[Cyclefrance]

We haven't established the make of car you currently are running - if it was of British build, then, sadly, I have to inform you that every British vehicle is only ever built on a Friday.

Now I run a 1989 built Passat Estate as my work-horse vehicle - I bought it with a full service history and single owners status with 130,000 miles on the clock. It was smoking a bit so I had the engine reconditioned almost as soon as I acquired it and have since run it without much incident - it now has 198,000 on the clock and has cost me an average Pds500 a year to maintain including tax and insurance.

Get the right car (and for me that would exclude most British models) and the 'keep until it dies' option wins for trhe type of motoring you are describing