Advice on Value of Current Car & Best Car for Long Commute

Barnaboy

Folks,

Hoping you can offer some advice- two queries. Planning on trading up my car. I am a commuter who does some serious mileage.

1. Have a 131 Skoda Octavia- It's the 1.2 automatic, petrol. Mileage 225,000 km

Difficult for me to estimate worth. Not tonnes of them around for sale and it's high mileage. Anyone idea what a dealer would realistically offer on a trade in?

2. What should I replace it with? I do huge miles. Afraid to buy too new as I will seriously damage its value by how much I drive. And petrol, hybrid or diesel?

Thanks in advance.

Idbatterim

If you’re doing huge mileage , the value when you go to sell it will be decimated too! Diesel a no brainer. Do work pay for your fuel ?

Barnaboy

Idbatterim wrote: »

If you’re doing huge mileage , the value when you go to sell it will be decimated too! Diesel a no brainer. Do work pay for your fuel ?

That's exactly my problem! And no, unfortunately I pay for my own fuel. Commute to Dublin from the midlands. So fuel economy is really important to me.

Thinking of going down to a smaller car, small engine.

Any ideas?

colm_mcm

Go smaller than 1.2?

Jaysus. Get the right car for the job. Or keep what you have.

Value wise, I would guess you’d be offered €5500-6000 for it.

Idbatterim

Barnaboy wrote: »

That's exactly my problem! And no, unfortunately I pay for my own fuel. Commute to Dublin from the midlands. So fuel economy is really important to me.

Thinking of going down to a smaller car, small engine.

Any ideas?

I’m assuming you use motorway mostly ? Don’t for a second think that smaller engine means better economy , certainly not on motorway driving, quite the opposite!

Can you charge in work? I.e an electric 24 kwh leaf might be an option if so ... reduced tolls also , virtually no servicing cost. This option is out if you can’t charge in work

If not there are an insane number of options. The vast majority of which would be 2l diesel pretty much ... has to have 6 speed box! Cruise control ideally...

Barnaboy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Go smaller than 1.2?

Jaysus. Get the right car for the job. Or keep what you have.

Sorry meant smaller size, not engine. Should have been clear!

Idbatterim

Barnaboy wrote: »

Sorry meant smaller size, not engine. Should have been clear!

You could lpg yours. Would halve fuel bill I reckon. I don’t know how practical it is on a number of fronts though ...

Barnaboy

Idbatterim wrote: »

I’m assuming you use motorway mostly ? Don’t for a second think that smaller engine means better economy , certainly not on motorway driving, quite the opposite!

Can you charge in work? I.e an electric 24 kwh leaf might be an option if so ... reduced tolls also , virtually no servicing cost. This option is out if you can’t charge in work

I can charge in work actually. But terrified of going full electric. Would love to if practical. What is the range of these? Drive 170km every week day!

How much are we talking for a Leaf?

Idbatterim

Barnaboy wrote: »

I can charge in work actually. But terrified of going full electric. Would love to if practical. What is the range of these? Drive 170km every week day!

How much are we talking for a Leaf?

Cheapest I’ve seen is 6500. Newer 30kwh way more expensive. If 24 kwh could get you there comfortably enough, could be good option ...

denismc

170 km is easily doable in an electric car. There are several electric cars that will do over 200km and a few just arrived on the market that will do over 300.

While a new electric car may seem expensive the savings in fuel will offset this greatly especially if you can charge in work
. Im saving over 2k euro a year on my 60km commute. Go to the electric cars forum and have a look at some of threads, some great info on there.

Barnaboy

denismc wrote: »

170 km is easily doable in an electric car. There are several electric cars that will do over 200km and a few just arrived on the market that will do over 300.

While a new electric car may seem expensive the savings in fuel will offset this greatly especially if you can charge in work
. Im saving over 2k euro a year on my 60km commute. Go to the electric cars forum and have a look at some of threads, some great info on there.

My commute is 90km in the morning, 70km evening ( I drop my wife to work as well). How long do they take to charge?

The Red Ace

OP reading through your post I see that you do virtually the same weekly mileage as one of my family. She drives a mini cooper diesel for a weekly expense of 46 euro, Going by your user name I presume you are male but even if you are six feet tall there is still plenty room to stretch the legs. Its like a go cart to drive with rapid acceleration, we bought it 2 1/2 years ago and it has been totally trouble free, I know they are classed as a girly car but if economy is your priority this may be food for thought.

colm_mcm

The Red Ace wrote: »

OP reading through your post I see that you do virtually the same weekly mileage as one of my family. She drives a mini cooper diesel for a weekly expense of 46 euro, Going by your user name I presume you are male but even if you are six feet tall there is still plenty room to stretch the legs. Its like a go cart to drive with rapid acceleration, we bought it 2 1/2 years ago and it has been totally trouble free, I know they are classed as a girly car but if economy is your priority this may be food for thought.

That’s around 69mpg or 4.1l/100km for anyone else wondering

Idbatterim

The fact that I am assuming you take the toll twice daily. I believe electric is one third or half price tolls. Fuel cost near zero. I’d go onto electric car forum here and seek advice ...

bazz26

Just remember that going to a smaller car when doing big mileage is a compromise in comfort. Bigger cars are generally more comfortable and imo comfort is a value I would not compromise on for a small increase in fuel economy.

