Car for a short commute to work
Discussion
Looking at replacing my mini cooper for something a little better, may consider a 130i or a 135i, c30 or a civic type r, any other options in terms of cars that i can get decent mpg, i roughly get 6 weeks from a full tank in the mini, costing £56. I just want something reliable, will hold value and fun to drive.
If you have a short commute you don't want anything with a big engine that'll take a while to get up to temp.
It won't be efficient and you'll cause more wear. You want something small and light (a Elise?) or cycle
I had a 330i Coupe that averaged 19mpg on my short commute, went up to over 30 mpg when I had a bigger commute.
It won't be efficient and you'll cause more wear. You want something small and light (a Elise?) or cycle
I had a 330i Coupe that averaged 19mpg on my short commute, went up to over 30 mpg when I had a bigger commute.
Phunk said:
If you have a short commute you don't want anything with a big engine that'll take a while to get up to temp.
It won't be efficient and you'll cause more wear. You want something small and light (a Elise?) or cycle
I had a 330i Coupe that averaged 19mpg on my short commute, went up to over 30 mpg when I had a bigger commute.
My current 1L ecoboost Fiesta takes as long or longer to warm up than my old Subaru Forester 2.5 and Legacy 3L.It won't be efficient and you'll cause more wear. You want something small and light (a Elise?) or cycle
I had a 330i Coupe that averaged 19mpg on my short commute, went up to over 30 mpg when I had a bigger commute.
rdb85 said:
Looking at replacing my mini cooper for something a little better, may consider a 130i or a 135i, c30 or a civic type r, any other options in terms of cars that i can get decent mpg, i roughly get 6 weeks from a full tank in the mini, costing £56. I just want something reliable, will hold value and fun to drive.
Can you define short? 1mile, 5miles, ... What sort of roads? Busy stop-n-go traffic, free flowing B-roads, etc.
Do you have off road parking where you could charge an EV?
The answer is different depending on the length. A short journey in stop-n-go would suit an EV (a leaf, for example) or a plug-in hybrid as you might well operate on electrical power alone.
A very short journey, say 1-2 miles, in busy traffic would probably be faster by bike.
DoubleD said:
Why are you worried about getting decent MPG?
This. My commute is 16 miles a day, fuel is so far down my list of running costs that it makes next to no difference.I guess it depends what the OP means by a short commute.
And yes, I should cycle, but the nature of the roads I have to use makes me very nervous about it.
The coolant will barely be hot on a 5 mile trip, nevermind the oil warming up, so although I appreciate a car can still be enjoyable to steer and have good handling when tickling it / coasting along, an internal combustion engine seems to be the wrong choice for such journeys.
As above, an EV or a pushbike would seem eminently sensible choices, although the latter would be far cheaper than any vehicle of any kind, plus you'll get fit.
As above, an EV or a pushbike would seem eminently sensible choices, although the latter would be far cheaper than any vehicle of any kind, plus you'll get fit.
Thanks for the info. The trip a day for work is around 8 miles a day so 40 miles a week. That's just for work I do then use it on the weekend. A bikes not an option and I don't want a push bike the roads are rather busy. Most of the traffic is stop start and then there is a dual carriageway. So a bigger engine is a no then?
rdb85 said:
Thanks for the info. The trip a day for work is around 8 miles a day so 40 miles a week. That's just for work I do then use it on the weekend. A bikes not an option and I don't want a push bike the roads are rather busy. Most of the traffic is stop start and then there is a dual carriageway. So a bigger engine is a no then?
Buy what you like. A big engine will take no longer to warm up than a small one, but it will be very thirsty. The best tool for the job would be a Nissan Leaf or Prius, if you won't do it on 2 wheels. Willy Nilly said:
Buy what you like. A big engine will take no longer to warm up than a small one, but it will be very thirsty. The best tool for the job would be a Nissan Leaf or Prius, if you won't do it on 2 wheels.
Right okay. I am not worried really about mpg. Just don't want to be costing a fortune to run. The leaf and stuff does not appeal to me. There are also no garages currently that offer a charge point near me. I want something that's more fun to drive and a little bigger, say a golf size or a two seater 😀
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