im assuming with the mileage that i need to consider a diesel now. Im not really into diesel boxes that will make me cry when i get into them. by that i mean, ive really enjoyed driving petrol cars - e36 coupe, an e46, an e90 and an e39 (although my wife hated that particular one - and it was not the best minded when i bought and sold it cheap) - until the e60 which has been the best we've had.


I dont mind considering other brands, but i need something that is a little bit interesting and that id look forward to be getting into, as ill be spending some time in during the week.

Also, it will have to be automatic. i used to have a lot of trouble with my left leg until i switched to automatic in the e60 - what a change. Cruise control im guessing is going to be important. therefore, for me, in order of preference for a car, it would be:

kind of car (im thinking a european saloon/hatchback)
Comfort
Consumption/Overall costs (im thinking 530d's might not fit well into the criteria - as i need to factor in road tax as well.)
toys on board
Power isn't something im into - as long as it keeps up normally for a motorway - i stick to speed limits 95% of the time.


Im probably not going to be keeping the car longer than 2-3 years at the most, so if the road tax was high, but offset by a lower buying price, that would be ok.

What i can invest - the price for the e60 (i was talking to a dealer yesterday, and he offered me 3350 as part of a trade in for a 05 golf 1.6 that was in the worst shape ive ever seen + 2500 from me. God i laughed at him - not because of the price he gave me, but the fact he had a straight face when he told me the reason there was no service history with the car was because people did it in their backyards. true, that car had so much grass in it - up to the spare wheel that i think it was rolled in backyard grass).

That made me think that, yes, the e60 isnt as valuable as when i bought it, but that was a really low offer.

So, going back to topic, what i can get with the e60 +2-2.5k cash might be affordable.




Now, on another note, we have a rav4 2003 1.8 petrol that my wife wants to get rid of asap. she's tired of it, and it has nct till 2015. Reasons are: it took a tile to the pillar in the storms, house insurance wont cover (only about 250 euros to repair, the engine light comes on intermittently since we changed the catalytic conver last month to pass the nct and the speedo sensor i think sometimes gets cramps - reading online, it seems to be common). otherwise its a really good car.

im being offered 1500-2000 for it for part exchange. my wife is mad into golf mk5, but there are really few examples out there worth it - so we arent sure what to budget. i think we could afford another 2k.

Wife hates focus, impartial to astra H (i dont like it, but ill go with it if its necessary), liked the coupe 3 e46 but in automatic which is rare - recently found one but the dealer refused to repair a few oil leaks before we bought, and sold it without telling us, did not like the 1 series after trying it, not really into french cars - picky i know, but as its something she will be spending at least 3 years in, we want it to be worthwhile).


Im wondering how i should approach all of this? i dont mind hanging on to the e60 for a little while longer, i wont be changing jobs until after march anyway.



So after this long winded post detailing my thoughts, i would invite suggestions from people - no car is being derailed - based on the criterias above. i would like to be able to think outside the box, hence asking people's opinions on:

1. which best diesel to commute that is within costs - i dont mind going bangernomic - i had the e39 to prove i can try my hand at it.
2. golfs? if not, then what?
3. Too much detail/info/nonsense?
4 trying to stay in budget of having only 4k cash in total + the cars.

corsav6

We have a 1.3 diesel astra h that's gets a fair amount of driving. Avg 600 miles to a 52lt tank. Nice 6 speed gearbox and turbo boost at 1750rpm. Cheap to tax and service.
It would be a big step down from a BMW but with your budget it fits right in.
Avoid any with no service history as poor servicing can lead to snapped timing chain as the tensioner can get blocked.
Most of my experience is with Opel(vauxhall).
My advice would be to test a few different small engine diesels from different manufacturers and see which you would prefer on an everyday commute. Good luck with your car hunting.

_Kaiser_

I used to commute from Virginia to Fairview so the good news for you is you'll actually only have to worry about the M50 toll because the Navan toll is AFTER the Navan exits

Assuming a 520d E60 is out for budget reasons(??) I did the run in a 06 2L TDI Passat with the DSG box and found it an excellent car - comfortable, plenty of room and power for the motorway and economical (full tank did about 1100km most weeks). Tax is fairly reasonable (by Irish standards)

Equivalent A4 might be an option for you as well but they're a lot smaller than the Passat.

debabyjesus

Navan to kentstown onto M2 bypasses all yer tolls. Adds only a few minutes to journey depending on traffic.

e.r

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I used to commute from Virginia to Fairview so the good news for you is you'll actually only have to worry about the M50 toll because the Navan toll is AFTER the Navan exits

Assuming a 520d E60 is out for budget reasons(??) I did the run in a 06 2L TDI Passat with the DSG box and found it an excellent car - comfortable, plenty of room and power for the motorway and economical (full tank did about 1100km most weeks). Tax is fairly reasonable (by Irish standards)

Equivalent A4 might be an option for you as well but they're a lot smaller than the Passat.

The m3 has 2 tolls one after fairyhouse.

munzab

the tolls arent my biggest concern, as there isnt much i can about it. the car and consumption are the variables here which i can do something to affect.


the astra h diesel is definitely out. 1.3 means a lot of pushing to get it to cruising speed, but its also an astra H. im not keen on them.

the passat is something i am considering to be honest. is the 2.0L engine ok?or should i be looking for the 1.9 one?

_Kaiser_

e.r wrote: »

The m3 has 2 tolls one after fairyhouse.

Ah true.. fogot that one Have a tag and spend a lot of time on the M50/M3/M7/M8 so it's all a blur

_Kaiser_

munzab wrote: »

the tolls arent my biggest concern, as there isnt much i can about it. the car and consumption are the variables here which i can do something to affect.


the astra h diesel is definitely out. 1.3 means a lot of pushing to get it to cruising speed, but its also an astra H. im not keen on them.

the passat is something i am considering to be honest. is the 2.0L engine ok?or should i be looking for the 1.9 one?

You'll hear loads of horror stories here about the earlier 2.0 TDI (2005-2008) and there was an injector problem with them - but VW issued a recall in the UK and later Ireland about 2 years ago so any possibly affected car should have been fixed under that.

The 2.0 is definitely the better one to go with as the B6 Passat is a lot bigger than the earlier B5/5.5 .. plus the DSG box is fantastic.

R.O.R

I have a similar commute distance wise, but up and down the M1/M50 - thankfully, only have to deal with the M50 toll each way.

Not sure what the M/N3 is like taffic wise, but I never use Cruise Control as the roads are too busy to keep a constant speed at the times I travel.

You'll be spending 20 hours a week in the car, so need some comfort. Decent seats and an armrest are the first things to look for. Fuel consumption will be much better on the type of driving you will be doing, than you are doing currently.

I'm driving a 520d Auto, and getting 47mpg. Previous car was a Honda Accord 2.0i VTEC that was getting just under 40mpg - honest john reports an average of 34mpg for the Honda and 44mpg for the BMW, so you'll get better than average consumption. Other thing to consider is tank size and whether you'll get a full week from a tank - nothing more soul destroying than having to stop twice a week.

While running costs are important, don't skimp on comfort. Personally, I wouldn't consider something smaller than a Mondeo/Passat sized car for that type of journey. You could save money in a Golf, but it won't cruise as easily as the next class of vehicle up. Also, don't bother with the smaller diesel engines - if you can cruise at 110km/h or over, you'll be better off with a larger engine.

Worth trying your current car for a while to see how bad it is on fuel. If you can get consumption to somewhere around the 7 l/100km mark, it's not worthwhile changing. If it's 8 - 9, and you'll be doing this for a while, change to a diesel.

Also, wouldn't be massively hung up on Auto. At that distance, you'll be getting in to 5th/6th as soon as you get outside the M50 and only changing gear for the toll and however far you've got to go off the main road. I counted once (not really much else to do), and once I'd cleared the 2 roundabouts near home, I changed gear 25 times until I got to the office, which isn't really much.

munzab

R.O.R wrote: »

I have a similar commute distance wise, but up and down the M1/M50 - thankfully, only have to deal with the M50 toll each way.

