Cheapest possible years motoring

[hairykrishna]

I'm looking for a car for the other half and overall cost of ownership is all important. She does about 10k a year and wants to spend the least possible buying and running. My current thinking is something like an oldish Merc diesel on vegetable oil. Sub 2k to buy, getting on for 50mpg on effectively 1/2 price diesel. Not too crap to drive despite being ridiculously slow. Anyone got any better ideas?

[Sooty]

Early Ford Ka for about £600. Could run it for a year for just the cost of fuel and sell it for the same (if not more) in 12 mths.

[Jw Vw]

Sooty said:

Early Ford Ka for about £600. Could run it for a year for just the cost of fuel and sell it for the same (if not more) in 12 mths.

a Ka has to be the cheapest thing on the planet to run for a year.

[vit4]

Metro or 106 diesel? Could probably run those on Veg oil, I think the bigger citroen engines do so don't imagine a non-turbo one wouldn't.

[OzzyR1]

I bought my station-hack Mondeo about 5 years ago for £700.

Never been washed or serviced apart from fluids & other consumables checked by myself (bangernomics in action).

5 MOT's so far, not even an advisory.

Put 50K miles on the old girl too.

Probably the best car I've ever owned.

[lost in espace]

Anything with a VAG tdi 90/110bhp or XUD with bosch pump for veg oil, buy off ebay waste oil and filter.

[duncancallum]

106 diesel gets my vote. My shed does about 60 to the gallon. However it has put 20 minutes on my commute.

Slow just isn't a descriptive enough word for it.

[sinizter]

duncancallum said:

106 diesel gets my vote. My shed does about 60 to the gallon. However it has put 20 minutes on my commute.

Slow just isn't a descriptive enough word for it.

How long is your commute to add 20 minutes on even with a slow car ?

[mrtwisty]

Now then... there was a chap a couple of months ago on here asking the very same question, and he drew up a comprehensive spreadsheet detailing all anticipated costs. Buggered if I can remember his name though!
Think it might have been the 106 diesel that came top, couldnt swear to it though.

[Prof Prolapse]

I think a £2000 outset is a bit counter intuitive given your goal.

The 106 1.5D would be a good shout if you're patient enough to drive one.

I'm not sure if a diesel is the way forward though. Everybody seems to think buying a diesel will save them money, the reality is the vast majority of diesels carry a premium for this reason which negates a lot of the fuel savings.

If you're after a "cheaper one", once you factor in the additional complexity of even the last generation diesels, then you could be faced with bills or higher maintenance costs that again will eat into your savings. I know diesels can take a lot of miles but the chassis and other moving components are the same as any other car.

Small engined petrol would be the way forward for me. Something well serviced, dreadfully uncool and probably Japanese.

ETA: The ford KA is probably a good shout tbh.

[mrtwisty]

Prof Prolapse said:

I think a £2000 outset is a bit counter intuitive given your goal.

The 106 1.5D would be a good shout if you're patient enough to drive one.

I'm not sure if a diesel is the way forward though. Everybody seems to think buying a diesel will save them money, the reality is the vast majority of diesels carry a premium for this reason which negates a lot of the fuel savings.

If you're after a "cheaper one", once you factor in the additional complexity of even the last generation diesels, then you could be faced with bills or higher maintenance costs that again will eat into your savings. I know diesels can take a lot of miles but the chassis and other moving components are the same as any other car.

Small engined petrol would be the way forward for me. Something well serviced, dreadfully uncool and probably Japanese.

ETA: The ford KA is probably a good shout tbh.

I think the diesel vs petrol debate is purely dependant on mileage. In this case I think you're right actually, 12k miles isnt really that much. A 1000cc yaris would be a good option, should be available for a bag of sand or thereabouts. Infinitely preferable to the bubble micra imho.
btw - not sure about the 'diesel cars are the same as petrol underneath' claim. Different clutch, box, shafts, springs on most of them I would have thought?

[Engineer1]

Jw Vw said:

a Ka has to be the cheapest thing on the planet to run for a year.

Unless the tin worm has got to it or the power steering is knackered as that could cost as much as you paid for the car to sort out.

[MondeoMan1981]

When you see me on a what car thread I'm usually recommending what I drive just now... 204 HDi 1.4....

£30 tax
65mpg ragging it
75mpg+ driving like a granny

There are plenty examples sub £2k now.

Things to watch for :

• timing belt done at 140k or earlier
• metallic sounding rattle at idle and low revs (like a chain sound), this will be the crank pulley and costs £120-£150 at an indy
• a thirst or smoke will be an injector, local indy claims he can get these recon'd for £40

Other than that not much else goes wrong, the odd electrical gremlin but thats it. Mine is 8 years old now and everything works. If you look online at various Pug forums there are folk with examples at well over 200k and all they have done to them are replace consumables. The engine is also available in the 307 and 307SW but dont think that would pull you out of bed...

Due to the low tax and mpg with fuel prices just rising and rising, when buying at this end of the market its really bottomed out.

Failing that get something Pug/Citroen with the 1.9XUD and a Bosch fuel pump - and run it on veg oil

Edited by MondeoMan1981 on Sunday 30th January 10:10

[sidekickdmr]

I just signed the paperwork fir thus yesterday

Peugeot 107, brand new, 3years warranty on a 20,000 mile a year lease deal

No mot or repair bills, tax is £20 for whole year, servicing Is £108, 60 mpg

No deposit, £129 a month

Pick it up Monday

[paoloh]

sidekickdmr said:

I just signed the paperwork fir thus yesterday

Peugeot 107, brand new, 3years warranty on a 20,000 mile a year lease deal

No mot or repair bills, tax is £20 for whole year, servicing Is £108, 60 mpg

No deposit, £129 a month

Pick it up Monday

Great deal but it is still costing £129 a month.

Buy something at that right price and it will cost £0 a month once sold.

[redtwin]

Does that include VAT?.

[torqueofthedevil]

That 107 sounds a great deal. Personally I'd never buy a new car but that sounds appealing. How long do u have to keep it though? I'd recommend the op gets 306 diesel or even better on mpg would be k11 micra or 1.25 fiesta.

[sidekickdmr]

It's on a 3 year deal, you can get it on 2 year tho!

At the end of the 3 years you can just hand the car back and walk away or they want a £2400 balloon payment, the car should be worth £3,500 so I'll sell it, pay the balloon an pocket the grand!

[Morningside]

Micra. Indestructible cars. And (dare I say it) fun to drive. My 998cc one ran on fresh air and I have a very heavy right foot.

[Pat H]

Morningside said:

Micra. Indestructible cars. And (dare I say it) fun to drive. My 998cc one ran on fresh air and I have a very heavy right foot.

Yep.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a 1996 Micra for £275.

It had just been serviced and has 11 month's MOT.

The bloody thing is still on its original exhaust. Amazing.

40+mpg and no timing belt to worry about.

Insurance and tax are buttons.

Next year it might need the sills welding up for the MOT, but otherwise it will carry on running forever.