Mike9832

I'd wait it out a year or so with your diesel and buy a new electric car then

Alot of long range EV's are coming in 2020

Ones out now like Ioniq/Leaf/Zoe are at the limit doing Midlands and back @ motorway speed in cold weather

Next years ones like Ioniq long range, VW ID etc no issue

denismc

Barnaboy wrote: »

My commute is 90km in the morning, 70km evening ( I drop my wife to work as well). How long do they take to charge?

Depends on the car but the new Nissan leaf should charge at your workplace in about 5 hours, thats if it is fully depleted. There is also a grant available to purchase your own home charger.
So if you can charge at work and at home then electric is seriously worth considering.

Until recently I would never have considered buying a new car but 2k annual savings on fuel and servicing adds up to 20k in 10 years, Consider how much you would spend in diesel in 10years!

Goto the EV forum and look at some of the threads there.

Lantus

160km a day commute. Is that 5 days per week?

Option 1 - new diesel
Option 2 - nearly new diesel
Option 3 - electric.

Cost all three over 5 years which equates to your 220k total mileage if bought new.

You need to carefully weigh up a cheaper EV that must be charged at work before you can get home plus the network on route against a new longer range EV and the capital cost.

Even a new octavia plus fuel over 5 years is in the 30k range.

I'd even consider a better spec'd diesel like a superb for comfort given your long commute vs the cheaper interior of say a kona. It's not about what's cheapest. Your a long time in that car every day.

A new 40kwh leaf at motorway speed of 120 will probably still need a charge to go round trip. What is your journey break down and honest speed expectation.

The kona EV is the only one that will get you there and back. 39k.... Leaf 62kwh battery on way, expected to be 45k. Vw id range potentially biggest game changer expected 2020 for 30k approx.

Fourth option is keep existing car and save for next year and transition to long range EV if total costs make sense.

Idbatterim

The cheapest 30kwh you will get is 16k or thereabouts. Nearly ten thousand more than the 24kwh. If the 24kwh will get you to work relatively comfortably for the next few years, even factoring in battery degradation, that’s what I’d go for. If you are looking at total cost of ownership, it’s finance depreciation that are usually the main killers. Fuel too obviously if doing big mileage...

Just reading about the toll discount. One page says it’s capped at five hundred euro a year reduction max. Still quite a saving if true ...

Lantus

Idbatterim wrote: »

The cheapest 30kwh you will get is 16k or thereabouts. Nearly ten thousand more than the 24kwh. If the 24kwh will get you to work relatively comfortably for the next few years, even factoring in battery degradation, that’s what I’d go for. If you are looking at total cost of ownership, it’s finance depreciation that are usually the main killers. Fuel too obviously if doing big mileage...

Just reading about the toll discount. One page says it’s capped at five hundred euro a year reduction max. Still quite a saving if true ...

Op has a 90km first leg journey with 2 people in car which unless if done at very low speeds is not feasible in a 24kwh leaf. Range anxiety would be extreme. Motorway leg would cripe range.

30kwh doesn't offer a round trip so work charging or network is essential. Even 40kwh leaf would be unfeasible if significant motorway leg is required both ways.

A previous poster did go down this route but there was ample work charge points and good network points on route as back up.

We need more info on the journey and road type and expectations on speed.

Barnaboy

Lantus wrote: »

Op has a 90km first leg journey with 2 people in car which unless if done at very low speeds is not feasible in a 24kwh leaf. Range anxiety would be extreme. Motorway leg would cripe range.

30kwh doesn't offer a round trip so work charging or network is essential. Even 40kwh leaf would be unfeasible if significant motorway leg is required both ways.

A previous poster did go down this route but there was ample work charge points and good network points on route as back up.

We need more info on the journey and road type and expectations on speed.

From north Offaly to Dundrum then Clondalkin
in the morning. Direct from clondalkin in the evening. Route is mostly motorway, M6, M4 and M50. Use the toll on the M4.

Regarding speed, I would be happy to drive at a speed that is fuel efficient, once I know what that speed is!

Is the 24 kWh not suitable?

Lantus

Barnaboy wrote: »

From north Offaly to Dundrum then Clondalkin
in the morning. Direct from clondalkin in the evening. Route is mostly motorway, M6, M4 and M50. Use the toll on the M4.

Regarding speed, I would be happy to drive at a speed that is fuel efficient, once I know what that speed is!

Is the 24 kWh not suitable?

All EV cars see quite a drop in range where driven at 120. You need to be happy to go at 100. From memory a 24kwk leaf gets you 90ishkm? Research and ask users.

Regardless the question is are you happy to be reliant on a work charger that may not be available or a networked charger to get home every day.

fits

Why do you want to change car op? I’m commuting in an 06 merc and while it’s running well it does not make sense to change it even though running costs are high. ( tax etc)

bazz26

Maybe he simply just wants to.

Idbatterim

There are a number of options. Depends what priority is.total cost of Electric ownership if it’s a30kwh leaf will likely might not be much cheaper over the course of a 3-4 years than a 4-5k diesel car...