I really need a daily drive as I don't want to screw up my zed and I'm using it every day since I sold my old granny.

 

I had more of a budget for a 'sensible' car, but through various circumstances this has been reduced down to about 2k. What would be my best bet for a resonably reliable big family car? Fuel economy is all relative as I get about 20mpg now, so anything better than that that will happily have standard unleaded would be fine. I do need to get a dirty child in there too.

 

If I say what I was thinking of I'll probably be laughed at, but hey, here goes.... Rover 600?? big, based on a Honda engine, looks quite nice (each to their own)...when you've stopped laughing let me know what you think. I slag my dad of for his Rover- yes, he really does have a flat cap! Either that or a frog eyed granny, but they all seem to have astronomical miles for that price.

 

I suppose you get what you pay for, but I was hoping for about a 70k miler, maybe P or R with a decent service history for £2k. Any better ideas?

an e34 5 series, you will get a nice one for 2k.

what year roughly- how many miles? I'm going to have an Autotrader session now and see what else I can come up with. Seriously needing a bit of advice - I need to sort this out before I run my zed into the ground.

I drive an M-Reg Mondeo 1.8 to work and back, bought for the bargain price of £850 with 67,000miles on the clock. Cant beat an old Ford for value :)

 

Pete

Nissan Primera 1.8S or similar. I've driven one for work as a daily driver for about 5 years now. Very reliable, handles well and not bad to insure. Have a look around...

 

Steve

I drive a Citroen xm, didn't cost anything, have it for going on 6 years now, never service it, and no one in there right mined wants to nick it, but is big and comfortable and drives well.

I actually got a soft spot for the old granny in the end. it was M reg too, but had the obligatory wheel arch rust.

I know this one comes up a fair few times. So general consensus is coming out that 600s are a pile of old poo? I just quite liked the look. Even thought I might sneak a TI and be able to slip that one past the wife. Now there would be a weird situation, crappy old car, turbo (!!), nice old car, NA!

Last year I bought an M reg Espace V6 with 100K for £1700 and never regretted it. VVV good for families, good performance for a brick on wheels and handles pretty tidily too.

 

Can reccommend but it all depends on what you`re after I guess. I`m just about to get rid of the espace but would happily get another, mine never let me down, carted my family all over the country and in comfort too!

Peugeot 405/6 diesel. Last for ever, cheap as chips to run. Will be looking at one of those and a Xantia turbo diesel at the weekend. Hoping to reduce my Z mileage by about 1000 per month !

Peugeot 405/6 diesel. Last for ever, cheap as chips to run. Will be looking at one of those and a Xantia turbo diesel at the weekend. Hoping to reduce my Z mileage by about 1000 per month !

 

I`m hearing you!

 

During my first year of Z ownership I did about 12000miles. Got the daily driver and did about 1800 last year. Those trips to work really crank it up you know?

If you are going top go rover then try a Vitesse Sport version. 200BHP that can easily be stretched another 20bhp. Already lowered and stiffened on 17". Try before you condemn it. Mines is bril

If you've got kiddies, think safety.....buy Volvo.

 

You'll get an N plate 850 T5 with around 80k on the clock, 240bhp, air con, half leather. Big enough for a dozen kids, dogs, bags, prams, golf clubs. Alternatively, look at the 2.0 20v, still quality but without buying front tyres every 5,000 miles, the turbo is really torquey.

 

Rovers rust....full stop

I`m hearing you!

 

During my first year of Z ownership I did about 12000miles. Got the daily driver and did about 1800 last year. Those trips to work really crank it up you know?

 

No, I'll still drive the Z to work most days, it's the 500 mile round trip up north every other weekend that's doing the damage (to my wallet).

Rovers rust....full stop

 

My 800 Vitesse P plate at 110K has zero rust and immaculate full leather interior. BMW was running the QA by then

S13 200SX -cheap as chips and looks good and pretty fast. 30 MPG.

I bought a Renault 19 chamade (saloon) as a runabout, J reg 1.7 and has all electrics even lumbar support.. cost me 470 quid!

I must admit, I have a 200sx and the performance is brilliant for the money!

 

If you have a family I might be tempted safety wise and go for the T5 or saab, I believe they have quite a net presence as well, handy when you have problems!

I've got an s13 200sx aswell

Less thirsty than my old 2.6 Carlton, plus it was cheap....

You want cheap?Ive got a battered 93 Pug 106 1.4 Diesel. Gets about 60mpg. Nothing to insure, wont be stolen,but cant get past 30mph up hill ;)

 

Rather do my 108 mile round trip a day in that than put the strain on the Z.

 

Oh, you dont mind it getting filthy either ;)

i drive my z as a daily driver !!

 

couldnt bring myself to just bring it out on weekends seems such a waste but thats just me!!

I used mine as a daily driver, but the fuel bills were sky high. If Id have bought a small runabout at the same time as the Z, I could have saved so much money that I could have had new turbos, Tein suspension, a full retrim and an engine rebuild by now.

 

Wish I had done that ;)

My blue Zed get used as my daily driver except for when she's being reapired when I used my old red Zed instead.

 

The 1200 miles a month that I do would be completely unbearable in anything else. Once had to borrow a mate's ford fiest for a week and nearly cracked up. The £300 or so petrol bill per month is painful tough

i have 'the green flash' my 1.2 crappy clio m reg. its great to have a car that u actually dont care one bit about!

I thought this when I had my Supra a couple of years ago.....

 

I bought a new Corsa sport to use every day. My wife had a Micra 1.0 16V at the time, but I enjoyed driving the Supra (and now the ZX) too much to drive the Corsa so I sold the Micra (as it was 5 years old) and Julia now uses the Corsa.......

 

So my ZX is still the daily driver. Sod the costs, if I wanted economy I'd have swapped it for a diesel VW...... :tongue:

 

Richard ;)

My orignial intention was to use the zed every day, which is (part of) the reason I was happy with an NA, but I just can't bear running it into the ground and £300 a month is a LOT to anyone on fuel.

 

I still want to use the zed two or three days to work, just have a family alternative too, and also use it to take the strain off the zed- for example when it's a bit snowy or whatever. I wanted it to drive every day- I wanted a car I could use, not sit in a garage all week, but I just can't do it to the zed.