Recommendations for a cheap runabout.
 

Really need to get myself a diesel roundabout for work, anyone recommend something cheap and reliable? I'm useless at searching as I always end up on pistonhead looking at something with a V8!

Criteria,

Saloon/estate
Good MPG
Reliable
Cheap to buy

Cheers in advance.

I can't grumble about my Peugeot 307 TD1 51 plate

£30 a year tax
Cheap insurance
Fantastic mpg
4 door (good if you have kids!)
hatchback
good drive
Easy to work on - replaced the timing belt with no probs at all

Got my daughter a 306 1.9i 306 diesel for commuting. Very reliable so far. 60 mph, 5 door hatch 120k on clock. Had been fully serviced. Look out for back axle problems on these models. £850.

dl



Not sure Peugeot do many roundabouts though :)

MG ZR OR ZS diesel, both can be had for well under £1k and as long as the cam belt has been done they are pretty bomb proof, good handling and a diy decat & £150 remap will see 150BHP and bags of torque. 50+mpg:thumb:

A few people have mention 306's to me now, they do seem a cheap buy.

Didn't even think of an MG, worth a look though.

I had a 1995 Peugeot diesel ( non turbo ). I ran it without any problems for years and years. It never let me down. On the few occassions it did break it was SUPER cheap to fix. Best of all, I ran it on vegetable oil and still got 55 MPG. I should never have got rid of it ( I gave it to a friend when I got a new car, and it's still going strong ). :)

Cheers,

Paul.

What sort of length trips will you be doing?

Anything with a XUD9 engine. My 306 does 55mpg and it runs just fine on veggy oil at 99p a litre.

I know it's not a diesel - but it does return 45mpg.

Suzuki Swift 1.0 GLS ..... a 52 plate with 35,000 miles will cost you £800 - it's as cheap motoring as you can get.

It is as reliable as a Subaru too!!

I do mixed mileage, I work up and down the country so mostly motorway miles.

Is it also constructed from tin foil? :wonder:

7 to 10 year old Audi a4 with a 1.9 tdi

Yep - i was gonna say steer clear of a diesel if short journeys are the order of the day but as the M'way is king then i'll shut right up :thumb:

Combo van mine the nuts . Or mondeo diesel there good on fuel

Anything with VW 1.9tdi engine fitted to it - Audi A3 / A4, Skoda Octavia, MkIV Golf, Seat Leon

My Leon 1.9Tdi has 175,000 on the clock and still turns in 54 mpg no matter how I drive it. Most reliable car I have ever owned, its due a timing belt and water pump, then the challenge is to get her to 250K

what would be classed as short journeys because im thinking of a cheap runabout i do 25 miles a day 5 days a week would that warrent a diesel otherwise i was thinking 01/02 plate mondeo hatchback petrol

It's down to your own personal belief but for me, 25 miles would be long enough but i suppose it depends what sort of roads you use. If it's all 30/40 mph limits i'd steer clear of Diesel whereas if you get to stretch a cars legs on fast A-roads during the journey then i would go for it :thumb:

Again MG ZR 1.4 petrol 40+mpg my mrs has done 30,000 odd miles all iv'e done is change the oil every 3/4months, 7 quid filter and the cheapest semi synth i can find, jobs a good un. :thumb: or a honda civic.

i got a 52 plate mondeo tdci .... does 800 miles on a tank sensible 600 being silly,

goes well and very comfy on long trips