~€20k motorway commuter

dmigsy · 13-05-2021 8:47am #1

Moving house soon and will need to buy a new (mostly likely used) car and looking for your recommendations. Sold my car a few months ago so no trade-in.

The main usage will be for the commute to the office in Dublin of ~100km each way a couple of days a week. Almost all motorway. My budget is about 20k. Could stretch the budget a bit if needed but this is going to be a tool for making the commute as pain-free as possible, not for fun.

Needs:
Automatic transmission
Quiet at motorway speeds
Cruise control - adaptive cruise control would be a bonus
Heated seats
Economical (strongly prefer non-diesel options even if less economical)

Don't mind the size, performance, looks or number of seats. Android auto would be fantastic but not a deal-breaker.

Cheers!

Maybenever · 13-05-2021 8:59am

Exec saloon, innit? depends on how many years you want to go back - A6 / 5 series / e-class are all obtainable for that kind of money, but you're talking 5 years old.

bazz26 · 13-05-2021 9:46am

If you prefer something non diesel then a petrol Passat is worth a look at, this is a Japanese import but it seems to tick most of the boxes that your looking for:

d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe977908b9bc6b8af75c1a16db45e8a4423.jpg

d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe977908b9bc6b8af75c1a16db45e8a4423.jpg

https://www.carsireland.ie/2670927

I really think though at your daily mileage a diesel is the way to go. Plenty of Passat diesels around too.

Rowley Birkin QC · 13-05-2021 9:53am

Will you have an option to charge an electric car at work?

dmigsy · 13-05-2021 10:13am

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Will you have an option to charge an electric car at work?

No, not guaranteed - wouldn't want the hassle of having to find a charger during the day.

@bazz only ~20k km a year so probably borderline whether diesel makes sense.

advertsfox · 13-05-2021 10:25am

Android Auto is available by a select few makers. New Skoda/VW have the wireless / wired version with the MIB3 unit. The previous version MIB2 has it too via a USB cable version which is perfectly fine, esp. since with your mileage, its good to have your mobile being charged.

That being said, I've focus on a nice spec Octavia / Passat in the 2016-2018 range. Automatic with heated seats will be harder to find and you would be doing well to find a nearly new car with that specific specification for 20K. I think at 20,000KM mileage on motorway, diesel is still the preferred option. I like this a lot:

171 Octavia Estate VRS 2.0 (€20,750) - https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/skoda/octavia/fpa/202103310806700

dmigsy · 13-05-2021 11:58am

advertsfox wrote: »

Android Auto is available by a select few makers. New Skoda/VW have the wireless / wired version with the MIB3 unit. The previous version MIB2 has it too via a USB cable version which is perfectly fine, esp. since with your mileage, its good to have your mobile being charged.

That being said, I've focus on a nice spec Octavia / Passat in the 2016-2018 range. Automatic with heated seats will be harder to find and you would be doing well to find a nearly new car with that specific specification for 20K. I think at 20,000KM mileage on motorway, diesel is still the preferred option. I like this a lot:

171 Octavia Estate VRS 2.0 (€20,750) - https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/skoda/octavia/fpa/202103310806700

Cheers. Might need to stretch the budget if I want everything on the list. Hard to step back from some of this stuff once you've had it.

ineedeuro · 13-05-2021 12:16pm

Not a huge fan of diesel but really for what you are looking for a diesel A6 is what I would buy. I had one when doing huge mileage and it was a joy to drive. I would not buy the lower brands below Audi/BMW/Merc as you are spending a serious amount of time in the car so buy exec models.

Darwin · 13-05-2021 12:34pm

OP I do very similar mileage to you, mix of motorway and R-roads but switched from diesel to a 1-litre turbo petrol recently. Can't say I see any difference in fuel consumption and no regrets so far on changing despite the 11c difference in fuels. A lot obviously depends on what motor you buy if you go petrol, but an auto box will be a little more thirsty (nonetheless a boon for Dublin traffic).

User1998 · 13-05-2021 3:05pm

I’d say definitely consider a high spec Passat. If you could stretch the budget a bit you could get a facelift late 2017/ early 2018 model with android auto, heated seats, radar cruise, automatic

fits · 14-05-2021 7:15am

I also will be doing a similar commute and was looking at diesels but in the end I went with a new ID3 Tour. Should do the journey comfortably in winter. When I crunched the numbers it worked out a slightly lower cost of ownership for my mileage compared with a second hand diesel. Based on 25000 km a year. 3k a year depreciation on diesel and 5 k a year depreciation on ID.3.

