The MPG Generation..

[Hades]

I guess I'm bucking the trend with two V6's in the family with a total of 5.7 litres

I'd rather enjoy my driving. But I can see why people nowadays do want more efficient cars. Generally you can't drive fast now and the roads are in a shocking condition so what's the point in a big engine?

 

[shoes]

I did over 600 miles in a 1.6 TDCi Focus Tractor yesterday and managed an average 43.9mpg. What a pointless car.

43.9 :O

I did a 500 mile round trip, 4 up and managed 36mpg in the same car. I was massively jerked off as if i had know i would have taken my own 10 year old petrol which managed over 40 in the same situation, and much cheaper fuel!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Average people worrying about how much the car costs to run more than the amount of mph that they legally are not allowed to use and how fast they can get from the traffic light to the 30mph speed camera. In a failing economy. Shocker.

You mean 'average people worrying about how much the car costs to fuel and tax more than how much it costs to buy, how much value it sheds, how much it costs to service and the likely repair bills', obviously?

 

[robj20]

combine that with the fact that there is apparently nowhere for less than a week's wages for 10 measly laps that you can go and play in your car and the cost of insurance these days and it's no wonder the sapphire cosworth generation has died
.

Whats wrong with a track day im booked on one i November open pitlane for £115.

 

[Jonny69]

It's difficult to remain enthusiastic about motoring when it's raping your wallet.

This. Coupled with the amount of traffic and the sheer number of utter tools on the road, I lost my passion to drive quite a long time ago. While it doesn't bother me too much that both my Anglia and hotrod get really bad gas mileage, I have no wish to drive them anywhere. Hence, one of the priorities in my vehicles now is mpg and not how fast they go, and I only drive when I really have to.

 

[Malc]

I did over 600 miles in a 1.6 TDCi Focus Tractor yesterday and managed an average 43.9mpg. What a pointless car.

43.9 :O

I did a 500 mile round trip, 4 up and managed 36mpg in the same car. I was massively jerked off as if i had know i would have taken my own 10 year old petrol which managed over 40 in the same situation, and much cheaper fuel!

I'd question your driving ability or the fact that you obviously expect too much performance from a 90/110bhp car and therefore have your right foot planted to the floor constantly.

My Dad has that Focus and while I don't agree with the reasons he had for buying it (he's getting rid of it soon anyway as he's eventually seen sense), it is very economical. 50MPG minimum through normal driving. I drove it for about 100miles and got 53MPG whilst not even trying.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Hence, one of the priorities in my vehicles now is mpg and not how fast they go, and I only drive when I really have to.

Why is Total Cost of Ownership not an important figure to you?

MPG on its own is fairly irrelevent, no?

 

[andrewdodd13]

The 1.4TFSI/TSi is a excellent engine. Especially when paired with the fabia/polo/ibiza etc.

Combined MPG of 49 ( I think) Less than 140MG/km C02 and generaly cheap to insure whilst still wacking out 180PS.

The whole MPG craze has lead to some pointless cars but some nice balances between fun and economy.

I have been looking at Ibiza Cupras recently, they use the 1.4 TSI engine, people keep asking me why I haven't looked at the Clio 200. The price of the cars is the same however insurance, tax and fuel are considerably worse(In the Clio). Tax is over £200, insurance is double and MPG is 35 combined.

My mate had a Clio 197 and he didn't get anywhere near 35MPG. In fairness, he drives it like it's nicked, but still - it was usually sitting at 25-30MPG; 33 on a run from Ayr to somewhere down south. He tells me the only reason he picked it over the Polo GTI is because he didn't fancy the price of a new DSG box when he inevitably tore through it.

Now he has a Leon TDI. With flappy paddles. But never mind. >.<

 

[Deep]

A guy at work just spunked around 8k on a Focus 1.6 zetec, traded in his Fiesta 1.6 for it. A week into the purchase he's already complaining that it's not as economical as his old Fiesta.

He's already put plans in place to replace the Focus with, drum-rolll, a Fiesta 1.6. Changeover is going to cost him probably another 2k and he lives all of 2 miles away from work but no amount of talking will convince him otherwise.

This needs to be quoted just for the sheer idiocy!

 

[merlin]

TCO will mean jack **** to a company car driver, but for anyone else it should be the central factor if you're watching the pennies. The cost of your transport is more than just the nozzle price.

