Stuck between petrol and diesel for a used car
Discussion
Hi all! I'm going around in circles here, so thought I'd ask the question see what others might do!
My old Fiesta 1.4 Diesel from 2006 has died, and there's too much wrong to fix. I'm looking at the used car market, and I did have my eye initially on a Focus, one of the 1.0litre EcoBoost engines (with 125ps, so get the 6th gear). What I'm trying to do is avoid the higher tax rate because I'm tight
After some research I found that certain 1litre Ecoboosts were recalled a few years ago because of a coolant system issue, but as long as this can be checked to see if fixes were applied it should be fine, however: my commute isn't that far, only 8 miles to work depending on route. One way is slower roads, the other dual carraigeway at 70 for most of the journey.
Where I get stuck is that a few times a year we drive far for UK holidays. There's only us 2, but I'm wondering if the 1litre Ecoboost would start drinking fuel once you have the back loaded with a couple cases and some walking/electronic gear etc etc. These engines are supposed to perform much like a 1.6 if you get the 6 speed version; in theory it should perform alright on the motorway with reported fuel usage like 60MPG, obviously entirely dependant on how you drive.
So now I'm also looking at Astras. Avoiding the petrol engine in these as the diesels look absolutely fantastiche with high economy, and I absolutely love the way a 2016 onwards Astra looks. Again here, the predicament is everyday usage. I know modern diesels with a DPF can be driven on short journeys like any other car, you just need to make sure you run the DPF regen if the car tells you to; shouldn't be a problem. With Astras, we're looking at either the 1.6 Ecotec or 2.0 litre versions, both 6 speed and some varieties ask for AdBlue.
So, I'm going round and round in circles as I just can't seem to figure out what's best. I just kind of wanted some people's opinions on what you'd do.
I am looking at the oldest year of 2016. I'm not completely adverse to going earlier than April 2017 (when the tax changed) but that's just the "ideal" if you will.
I can't even buy myself dinner without deliberating let alone buying a used car.
My old Fiesta 1.4 Diesel from 2006 has died, and there's too much wrong to fix. I'm looking at the used car market, and I did have my eye initially on a Focus, one of the 1.0litre EcoBoost engines (with 125ps, so get the 6th gear). What I'm trying to do is avoid the higher tax rate because I'm tight
After some research I found that certain 1litre Ecoboosts were recalled a few years ago because of a coolant system issue, but as long as this can be checked to see if fixes were applied it should be fine, however: my commute isn't that far, only 8 miles to work depending on route. One way is slower roads, the other dual carraigeway at 70 for most of the journey.
Where I get stuck is that a few times a year we drive far for UK holidays. There's only us 2, but I'm wondering if the 1litre Ecoboost would start drinking fuel once you have the back loaded with a couple cases and some walking/electronic gear etc etc. These engines are supposed to perform much like a 1.6 if you get the 6 speed version; in theory it should perform alright on the motorway with reported fuel usage like 60MPG, obviously entirely dependant on how you drive.
So now I'm also looking at Astras. Avoiding the petrol engine in these as the diesels look absolutely fantastiche with high economy, and I absolutely love the way a 2016 onwards Astra looks. Again here, the predicament is everyday usage. I know modern diesels with a DPF can be driven on short journeys like any other car, you just need to make sure you run the DPF regen if the car tells you to; shouldn't be a problem. With Astras, we're looking at either the 1.6 Ecotec or 2.0 litre versions, both 6 speed and some varieties ask for AdBlue.
So, I'm going round and round in circles as I just can't seem to figure out what's best. I just kind of wanted some people's opinions on what you'd do.
I am looking at the oldest year of 2016. I'm not completely adverse to going earlier than April 2017 (when the tax changed) but that's just the "ideal" if you will.
I can't even buy myself dinner without deliberating let alone buying a used car.
Diesels give great economy once they're warmed up. On your 8 mile commute your engine's probably only going be properly warm for half the trip so you probably won't see the headline MPG figures. It'll give decent economy on longer trips, but how much of your total mileage is those couple of holiday trips a year compared to your commute?
You don’t need a diesel that’s for sure. I don’t know what the tax is on the cars you mentioned but if a more suitable car is available that has slightly higher tax I wouldn’t worry about paying a bit more per year. If you need to replace the emissions kit in an unsuitable diesel it’ll far outstrip any tax savings. I wonder if a Honda Civic 1.8 petrol would be another option for you, I had one and it was very economical especially on a run.
