Buying a used car.. confused about mpg
Discussion
Hello 
Sorry if I sound like an absolute noob but I currently drive a Toyota Aygo on a PCP contract and I want to give it back in the next couple of months and just go back to having a second hand car that I'll buy outright.
I put my budget of £1500 into sites like Autotrader expecting to see some old-ish hatchbacks to be my main choice, and was surprised to see some larger cars like Jeep Cherokees pop up as well (long MOT, one previous owner, less that 100,000 miles, not the usual scrap rubbish).
My question is, I don't understand much about mpg except that my Aygo is supposedly quite good at 60odd mpg and something like a Jeep would only be about 20mpg, but if my journeys mainly consist of short journeys to and from the train station (about 2.5 miles each way) and a journey to my home town maybe twice a week which is 25 miles each way, is getting a car with low mpg an issue? I've always wanted a bigger car as I have a big dog haha.. . Also on an additional note does the low mpg mean it wouldn't be a good idea to take the car on our yearly trip to Cornwall?
I have experience driving bigger cars so I'm not going into this blind, driving experience-wise, I am just wondering if it is a practical purchase when taking into account the kind of journeys I will be doing.
If someone could make sense of what I'm asking it would be much appreciated!
Sorry if I sound like an absolute noob but I currently drive a Toyota Aygo on a PCP contract and I want to give it back in the next couple of months and just go back to having a second hand car that I'll buy outright.
I put my budget of £1500 into sites like Autotrader expecting to see some old-ish hatchbacks to be my main choice, and was surprised to see some larger cars like Jeep Cherokees pop up as well (long MOT, one previous owner, less that 100,000 miles, not the usual scrap rubbish).
My question is, I don't understand much about mpg except that my Aygo is supposedly quite good at 60odd mpg and something like a Jeep would only be about 20mpg, but if my journeys mainly consist of short journeys to and from the train station (about 2.5 miles each way) and a journey to my home town maybe twice a week which is 25 miles each way, is getting a car with low mpg an issue? I've always wanted a bigger car as I have a big dog haha.. . Also on an additional note does the low mpg mean it wouldn't be a good idea to take the car on our yearly trip to Cornwall?
I have experience driving bigger cars so I'm not going into this blind, driving experience-wise, I am just wondering if it is a practical purchase when taking into account the kind of journeys I will be doing.
If someone could make sense of what I'm asking it would be much appreciated!
Edited by Melkimp on Thursday 20th June 16:26
Longer journeys with less stop-start are generally better for fuel economy. Short journeys, like your station ones, are terrible for fuel economy.
If the Jeep is in the 20's on average for mpg, I would assume it will be less on a short journey like yours to the station. The Cornwall trip really depends on the type of driving you're going to be doing there.
At the end of the day, it's really up to you as to how much you are prepared to spend on fuel, but be prepared for it to be considerably more than the Aygo.
If the Jeep is in the 20's on average for mpg, I would assume it will be less on a short journey like yours to the station. The Cornwall trip really depends on the type of driving you're going to be doing there.
At the end of the day, it's really up to you as to how much you are prepared to spend on fuel, but be prepared for it to be considerably more than the Aygo.
With that sort of mileage I would just buy the car that you like
And don't assume that smaller engines are more economical, my grandparents 2016 1.0litre Toyota Yaris gets 30MPG and they don't exactly drive it hard haha. On a long run it only managed 33mpg.
For economy you cant beat a dirty diesel, but at the same time the Government don't like them now and low miles can cause your DPF to clog which can be expensive to repair. But as long as you go for a decent run every now and then would be fine.
I bought a 2006 2.0 diesel Mondeo to run for 6 weeks last year while deciding what to get next, it had done 98k miles and cost me 550 quid from a local guy(including the Transformers badge above the fuel cap) and returned about 48MPG, I couldn't believe how good it was for the money. Sold it then for about 10 quid less than I paid, still makes me laugh now thinking about it.
Good luck
And don't assume that smaller engines are more economical, my grandparents 2016 1.0litre Toyota Yaris gets 30MPG and they don't exactly drive it hard haha. On a long run it only managed 33mpg.
For economy you cant beat a dirty diesel, but at the same time the Government don't like them now and low miles can cause your DPF to clog which can be expensive to repair. But as long as you go for a decent run every now and then would be fine.
