Is a modern 1.4 petrol ok for motorway use?

[Apache]

Daughter is looking at one of these, a Megane to be precise, for tootling around but every now and then will need to do a pretty long motorway trip to see her boyfriend who is working away. Will it be too much for a small engine like this? or will it be fine sitting at 70ish?

[daz3210]

Well when I passed my test I had a 1.0 mk3 Fiesta.

Tootled around most of the time, then once in a flood had a long motorway run. If I am honest the long run did it good, it felt rather more perky afterwards.

Modern engines like to be run.

[kambites]

It'll certainly do it, but I suspect it will be neither particularly economical nor particularly quiet.

[300bhp/ton]

Apache said:

Daughter is looking at one of these, a Megane to be precise, for tootling around but every now and then will need to do a pretty long motorway trip to see her boyfriend who is working away. Will it be too much for a small engine like this? or will it be fine sitting at 70ish?

I presume this is a joke right? I mean you seriously can't be serious

[vrsmxtb]

1.4, 70, motorway... *(backstreet)car mechanic-style sharp intake of breath*

[EDLT]

A 1.4 is plenty, my first car was a 1.0 and most of its 90,000 miles were put on it by my dad driving up and down the motorway. Still managed 55mpg too. A Megane might not manage though

[davepoth]

+1 on that. Renaults are not in my experience particularly fantastic in the build department.

[StottyZr]

It will be fine, she'll need to have good awareness and be able to judge the speed of other vehicles though. When I had my 1.1 I had to take a run up on the lorry in the left lane before moving out into the middle so I didn't slow other drivers down

[irob]

The 1.4 just won't do. She will need a second car, at least 6 cylinder for those weekly 'booty call' motorway trips.

[Petrol Only]

Id be more worried she is buying a Megane, than can a modern 1.4 do 70 on the motorway!

[.:ian:.]

Modern - tick
1.4 - tick
Petrol - tick
Perfect for motorway - tick

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4642/

[LukeBird]

Had a Clio 1.4 and that was fine on the motorway, pretty economical on a run as well.

[CatJ]

The one and only time I got to hang my head in shame in the back of a police traffic car was after I was stopped on the M4 after I was clocked doing 98.

It was not in one of the Boxsters, the Tamora it was yes you guessed it my 1.4 Civic Type S. `

[J4CKO]

managed 70 (downhill) from a Fiat 500, 1.4 modern will be fine with a bit spare.

[KrazyIvan]

.:ian:. said:

Modern - tick
1.4 - tick
Petrol - tick
Perfect for motorway - tick

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4642/

I think the idea is that she gets to the BF place in one piece, so that he can ruin her, not that she is likely to end up ruined on the drive there.

Plenty of 1.4 fiat 500's on the M25 and they dont seem to have much issues

[CatJ]

J4CKO said:

managed 70 (downhill) from a Fiat 500, 1.4 modern will be fine with a bit spare.

You should be able to manage a lot more than that even in a 1.2 500 and that's on the flat

[clonmult]

CatJ said:

J4CKO said:

managed 70 (downhill) from a Fiat 500, 1.4 modern will be fine with a bit spare.

You should be able to manage a lot more than that even in a 1.2 500 and that's on the flat

Probably talking about an original 500 .... ?

[Jabbah]

300bhp/ton said:

I presume this is a joke right? I mean you seriously can't be serious

Definitely this, although he has been round a while, maybe he's going senile?

[Chrisw666]

Our 1.3 Ka does just fine on a motorway at 70. It doesn't get to 70 quickly, it doesn't feel like it wants to charge off into the sunset when you put your foot down at 70, but it isn't noisy or strained.

While a bigger car without much power might be slower to accelerate still the gearing and power will be more than enough to make it an occasional motorway car.

[cocopop]

Ideally you need at least 3 litres for efficient motorway travelling. 4 to be safe.

ETA. A turbo would also help.