Am I mad for considering this car as a runaround/motorway car?

 

No. Perfectly adequate tool for both jobs.

 

I already told you to consider it

 

Kathryn ran an 06 plate for 3 years before getting the TT in March, and we had no problems at all. Performance was (relatively) good.

Downsides were - RF tyres give a very firm ride, economy, 44mpg was best we ever saw (stop/start town driving was low 30's - high 20's).

Is it a brand new car your thinking of? If so, the newer ones have more power (177bhp I think) and efficient dynamics, which is supposed to be very good for economy.

 

Indeed, it's a new one, lease works ok despite 20k miles a year, it's the 177bhp, 350 torques one.

Gad, I hadn't considered it before because I didn't think the leasing thing would work and I don't want to own it. and thought it would work out more expensive. But surprisingly the leasing quote was better than I thought.

I'm also surprised that looking at that sort of diesel engine, it's cheaper than the comparable focus and VW Golf.

£250 for 3 years servicing, full warranty, 16" wheel with no run flats. Only bugbear is that most cars don't have cruise control (a must for me) so would need to wait for one to be built.

 

My friend has one of these in German Racing Grey.

He's sick of it because it's ugly as sin, expensive to have things replaced, and he, too, can get no more than mid 40's mpg.

It doesn't help that we (his friends) refer to it as the fun police panda car.

Wow they're boring. BUT if it's for a daily driver, and you just want something to get you from A to B....nah there are still better cars out there.

*edit*
Just read your last post re it being leased and having £250 servicing. Sounds like it could be a perfectly sensible option. Which, essentially, is what one might expect for such automotive beige.

oh chuff it, splash out get get a 123d coupe. At least then it's worthwhile.

 

I don't mind you rubbishing the BMW, but what would you offer as a less boring alternative? That has a 170bhp diesel, zero road tax first year, cost nothing to replace anything because it's under warranty (ie a new car) £250 for 3 years servicing....

 

I wasn't rubbishing as such, I'd say more - managing expectations.

If it ticks all the boxes, then go for it. You'll have the S for enjoyment and ultimately the BMW is a perfectly nice place to be. In fact, my friends' 1 series seems bigger inside than my E46 320d was.

Personally, I would ALWAYS go for a 3 over a 1 - I prefer the handling, interior and looks. Equally, if I wanted a diesel hatchback to use as a hack, then I'd go for a Golf or a Leon - cheaper or better spec'd alternatives that do much better mpg (Or a Scirocco, but I suspect they're a pretty costly alternative). They won't be as fun to drive, but it's relative anyway (few diesel hatchbacks are), and it doesn't sound like that's top of the list anyway.

You say above, though, that the lease deal for the 1 series is hard to argue with.

If you're going for it because it's a sensible runabout, then it might be worth considering the 118d - not far off power wise and much better mpg.

The Passat CC makes a compelling case for itself, too.

Should have been more clear in my previous post, though. Behind the sarcastic closing comment - what I meant was that with the deal being offered, it does sounds like a very convincing choice given your requirements.

 

A big part of this is cost, so I'm staying out of the passat/3 series saloon market.

This will be my only car (for a while) and i'll be hiring track cars.

And it's actually cheaper than the golf. Not sure about the leon, but I think it's because I want the 170bhp variant. Coming from 340bhp, 140bhp sounds far too small.

 

what about an edition30 golf? 240bhp.