I bought a 2006 2.0 diesel Mondeo to run for 6 weeks last year while deciding what to get next, it had done 98k miles and cost me 550 quid from a local guy(including the Transformers badge above the fuel cap) and returned about 48MPG, I couldn't believe how good it was for the money. Sold it then for about 10 quid less than I paid, still makes me laugh now thinking about it.
Good luck
Thanks for all the quick replies everyone!
Does the fact that the longer 50 mile round trip I do twice a week (sometimes more often) is on the motorway or a fast A road counteract the 'damage' that is caused by the short trips? Insofar as it is still getting a blast on the motorway to get everything going?
I will give the fuel calculator a go.
Cheers!
Does the fact that the longer 50 mile round trip I do twice a week (sometimes more often) is on the motorway or a fast A road counteract the 'damage' that is caused by the short trips? Insofar as it is still getting a blast on the motorway to get everything going?
I will give the fuel calculator a go.
Cheers!
If you're doing short journeys then either car won't get their optimal mpg, but the mpg will still be a lot worse on the "20mpg" car. I would ask yourself if you can afford paying 2 to 3 times the price in fuel costs before you buy.
Another thing to consider is that fuel cost isn't the only issue. Often the larger car has higher running costs with consumables like tyres, brakes, spark plugs, and servicing to be more.
It's not a hard and fast rule with running costs, as it really is dependent on the car. I'd expect my diesel saab costs a lot less than your aygo was in overall costs, but if i wasn't fitting part worn tyres myself, servicing etc then it could be the other way.
Another thing to consider is comparing an aygo to a more complicated car is there may be more that can go wrong.
This is ignoring factors like getting the engine up to temperature, DPF cleaning etc.
If you have a 50 mile commute, or a 5 mile commute, you're still doing the same number of cold starts each day. It's just you would probably expect the 50 mile commuter car to reach a higher milage than the 5 mile commuter car.
Another thing to consider is that fuel cost isn't the only issue. Often the larger car has higher running costs with consumables like tyres, brakes, spark plugs, and servicing to be more.
It's not a hard and fast rule with running costs, as it really is dependent on the car. I'd expect my diesel saab costs a lot less than your aygo was in overall costs, but if i wasn't fitting part worn tyres myself, servicing etc then it could be the other way.
Another thing to consider is comparing an aygo to a more complicated car is there may be more that can go wrong.
Melkimp said:
Does the fact that the longer 50 mile round trip I do twice a week (sometimes more often) is on the motorway or a fast A road counteract the 'damage' that is caused by the short trips? Insofar as it is still getting a blast on the motorway to get everything going?
The 50 mile trip won't counteract any "damage" caused by short trips. It's just that if someone drives a single 50 mile trip, or 10x5 mile trips, the 50 mile trip will cause less wear on the car (assuming all other conditions are equal). This is ignoring factors like getting the engine up to temperature, DPF cleaning etc.
If you have a 50 mile commute, or a 5 mile commute, you're still doing the same number of cold starts each day. It's just you would probably expect the 50 mile commuter car to reach a higher milage than the 5 mile commuter car.
Edited by bluezedd on Thursday 20th June 17:02
You are on Pistonheads!! Of course you should not get another Aygo!!
Work out your annual mileage, say 6000 miles a year. If you car does 60mpg and fuel is approx £6 a gallon it will cost you £600 If your car only does 20mpg it will cost you £1800. On a contract at £200 a month this is £2400 a year so if your car does not break you can easily afford to pay the extra £1200 on fuel as you are not throwing money away.
Avoid any diesel with DPF for your mileages, it will block the DPF and for short distances diesels are not as economic as petrols. Get a petrol, I ran a 4.2 V8 Jag which I bought for £3K for 60K miles in three years. Sold it for £2k and it managed almost 30mpg average as mainly motorway use. It might not suit your dog, but there are plenty of V70s and similar nice estates out there for £1500.
Work out your annual mileage, say 6000 miles a year. If you car does 60mpg and fuel is approx £6 a gallon it will cost you £600 If your car only does 20mpg it will cost you £1800. On a contract at £200 a month this is £2400 a year so if your car does not break you can easily afford to pay the extra £1200 on fuel as you are not throwing money away.
