Is there a fun, petrol car that will do a genuine 40mpg?
Discussion
Does such a car exist? Most diesels should be able to get a real world 40 mpg and I guess something like a Golf TDI is not a bad steer but then driving a Golf GTI kind of puts that into perspective and apart from on a long motorway journey possibly, there`s no chance of getting 40mpg out of one of those, despite it being one of the more economical hot hatches.
So, have you driven anything that meets the following criteria?
Quick enough to be interesting (I guess over 100bhp would be a reasonable figure)
Manual gearbox
Less than 5 years old
Less than 30,000 pounds but ideally a lot less!
Preferably petrol (but maybe diesel if it`s as fun or more fun than the petrol equivalent)
A genuine real world 40mpg without trying too hard (but obviously not driving like you stole it either).
This:
or this possibly?
So, have you driven anything that meets the following criteria?
Quick enough to be interesting (I guess over 100bhp would be a reasonable figure)
Manual gearbox
Less than 5 years old
Less than 30,000 pounds but ideally a lot less!
Preferably petrol (but maybe diesel if it`s as fun or more fun than the petrol equivalent)
A genuine real world 40mpg without trying too hard (but obviously not driving like you stole it either).
This:
or this possibly?
As above, an Elise will do it.
I get about 45mpg on the motorway and about 35-40 cross-country, depending on how hard I'm driving. I actually average about 33mpg, but that's almost entirely on my four-mile commute so the car is barely getting up to temperature before I get to my destination (for comparison, the Octavia gives around 25mpg on a the same trip).
If you want to get decent economy while driving relatively hard, you need something light.
A Smart Roadster will be very hard to get under 40mpg whatever you do and is still quite fun.
I get about 45mpg on the motorway and about 35-40 cross-country, depending on how hard I'm driving. I actually average about 33mpg, but that's almost entirely on my four-mile commute so the car is barely getting up to temperature before I get to my destination (for comparison, the Octavia gives around 25mpg on a the same trip).
If you want to get decent economy while driving relatively hard, you need something light.
A Smart Roadster will be very hard to get under 40mpg whatever you do and is still quite fun.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 3rd March 20:09
bobbo89 said:
Whatever you do don't buy an R56 Cooper S, I had one and it was a world of trouble! Engines coke up, timing chain tensioners are made of cheese and my steering rack went! Seriously, just avoid them!
Complete opposite experience.Been running an R56 Mini John Cooper Works for 16 months now and not a single issue at all. Great fun to drive, economical without having to try too hard either. Would always recommend them. All cars have their issues. Mine has been superb and I'm sure I'm in the majority.
zainster said:
Complete opposite experience.
Been running an R56 Mini John Cooper Works for 16 months now and not a single issue at all. Great fun to drive, economical without having to try too hard either. Would always recommend them. All cars have their issues. Mine has been superb and I'm sure I'm in the majority.
Coking and timing chain issues are very well documented online. Walnut blasting can sort the coking but there's no definite cure for the timing chain tensioner, yet. Been running an R56 Mini John Cooper Works for 16 months now and not a single issue at all. Great fun to drive, economical without having to try too hard either. Would always recommend them. All cars have their issues. Mine has been superb and I'm sure I'm in the majority.
My steering rack issue seems to be a rare one but the the fix is pricey!
Also, JCW's may be different in all of these areas but I'm not that well up
ks off a new Aygo for a fortnight (hire car) and could NOT get the average mpg below 42mpg.
Honda CR-Z seems to do OK. Most owners seem to be hitting mid to high 40s mpg. http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/cr-z
They've depreciated pretty hard - some under £6k, plenty to choose from under £8k. Never seemed to find much of a market here, but they make a lot more sense at those prices.
They've depreciated pretty hard - some under £6k, plenty to choose from under £8k. Never seemed to find much of a market here, but they make a lot more sense at those prices.
rossjohnstone said:
My fiesta st turbo is currently getting 40.3 on my (admittedly fairly long motorway) commute without really trying.
You must be driving like a complete saint to achieve that. I know 3 people who have been running them since before xmas and they've never seen above 30mpg Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff