15k budget, 200km a day, Insignia/ i40

fitzparker

Sorry to piggyback but I am also on the look out for a new motor. I was driving a quasqui (1.5 diesel). My commute is about 200km each day so I was looking for diesel with great MPG and low milage. I have around 14-15k to spend, I need a family car. Any recommendations? I was looking at 12,13,14 insignia or i40. But open to options

Idbatterim

Can you charge in work or get an electric with comfortable 200km range for your budget? If so, that would save you a lot over diesel...

colm_mcm

How did you find the Qashqai mpg and comfort wise? I think they’re a good car for Lon distances as seating position is high and doesn’t cause back problems.

Obviously a lower slung car would be more aerodynamic but I don’t think the Qashqai is too bad on juice.

FIL has a Tiguan 2.0 2WD, says it’s a great long distance cruiser.

fitzparker

Idbatterim wrote: »

Can you charge in work or get an electric with comfortable 200km range for your budget? If so, that would save you a lot over diesel...

No unfortunately not. I'd be afraid of electric running out of juice? What is the max distance on them?

fitzparker

colm_mcm wrote: »

How did you find the Qashqai mpg and comfort wise? I think they’re a good car for Lon distances as seating position is high and doesn’t cause back problems.

Obviously a lower slung car would be more aerodynamic but I don’t think the Qashqai is too bad on juice.

FIL has a Tiguan 2.0 2WD, says it’s a great long distance cruiser.

It wasn't bad at all, I really liked it would still have it but unfortunately it was wrote off after being hit by drink driver (but that's for another day)

Juice wise acording to the clock a full engine would give 1050 km. I'd usually get about 850-900 from it. 90% motorway.

So now I'm on the look out again. Any decent quasqui I have looked at with my requirements are too far out. They are very hard to come by.

Also looking at Peugeot 3008, Citroën picasso, hyundai i35.

Anything I should stay clear of? Or not matching the type of driving I do

_Brian

fitzparker wrote: »

Sorry to piggyback but I am also on the look out for a new motor. I was driving a quasqui (1.5 diesel). My commute is about 200km each day so I was looking for diesel with great MPG and low milage. I have around 14-15k to spend, I need a family car. Any recommendations? I was looking at 12,13,14 insignia or i40. But open to options

Having driven both cars your mentioning I was bitterly disappointed by the Hyundai, and just didn’t like the insignia.

We went for a Mondeo 2.0 Tdci, 140bhp.
Great sized family car, consistently returns 55/66mpg, very reliable all round.
Wife adores driving it, I have a chronic bad back injury so find it a bit low slung for very long trips.

commited

50k kms/year is a pretty significant amount of mileage - is this going to be a long term ambition? If so you'll get pretty hammered with depreciation, so I would be inclined to buy a nice car for less than budget and run it for many years. Most cars are robust these cars and will handle 500k kms of easy mileage (which I assume makes up your commute).

The Mondeo is a far far better car than the Insignia and where my money would be going, more specifically the Mk4.5 mondeo with the 2.0 tdci engine. If you're willing to go, the UK is also your best bet.

If you want a low mileage, here is a 4 year old example with great spec:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201708228562034 - less than €11k landed and registered

Considering you're going to be hammering on the mileage, I personally would look to spend a bit less:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710039909495 - less than €7k landed and registered.

They handle mileage really well and are far more reliable than the Insignia.

bazz26

I'd also agree that at that annual mileage it's a good idea to look at something that has already had a fair amount of depreciation already knocked off it. Any car you rack up 50k km per year will have very little resale value on it after a few years so the less you spend on buying it the better.

Something like this Peugeot 508, it's a fairly new car with low mileage, they are a very comfortable cruiser and the previous owner has already taken the main brunt of depreciation already:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710200478312?body-type=Saloon&year-to=2014&radius=1501&maximum-badge-engine-size=2.0&postcode=bt126aa&minimum-badge-engine-size=2.0&model=508&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&year-from=2013&make=PEUGEOT&aggregatedTrim=Allure&page=1

Idbatterim

this 500km, is it motorway driving or national roads mostly or what is the break down?

Idbatterim

Idbatterim wrote: »

this 500km, is it motorway driving or national roads mostly or what is the break down?

The OP clearly states it's 90% motorway in his second post.

selectamatic

Forget about a pre 13 insignia they're spectacularly unreliable. Things supposedly improved after the 13 facelift but I'd not be too confident in one.

The i40 are supposedly middlen for what they are early ones had clutch issues but Hyundai covered this on good will as far as I know.

Others to consider would be a well spec'd 2012+ 2.0d4d avensis generally good reliability wise and they are very good motorway cruisers. They're spacious inside too especially in estate form.

The Peugeot 508 is grand too.
A 2.0tdi jetta or octavia maybe either? Although they're from the class below.

PGE1970

If economy is an issue OP, this will run on air!!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201708017928857?postcode=bt126aa&advertising-location=at_cars&maximum-mileage=50000&maximum-badge-engine-size=1.6&sort=sponsored&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.6&price-to=10000&make=SKODA&radius=1500&model=SUPERB&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&fuel-type=Diesel&year-from=2013&page=1

chicorytip

selectamatic wrote:

Forget about a pre 13 insignia they're spectacularly unreliable. Things supposedly improved after the 13 facelift but I'd not be too confident in one.

