What interesting £2k econobox?
Discussion
Okay, I've had a bump in the Golf and it looks like it could be a write orf. I'm looking at a replacement with the following criteria:
Budget = £2k-ish.
It'll be a daily driver so I want/need 40mpg+ or thereabouts, I do around 50 miles a day. Looking at diesel or lpg really though could be talked into petrol if the economy is reasonable.
I want something "interesting". Doesn't have to be fast necessarily, just you know, not dull. I do particularly like retro motors but will give most things consideration.
Needs to be relatively reliable and/or fairly easy to DIY fix.
I'd prefer 4 or 5 doors but it's not a must, would like rear seats though.
Contenders so far:
Jaguar XJ40 on LPG - I'm very into '40's, have loads of spares, etc. Already have one though...
Mercedes 190 diesel - Just always quite liked the look of them and heard they are reliable.
Any suggestions folks?
Budget = £2k-ish.
It'll be a daily driver so I want/need 40mpg+ or thereabouts, I do around 50 miles a day. Looking at diesel or lpg really though could be talked into petrol if the economy is reasonable.
I want something "interesting". Doesn't have to be fast necessarily, just you know, not dull. I do particularly like retro motors but will give most things consideration.
Needs to be relatively reliable and/or fairly easy to DIY fix.
I'd prefer 4 or 5 doors but it's not a must, would like rear seats though.
Contenders so far:
Jaguar XJ40 on LPG - I'm very into '40's, have loads of spares, etc. Already have one though...
Mercedes 190 diesel - Just always quite liked the look of them and heard they are reliable.
Any suggestions folks?
300bhp/ton said:
XJ40 sounds ace, but even on LPG I think 40mpg (pence per mile) is a pipe dream.
Also I presume any such car you are considering for LPG has a separate budget for the conversion?
If the XJ appeals maybe something Lexus LS400 or Soarer might be an interesting alternative.
I think an LPG '40 ought to be the equivalent of 35mpg+, in theory at least. They average low 20's on petrol, LPG is close to half the price of petrol/diesel.Also I presume any such car you are considering for LPG has a separate budget for the conversion?
If the XJ appeals maybe something Lexus LS400 or Soarer might be an interesting alternative.
I'd buy a car already converted to LPG, much cheaper! An LPG'ed LS400 is a good shout, might have a closer look at those.
Trouble is finding an LPG converted vehicle. Pickings are often slim as conversion kits cost £1500-2500 on their own.
To get the best performance/economy from LPG you also need a nice multipoint setup, not the earlier single point ones. And most cars will make slightly less mpg on LPG vs petrol, so if you are getting 20-22mpg on petrol it'll probably be more like 18-20mpg on LPG. That said any XJ we've had was more like 18mpg average anyhow, but higher attainable if you behave.
To get the best performance/economy from LPG you also need a nice multipoint setup, not the earlier single point ones. And most cars will make slightly less mpg on LPG vs petrol, so if you are getting 20-22mpg on petrol it'll probably be more like 18-20mpg on LPG. That said any XJ we've had was more like 18mpg average anyhow, but higher attainable if you behave.
300bhp/ton said:
Trouble is finding an LPG converted vehicle. Pickings are often slim as conversion kits cost £1500-2500 on their own.
There's usually a few around and not too much of a premium for LPG, this looks okay for example:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181025163950?ssPageName=...
Quite like the look of this diesel 190, shame it's auto.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130800451285?ssPageName=...
300bhp/ton said:
To get the best performance/economy from LPG you also need a nice multipoint setup, not the earlier single point ones. And most cars will make slightly less mpg on LPG vs petrol, so if you are getting 20-22mpg on petrol it'll probably be more like 18-20mpg on LPG. That said any XJ we've had was more like 18mpg average anyhow, but higher attainable if you behave.
Yes I've heard the multipoint setup is the better system. My commute is mostly motorway so can average 22mpg in a Forty.
Seriously, if you fancy it then why not do it yourself? It's bound to need some fettling but it has an MOT at least.That 190 is a petrol (although a diesel 190 or W124 is a very good idea)
Every other LPG car I see for sale has cutting out/missfiring/whatever woes and all those pipes and connections must make even simple jobs on the engine a right pain in the arse. And in an XJ40 hmmm
I got 40mpg from my 1.7 Puma- 2k would bag a really nice one
Every other LPG car I see for sale has cutting out/missfiring/whatever woes and all those pipes and connections must make even simple jobs on the engine a right pain in the arse. And in an XJ40 hmmm
I got 40mpg from my 1.7 Puma- 2k would bag a really nice one
Edited by SuperHangOn on Monday 19th November 17:54
SuperHangOn said:
That 190 is a petrol (although a diesel 190 or W124 is a very good idea)
Every other LPG car I see for sale has cutting out/missfiring/whatever woes and all those pipes and connections must make even simple jobs on the engine a right pain in the arse. And in an XJ40 hmmm
I got 40mpg from my 1.7 Puma- 2k would bag a really nice one
Your right, that 190 is petrol, my bad. It came up in a search for diesels so there must be an error in the listing.Every other LPG car I see for sale has cutting out/missfiring/whatever woes and all those pipes and connections must make even simple jobs on the engine a right pain in the arse. And in an XJ40 hmmm
I got 40mpg from my 1.7 Puma- 2k would bag a really nice one
Edited by SuperHangOn on Monday 19th November 17:54
Fair point about LPG gremlins, I have noticed that too. Thanks for the Puma suggestion, hadn't considered those.
Martin 480 Turbo said:
Would you consider another 156? They did great Diesels back then?
I certainly would, really enjoyed the 2.0 Twin Spark but it averaged less the 30 mpg so was a bit of a relative gas guzzler. A 1.9 JTD would fit the bill pretty well and is very much on my radar so to speak.I've been talking to the mrs and she wants me to get something "made this century"! So I might be coerced into getting something more modern than the LPG XJ40 or 190 diesel I previously suggested.
I do like Jag's so am quite interested in diesel X-Type's. Not exactly a pulsating steer but seems quite a nice thing to float about in for the money.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff