Although in my mind I will always be more of a 911 man like Brewster, in reality, I am struggling to eke out a motoring life and now I'd like some help in deciding what hideous, financially-motivated thrill-free A-to-B-mobile to get in place of our admired and beloved '02 E39 530d Sport.

The criteria are simple: my budget will be roughly the value of the Beemer, so say £3k. What is the cheapest car to tax, insure and to run, capable of 15k trouble-free miles per year, some of which on motorways?

From your soul-destroying suggestions, I'll tearfully try to choose my fate...

Simple.... Golf Diesel. There are even some "fun" ones

I'd be looking more at Skoda diesels. Essentially a Volkswagen but without the Dub premium. I'd have thought you could pick up a reasonable Octavia for that amount. A colleague that I lift-share with has one and it's brisk enough if entirely uninspiring. It has done over 100k miles in his possession trouble free bar servicing and clutch. And all at >45mpg.

I understand the injectors on some engines can go and aren't cheap, but that it only affects certain ages of car. Some investigation would see you right though, I'd imagine.

Good choice; plenty of 03 to 04 models on Autotrader for this price, although they have all done loads of miles.....

Thank you Gentlemen. I should have added to my above spec that we must have 5 seats.
The problem with diesel Skodas is that they have become the car of choice for the people Brewster despises more than almost anyone: beardy, save-the-planet, middle class pretend socialists (hope I'm not overstepping the mark, Adam?). The result is that the prices for these cars are inflated, sometimes beyond the equivalent VW because the inverted snobbery of Skoda ownership has become almost an epidemic. Buy your son a car for his gap yah? Yes, but it's only a Skoda ("they are VW's underneath, you know" they mutter to each other across the Guardian). Sorry, rant over, and I should add that I don't hate Skoda owners per se - both my parents have or had Skodas (not that they bought me one...).

To be grimly honest, I've been looking at even lower forms of life: Fiat Grande Punto (can get an 06, should be reliable?), Toyota Yaris (makes me do sick in my mouth, but probably goes forever) and even things by Kia (I'll hand in my FCCUK membership on the way out)

Bang on the money JC. Although I did briefly consider getting a Fabia VRS as a daily drive and returning to an older, air-cooled 911 as a weekend toy instead of the later "kettle" C4S I now run daily.*

The JTD lump in the FIAT is likely to be the same as in the Alfa GT I had which was also an 06 plate. Not a bad lump and in a lighter Punto should be spritely, although I did have problems with the EGR valve coking up. It's pretty accessible at the top of the exhaust manifold and it's relatively easy to take it off, drill it out and clean it up.

We had an old 2000 Brava with the 1.9 JTD that did us proud apart from the hideously expensive dual-flywheel clutch. Only cost us £750 - that was the definition of a trusty workhorse. However, we ideally need something a bit more reliably reliable if you see what I mean, i.e. newer and
I think we will more likely be looking at the 1.4 this time around; whatever we choose will need to be close to 60mpg, because the big 530 gets almost exactly 40 and I will need a lot of persuading to get rid of it for 5 mpg.

I struggled to get much above 40mpg out of the GT too, so not worth it to change. You must be doing some serious mileage to warrant changing a car you know and love just to improve from 40mpg to 60mpg.

Based on 15000 miles a year my fag packet calcs say you'll be saving roughly £700. By the time you've taken into account the cost of changing insurance, the buying process for another £3k car and then putting right the inevitable niggles with any secondhand purchase I can't see much of an economy in the first year. On modern diesels you can't scrimp on maintenance regardless of make due how stressed they are. Granted there'll be a modest saving on VED, but with the Beemer being an 02 it's currently "only" £260 compared to more expensive modern stuff.

I don't know if they are in this price bracket yet, but an ex had a diesel Aygo. That was surprisingly nippy, chuckable (dare I say it, fun?), very frugal (>60mpg) and unbelieveably TARDIS-like inside fitting four adults comfortably. If they are classed as a 5 seater then you'd definitely be able to squeeze three teenagers in the back without too much discomfort. Luggage space is at a bit lacking though.

Good points. We currently use the BM to go once a month to the Cotswolds from Cambridge (300 mile round trip). Other than that it sits on the drive and goes to the station (1.5 miles) or Sainsburys (similar) once or twice a week plus perhaps another couple of k a year. That's a lot of car and insurance (£560/annum) for not much motoring - I estimate about 7k in total. However, MrsC is about to start a job covering the whole of Cambs, potentially an additional 4-500 miles per week - boosting the yearly figure to over 25,000 miles. Add on increased servicing and (considerable) costs for tyres, let alone anything major going T-U and it's as much about the possible bombshell waiting in the wings as the actual cost. Not to mention that if we sell the Beemer now on 160k, we should get enough to fund the new motor.

I would hope that we would get a rebate for the insurance and the tax on a smaller, cleaner engine should be less too.

