Cheapest 2nd hand car to run big distance

[paulie]

Few things to note with buying an lpg car.
1 how long til its out of compliance.
2 are there petrol stations around that still have gas pumps?
My closest to home is about a 10 min drive now (20mins there n back)
So many petrol stations being built or revamped are leaving gas pumps out now.

[mik]

just for something out of the box ,
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/d...14214887/?Cr=0
about 7.0 lph k consumption .
i would buy this myself , its done no k`s for its age if its legit .

[AussieCJ7]

Originally Posted by mik

just for something out of the box ,
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/d...14214887/?Cr=0
about 7.0 lph k consumption .
i would buy this myself , its done no k`s for its age if its legit .

looks ok for the job at hand, thanks

[Au futura]

Au futura on dual fuel. I used to do 2000 kilometres a week commuting from country to Melbourne on the Hume averaged 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres even with 700,000 plus kilometres on the clock. Best car I've ever owned. Never missed a beat. My Bf mk3 wagon dedicated gas does about 11.6 per 100 and comfy.

[barra240t]

https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/d...13690271/?Cr=3

Something like this, in your budget, 4 years old, low km's, heaps of room. If you want more features spend a few thousand more and get a Trend

A very underrated car, just as much room as a Falcon, diesel engine, great suspension set up and well built. At least take one for a drive.

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by AussieCJ7

In a situation where might have to be driving over 1000klm per week most of it freeway with up to 4 hour sints behind the wheel largely Hume and pacific highway

instead of killing any of my current cars contemplating buying something sub $20k that will be comfortable, safe and reliable but cheapest overall running cost.

This is a little left, but....

My wife has a Honda Civic Turbo Diesel 1.6, the DPF filter is designed and built into exhaust manifold which means no DPF problems.

I drove it from Newcastle to Lismore return a few years back when my Honda Euro was in for repairs. With torque over 300nm in a small car hitting at 1,950 odd revs, means cruising at 110 kph right in the heart of the torque, quick overtaking, effortless cruising that was quiet.

Doing the long stint between Newcastle/Lismore and return after 1 day in Lismore, it was very comfortable, and I only had 2 complaints:

1. The arm rest for my right arm in the door was not padded enough and my arm began to hurt after some 5 hours.

2. At high speed on brakes the suspension is not sufficiently tied down and there is some pitching forward from rear end. That would be a simple fix I would think of better shocks.

Doing between 100 and north of 110 I was getting average fuel consumption of around 3.7 litres per 100 on the Pacific Highway.

Around town it averages about 5.5 litres per 100. This is a 6sp manual.

Think you would be able to pick one up below $20,000, new 3 years ago they were about $27,000. This diesel for long distances cruising is ideal application of turbo diesel.

[Vesper Martini]

OP is looking for a car under 20K not 2. and will be driving of 50,000kms a year
why would people would suggest an AU?

Hard to look past an Eco LPI G6E. not just for the economy, they are comfortable and have plenty of features.
Should be plenty of LPG stops along the Hume and pacific highway.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by AussieCJ7

How does serving costs compare on lpg ? The 4.0 is renowned for running forever does the ecolpi reduce that ?

G'day...Moses bought one , he bought it off Methusela who had it from new I believe !!!!!!....All bad jokes aside , on this point I remember reading a few years back about a Falcon taxi in Queensland.. It's regular driver retired and offered to buy the taxi from the company at 650,000 clicks..when I read about it the car had over 900,000 and still going well...Maybe not that high but a well looked after taxi wouldn't be the worst option at a low purchase price.. Two thing pretty sure would be regularly properly serviced and not thrashed unlike a few rentals and ex cop cars which would be not so certain..Big reliable kays for taxis is the norm because an unreliable down time for them costs them big time..Cheers Rod..

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

OP is looking for a car under 20K not 2. and will be driving of 50,000kms a year
why would people would suggest an AU?

Hard to look past an Eco LPI G6E. not just for the economy, they are comfortable and have plenty of features.
Should be plenty of LPG stops along the Hume and pacific highway.

Overall running cost includes depreciation, spending say $15K (i'm guessing the price), putting 50,000k's/ year on it will kill it's resale and increase overall running costs, a decent AU on gas can't depreciate much, cheap as chips on parts (if it breaks down that is)

Thinking again the OP's TTG needs maintenance, i'd be tempted to stick a few grand into it and use that, it's Hwy fuel economy should be decent and the money you save on purchasing another car be sitting in the mortgage.