Not sure what the M/N3 is like taffic wise, but I never use Cruise Control as the roads are too busy to keep a constant speed at the times I travel.

You'll be spending 20 hours a week in the car, so need some comfort. Decent seats and an armrest are the first things to look for. Fuel consumption will be much better on the type of driving you will be doing, than you are doing currently.

I'm driving a 520d Auto, and getting 47mpg. Previous car was a Honda Accord 2.0i VTEC that was getting just under 40mpg - honest john reports an average of 34mpg for the Honda and 44mpg for the BMW, so you'll get better than average consumption. Other thing to consider is tank size and whether you'll get a full week from a tank - nothing more soul destroying than having to stop twice a week.

While running costs are important, don't skimp on comfort. Personally, I wouldn't consider something smaller than a Mondeo/Passat sized car for that type of journey. You could save money in a Golf, but it won't cruise as easily as the next class of vehicle up. Also, don't bother with the smaller diesel engines - if you can cruise at 110km/h or over, you'll be better off with a larger engine.

Worth trying your current car for a while to see how bad it is on fuel. If you can get consumption to somewhere around the 7 l/100km mark, it's not worthwhile changing. If it's 8 - 9, and you'll be doing this for a while, change to a diesel.

Also, wouldn't be massively hung up on Auto. At that distance, you'll be getting in to 5th/6th as soon as you get outside the M50 and only changing gear for the toll and however far you've got to go off the main road. I counted once (not really much else to do), and once I'd cleared the 2 roundabouts near home, I changed gear 25 times until I got to the office, which isn't really much.

Thats the kind of advice im looking for.

I am definitely going for bigger cars ie in the 5/a6/s80/E/passat class and might drop to a 320/a4 if necessary.

The golf is for my wife, looking for a suitable 1.6 one.


How are 525d e60s consumptions?

debabyjesus

munzab wrote: »

Just realised your going southbound! Sorry.

munzab

debabyjesus wrote: »

munzab wrote: »

Just realised your going southbound! Sorry.

what do you mean?ill be going ballinteer>m50>m3 back m3>m50 - ballinteer exit

who_ru

Convert your current motor to LPG ? Less mpg, but circa 80 cents per litre. LPG pumps in finglas, tallaght, Lucan. Probably others that I don't know of.

dgt

I do that journey in the other direction. Also in a 520i.

Everyday I commute from the far side of Navan to St Stephens green.

I average 30ish mpg (rush hour in, rush hour home, heavy traffic), if I get a good run that can climb to as high as 34mpg

It costs me near €20 a day on fuel and €7 to park in the RCSI (studenty deal)

I rarely take the M3 in order to avoid the tolls. It's actually shorter to go the old N3/R147 distance wise. But taking the M3 can save you 10 minutes in he morning if you're running late.

As I have no job (student grant) fuel is a bit of an arse at times but I get by. I'd rather my diesel than the 520 but it isn't ready yet, cot me far less per week to run

Bottlenecks to watch for are the Blanch bypass and the Dunboyne roundabout. Mind your limit passed the Country Cub.

You can overtake lines of cars as there are plenty of straight stretches.

Where in Navan would you be commuting to?

munzab

dgt wrote: »

I do that journey in the other direction. Also in a 520i.


I average 30ish mpg (rush hour in, rush hour home, heavy traffic), if I get a good run that can climb to as high as 34mpg is that in an e60 or e39?

It costs me near €20 a day on fuel and €7 to park in the RCSI (studenty deal) that sounds like a lot to me. check out drury car park? or is rcsi subsidising things?

I rarely take the M3 in order to avoid the tolls. It's actually shorter to go the old N3/R147 distance wise. But taking the M3 can save you 10 minutes in he morning if you're running late. i dont mind using another route. i used to go to drogheda from dublin city centre every morning

As I have no job (student grant) fuel is a bit of an arse at times but I get by. I'd rather my diesel than the 520 but it isn't ready yet, cot me far less per week to run what diesel?

Bottlenecks to watch for are the Blanch bypass and the Dunboyne roundabout. Mind your limit passed the Country Cub. van?

