Economical car 2-3k

[Carl-H]

I'm after something a little more economical. At the moment I have a 2000 Renault Clio 1.2 8V and it gets around 40mpg most of the time. Most of the driving I do is either 3 mile to work or a 7 mile journey and occasionally long trips.

I'm after something cheaper to run basically, I've been looking at the fiesta 1.4 TDCI and like those. I need something at least 2002 and with low Co2 for cheap tax. Also I'm 20 so insurance can be an issue.

Please help me find something good on fuel for £2-3k that hasn't done a million miles because otherwise I'll end up with something newer on finance which I don't want lol.

Any ideas? Thanks, Carl

[christofmccracke]

I would keep the clio tbh if your doing short journeys as I dont see the diesel being much better in terms of fuel economy.

[dowahdiddyman]

As above,keep the clio. On the small milage you are doing the extra cost of diesel will outway any extra mpg.

[R12HCO]

I dont think you can do much better than with what you have got due to your driving. I quit driving if you think its too expensive for you (seriously).

[MartyPubes]

I'd echo the comments of the other posters, I wouldn't take the cost to change, not to mention the fact that your Clio is a known quantity, to get maybe 10mpg more. It wont cost in.

[300bhp/ton]

Carl-H said:

I'm after something a little more economical. At the moment I have a 2000 Renault Clio 1.2 8V and it gets around 40mpg most of the time. Most of the driving I do is either 3 mile to work or a 7 mile journey and occasionally long trips.

I'm after something cheaper to run basically, I've been looking at the fiesta 1.4 TDCI and like those. I need something at least 2002 and with low Co2 for cheap tax. Also I'm 20 so insurance can be an issue.

Please help me find something good on fuel for £2-3k that hasn't done a million miles because otherwise I'll end up with something newer on finance which I don't want lol.

Any ideas? Thanks, Carl

40mpg is good. Especially for short journeys. Can't see you getting significantly better, not for £2-3k at any rate. Besides even if you had something doing 55mpg, I'm guessing your annual mileage is pretty low. Might be worth working out the figures, but I suspect there will only be £10-20 month saving.

[Carl-H]

I do quite a few of miles, averaging around 6-800 a month. those are the journeys I do often, I sometimes cycle to work to keep me fit. One thing though, I may be looking at a change in job in the next few months with a 16 mile each way commute so would it be worth it then?

Also, this sounds daft, but I feel too big for my Clio. If I sit up straight my head touches the roof and I can't stand having the chair leaving back but not being able to sit up straight in it ruins my posture. I also have to duck to go round left hand bends to look underneath the rear view mirror.

Its no so much I need a new car, more that I want one, although if I get the other job I'll do better getting something else then.

Also, it's not that I can't afford to run it, but that I'd rather be spending money on having a better car than putting fuel in the tank.

One thing to add, apart from work every journey I do is at least 12 miles apart from turning the engine off for 5 minutes while I wait and then I drive back again and it's mostly 40-60 limits so not too much stop start.

[300bhp/ton]

Carl-H said:

I do quite a few of miles, averaging around 6-800 a month. those are the journeys I do often, I sometimes cycle to work to keep me fit. One thing though, I may be looking at a change in job in the next few months with a 16 mile each way commute so would it be worth it then?

Hi

800 miles a month isn't all that much. Assuming you did it 52 weeks of the year (so no holidays) it's still only 9600 miles/year.

40mpg on petrol would cost: £1462 or £122/month
55mpg on diesel would cost: £1110 or £93/month

There is a saving, but it isn't huge tbh.


For a 32 mile commute a day, assuming 5 days a week for 48 weeks of the year is only 7680 miles. Obviously you need to add in you social mileage too. Savings would be greater the more miles you do. e.g. if you did 20,000 a year just double the figures I did above to give you an idea.

Carl-H said:

Also, this sounds daft, but I feel too big for my Clio. If I sit up straight my head touches the roof and I can't stand having the chair leaving back but not being able to sit up straight in it ruins my posture. I also have to duck to go round left hand bends to look underneath the rear view mirror.

Ok, this I can understand

Carl-H said:

Its no so much I need a new car, more that I want one, although if I get the other job I'll do better getting something else then.

Also, it's not that I can't afford to run it, but that I'd rather be spending money on having a better car than putting fuel in the tank.

I think in reality you'll struggle to get anything hugely better. But if you want bigger and good fuel on a budget then I'd be tempted too look at some of the big French saloons. The Hdi Pugs are usually pretty frugal.

The Rover L Series 45/MG ZS is pretty good on fuel too, although not much bigger really.

BMW diesels are usually pretty good. Not sure what choice you'll have at this money though. Might be worth looking at some of the 5 Series. 40mpg should be possible but I wouldn't exactly expect much more.

[S18DMW]

Keep the car you've got, on short trips a diesel is a false economy when you take into account the extra cost of the fuel also.

[simoid]

chap with money to burn said:

I want to spend £2-3k to save money

It looks to me that you perhaps just want a new car...

Do the sums over the cost of ownership of the car then you'll be able to decide what you really want - a cycle to work on nicer days (once a week or so) could save you fuel money for you to spend on insurance/tax for something a bit nicer.

[Carl-H]

I see what your all saying. The best thing is to keep the Clio for a few more years while saving for something I really want. Then insurance would be cheaper and what not too.

I do hate feeling like a clown in it though. It's not that I'm really tall either but it just feels too small for me lol.

And thanks for figuring out the miles and saving, not really a huge difference considering what I'd have to pay to change cars and I've just had stacks of work done to mine too.

What I'd love is a kit car, something like a GTM libra, as good on fuel as mine but a stack quicker when I need it to and cheap on kit car insurance. Tbh I hate having a boring Clio, so maybe a boring diesel isn't really for me.

Thanks for all your help everyone, think I'm gonna start saving for something special and in the meantime keep the Clio or maybe change it for something of the same sort of value (less than 1k lol) but a little bigger but alright on fuel and insurance? Any ideas?

Thanks for all your help, Carl

[simoid]

Not much will be cheaper than a 1.2 Clio for insurance I'd think - you'll be in to Ford Ka/Micra territory, which may be a bit too small, and if not small then we're probably talking larger engined old Primeras/Mondeos and the like which won't be great for tax/fuel/insurance. I'm willing to stand corrected, however, as I've not looked at sheds for a wee while!

Have you considered fitting some different seats to your car, perhaps along the lines of Recaros from a Clio Trophy?

P.S. I love my boring little Clio

[Synchromesh]

Carl-H said:

I do hate feeling like a clown in it though. It's not that I'm really tall either but it just feels too small for me lol.

What I'd love is a kit car, something like a GTM libra, as good on fuel as mine but a stack quicker when I need it to and cheap on kit car insurance. Tbh I hate having a boring Clio, so maybe a boring diesel isn't really for me.

The real reason you want to change, and nothing wrong with that, but don't do it under the pretence of saving money.

As other's have said, the space and size of a bigger car your after would negate any advantages diesel would bring in terms of fuel economy.

Anyway 40mpg is not shabby at all. My 1.4 Polo does 25mpg around town