Even if we only save £700, that would still make a difference.

vw passat
Or
One of those vw blue motion things.

Jags are pretty cheap too.

Apart from the Bluemotion idea (are they within budget?), I'm not sure that you've quite grasped what I'm after, technics!

You'll be looking at 50mpg at best out of most family sized VAG stuff. What about a Polo or A2? The A2 never really found favour with the buying public despite some decent innovations at the time with aluminium construction and, according to book figures, nearly 65mpg combined.

That's my feeling about VAG - all a bit heavy and struggling to return, though my Dad swears he gets 60mpg from his Octavia 4x4 estate. Well out of our range price-wise. The A2 is a thought; I think it never found favour because it was fugly and screamed "retired chemistry teacher" at you. But I'll look at anything and everything...

if you are doing lots of stop start motoring avoid any diesel that has a DPF or Dual mass flywheel. Both of which will die very quickly. A2 is a good call.

A left wing suggestion but what about a MG ZR 2.0D? It's a marmite car, but a number of years ago I had a 200 SDI with that engine in and it would return 55-60mpg in relative wafty comfort. More if you slipstreamed lorries at 54mph.

Wot stan's wife drives!

I could get 60mpg out of Stan?

Indeed they can. I have one. Cracking little car.

Pffft. A2 is only 4 seats.

Yeah, wot Mrs Stan drives; you still get the VAG mechanicals, without silly expensive dm flywheels, reliable, non-Guardian reading, although I have wiped my backside on it, does that count?

SEAT Leon TDi. Look for the 110 TDi, so 02/03 models, all the toys you need, cheap to fix (how does £30 for a radiator grab you?) and easily hits 54mpg driven with vim! Responds well to a remap or even a "tuning box". Go for the SE model if possible.

Downside; boot is not as large as the Octavia.

If you can get past the SEAT badge, look at the Toledo; very under-rated cars, very quiet inside even for a diesel! A huge thumbs-up from me and I don't give a flying *fig* for the future of the planet!

2004 Civic 1.7 CDTi £115 tax 55-60mpg

2006 Yaris £30 tax 60-70mpg

2006 MG ZR £130 tax 50-60mpg There are ZS's with the same engine for a slightly bigger car.

2006 Grande Punto 1.3 £30 tax 60-70mpg

2004 Mazda 3 £115 tax 55-60mpg

2005 Focus 1.6TDCi £95 tax 60-70mpg

2004 Astra 1.7 CDTi £115 tax 55-65mpg

2004 Volvo S40 1.9 Sport £130 tax 55-60mpg

2004 Polo 1.4 TDi £95 tax 60-65mpg

Avoid the S40, very poor ride and uncomfortable seats, mpg is way off 55-60mpg.

Yes the mpg figure did seem a bit suspicious for a relatively big car.

Before my company car option came up, I was very close to buying a Clio 1.5 dci, around a 2004 model for as close to £2k as I could find (most were around £3k). MPG on those is in the mid-60's. A guy at work has had one from new and not any major issues.

Their sunroofs always rattle though!

I love this place! Plenty of great advice - many thanks everyone. Gunzi, you have too much time on your hands - I'm very grateful!

I'll have to run all these options past MrsC, who is more picky about cars than even me, but hopefully we'll end up with a shortlist.

Then we just have to sell the BMW. Damn, I'm going to miss it - so much grunt and yet deft handling and great refinement plus 40mpg - I must be mad; second best car I've ever owned!

Why sell it then? It's ticking all the boxes. Would you want to loose that for a few mpg? You'll only resent the new car. Been there and done it...

I ask myself that a lot, szkom, but my fear is that if we do 3 times the mileage in that car, it will go from a slight extravagance to a cost millstone that I won't be able to afford to maintain.

What about a Fiesta TDCi of '03 vintage? Plenty around with reasonable miles for under 3k and according to figures roughly 65mpg. Available in 5 door and they're a 5 seater too.

Brewster suggested a diesel Grande Punto. I have had one from new and as a daily car it is brilliant.

1.3litre 16valve turbo diesel with chain driven camshafts so that ia one less service expense.s
I had to collect some stuff from near Gibraltar a couple of years ago: 36hours each way door to door for about 1600 miles and an overall fuel consumption of just over 60mpg. Not hanging about either, generally cruising it at an indicated 80 to 90 mph.

Earlier this year Bockers and I drove it to Lancaster and back in one day without undue fatigue.

Nothing has broken on it yet apart from a piece of trim which was replaced under warranty.

Avoid 1.2 petrol engined versions like the plague, they are seriously underpowered. The slug sums them up.

I must say of all the ultra-economy jobs, the Grande Punto does appeal most. Kind of one extreme to another! what vintage is yours, Pete? Any other advice apart from the "avoid" notice on the 1.2 petrol?

Other than that, the 80hp version of the Clio mentioned by Daniel seems ok and it has the lowest tax/insurance of anything I've seen so far.