Are Imprezas really that bad on fuel?

[lawdevice]

So the impending arrival of a baby has meant that my long term plan to buy a Monaro next year is out of the question.

Budgetary and practical restraints mean I have to spend a fraction of my initial budget on something sensible.

Now I could go out tomorrow and buy a low mileage Focus estate for £2-3k. But I just cant bring myself to do it.

I've never really considered an Impreza before, but seeing un-molested WRX Sportswagons within budget got me thinking.

Only problem - MPG - Autotrader says I could be looking at ~30-40mpg from an AWD WRX which I can live with. But everywhere I look people are quoting pretty much half that, which I can't live with.

[maxdb]

A friend of mine recently got a WRX and spent £100 in a week on fuel. I've heard someone else say they get between 12 and 20 mpg on a run.

[KaraK]

30-40 mpg is pie in the sky I'm afraid. Averaging mid-twenties is perfectly feasible from a WRX but getting over 30 is very difficult unless you are driving on a motorway and like a saint.

ETA: Some rough back-of-the-envelope maths suggests that my recent 'Ring trip gave me 24 mpg over the whole 1418 miles (including three laps of the 'Ring and some Autobahn blasts)

Edited by KaraK on Thursday 23 August 13:57

[frosted]

lawdevice said:

So the impending arrival of a baby has meant that my long term plan to buy a Monaro next year is out of the question.

Budgetary and practical restraints mean I have to spend a fraction of my initial budget on something sensible.

Now I could go out tomorrow and buy a low mileage Focus estate for £2-3k. But I just cant bring myself to do it.

I've never really considered an Impreza before, but seeing un-molested WRX Sportswagons within budget got me thinking.

Only problem - MPG - Autotrader says I could be looking at ~30-40mpg from an AWD WRX which I can live with. But everywhere I look people are quoting pretty much half that, which I can't live with.

You seriously think anything else but a diesel will get you 40mpg?

[Tophatron]

My 2000 Turbo was about 18mpg around town and 25mpg on a run. I can't see the later models being a lot better.

40mpg is sheer fantasy.

[KB_S1]

Don't know about the WRX model but my year 2000 turbo wagon does about 26mpg in avg use.
When doing a work run up in the highlands I can squeeze that to about 29mpg by cruising just off boost (boost on constant throttle is approx 3000rpm and 5th is 25/1000).

[trickywoo]

I like to do economy runs every now and then.

On one such I got 47mpg over a tank in a Ford Puma 1.7

Same route same weather same driving style in a Inpreza turbo 27mpg.

[damci]

30-40mpg?

I rarely saw 20mpg from my old Impreza. Admittedly it was an STI but I doubt there would be that much difference.

[KaraK]

doogz said:

frosted said:

You seriously think anything else but a diesel will get you 40mpg?

Sure. Why not?

We've had 3 different MINI's that will do 40mpg. My MR2, whilst not baby friendly, is a petrol engined car, and does 40mpg.

My Clio daily does 40+ all day long and my friends can get low 40s out of their Verso without too much difficulty. The thing is though if you want that sort of economy from a petrol it will either be a tiny city car (Clio) or a boring family wagon (Verson). A decent turbodiesel can be a good compromise and you can get some fun without paying through the nose.

[lawdevice]

Thanks guys. I thought that'd be the case.

Looks like it's life in a 1.6 Focus for me then.

This is depressing.

[Matt UK]

OP, your next car is in here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=838

[KB_S1]

How about an Octavia Vrs? Should be able to get low to mid 30s.

[Alex]

I average 19mpg in my Impreza P1. The best I have ever seen when "driving for economy" is 31mpg.

[Bill]

trickywoo said:

I like to do economy runs every now and then.

On one such I got 47mpg over a tank in a Ford Puma 1.7

Same route same weather same driving style in a Inpreza turbo 27mpg.

The best I ever saw over a tank was 28mpg, on a run with a bike on the roof.

[Deranged Granny]

What's a really, and why does it belong to an Impreza?

[NorthernNick]

^my friend gets 40+ in his Octavia VRS.
Loves it too

[lawdevice]

I'm trying to avoid VAG cars. I've known quite a few friends and family to have pretty major issues with Volkswagens, Skodas, and Seats.

...but those VRS Skodas are tempting.

[shandyboy]

frosted said:

You seriously think anything else but a diesel will get you 40mpg?

Last time I checked my car was a petrol and gives 54 mpg easily.

[KaraK]

lawdevice said:

I'm trying to avoid VAG cars. I've known quite a few friends and family to have pretty major issues with Volkswagens, Skodas, and Seats.

...but those VRS Skodas are tempting.

they do offer a good compromise

[paranoid airbag]

KaraK said:

doogz said:

frosted said:

You seriously think anything else but a diesel will get you 40mpg?

Sure. Why not?

We've had 3 different MINI's that will do 40mpg. My MR2, whilst not baby friendly, is a petrol engined car, and does 40mpg.

My Clio daily does 40+ all day long and my friends can get low 40s out of their Verso without too much difficulty. The thing is though if you want that sort of economy from a petrol it will either be a tiny city car (Clio) or a boring family wagon (Verson). A decent turbodiesel can be a good compromise and you can get some fun without paying through the nose.

My old commute (30 miles, mostly B-roads), 1.2 Clio daily got >50 if driven carefully (dull as fk mind). Thrashed would still see north of 40 (still dull as fk ). And I've been in hot superminis that return 40 without too much effort.

Obviously eco-driving is a distant second to hooning on nice roads, but when fun is out of the question anyway, learning to do so is quite satisfying. But then I am a bit german and like efficiency .