Avoid any diesel with DPF for your mileages, it will block the DPF and for short distances diesels are not as economic as petrols. Get a petrol, I ran a 4.2 V8 Jag which I bought for £3K for 60K miles in three years. Sold it for £2k and it managed almost 30mpg average as mainly motorway use. It might not suit your dog, but there are plenty of V70s and similar nice estates out there for £1500.
The Vauxhall Signum is a good call:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
As is a Saab 9-3/9-5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Mondeo 2.5 Ghia
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
As is a Saab 9-3/9-5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Mondeo 2.5 Ghia
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Mk3 Mondeo Estate. Cheap as hell, utterly indestructible and diesels don't have DPF's as far as I know. Still return 50 to the gallon.
Avensis estate? Under rated but favored by taxi drivers and still a few local to me. Toyota's are generally considered to be bullet proof too.
Vectra 1.9 CDTI. 50mpg no matter how you drive it says loads of people. Canbus system tricky when replacing electrical though.
Avensis estate? Under rated but favored by taxi drivers and still a few local to me. Toyota's are generally considered to be bullet proof too.
Vectra 1.9 CDTI. 50mpg no matter how you drive it says loads of people. Canbus system tricky when replacing electrical though.
Melkimp said:
Hello
Sorry if I sound like an absolute noob but I currently drive a Toyota Aygo on a PCP contract and I want to give it back in the next couple of months and just go back to having a second hand car that I'll buy outright.
I put my budget of £1500 into sites like Autotrader expecting to see some old-ish hatchbacks to be my main choice, and was surprised to see some larger cars like Jeep Cherokees pop up as well (long MOT, one previous owner, less that 100,000 miles, not the usual scrap rubbish).
My question is, I don't understand much about mpg except that my Aygo is supposedly quite good at 60odd mpg and something like a Jeep would only be about 20mpg, but if my journeys mainly consist of short journeys to and from the train station (about 2.5 miles each way) and a journey to my home town maybe twice a week which is 25 miles each way, is getting a car with low mpg an issue? I've always wanted a bigger car as I have a big dog haha.. . Also on an additional note does the low mpg mean it wouldn't be a good idea to take the car on our yearly trip to Cornwall?
I have experience driving bigger cars so I'm not going into this blind, driving experience-wise, I am just wondering if it is a practical purchase when taking into account the kind of journeys I will be doing.
If someone could make sense of what I'm asking it would be much appreciated!
Simple economics, if the car does a third of the MPG and you do the same number of miles, your fuel spend is going to triple. Sorry if I sound like an absolute noob but I currently drive a Toyota Aygo on a PCP contract and I want to give it back in the next couple of months and just go back to having a second hand car that I'll buy outright.
I put my budget of £1500 into sites like Autotrader expecting to see some old-ish hatchbacks to be my main choice, and was surprised to see some larger cars like Jeep Cherokees pop up as well (long MOT, one previous owner, less that 100,000 miles, not the usual scrap rubbish).
My question is, I don't understand much about mpg except that my Aygo is supposedly quite good at 60odd mpg and something like a Jeep would only be about 20mpg, but if my journeys mainly consist of short journeys to and from the train station (about 2.5 miles each way) and a journey to my home town maybe twice a week which is 25 miles each way, is getting a car with low mpg an issue? I've always wanted a bigger car as I have a big dog haha.. . Also on an additional note does the low mpg mean it wouldn't be a good idea to take the car on our yearly trip to Cornwall?
I have experience driving bigger cars so I'm not going into this blind, driving experience-wise, I am just wondering if it is a practical purchase when taking into account the kind of journeys I will be doing.
If someone could make sense of what I'm asking it would be much appreciated!
Be aware also that road tax is incremented based on CO2 emissions so if you buy a gas guzzler, especially a post-2006 one, your annual tax will be more expensive.
Work out your mileage and what you spend on fuel each year. Divide the mileage by then cost of fuel This will give you a cost per mile.
Then take into account the claimed mpg on a second hand car, ignore the claim and reduce it by 8-15 miles per gallon. Then work out how much it will cost you to cover the same mileage. This will tell you if it is affordable.
Then take into account the claimed mpg on a second hand car, ignore the claim and reduce it by 8-15 miles per gallon. Then work out how much it will cost you to cover the same mileage. This will tell you if it is affordable.
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