[DFB FGXR6]

Considering the budget of about 20K and the big distances likely to be covered, an old LPG AU Falcon seems to be a misguided recommendation, and that is coming from an AU tragic.

For those type of distances, you need something that is going to be reliable, comfortable, have up to date safety features and be new enough to allow the km's to be racked up not end up with a car that has 400,000 on it once your done with it. Those are not something an old Falcon, especially the safety aspects, can really deliver.

As much as they quite rightly derided for their boringness, a late model Camry or Aurion would be an ideal choice. Current model Camry's can be had at under 20K with as little as 40,000km on the clock. An Altise or ATX with 16'' wheels gives great highway comfort, as do the seats, all with the notion of being able to just go and go for km' after km with little trouble. They are certainly not flash, but that's the whole pint of a vehicle that just needs to perform a function.

Having said all of that....................I would personally get the effective Ford equivalent in an Ecoboost XT, G6 or G6E sedan.

[Mechan1k]

If wanting a highway car with has cruise that "sticks" to the speed limit no matter what grade ... and the fine/coarse tuning of +/- at either 1km/h or 10km/h increments.

FG Falcon I6 with ZF.

I have run EGAS vehicles before ... and they have been good as as well .... it depends what you can get petrol at ... EGAS on highway I was getting into the 11's for L/100km .... in the FG 4L petrol .... I get mid-6's no problems.

Can pick up base model ones pretty cheap (as that is what you are after) ... if you can get one that's after 06/2010 for the factory standard tech pack and ZF from then on.

Extremely quiet ... effortless ... comfortable ... solid on the road.
Bulletproof.

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

OP is looking for a car under 20K not 2. and will be driving of 50,000kms a year
why would people would suggest an AU?

I guess so he can buy 10 of them in case of breakdown.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by mik

just for something out of the box ,
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/d...14214887/?Cr=0
about 7.0 lph k consumption .
i would buy this myself , its done no k`s for its age if its legit .

They don't do this real-world ... I know someone with one ... and he can't even get close to the claimed figures.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

I guess so he can buy 10 of them in case of breakdown.

My cousin used to do that. He had his nice car that would stay at home, then get something for a few hundred to drive to work. If it died on the freeway he would cancel the rego then get it scrapped for free by the guys who take old cars. Then would repeat the process. Being late for work that many times per year doesn't look very good to your employer though.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

My G6E was pretty comfy when I did about 2,400km in a weekend. I was shifting a bit in my seat by the end, I have to admit.

If you're looking for comfortable size and reasonable power (makes sense. My gfs hatch uses less fuel on the highway, but it also revs a lot higher, while the barra just cruises along quietly), other options may be a euro sedan. Might have a bit more of that nice stuff in the cabin to make it even more comfortable. I hired a Mercedes to drive about 400km each way in the states, and it was super quiet, super comfortable, and was a pleasure to drive.

I agree with what you say about long drives and having a comfortable seat. Economy is only one factor. I will use 4 personal examples. My old van. It would only take a 45 minute drive for you back to hurt due to the awkward driving position. My ranger. Much better, but you get a bit fidgety after nearly 2 hours. Good on fuel. The g6 ecoboost. You have to make a slight compromise between arm comfort and leg comfort as the pedals are fixed, but long trips aren't bad, again good on fuel. The trusty old steed, bf2 ghia. Set the seat to where your arms are comfortable, then bring the pedals in to where your feet are comfortable. No comprises there. Excellent for the man drives where there are no breaks unless it's a toilet stop. A bf ghia is probably too old for the op, but a G6E should have adjustable pedals.

[Iggle Piggle]

If you get a Camry you won't be tempted to enhance it...and that is why you should get a Falcon or Commodore!

[Swordie]

Falcon and Commodore is good choice.

Other options; Aurion, Diesel Hyundai (e.g. i30 or i40), Diesel Territory.

I'd be looking for something comfortable to sit in, good stereo and bluetooth. Ford premium stereo has fantastic sound.

[chrisandsharon]

You were thinking right in your original post imo....
FG XR6 ...... big, comfortable, reliable, heaps of torque, smooth on the road,
and looks bloody awesome
Our own vehicle is a FG. My work sees me in plenty of commodores through hertz, nice cars but much prefer the big Aussie straight 6 anyday.

[AussieCJ7]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

If you get a Camry you won't be tempted to enhance it...and that is why you should get a Falcon or Commodore!

Have an FGX XR8 in manual and a Jeep SRT dont think any car that fits this requirement will get tweaked hahahhahaha

This care is purely for a purpose funny i not have bought a car for sensible and not have an emotive side to it for about 15 years

still adding up all the costs of this opportunty that will mean the klms


The idea is to sell the TTG which was due to be sold anyway as the jeep was its replacement but use that money with a smallish top up to cover this boring highway runner

[AussieCJ7]

Its a balance get an older beater and throw it away and potentially suffer reliability issue at odd times or spend more and just accept that a cost of doing this is massive depreciation

was looking into some of the dual cab utes and 4x4's but they are pretty expensive for what u get


seems an aussie 6cy sedan is pretty hard to beat wonder what future generations will use

mid size sedans like honda subaru and even some of the newer koreans are possibles starting to look at

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

A bf ghia is probably too old for the op, but a G6E should have adjustable pedals.

Mine doesn't.
I believe it was an option though, so should be something that can be found.
I also don't have the ipod cable.

If it was me, I'd be looking for a G6E that has those options, and whatever other goodies it has over the XR6. The little things that make spending more time in the cabin more comfortable.

The 'premium' sound system is something I would definitely want. Can't stand listening to crappy music quality. While it's far from what I would consider premium, it's definitely better than I've heard in most other cars I've been in.

Suddenly, fuel economy isn't that big an issue. A smaller car will definitely use more fuel, but how much is that difference going to be at the petrol station?

[XR6_power]

Originally Posted by AussieCJ7

In a situation where might have to be driving over 1000klm per week most of it freeway with up to 4 hour sints behind the wheel largely Hume and pacific highway

instead of killing any of my current cars contemplating buying something sub $20k that will be comfortable, safe and reliable but cheapest overall running cost.


Thinking an FG XR6 or commodore v6 would have to be up there ? might be slighty more on fuel but less on servicing and parts.


I have a terriotry turbo that has 180,000klms on the clock i was going to use but started to look closely at what is or will needing to be done maint wise due to age (no major defects owned since new and well maintained). so contenplating off loading it and getting something cheaper to run

I'd probably look for a dual fuel AU to current Falcon with low kms. Low fuel costs, and low servicing costs, comfort and reliability.

[Cav]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

Mine doesn't.
I believe it was an option though, so should be something that can be found.
I also don't have the ipod cable.

They can be fitted with an ipod cable, selection via AM button, steering wheel controls work it.

[Cav]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

why would people would suggest an AU?

[FGX-351]

I can tell you from experience keep clear of V6 Commodores.

Mine had older owners and regular minor services and unfortunately missed out on some of the major services.

Oil leaks from rockers, rear main, sump and valley gasket.
DFI and coils, crank angle sensor, cam angle sensor, abs module, auto pan leaks, worn pinion bearing in diff, cats, 02 sensors, brake rotors, idle pulleys and fuel pumps.

All easy fixes and once repaired car will run like magic buts it's costly, a pain and it will happen.

[DK30RB]

Can vouch for an Ecoboost Falcon. I do big km's per year, and don't want to rack up too many in the Xr8 or Landcruiser.

The ecoboost uses under 6 L/100 on the highway. I do about 700km per week, and can get up to 950km per tank on freeway runs.

Probably don't need to spend $20k to find a good one.

I picked mine up still under warranty with 90k on it, for $10k private sale, full service history. Look for one with the premium sound option to get the colour screen.

I added some 19' FGX wheels, and managed to get a GT-E full leather interior with door trims out of a write off with 30,000km on it for $1000.

All up the ecoboost owes me just over 12k, i have done 35,000km in it since purchased, and has not skipped a beat other than the Turbo which was replaced under warranty when i got it, due to wastegate issue.

Its a great freeway cruiser, would say its more comfortable that the Xr8 as a daily on Sydney's ****** roads.

Can also vouch for the Aurion linked above. Used to have a Zr6, the 3.5 litre is a smooth drive, and economy is around 7 L/100.

[chrisandsharon]

One car that surprised me was the Hyundai Elantra.....decent size and more comfortable than the Fg Falcon......have hired a lot of them through Avis before our work went with Hertz.

[Junkyard-Dog]

If you're really going by the topic of the thread: "Cheapest 2nd hand car to run big distance" then an AU with dual fuel (or even straight LPG) is the obvious choice. The other options may be nicer but they will definitely cost more - both in the initial investment and long-term.

I really don't see the point spending more than a few grand on this. He just wants something cheap that will soak up the kays without much complaint. Save the extra $$$.

[chrisandsharon]

Done.....

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by chrisandsharon

Done.....

image

Is it an astron 2.6?