I think that you are unlikely to get 60mpg from a 125 bhp Focus, a friend has one and it does about 45mpg in most usage, which isn't a lot more than the 40mpg I get from my Volvo V40, with 2 litre NA engine of similar power.Nearly all of the 'official' mpg figures are fiddled to look as good as possible, you can only say that a diesel will be more economical in an identical car. Get the Focus if you like it, actual savings above 45mpg aren't all that significant compared with lower down the scale. Friend likes his Focus, it was only the early ones with that engine that lost their coolant. He has had no trouble with his (67 reg) and I find his comfortable and fairly refined from the passenger seat.
The longer trips do happen quite often, so weekend trips branching out for an hours drive maybe more, but the longer yearly trips are 1500 - 2000 miles a pop. Like, driving from the south to Scotland, around, and return trip.
I'm thinking of mileage, durability etc etc. I know a lot of the new petrol engines are great though, so really I'm thinking of my pocket at this point!
I'm thinking of mileage, durability etc etc. I know a lot of the new petrol engines are great though, so really I'm thinking of my pocket at this point!
RizzoTheRat said:
Diesels give great economy once they're warmed up. On your 8 mile commute your engine's probably only going be properly warm for half the trip so you probably won't see the headline MPG figures. It'll give decent economy on longer trips, but how much of your total mileage is those couple of holiday trips a year compared to your commute?
I reckon we do about 4000 miles on average on trips a year, maybe pushing 5000. Maximum of 90 miles a week for the commute. Weekends, could be different every weekend. Sometimes don't even look at the car, others we'll drive an hour to go somewhere, weather dependant is the answer to that question!I don't know why I'm finding it this difficult to choose. Is everyone like this?!
Id buy a petrol, less to go wrong & with emmision rules changing in the future everone will be pushed down that route
Also some sporty cars are just as good on fuel as your eco ones - Fiesta ST will have no bother returning over 40MPG same goes for the Mini Cooper S & JCW & the 208 GTI all very efficiant engines and great fun too
Also some sporty cars are just as good on fuel as your eco ones - Fiesta ST will have no bother returning over 40MPG same goes for the Mini Cooper S & JCW & the 208 GTI all very efficiant engines and great fun too
Toyoda said:
Plenty of reports on forums etc about the cam chain issues with Vauxhalls 1.6 diesel that they use in the Astra K.
Ah really?! I've spent a lot of time on the Ford forums investigating the coolant issue on the Ecoboosts but haven't really looked into the Vauxhalls. Thanks for the heads up!Justin Case said:
I think that you are unlikely to get 60mpg from a 125 bhp Focus, a friend has one and it does about 45mpg in most usage, which isn't a lot more than the 40mpg I get from my Volvo V40, with 2 litre NA engine of similar power.Nearly all of the 'official' mpg figures are fiddled to look as good as possible, you can only say that a diesel will be more economical in an identical car. Get the Focus if you like it, actual savings above 45mpg aren't all that significant compared with lower down the scale. Friend likes his Focus, it was only the early ones with that engine that lost their coolant. He has had no trouble with his (67 reg) and I find his comfortable and fairly refined from the passenger seat.
Yeah that's good to know. I can't invest in something that's gonna make me paranoid but really you should be able to plug the VIN into the Ford ETIS site to check for any recalls against that model, so all is not lost. I was trying to get the VIN from a dealer actually a couple weeks ago to check this and they refused to give it me, so I sacked that one off.I know MPG on paper is different to real life, I've seen reports of sensible driving with only accelorating to speed on the 125ps Ecoboosts of between 50 and 60 though. I got 60-70 out of my old Fiesta once it warmed up but it was diesel.
My advice is don't get a diesel and don't get a 1.0 Ecoboost Ford.
Your usage profile is not suited to a diesel and they are just not looking like good buys in the longer term unless you really need them for the miles. The 1.0 Ecoboost Fords (aside from the issue with them setting on fire or seizing up due to coolant loss, which should have been rectified by now) also suffer from carbon deposits on the intake valves as they are direct injection, which leads to crap fuel economy, defeating the purpose of the engine (i.e. you'll get mpg in the 20s), issues with the fuel injector system and the cambelt is a wet belt design that needs replacing at 100,000 miles at a cost of around £1000. Also, I doubt you'll ever see 60 mpg out of one, they get more like 40 mpg or 50 mpg on a long steady run.