 

[Malc]

Why is Total Cost of Ownership not an important figure to you?

MPG on its own is fairly irrelevent, no?

TCO will mean jack **** to a company car driver, but for anyone else it should be the central factor if you're watching the pennies. The cost of your transport is more than just the nozzle price.

That's exactly it. People who put a stupid amount of emphasis on MPG are looking at buying a car from the wrong angle. MPG is just one variable in the equation that makes up Total Cost of Ownership.

That's why people have a problem when others base a car purchase on MPG. It's not because it's boring, it's because it's irrelevant on it's own.

On the flip side, buying a car based on performance, looks, refinement etc is fine because that's the correct way around to look at it and not just one variable from a long equation. Plus they're all subjective measures

 

[[TW]Fox]

The best possible car for the motorist who places economy above everything is one with high MPG, low tax, low depreciation (either a low purchase price in the first place, or low depreciation if a higher purchase price) and high reliability. Given there is no such thing as the perfect car, the best choice for an economy minded motorist is something which offers the best compromise between all 4 of these. But people don't tend to think about it - they pick perhaps two of these factors at most and base the entire purchase on just that...

It is completely counter-productive to spend a vast amount of money on a high mpg low tax car that depreciates like a brick into a pond or one that is known for being mechanically troublesome or whatever.

 

[Fr0dders]

£1000 2.0 mondeo petrol FTMFW

 

[Skidder]

A friend of mine who is a mini nut and has a lovely classic cooper for the weekends bought his second modern mini recently, moving to a diesel just for the MPGs.

He gets minis, he loves minis, yet he now owns a horrible diesel one! People are blinded by supposed economy - the new mini is brand new so he could have bought a cooper s a couple of years old and put the amount saved in a fuel fund (not that he needs to worry about the pennies, he's a very successful lawyer.) I had to change the subject last time we were out because it was irritating me.

 

[Vince]

Flying the flag for the foot to the floor low mpg gas guzzling mile munchers here. I do however also have a 50mpg petrol run about for those tight up months but am looking to chop this in for a cooper s once the mrs passes her test.

Either way its horses for courses, some people are willing to spend silly money on a new car with high monthly payments but cheap running costs, others would rather have something different with no monthly payments but large running costs. Then there are those who have both the finance and huge running costs... and why not if you can afford it.

Its months like this month where i have 1.2k to spend on my gas guzzler that you think why do I bother but then every time I get in it, it puts a huge smile on my face and then I realise why.

 

[shoes]

I'd question your driving ability or the fact that you obviously expect too much performance from a 90/110bhp car and therefore have your right foot planted to the floor constantly.

My Dad has that Focus and while I don't agree with the reasons he had for buying it (he's getting rid of it soon anyway as he's eventually seen sense), it is very economical. 50MPG minimum through normal driving. I drove it for about 100miles and got 53MPG whilst not even trying.

I've done the same journey numerous times in my 2001 1.6 petrol focus and achieve over 40mph without a problem.

I can't remember the exact reason I had the new focus now but I remember being shocked at how much more it cost. My driving is fine thank you very much - I consistently get more mpgs than Ford say I should from my car.

 

[shoes]

Whats wrong with a track day im booked on one i November open pitlane for £115.

Where?

It's still a LOT of money though if you think about it - fuel on top, risk of total loss involved, tyres, car servicing.

SO you're easily looking at a £200+ day out

 

[DBT85]

You mean 'average people worrying about how much the car costs to fuel and tax more than how much it costs to buy, how much value it sheds, how much it costs to service and the likely repair bills', obviously?

Can I ask why devaluation is relevant to me just as an example. I, and almost my entire family and family friends, buy a car and drive it until its dead. Why then does how much value it loses make any difference? I can see the relevancy if you buy short term every few years.

 

[robj20]

Oulton Park, i dont see it as a lot really, i will be budgeting for 2 tanks of petrol so £120-£140 in fuel. Car servicing is negligable, pads i get about 4 track days out of them, tyres just putting new ones on this weekend about £120 a corner. Not really a big issue total loss, total loss would never happen.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Can I ask why devaluation is relevant to me just as an example. I, and almost my entire family and family friends, buy a car and drive it until its dead. Why then does how much value it loses make any difference? I can see the relevancy if you buy short term every few years.

Because its the cost of owning the car. In your case this cost is equal to the entire initial purchase price of the car. Thus the less you spend, obviously, the less it costs.