Turbolounge · 14-05-2021 3:53pm

Op I would strongly recommend an ev if you don't like diesels, there is several leaf 40kwh for sale on Irish plates for 17k-20k, official range is around 280km but should do 200km easy if you don't mind charging every night

User1998 · 14-05-2021 3:59pm

Turbolounge wrote: »

Op I would strongly recommend an ev if you don't like diesels, there is several leaf 40kwh for sale on Irish plates for 17k-20k, official range is around 280km but should do 200km easy if you don't mind charging every night

Leaf 40 will not do 200km motorway, more like 180km if even

krissovo · 14-05-2021 4:01pm

Turbolounge wrote: »

Op I would strongly recommend an ev if you don't like diesels, there is several leaf 40kwh for sale on Irish plates for 17k-20k, official range is around 280km but should do 200km easy if you don't mind charging every night

A 40kw leaf will only reliably get you ~150kms on the motorway, 200kms is only possible on a warm day with light headwind.

dmigsy · 14-05-2021 4:18pm

EVs are definitely something I'd consider stretching the budget for. I'd need something that would offer more than enough range though. Don't want to be praying or checking wind direction in the hope that I'd make it home. Some more research to do over the weekend, I think.

ineedeuro · 14-05-2021 4:56pm

dmigsy wrote: »

EVs are definitely something I'd consider stretching the budget for. I'd need something that would offer more than enough range though. Don't want to be praying or checking wind direction in the hope that I'd make it home. Some more research to do over the weekend, I think.

Double your budget. Then you are talking electric

dmigsy · 14-05-2021 5:40pm

ineedeuro wrote: »

Double your budget. Then you are talking electric

Yeah, looks that way. Need to do the TCO numbers for the various options.

fits · 14-05-2021 6:08pm

VW are offering 0% pcp finance on the ID.3 at the moment. The smaller battery might do your commute but I’d double check it for motorway and cold weather.

Other options sub 40 k are the Hyundai Kona and the Kia Soul and e-Niro. Make sure you are looking at the long range versions. You might pick up a kona second hand but there is no selection of the others. And they’ve high asking prices for ex demos etc.

ineedeuro · 15-05-2021 8:11am

dmigsy wrote: »

Yeah, looks that way. Need to do the TCO numbers for the various options.

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a6/fpa/202103109979173?journey=Search
This is the sort of option I would be looking at. Full proper leather as well

Or from a main dealer with lower mileage

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a6/fpa/202103099947099?journey=Search

bazz26 · 15-05-2021 12:09pm

ineedeuro wrote: »

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a6/fpa/202103109979173?journey=Search
This is the sort of option I would be looking at. Full proper leather as well

Or from a main dealer with lower mileage

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a6/fpa/202103099947099?journey=Search

No it's not. It's faux leather or leatherette used by most manufacturers in cars of this class. That is not to say it's not good quality but if you want proper or real leather then you have to look at high end cars that probably cost 6 digit figures when brand new.

Buddy Bubs · 15-05-2021 12:24pm

I'd also suggest something big like that A6 with a diesel engine. You're not ready for electric yet and petrol will cost a lot in anything big and comfortable. Doesn't have to be a premium brand, but anything in the mondeo, passat segment would do (struggling to think of anything else in the big saloon segment there's so few ha!)

Just shows how a certain budget gets you less this year than ever before...those SE cars are asking same now as 5 and 6 year olds that I bought a lower mileage 4 year old S Line for in 2018 pre covid, pre brexit, pre worldwide steel shortage etc....and one of them is a manual which wouldn't be that easy to shift on.

Turbolounge · 15-05-2021 2:19pm

Op you said you sold your car a while ago, just out of curiosity, do you have a car at the moment at all, and if so, what is it?

fullstop · 15-05-2021 2:23pm

bazz26 wrote: »

If you prefer something non diesel then a petrol Passat is worth a look at, this is a Japanese import but it seems to tick most of the boxes that your looking for:

https://www.carsireland.ie/2670927

I really think though at your daily mileage a diesel is the way to go. Plenty of Passat diesels around too.

Is that not very pricey? I paid €11k for a 5 year old Passat with less mileage than that, admittedly around 9 or 10 years ago, but 18k seems like a lot of money for it.

bazz26 · 15-05-2021 2:42pm

fullstop wrote: »

Is that not very pricey? I paid €11k for a 5 year old Passat with less mileage than that, admittedly around 9 or 10 years ago, but 18k seems like a lot of money for it.