What is your budget?
Your usage profile is not suited to a diesel and they are just not looking like good buys in the longer term unless you really need them for the miles. The 1.0 Ecoboost Fords (aside from the issue with them setting on fire or seizing up due to coolant loss, which should have been rectified by now) also suffer from carbon deposits on the intake valves as they are direct injection, which leads to crap fuel economy, defeating the purpose of the engine (i.e. you'll get mpg in the 20s), issues with the fuel injector system and the cambelt is a wet belt design that needs replacing at 100,000 miles at a cost of around £1000. Also, I doubt you'll ever see 60 mpg out of one, they get more like 40 mpg or 50 mpg on a long steady run.
What is your budget?
Given your usage and journey profile I wouldn't entertain a modern diesel, nor an Ecoboost Ford as per a previous reply for reasons of longevity.
I had a 1.0T Fiesta as a hire car for a week last year and I assume because you are working the little engine hard to keep up with normal driving scenarios and speeds the economy takes a hit. I seem to remember the trip not reading over 42 so actual pen&paper calculation would be 40 maybe even a touch lower. Given the Focus is a bigger car this will only be amplified.
What's your budget OP?
Mazda 3 petrol
Honda Civic
Kia Ceed
Hyundai I30
Lexus CT
I had a 1.0T Fiesta as a hire car for a week last year and I assume because you are working the little engine hard to keep up with normal driving scenarios and speeds the economy takes a hit. I seem to remember the trip not reading over 42 so actual pen&paper calculation would be 40 maybe even a touch lower. Given the Focus is a bigger car this will only be amplified.
What's your budget OP?
Mazda 3 petrol
Honda Civic
Kia Ceed
Hyundai I30
Lexus CT
Summit_Detailing said:
Given your usage and journey profile I wouldn't entertain a modern diesel, nor an Ecoboost Ford as per a previous reply for reasons of longevity.
I had a 1.0T Fiesta as a hire car for a week last year and I assume because you are working the little engine hard to keep up with normal driving scenarios and speeds the economy takes a hit. I seem to remember the trip not reading over 42 so actual pen&paper calculation would be 40 maybe even a touch lower. Given the Focus is a bigger car this will only be amplified.
What's your budget OP?
Apologies for the delayed reply, new member here so couldn't post more than 5 times in 24 hours.I had a 1.0T Fiesta as a hire car for a week last year and I assume because you are working the little engine hard to keep up with normal driving scenarios and speeds the economy takes a hit. I seem to remember the trip not reading over 42 so actual pen&paper calculation would be 40 maybe even a touch lower. Given the Focus is a bigger car this will only be amplified.
What's your budget OP?
I think I agree with everyone here on the petrol/diesel fiasco. Budget is a tough question to answer because then you start pushing it and looking at borrowing a little for more peace of mind. I now have my eye on a nice 2020 Astra 1.2 turbo, 6 speed gearbox. Scoured Astra forums and articles on reliability and economy and the average response and information is generally very positive, and if driven very conservatively real-life reports showed people getting around 55MPG and sometimes slightly more, with a good mileage haul on a full 48 litre tank.
I think for the "niceness" of driving a newer petrol car and the shorter more frequent journeys I do I think everyone here is right. I don't mind taking a little hit on fuel price for the longer journeys if the ride is nice and peace of mind is there.
I have actually been driving my partner's 1.2 Corsa (normal, standard stuff, no turbo or anything special) and it is absolutely god awful on economy. And that's with me driving it; I am so very conservative if I'm in "eco mode" with little braking and accelorating to speed with just a light touch on the pedal. Honestly, don't get a Corsa!
tomrandall86 said:
Hi all! I'm going around in circles here, so thought I'd ask the question see what others might do!
My old Fiesta 1.4 Diesel from 2006 has died, and there's too much wrong to fix. I'm looking at the used car market, and I did have my eye initially on a Focus, one of the 1.0litre EcoBoost engines (with 125ps, so get the 6th gear). What I'm trying to do is avoid the higher tax rate because I'm tight
After some research I found that certain 1litre Ecoboosts were recalled a few years ago because of a coolant system issue, but as long as this can be checked to see if fixes were applied it should be fine, however: my commute isn't that far, only 8 miles to work depending on route. One way is slower roads, the other dual carraigeway at 70 for most of the journey.
