Buying a car based on economy

[Deleted member 61728]

The reason I’m looking at cars based on economy is because all other outgoing costs are pretty much low and not worth thinking about.

Taking my current Fiesta as an example and using your calculations:

- 65mpg average (0.08p per mile, so £1440 a year in fuel based on 18k year @ £1.31/L)
- Tax £95
- Tyres £40 each (£160 every 2 years at current rate of wear)
- Servicing £40-50 (I get cheap parts, family member is a mechanic)
- MOT - £50 (all in)
- Insurance £280 fully comp (this includes my wife as a driver, 6 years no claims)

Over the last 5 years of owning my current car, the only major pay-out has been a replacement steering rack. Purchased when it had done 64k, now on 130k, I’m not going to complain. All MOTs have been free from issues too

Very cheap motoring indeed.A question does it not scare you running a diesel for example if the fuel pump or any other expensive diesel component were to fail and need a replacement you take a massive hit of potentially hundreds just on one part wiping out any savings you made on that year ? Does the savings outweigh the risks ?

 

[BunnyKillBot]

Very cheap motoring indeed.A question does it not scare you running a diesel for example if the fuel pump or any other expensive diesel component were to fail and need a replacement you take a massive hit of potentially hundreds just on one part wiping out any savings you made on that year ? Does the savings outweigh the risks ?

Hyundai / Kia sort of negate that concern rather allot.

I recently gots me a 9 month old hyundai i30 1.6 tdci bluedrive. Free tax, great mpg and over 4 years of warranty.

 

[Uriel]

http://www.nextgreencar.com/ for official figures.

Given that the official figures are increasingly unachievable for many new cars, I would have a look at Fuelly or the Honest John RealMPG register.

But yeah, the fuel economy you're getting from the Fiesta is going to be hard to beat, even for cars with better NEDC figures.