New cars are alot more expensive now than they were 9 or 10 years ago so this has a knock on effect on used ones now. Importing from the UK is also not as attractive anymore due to Brexit. It's not cheap but petrol automatic Passats are thin on the ground and the OP prefers petrol.

mfceiling · 15-05-2021 3:03pm

Something a bit left field but well up the years with very low mileage and nicely kitted out.

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/renault/megane/fpa/202007231585200?journey=Search

dmigsy · 16-05-2021 8:53am

Spent a good while looking at options yesterday. The diesel Civic 9 speed auto ticks a lot of boxes. Sub 25k will get one or two year old one with everything on my list. Think I'll go and look at one. Anyone with experience of one of these?

Something like this - ideally with a few fewer kms on the clock
https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/honda/civic/fpa/202103150179775?journey=Search

Buddy Bubs · 16-05-2021 8:59am

dmigsy wrote: »

Spent a good while looking at options yesterday. The diesel Civic 9 speed auto ticks a lot of boxes. Sub 25k will get one or two year old one with everything on my list. Think I'll go and look at one. Anyone with experience of one of these?

Something like this - ideally with a few fewer kms on the clock
https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/honda/civic/fpa/202103150179775?journey=Search

Huge amount of experience, knowledge and love for civics on this forum the lads will be along soon enough to give advice I'd say. It'll do the job for you all day long...are you open to diesels now? That particular one is diesel. I think it makes sense for you anyway.

dmigsy · 16-05-2021 9:03am

Buddy Bubs wrote: »

Huge amount of experience, knowledge and love for civics on this forum the lads will be along soon enough to give advice I'd say. It'll do the job for you all day long...are you open to diesels now? That particular one is diesel. I think it makes sense for you anyway.

Yeah, I think it's time to accept that it makes sense to join the tractor community. :pac:

Buddy Bubs · 16-05-2021 9:08am

dmigsy wrote: »

Yeah, I think it's time to accept that it makes sense to join the tractor community. :pac:

I had 11 or 12 petrol cars and bought first diesel in 2018. They're grand. I'll happily go phev or ev soon, maybe 1 more diesel before then. Wouldn't go back to petrol only personally.

bazz26 · 16-05-2021 11:35am

dmigsy wrote: »

Spent a good while looking at options yesterday. The diesel Civic 9 speed auto ticks a lot of boxes. Sub 25k will get one or two year old one with everything on my list. Think I'll go and look at one. Anyone with experience of one of these?

Something like this - ideally with a few fewer kms on the clock
https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/honda/civic/fpa/202103150179775?journey=Search

Seems expensive for a 2 year example when this one is cheaper:
https://www.carsireland.ie/2807389

Or a 1 year old example for not a huge amount more:
https://www.carsireland.ie/2546463

Murph85 · 16-05-2021 11:49am

How much is electric that would get you there and back without charging? Diesel would be what sixty euro a week ?

Turbolounge · 16-05-2021 4:43pm

Murph85 wrote: »

How much is electric that would get you there and back without charging? Diesel would be what sixty euro a week ?

You could get an id3 demo for 30k on donedeal, cheaper to run but is 10k more than ops budget

dmigsy · 16-05-2021 7:45pm

Turbolounge wrote: »

You could get an id3 demo for 30k on donedeal, cheaper to run but is 10k more than ops budget

Think I'd have to spend more than that to get one that would suit. The 58kWh versions have a cold-weather motorway range of 250km according to https://ev-database.org/. That's a bit tight tbh. Factor in a bit of battery fade and it might not be long before I'm checking wind direction / turning off the heating to make sure I get home / having to stop to charge.

FrankC21 · 17-05-2021 8:46am

If I have that budget, I'd buy this

https://www.carsireland.ie/2709246

More stuff than what you need.

User1998 · 17-05-2021 10:01am

FrankC21 wrote: »

If I have that budget, I'd buy this

https://www.carsireland.ie/2709246

More stuff than what you need.

Does the A6 even have adaptive cruise?

Car99 · 17-05-2021 10:13am

FrankC21 wrote: »

If I have that budget, I'd buy this

https://www.carsireland.ie/2709246

More stuff than what you need.

Is that an A6 Ultra?

_Kaiser_ · 17-05-2021 11:20am

User1998 wrote: »

Does the A6 even have adaptive cruise?

