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SkidMarkKing · 12 Oct 2015 at 11:08

Hi there,

Ive had a mk1 seat leon 1.4 for almost 2 years now (first car)

Im looking at upgrading and have really liked the idea of the mk1 cupra r (trying to stay away from finance if possible, maybe 2/3k max) for a while now.

I also like the 3 series diesel e46 BMWs and a few audi A4's. I see the fuel mpg is around 45-50 with a diesel but the cupra r is 32 mpg average. I know as its a 1.8 turbo if you drive it steady it shouldn't be too bad right? Huge car fan here and love the sound of a turbo

I just don't want to buy something which the fuel will be silly money.

Anyone got any experience with running costs of a 1.8t engine?

Thanks

sovietspybob · 12 Oct 2015 at 11:18

A diesel repmobile BMW and a cupra R are very very different cars i think you need to decide what you want first?

How many miles do you do, if its less than say 15k a year forget diesels

SkidMarkKing · 12 Oct 2015 at 11:23

sovietspybob said:
A diesel repmobile BMW and a cupra R are very very different cars i think you need to decide what you want first?

How many miles do you do, if its less than say 15k a year forget diesels

Yeah it will be around 10k.

I don't need the car to get to work even though I do plan on travelling to work using a car once I manage to find a new job which will be about 40 miles a day then but that could be a few years yet.

I travel around 100-150 miles at the weekend currently (don't live at home/near work on the weekends)

xs2man · 12 Oct 2015 at 12:48

While 15k per year makes sense for a diesel, it is by no means the "lower limit" on mileage that makes sense for a diesel.

With your budget, you'll be looking at diesels that don't have the expensive DPF anyway, although they will likely have a dual mass flywheel (DMF) that'll run a couple hundred quid more than a petrols SMF (although I do beleive the LCR runs a DMF anyway, so there is, realistically, zero to save should either need replacing).

You'll be looking at around an extra £500 or so a year in fuel for the LCR against a 1.9/2.0 TDI, at 10k pa, so thats a desicion only you can make. Is it worth £1.50 per day to drive the LCR?

I did have a mapped 2.0 TDI (~175 BHP) at the same time as a V6 4motion Golf (circa 200BHP) and they were about level pegging in a straight line. So you are not losing much speed when going for the diesel, assuming you map it (which will almost certainly then require the DMF though).

Personally though, with that budget, I would go for an LCR. I have always liked them. Try to get one with the BAM engine. You'll struggle to average any more than 30 in the LCR though (I averaged around 28 in my ~stage 2 1.8T). Where I did average 47 in my b5.5 Passat which would be the same engine as the A4.

paradigm · 12 Oct 2015 at 12:50

sovietspybob said:
A diesel repmobile BMW and a cupra R are very very different cars i think you need to decide what you want first?

How many miles do you do, if its less than say 15k a year forget diesels

They are, but yet don't neccessarily mean they are a million miles apart.

As an ex-owner of both a Mk1 LCR and an E46 330d I can tell you that a mapped 330d isn't a massive amount slower (and is a darn sight more comfortable) than an LCR.

That said, the two drives are worlds apart, and I guess the main use of the car will dictate which is the better fit. I'd not want to be schlepping up and down the motorway every day in an LCR (even though I did, until I bought the 330d). Ran the two alongside each other for years, not once did I take the LCR on a motorway afterwards.

As for your point on average MPG, I averaged 18MPG in my LCR

My 330d netted me around 40MPG on average.

[TW]Fox · 12 Oct 2015 at 12:51

xs2man said:
I did have a mapped 2.0 TDI (~175 BHP) at the same time as a V6 4motion Golf (circa 200BHP) and they were about level pegging in a straight line. So you are not losing much speed when going for the diesel, assuming you map it (which will almost certainly then require the DMF though).

On paper that is amazing but in reality the power delivery, refinement and general irritation of a 4 pot diesel with a manual box is sufficiently horrible that I'd have preferred the 4Motion despite the fact it was no faster and used more fuel.

I have no idea why anyone who doesn't need one would chose a manual 4 cylinder diesel, let alone a £2k one.

SkidMarkKing · 12 Oct 2015 at 13:11

Photography is a big hobby of mine so shortly after Christmas ile be driving more in order to take photos so im starting to think s line audi a4. Possibly around 4k and maybe finance a little extra.

