£3k car for doing 35000 miles a year. | Volkswagen News & FAQs

My office is moving, and my commute will be 75 miles each way (motorway and dual carriageway).

I need to change my FIAT Coupe (16VT) for something more economical (and suitable for family too).

I was thinking Passat, Superb, BMW 320d or Mondeo (TDCi).

Have I missed anything, and what would you say is most suitable? It has to be comfortable and economical on the motorway (50mpg ideal) - performance and driving enjoyment isn't a concern.

Cheers Duncan

Hi Duncan,

Selling the funky Coupe to drive a car that is devoid of driving enjoyment is a Father's sacrifice. You have brought a tear to the eyes of the Used Car Expert team.

Forget the BMW, your budget will buy a banger with huge mileage that will be very expensive to repair.

The Superb makes sense as a nearly new car, but the depreciation is not heavy, so you end up paying quite a lot for a very basic used car.

You could buy a 2002 1.8 petrol but, I would go for a Passat of about the same age. You get a better interior and more comfort. It is also a quieter ride (more because of the sound proofing than the engine).

However the things against the Passat are MPG (even with the diesel) and repair costs.

The Mondeo - again same age - will be cheaper to repair, and give you nearer your 50 MPG target (48 MPG).

But the car you need to consider is the Peugeot 406 2.0 HDi. It is a bit cheaper to buy, pretty cheap to keep on the road and will give you the 50 MPG. The seats are lovely and soft and the ride is very cosseting.

Matt