You can overtake lines of cars as there are plenty of straight stretches.

Where in Navan would you be commuting to? Kennedy road - do you have any suggestions regarding that?

I have responded in bold, hope that clears a few things?

skyhighflyer

Sell the e60 privately. Dealers will give you the old 'sure it's a big petrol car' palaver but a well looked after E60 will move at the right price (€4.5k?). Replace with volvo s60 D5 or, if you want true bangernomics an omega dti. Both comfy diesel armchairs.

Maybe your wife might like an Alfa 147? golf sized, premium interior, nicer to drive in base spec and a couple of very good Alfa indies I can recommend to keep it on the road. I ran one for 18 months and no issues. Get a decent one, keep a supply of 10w40 on hand to keep the oil level right, keep on top of belt changes and you shouldn't have bother.

The options above mean minimum or no outlay on top of what you have already meaning a bit in reserve for increased tax / maintenance.

dgt

munzab wrote: »

I have responded in bold, hope that clears a few things?

munzab wrote: »

is that in an e60 or e39?

It's a 1999 E39. 2 litre M52 manual, for what it is it's not too bad

munzab wrote: »

check out drury car park? or is rcsi subsidising things?

The DIT subsidies the parking, otherwise it's an eye watering €39 per day!!! :eek:

munzab wrote: »

i dont mind using another route. i used to go to drogheda from dublin city centre every morning

The quickest way I find is through the Phoenix park. Every morning I go through O Deavney gardens/StoneyBatter/Liberties to get to college. Cuts out a huge amount of time waiting in traffic

munzab wrote: »

what diesel?

Diesel 406. Seriously comfortable and cheaper to run all round and hopefully I'll have it assembled again for March. It ain't no BMW though....

munzab wrote: »

van?

Primary school. Garda often hide in the hedges in the morning to catch speeders (seen first hand)

Van does be on that road to force people to use the motorway, not to save lives :rolleyes: fear not, it's always in obvious locations, I'll throw up links if you wish

munzab wrote: »

Kennedy road - do you have any suggestions regarding that?

If you're working in the shopping centre (or near it in certain circumstances) you can get a multi storey pass for €6 a year. Parking will be an arse otherwise unless you have arrangements made. Free parking exists but far away from Kennedy road (chadwicks is free for example)

Getting there is easy in the mornings, just avoid the schools and you'll be ok

munzab

dgt wrote: »

If you're working in the shopping centre (or near it in certain circumstances) you can get a multi storey pass for €6 a year. Parking will be an arse otherwise unless you have arrangements made. Free parking exists but far away from Kennedy road (chadwicks is free for example)

Getting there is easy in the mornings, just avoid the schools and you'll be ok

not in the shopping centre, but the place better proper give me a car park space (its an office).

munzab

anyway, any car suggestions that might fit the criteria?

Bigus

A Prius, mate of mine went from a 530d to a Prius two years ago and still has it, does about 40k km per annum, buys a family sking holiday with the money saved every year.

munzab

Bigus wrote: »

A Prius, mate of mine went from a 530d to a Prius two years ago and still has it, does about 40k km per annum, buys a family sking holiday with the money saved every year.

thanks, but i dont think i can afford one in my budget

Idbatterim

how about an E90 or E60 20d? Alternatively a 320 E90 petrol, might be a runner...

munzab

Idbatterim wrote: »

how about an E90 or E60 20d?

Would love to have one but not going to happen inside of 6k

ninty9er

If you want an economical diesel auto cruiser you could do worse than a Mk 1 C5 facelift in your budget.

noelf

my son uses the bus(silan) E50 per week navan to grafton street did try the car once much prefers the bus less hassle

munzab

ninty9er wrote: »

If you want an economical diesel auto cruiser you could do worse than a Mk 1 C5 facelift in your budget.

Something to consider, probably not my first choice. Economical yes but doesnt need to be too good either, would like some nice good to be in good looking car

munzab

noelf wrote: »

my son uses the bus(silan) E50 per week navan to grafton street did try the car once much prefers the bus less hassle

Not an option im afraid ill have no set working time