I did look at a mk2 leon fr but I can't make up my mind I like the look of it or not (the k1 is nice but that costs 10-15k lol). The mk2 FR I did see was 9k :/

Thinking maybe the 30mpg will hold me back if I want to travel for photos etc

Darryl_1983 · 12 Oct 2015 at 13:53

Maybe worth checking out a clio 182, they have similar performance to the LCR but can achieve 45mpg on a run if driven carefully (granted a 2.0tdi driven similarly would probably get 55-60mpg).

I owned a 182 for almost 2 years and have had 450 miles from a full tank a few times, which i believe is 10 gallons (mixed driving, but with a very light foot), longer runs could register 50 mpg.

Saying all that i generally only averaged 30-35mpg as it was too fun to drive, not to drive fast every now and again. But it is possible to get reasonable mpg if you can hold back from booting it.

xs2man · 12 Oct 2015 at 13:56

The BMW will likely be a bit more economical, and a bit faster. In my experience anyway. But then £4k will only get you a ropey E90 320d rather than a semi-decent B7 A4.

There was a nice Leon FR tdi near me for £4k when I was looking up until a couple weeks ago. In the end I just bought a 2007 Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI. It gives me the space I was looking for, and is reasonable on the fuel economy. And at £3k I thought not badly priced either. Pretty happy with it to be fair, but then I do have 2 young kids, and regularly do big miles carrying loads of stuff. Something that size would be overkill for your needs I suspect. Plus, it's 7 million miles away from an LCR or A4 avant being an MPV.

xs2man · 12 Oct 2015 at 13:59

[TW]Fox;28673971 said:
On paper that is amazing but in reality the power delivery, refinement and general irritation of a 4 pot diesel with a manual box is sufficiently horrible that I'd have preferred the 4Motion despite the fact it was no faster and used more fuel.

I have no idea why anyone who doesn't need one would chose a manual 4 cylinder diesel, let alone a £2k one.

Sure, from a purely driving perspective, the 4motion was the nicer car to drive. Everywhere else though, the A3 is the car that was driven.

It's easy to talk down a 4 pot diesel when, like us, we have the pleasure of driving one of the best 6 pot diesels ever made. But if that is an option not available, and an experience never taken, then the 4 pot diesel isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be. I'm not minding my recent hooning about in my 2.0 TDI at all.

[TW]Fox · 12 Oct 2015 at 19:10

xs2man said:
the 4 pot diesel isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be.

I have driven many 4 pot diesels - paired with a good autobox is the only time I've not hated it. A manual 4 pot diesel is a tool - often a useful tool, often the most appropriate tool, but there is no joy or interest in the way it delivers its power or the way you have to constantly stir the box to make any sort of progress with the gruff sounding and unpleasant engine. The fact he's even mentioned 'Cupra R' tells me the 2 litre diesel shouldnt even get a look in.

SkidMarkKing · 13 Oct 2015 at 18:14

Leaning towards a diesel a4 s line at the minute.

Tax is £100 less a year, cheaper on fuel and around £150/£200 a year less to insure.

I do love the sound of a 1.8T though. I know there is a s line with this engine also.

xs2man · 13 Oct 2015 at 18:41

2.0TDI Audi's aren't great on the old fuel economy though.

I had a 2003 A3 that only just averaged around 45 mpg over 50k (although I did hoof that car a fair bit, so probably was to be expected).

I then had 2 A4 2.0 TDI's, one that only barely broke the 40mpg mark (and that was showing on the OBC, so was probably slightly less). And another that only averaged 38 mpg.

I now have a 2007 Seat Alhambra that barely breaks 40 mpg also. But then that has all the aerodynamics of a block of flats.

Where my 1.9 TDI's could easily achieve 50 mpg, (my inlaws averaged 55 on a round trip to London which is around 1000 miles). But I averaged 48 mpg during my ownership of the car. The 1.9 TDI is significantly more economic than the 2.0 TDI, and not that much slower. If you're going for an A4 TDI, I'd go for a good B6 TDI rather than a B7 personally. And avoid the 2.5 TDI.

SkidMarkKing · 13 Oct 2015 at 18:52

xs2man said:
If you're going for an A4 TDI, I'd go for a good B6 TDI rather than a B7 personally. And avoid the 2.5 TDI.

Damn. I prefer the lights on the B7, lol.

I was worried about the 3-4 short journeys a week I do but aparently an Audi older than 2007/2008 shouldn't be effected.

The best to do is probably see where I am money wise in the next few months as to if I get a cupra r, 1.8T A4 or go diesel

Very Clean Cupra here