Where I get stuck is that a few times a year we drive far for UK holidays. There's only us 2, but I'm wondering if the 1litre Ecoboost would start drinking fuel once you have the back loaded with a couple cases and some walking/electronic gear etc etc. These engines are supposed to perform much like a 1.6 if you get the 6 speed version; in theory it should perform alright on the motorway with reported fuel usage like 60MPG, obviously entirely dependant on how you drive.
So now I'm also looking at Astras. Avoiding the petrol engine in these as the diesels look absolutely fantastiche with high economy, and I absolutely love the way a 2016 onwards Astra looks. Again here, the predicament is everyday usage. I know modern diesels with a DPF can be driven on short journeys like any other car, you just need to make sure you run the DPF regen if the car tells you to; shouldn't be a problem. With Astras, we're looking at either the 1.6 Ecotec or 2.0 litre versions, both 6 speed and some varieties ask for AdBlue.
So, I'm going round and round in circles as I just can't seem to figure out what's best. I just kind of wanted some people's opinions on what you'd do.
I am looking at the oldest year of 2016. I'm not completely adverse to going earlier than April 2017 (when the tax changed) but that's just the "ideal" if you will.
I can't even buy myself dinner without deliberating let alone buying a used car.
You've already answered your own question, it's simple look for the best 2016 1.4T Astra you can find:My old Fiesta 1.4 Diesel from 2006 has died, and there's too much wrong to fix. I'm looking at the used car market, and I did have my eye initially on a Focus, one of the 1.0litre EcoBoost engines (with 125ps, so get the 6th gear). What I'm trying to do is avoid the higher tax rate because I'm tight
After some research I found that certain 1litre Ecoboosts were recalled a few years ago because of a coolant system issue, but as long as this can be checked to see if fixes were applied it should be fine, however: my commute isn't that far, only 8 miles to work depending on route. One way is slower roads, the other dual carraigeway at 70 for most of the journey.
Where I get stuck is that a few times a year we drive far for UK holidays. There's only us 2, but I'm wondering if the 1litre Ecoboost would start drinking fuel once you have the back loaded with a couple cases and some walking/electronic gear etc etc. These engines are supposed to perform much like a 1.6 if you get the 6 speed version; in theory it should perform alright on the motorway with reported fuel usage like 60MPG, obviously entirely dependant on how you drive.
So now I'm also looking at Astras. Avoiding the petrol engine in these as the diesels look absolutely fantastiche with high economy, and I absolutely love the way a 2016 onwards Astra looks. Again here, the predicament is everyday usage. I know modern diesels with a DPF can be driven on short journeys like any other car, you just need to make sure you run the DPF regen if the car tells you to; shouldn't be a problem. With Astras, we're looking at either the 1.6 Ecotec or 2.0 litre versions, both 6 speed and some varieties ask for AdBlue.
So, I'm going round and round in circles as I just can't seem to figure out what's best. I just kind of wanted some people's opinions on what you'd do.
I am looking at the oldest year of 2016. I'm not completely adverse to going earlier than April 2017 (when the tax changed) but that's just the "ideal" if you will.
I can't even buy myself dinner without deliberating let alone buying a used car.
Elite Nav 150 these are a good allrounder with a decent amount of go with decent economy too:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111229...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111209...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201241...
Griffin now these come with every possible option:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110058...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111059...
If you don't mind a two door then the Astra GTC Limited Edition/SRI 200 is a good shout:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201121...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110048...
There's also the 308 GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111099...
Or Kia ProCeed GT 200 & you'll have a years warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201141...
Ceed GT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201261...
Just to bring a balance of opinions, my wife had a 2014 1.0L 100bhp ecoboost fiesta from new for 5 years, 50k miles.
About 45mpg over that period of mixed driving, personally thought it was a sweet little engine and suited the car.
We didn't have any of the engine issues mentioned but near the end of our ownership the low pressure fuel pump needed replacing, however that was it.
About 45mpg over that period of mixed driving, personally thought it was a sweet little engine and suited the car.
We didn't have any of the engine issues mentioned but near the end of our ownership the low pressure fuel pump needed replacing, however that was it.
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