One for the Road: A comfortable and frugal car for a motorway commute

Chas Mildenhall wants a car for his motorway commute. It must be comfortable and frugal. He has £5,000 to spend...

A car for the head

In this case the only sensible thing that Chas can do is look at what made the reps of this country great: they were only as good as the company cars that their fleet managers bought them. For me, the default choice of recent years has been the Vauxhall Insignia (above); perfect for running up and down motorways with loads of space. Not only that, but a 2.0 CDTi 160 should return around 58mpg. An SE with Bluetooth, air-conditioning and essential cruise control is just £5,000 for a 2009 example from a dealer.

A car for the heart

If Chas did not want a Vauxhall, then the other big-value, comfy motorway car is none other than the Ford Mondeo. This is slightly more for the heart compared with the Insignia because it is a touch more fun to drive, if that matters to Chas. Not that he will be having much fun on the motorway; it is on other roads that the Mondeo gets sporty. Otherwise, it is a very large family hatchback. The 2.0 TDCi Zetec will return 53mpg; £5,000 will buy a decently equipped 2008 Edge model with air-con.

Looking to buy?

Email James Ruppert at onefortheroad@independent.co.uk, giving your age, address and phone number, details of the type of vehicle in which you are interested, and your budget