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Advice on buying a VW Golf. Up to £4k budget
- Thread starter Arthur Hucksake
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Urban mpg 34.4 mpg
Extra Urban mpg 52.3 mpg
Average mpg 44.1 mpg
So real world is likely 40mpg. 50mpg on the Diesel. hmm
Extra Urban mpg 52.3 mpg
Average mpg 44.1 mpg
So real world is likely 40mpg. 50mpg on the Diesel. hmm
To be fair, I'm taking the price of parts (from ECP mainly, picking known brands such as LUK, Sachs, Whaler etc...), and then applying a labour charge for the time it should take (according to VW workshop manual / charging structure), based on my local garages labour charge (circa £40 + VAT ph). But I guess many people are happy to let their garage supply parts at whatever cost they think they can charge for them. That's where I get the numbers from.
Again, your definition of much newer or lower mileage is obviously a matter of opinion too. I don't consider 1 years newer or 10k less miles to be significant enough not to get the car you really want.
The car you linked is a great case in point. It's the same spec as the one I posted and similar miles. But it's a year older and a grand more expensive... it would take 2 years to recoup the fuel saving!
My diseasel civic was a good car, but I never managed to get close to 50mpg on anything but a long, long run.
Regular low to mid 40's on a 20 mile 2/3 motorway commute - the 1.8 should be able to achieve similar and it doesn't have a chocolate clutch/fly (2009/10 + model clutches are better)
Regular low to mid 40's on a 20 mile 2/3 motorway commute - the 1.8 should be able to achieve similar and it doesn't have a chocolate clutch/fly (2009/10 + model clutches are better)
Yep, had one at work as a pool car - for a diesel they're quite nice to drive, remarkably free revving. But I'd never see anything beginning with a 5, normally mid 40s on a long run (according to the computer).
12k miles at 45mpg and 114p per litre is £1382
12k miles at 40mpg and 116p per litre is £1582
£200 per year saving, break even point to buy the older diesel is 5 years.
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The Honda Civic is really growing on me.
Beautiful motor.
Looks almost spaceship like. This is the one I have my eye on. CDTi 2.2
Beautiful motor.
Looks almost spaceship like. This is the one I have my eye on. CDTi 2.2
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I find them easier to drive. Will be a new driver having left it till quite late in life.
Work and family situation has pretty much forced me behind the wheel.
You don't think going from 37mpg to 48mpg will make a noticeable difference month to month?
This car will be used for all of our longer journeys on the weekends also. The Mrs drives a petrol Ford Focus.
The sums have been done for you plain to see further up the thread - you're paying more to buy the car and saving a tiny amount.
Total mileage in a year, including expected long trips. Add up total fuel cost, look at difference in price of cars (about a grand as we've shown above).. Then consider additional complexity mechanically.... It's a no brainier, the diesel isn't going to save you enough money to make it worthwhile.
Total mileage in a year, including expected long trips. Add up total fuel cost, look at difference in price of cars (about a grand as we've shown above).. Then consider additional complexity mechanically.... It's a no brainier, the diesel isn't going to save you enough money to make it worthwhile.
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The Diesels do it seems, but not always. Seems to be on ones earlier than 2007.
EDIT: Not pretty reading with just a basic google search. Ouch! lol
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i know a lot of people who switched to diesel ended up in disappointment. they wished they'd get mpg as advertised.
diesel is good if you do 500 miles on motorway every week. that it
i drive fabia VRS, i get about 43 mpg if i drive easily. not long ago i borrowed a 2012 ford ford focus 1.6 tdci for a week. i did the exact same weekly journey and i got 45mpg. it was very slow, noisy and rubbish engine.
oh, missed the post re civic 2.2, my cousin has 2008 civic 2.2 diesel, he gets about 44mpg average
diesel is good if you do 500 miles on motorway every week. that it
i drive fabia VRS, i get about 43 mpg if i drive easily. not long ago i borrowed a 2012 ford ford focus 1.6 tdci for a week. i did the exact same weekly journey and i got 45mpg. it was very slow, noisy and rubbish engine.
oh, missed the post re civic 2.2, my cousin has 2008 civic 2.2 diesel, he gets about 44mpg average
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I had a petrol car advertising up to 50mpg and it wouldn't go above 41-42mpg. I switched to a 407 diesel advertising probably somewhere in the 50s and I average 61-62mpg. Same journey. One third 30mph urban, two thirds motorway at 60mph.
It can work both ways. I've saved an absolute fortune.
Many people have saved loads of money by buying and driving a diesel. The argument made earlier that you "save" a grand buying a petrol, and thus takes 2-5 years to make up for the saving is false. The budget is the budget. You might get a slightly older, or higher mileage motor, but the car still costs the same.
The correct car will easily get the OP 50mpg, the Golfs he listed may be that car. Doesn't sound like the Civics will be. You don't need to be always on the motorway to see the benefits of a diesel. My old man is pretty much never on the motorways in his 320d, yet he gets around 50mpg on average. To get near that fuel economy in a petrol, you'd need to be driving a 1.0 or something.
Sure, the way modern fuel economy is tested means the manufacturers get away with lying through their back teeth, and are able to quote figures that are basically unachievable in the real world. But that is true for both petrol and diesel models. My Old A4 quoted a combined figure of around 54 mpg, yet I only managed 36 mpg, for example. There were almost no savings to be had with that car over a petrol, but that isn't true of every diesel car.
If I was the OP, I would be going to look at a variety of cars. That first Golf he linked, while poverty spec, might be just the car for him. Then again, he might find a petrol Civic more up his street. Then he has to decide if £200-£500 a year fuel cost difference is worth it to drive the petrol car.
People are different, and like different things. I prefer driving diesel motors as the torque suits my driving style better. And if it's too slow, a quick remap helps loads. Something you can do nothing about in a NA petrol. If I was to buy a petrol anything, it would be the sportier models, as if I'm paying for fuel, I might aswell enjoy it more, so I'd be looking at Type R / GTI / R or whatever. But then that's the way I view car ownership. If it's not going to be quick, it might aswell be economical. Apart from my 530d, which satisfies (and compromises) me on both counts, well, satisfies me enough anyway.
The correct car will easily get the OP 50mpg, the Golfs he listed may be that car. Doesn't sound like the Civics will be. You don't need to be always on the motorway to see the benefits of a diesel. My old man is pretty much never on the motorways in his 320d, yet he gets around 50mpg on average. To get near that fuel economy in a petrol, you'd need to be driving a 1.0 or something.
Sure, the way modern fuel economy is tested means the manufacturers get away with lying through their back teeth, and are able to quote figures that are basically unachievable in the real world. But that is true for both petrol and diesel models. My Old A4 quoted a combined figure of around 54 mpg, yet I only managed 36 mpg, for example. There were almost no savings to be had with that car over a petrol, but that isn't true of every diesel car.
If I was the OP, I would be going to look at a variety of cars. That first Golf he linked, while poverty spec, might be just the car for him. Then again, he might find a petrol Civic more up his street. Then he has to decide if £200-£500 a year fuel cost difference is worth it to drive the petrol car.
People are different, and like different things. I prefer driving diesel motors as the torque suits my driving style better. And if it's too slow, a quick remap helps loads. Something you can do nothing about in a NA petrol. If I was to buy a petrol anything, it would be the sportier models, as if I'm paying for fuel, I might aswell enjoy it more, so I'd be looking at Type R / GTI / R or whatever. But then that's the way I view car ownership. If it's not going to be quick, it might aswell be economical. Apart from my 530d, which satisfies (and compromises) me on both counts, well, satisfies me enough anyway.