Reliable commute machine needed.

Shite Old 405 TD. 1993 onwards Mark 2's are better made, and just generally better than Mk1's, 1.9 engine not 1.8, which is better. The engines go forever, as long as they are serviced like any other. Main point, you only have to spend about £600 for a well nice one :) GTX or Exec spec being the best ones, but even my GLi had electric windows/roof.

toyota corolla. very yawn, but it'll go for ever.

Comfy on the motorway?

I have had three french cars and they doo seem to let you down a bit :o)

Something PSA and diesel with turbo would be my choice. So 205, 306, 309,

405, BX, ZX, Xantia. Or if you really want cheap, no-frills, slow motoring a 106/AX D. But as you say, a cheap Mondeo would work too.

Gah! suppose your right. What age/model etc are good?

My knowledge of shit toyota commute-boxes is zero :o)

Skoda Octavia TDi. Cheap enough to pickup, Audi build quality, VW design, Skoda Prices. Oh and quick and chipable if you fancy giving it some grunt later.

i'd considered a205 but owning any other 205 but the GTi would upset me :o( 106 is being considered, possibly a small engined petrol one if not a derv. (i'd have a rallye if they didnt hold their money so well, good when i come to sell it on but bad because all I want is a cheap car to pile mileage on.)

i'll get one as a project if I really want one, excellent little go-karts.

s'a good idea but looks like thye may well be out of my price range. Auto-trader seem to think so ;o)

Older Golf TDi's are affordable but they engines are not a patch on the current batch of TDi's

Again, mine was only GLi spec, but was plenty big and comfy on the motorway, used to drive it a long way quite regulary, and it was fine, and it was only a 1.6 :) Never let me down, and it was rather abused :)

Not to mention you'll probably doing about 4.5krpm @ motorway speeds :) We have a 106 D that we'll be trying to get rid of soon. Needs a bit of tarting up mind you.

considering a passat TDi also... but these are obviously not as cheap as Ford Mondingo's

I've got one... I rate it quite highly as it goes - the most economical diesel I've ever had (including s**te like a 1.5D AX), overall - especially when you look at the figures for normal, day in, day out, not particularly careful with the throttle, driving.

I've done 13.5k in it, in three months... apart from needing a lot of things to do with the chassis (beam bushes, wheel bearings etc.), and the usual iffy electric window problem, it's been bloody good.

The brakes work well at all times - I've yet to experience any fade when I've taken the piss. It goes round bends well in the wet, even if you're pushing on. The cabin... is rattle free, even though the car has done just under a 100k.

The chassis stuff is down to me being a good little ebayer, and not even driving the thing before I handed the cash over. The people I bought it off lived up a private unmade road - net result being everything must have taken a good hammering every time the woman decided to go out in it, hence I suspect it deterioated gradually, and she wasn't really aware of said deterioation.

Either that, or they were a pair of shitehawks... ;-)

No matter... it all gets set against tax. :-)

The point is... I'm notoriously fussy when it comes to my cars - three months is the normal max that I'll have something before I talk myself into buying something else, and this... well yes, I am buying a Mk4 TDi estate at the end of next month (too much of a bargain to turn away!), but I've no intention of selling the Mk3 - I'll keep it, and continue to use it for work, racking up the miles at the same rate as I have been so far.

So... for a car to have got this far with me, and having had 13.5k miles for it to start irritating me like they normally do, but without doing so, it can't be all that bad, and I recommend them to anyone looking for something that will return good MPG, happily pull a car trailer with an S13 200SX on it without fuss or the smell of burning clutch on pull-away, and generally behave impeccably at all times, especially compared to its main contemporaries, some of which I have had in the past.

Define "a bit of tarting up"

Mason

so thats a MK3 TDi back on my list ;o)

If i could afford it i'd jusmp at a Mk4 TDi.

If it has to be DERV then the only bargain bucket car I would consider is the Cit BX TZD turbo. I used to drive one for the daily commute and it was perfect. Comfortable, with decent seats and a good pedal/steering layout, fast enough to not be an embarassment and about 550 miles to a tank (10 gals).

Finding one that isn't completely shagged may be a problem and the sunroof rusted like hell.

Any cheap Peugeot/Citroen Diesel will be more than suitable. There are any number of 405s and Xantias available for half your budget. Hell, you can get a decent 406 Derv for £1500 these days.

You don't want a tinny little small car for motorway tripes, especially when the 405/Xantia/406/etc will all cost the same money !

Size and Comfort are what you need.