Is there a frugal car that a man can drive without hiding?

[monthefish]

gentlemangreen said:

VeeDub Geezer said:

monthefish said:

Average 60mpg

I'll take one for £1500...

2 please!

Whoops. Must read OP's more thoroughly in the future.

So, you're looking for something cheaper than £1500 that will better 42mpg that also has credibility?

Not a chance.

daemon said:

Dont forget that depreciation is your biggest running costs, so be aware that spending £10K on a car to 'save' fuel will probably mean you'll be losing a lot more on depreciation than you're saving.

^^this.

[bakerstreet]

monthefish said:

Average 60mpg

60mpg? Really???

If the OP is getting 40mpg out of petrol, then its really going to have to be small diesel to make it worth while.

The PD series engined VAG cards do about 47-50mpg average, but is that going to be enough to counter the increased cost of disel compared witb petrol.

I'm currently looking at a commmuter car and the Renaults looked popular along with the Pug 206s

[monthefish]

bakerstreet said:

monthefish said:

Average 60mpg

60mpg? Really???

[Alx323]

GarryA said:

My Renault 1.5Dci has averaged 62mpg over 73k miles, driving with no regard to economy.

This. Nail it alll the time and you won't see less. Great cars

[anonymous-user]

You're getting 42mpg from a petrol Alfa and you want to get rid of it?!

[sadako]

I had a Golf Match TDi as a rental car for 10 miles while waiting for my company car. It was kitted out with some very nice gadgets, looked good, handled well, was comfy to do long miles in and still got 60mpg when being regularly driven north of the light barrier.

In fact it was so good I would consider buying one myself once my finances are more in order.

[mig25_foxbat2003]

I think that a real man can happily drive one of these... but it could be that I'm just in the closet.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

[handbraketurn]

If you're a man of style, class and pedigree, you could get a Jaaaag.

A nice x-type 2.0D Sport can be picked up very cheaply, not that much horses but plenty of torques.

If you can stretch a bit further the 2.2D is fairly nippy. And as with most diesels, if you're that way included an affordable remap will release 30-40 more horses and torques.

You can easily get a good one for £5k, fully leathered up, good ride quality and not a bad chassis.

Getting a manual, a bit harder

[Gizmo!]

mig25_foxbat2003 said:

I think that a real man can happily drive one of these... but it could be that I'm just in the closet.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

If it's good enough for James May, it's good enough for me.

[ettore]

robsa said:

Yes, does sound amazing doesn't it? It does require an iron will, no traffic jams, and a steady 55-60 all the way. Luckily about 95% of my journey is dual carriageway/motorway.

I agree about a man who is confident in himself - but that surely doesn't include someone who teaches teenage girls!
'borrowed your mum's car, Sir?', 'are you gay Sir?' etc

If you can manage this in a 2 litre 147 you'll get decent economy in anything. I had a 2.0 (manual) 147 a few years ago as a second car and I never got more than about 24mpg out of it - my main car at the time was a Boxster S and that was much better on fuel!

[DanielC4GP]

Gizmo! said:

mig25_foxbat2003 said:

I think that a real man can happily drive one of these... but it could be that I'm just in the closet.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

If it's good enough for James May, it's good enough for me.

Must admit I think they're great little cars too.

[plfrench]

I thought something sounded a bit odd with the consumtion you were claiming for the Alfa... Where did you get the 42mpg from?

Based on the figures you gave of £120 per week fuel, a daily mileage of 130 miles, and petrol cost of £1.369 per litre, I make it 33.7mpg.

This sounds a lot more sensible for a carefully driven 2.0 Alfa.

How about an older Golf? Fits the fill perfectly, and if you are drving as you describe, should easily hit mid 50's for you and therefore reduce your weekly fuel bill to around £75.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

Edited by plfrench on Monday 28th November 15:23

[RemainAllHoof]

Tricky. You want a cheap non-hairdressery car and are a teacher. If you get anything that makes you look single (old 2 seater or hot hatch), being male and in contact with kids, people will think "paedo". Buy something manly and practical like a van and again "free candy". Buy an old luxury Merc or BMW and look after it, people think "pimp" or "drug dealer" - not good working in a school. So your only choice is an old Mondeo or Vectra which suggests family man, virile but married with own wife and children so cannot possibly be a paedo. Or perhaps your parents are not typical Daily Mail readers.

[joshd963]

2 wheels?

[collateral]

OP, my 306 Dturbo did 40 mpg so I don't think there's much point. HDIs will supposedly manage 50 mpg though

[matthias73]

passat or a4 tdi?

Motorbike?

[plfrench]

collateral said:

OP, my 306 Dturbo did 40 mpg so I don't think there's much point. HDIs will supposedly manage 50 mpg though

The thing is though, I don't think he was getting 42mpg, more like 33mpg. This combined with his gentle 55-60mph driving, and I'm sure he'd see enough of an economy improvement to make it worthwhile. My A3 would easily average 55mpg in similar conditions and people are always saying that the older Diesels from VAG were more fuel efficient.