It's one of the (many) options alright.

User1998 · 17-05-2021 11:27am

Its mad the amount of executive saloons that
don’t have adaptive cruise or have it as an optional extra that costs hundreds or even thousands when its been standard on a mid range Golf from 2013

Turbolounge · 17-05-2021 11:44am

FrankC21 wrote: »

If I have that budget, I'd buy this

https://www.carsireland.ie/2709246

More stuff than what you need.

Surely if you wanted a C7 you would buy one from 2011/2012 for a whole lot less?

Allinall · 17-05-2021 11:48am

User1998 wrote: »

Its mad the amount of executive saloons that
don’t have adaptive cruise or have it as an optional extra that costs hundreds or even thousands when its been standard on a mid range Golf from 2013

I have what would be classed as an executive saloon and it doesn't have adaptive cruise, and I'm delighted.

I would never pay extra for AC. Prefer to control it myself.

Same for Lane Assist.

Anyone that needs assistance in keeping their distance from a car in front, or staying in their lane needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their driving.

dmigsy · 17-05-2021 11:55am

Allinall wrote: »

I have what would be classed as an executive saloon and it doesn't have adaptive cruise, and I'm delighted.

I would never pay extra for AC. Prefer to control it myself.

Same for Lane Assist.

Anyone that needs assistance in keeping their distance from a car in front, or staying in their lane needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their driving.

You prefer doing menial tasks yourself? Grand, knock yourself out. I'd rather let the machine take the strain. Adaptive cruise is a fantastic feature, works superbly. Had it in a couple of Golfs. Makes a motorway drive safer and more relaxing.

Anyone who uses minor car option preferences in order to look down their noses at others needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their posting.

Allinall · 17-05-2021 11:58am

dmigsy wrote: »

You prefer doing menial tasks yourself? Grand, knock yourself out. I'd rather let the machine take the strain. Adaptive cruise is a fantastic feature, works superbly. Had it in a couple of Golfs. Makes a motorway drive safer and more relaxing.

Anyone who uses minor car option preferences in order to look down their noses at others needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their posting.

What strain?

I didn't look down my nose at anyone.

dmigsy · 17-05-2021 11:59am

Allinall wrote: »

What strain?

I didn't look down my nose at anyone.

Constant minor tweaks of speed. You certainly did.

_Kaiser_ · 17-05-2021 2:43pm

Turbolounge wrote: »

Surely if you wanted a C7 you would buy one from 2011/2012 for a whole lot less?

You'd be surprised. The effects of Covid and everyone WFH and not driving means there's been less trade-ins, added to the effects of Brexit and the NoX charges meaning less imports from the UK resulting in higher second-hand prices.

I recently bought a 2012 A7 and the prices were not cheap, unless you want something private sale and high miles, which I didn't - although mine is also a pretty high spec car which was reflected in the price too.

kirving · 17-05-2021 2:59pm

Allinall wrote: »

Anyone that needs assistance in keeping their distance from a car in front, or staying in their lane needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their driving.

It's not about needing assistance as you put it, not in the slightest.

A) The make all driving far more relaxed. You can sit there, and never have to worry about adjusting your speed, and arrive far more relaxed.

If you ever become incapacitated behind the wheel, a car with ACC and LKA might just bring you safely to a stop.

frozenfrozen · 17-05-2021 3:13pm

anyway he should get a car with some form of cruise control. I wouldn't be swayed between an A6 and a golf based on ACC

User1998 · 20-05-2021 10:58am

Allinall wrote: »

I have what would be classed as an executive saloon and it doesn't have adaptive cruise, and I'm delighted.

I would never pay extra for AC. Prefer to control it myself.

Same for Lane Assist.

Anyone that needs assistance in keeping their distance from a car in front, or staying in their lane needs to take a good hard look at themselves and their driving.

Ah give over your only saying that because you’ve never used it. Whatever about lane assist, but adaptive cruise control is one of the best features you can get in a car

dmigsy · 07-08-2021 11:05am

OP here. Test drove a couple of 2015/16 e-class which I liked but ended up going for something a lot cheaper that ticked nearly all the boxes. Picked up a 2017 Fiat Tipo diesel hatch. DCT auto, cruise control, auto lights/wipers. Great condition and only 32,000km. Drove back on the motorway for an hour this morning. Perfect yoke for the job. Cheers for all your suggestions.

~€20k motorway commuter

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