The driver's seat is set at an odd height and is uncomfortable. They're noisy in comparison to other modern diesels and the "handbrake" is electronically operated using a button which is a pain. I think you would be better off with an Avensis.

fitzparker

PGE1970 wrote: »

If economy is an issue OP, this will run on air!!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201708017928857?postcode=bt126aa&advertising-location=at_cars&maximum-mileage=50000&maximum-badge-engine-size=1.6&sort=sponsored&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.6&price-to=10000&make=SKODA&radius=1500&model=SUPERB&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&fuel-type=Diesel&year-from=2013&page=1

That's a beauty. But time isn't really on my side at the moment. My car was written off so need something as soon as the cheque arrives.

fitzparker

chicorytip wrote: »

The driver's seat is set at an odd height and is uncomfortable. They're noisy in comparison to other modern diesels and the "handbrake" is electronically operated using a button which is a pain. I think you would be better off with an Avensis.

I was in an insignia and Mondeo today. Nighthe and day in terms of comfort.

I think maybe the insignia is out of the running but liked the mondeo.

Alot of Peugeot 3008 are floating around with low milage and decent MPG... what are the ideas on this?

fitzparker

commited wrote: »

50k kms/year is a pretty significant amount of mileage - is this going to be a long term ambition? If so you'll get pretty hammered with depreciation, so I would be inclined to buy a nice car for less than budget and run it for many years. Most cars are robust these cars and will handle 500k kms of easy mileage (which I assume makes up your commute).

The Mondeo is a far far better car than the Insignia and where my money would be going, more specifically the Mk4.5 mondeo with the 2.0 tdci engine. If you're willing to go, the UK is also your best bet.

If you want a low mileage, here is a 4 year old example with great spec:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201708228562034 - less than €11k landed and registered

Considering you're going to be hammering on the mileage, I personally would look to spend a bit less:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710039909495 - less than €7k landed and registered.

They handle mileage really well and are far more reliable than the Insignia.

Yes I'd say on average maybe 40k a year. For at least the next 3-5 years. So hopefully this car will do me until then.

Both lovely cars and I'm starting to swing towards mondeo but unfortunately I cannot look outside ireland as I need it ASAP as I have no car when the rental take back the one I have now (maybe next 10 days)

Mooooo

Any of the vw group, passat etc.? Brother sold his passat it had done more or less 50k a year no problems. The more mileage the better they go apparently

selectamatic

chicorytip wrote: »

The driver's seat is set at an odd height and is uncomfortable. They're noisy in comparison to other modern diesels and the "handbrake" is electronically operated using a button which is a pain. I think you would be better off with an Avensis.

I thought my post was pretty self explanatory in saying the op would be better off in anything other than an insignia...

commited

fitzparker wrote: »

Yes I'd say on average maybe 40k a year. For at least the next 3-5 years. So hopefully this car will do me until then.

Both lovely cars and I'm starting to swing towards mondeo but unfortunately I cannot look outside ireland as I need it ASAP as I have no car when the rental take back the one I have now (maybe next 10 days)

In that case, I'd be calling about this:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-mondeo-zetec-2012-2-0-tdi-140ps/17006871

Higher spec alternative:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-mondeo-2-0tdci-titanium-163bhp-6-speed-manua/16912192

ba_barabus

Notjing wrong with the 3008 OP but just ensure it has had the servicing done properly as the 1.6HDI is very sensitive to poor servicing.

AMKC

fitzparker wrote: »

I was in an insignia and Mondeo today. Nighthe and day in terms of comfort.

I think maybe the insignia is out of the running but liked the mondeo.

Alot of Peugeot 3008 are floating around with low milage and decent MPG... what are the ideas on this?

The 3008 is a good car but its also a car you either like or loath. I think in a decent spec they look classy and the interior in them is nice but they were a car that was not sure what sector it was in. It was not an MPV and not an SUV its in the middle somewhere where as the new one is a lot better and is an SUV.

If you can get a 508 they are lovely inside and lovely to look at and drive. They are very underrated and very reliable too.

SmartinMartin

another vote for avoiding an insignia, they're buckets of sh1te. A Mondeo on the other hand will take anything you can throw at it with ease. Except maybe another drink driver.

Magilla Gorilla

Why do you think the Insignia is a bucket of ****e?

SmartinMartin

Experience

Magilla Gorilla

Can you elaborate?

SmartinMartin

It's Simple, I've seen a lot of problems with them.

Magilla Gorilla

Such as?

SmartinMartin

why does it matter to you? The op asked for opinions and i shared mine based on previous experience with a few of them. If you want to know the common problems with them, Google is your friend.

Magilla Gorilla

Not a lot. But I’m surprised you would apparently rubbish a particular car on the thread but not back up your opinion with any facts or evidence.
But hey, it’s the internet, right?
Happy and safe motoring!

SmartinMartin

Yes it's the internet, where strangers demand proof of any opinion for no reason. Safe driving yourself.

selectamatic

The growing list of insignia problems includes but is not limited to:
Gearbox failure resulting in a total loss of the gearbox. Can be avoided by replacing bearings if caught early.
Terminal engine failure due to oiling issues
(this is becoming worryingly common and replacement engines are becoming scarce)
Premature turbo failure,
Premature water pump failure,
Electric issues especially relating to the handbrake,
Inlet manifold coolant leaks,
And last but not least a number of them have gone the way of the zafira and spontaneously combusted.

All of the above are very much prevalent in the first gen diesel insignia's and they don't rate too highly on the longevity charts with the usual modern diesel issues either such as egr, dpf and injectors.

In short they're cheap because they've a bad rep. Now a man could get lucky and get by with a few minor niggles and the rest might be grand but I've personally seen all of the above problems crop up except for the fire issue, so I certainly wouldn't risk buying one.

SmartinMartin

Another fault I've seen recently on two seperate cars is steering column damage, both 2011 models.