Does this car exist?
Discussion
As we are all prone to do sometimes, i have been mulling over what i could replace my MINI with. But i genuinely can't think of a car that fits...
I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
kiethton said:
Depends on budget but:
£5k - BMW 130i/Integra Type R (ETA saw not hatch after...)
£15-25k - BMW 235i/240i
£40k - Alfa 4C or 987 Cayman R
£50-60k - Lotus Evora (400/410 if you can get one), also maybe a Cayman S
Not sure any of those will do 40mpg, and the alfa, porsche and lotus i expect would fail on running costs!£5k - BMW 130i/Integra Type R (ETA saw not hatch after...)
£15-25k - BMW 235i/240i
£40k - Alfa 4C or 987 Cayman R
£50-60k - Lotus Evora (400/410 if you can get one), also maybe a Cayman S
S3 / Leon 280 in non-hatch form is a good shout. Are these genuine 40+ to the gallon cars? bet the polestar wouldn't come close, shame as i do like a fast volvo!
Kia Stinger is an interesting left field suggestion!
I also have a soft spot for the current gen Audi TT. Going to google the TTS to see what the economy figures are like!
jimmy156 said:
Not sure any of those will do 40mpg, and the alfa, porsche and lotus i expect would fail on running costs!
S3 / Leon 280 in non-hatch form is a good shout. Are these genuine 40+ to the gallon cars? bet the polestar wouldn't come close, shame as i do like a fast volvo!
Kia Stinger is an interesting left field suggestion!
I also have a soft spot for the current gen Audi TT. Going to google the TTS to see what the economy figures are like!
The 3.0 straight 6 is quoted as about 34 and the 2.0 4 cylinder is 43 so I reckon at a cruise you could get 40 just about. Worth it for the stealth and what I think is a great looking estate S3 / Leon 280 in non-hatch form is a good shout. Are these genuine 40+ to the gallon cars? bet the polestar wouldn't come close, shame as i do like a fast volvo!
Kia Stinger is an interesting left field suggestion!
I also have a soft spot for the current gen Audi TT. Going to google the TTS to see what the economy figures are like!
there’s also the jaguar XE 3.0 v6 supercharged which is claimed as 43 and the 340i has owners getting 43 too. The s4 and s5 are in there too around the same
jimmy156 said:
kiethton said:
Depends on budget but:
£5k - BMW 130i/Integra Type R (ETA saw not hatch after...)
£15-25k - BMW 235i/240i
£40k - Alfa 4C or 987 Cayman R
£50-60k - Lotus Evora (400/410 if you can get one), also maybe a Cayman S
Not sure any of those will do 40mpg, and the alfa, porsche and lotus i expect would fail on running costs!£5k - BMW 130i/Integra Type R (ETA saw not hatch after...)
£15-25k - BMW 235i/240i
£40k - Alfa 4C or 987 Cayman R
£50-60k - Lotus Evora (400/410 if you can get one), also maybe a Cayman S
S3 / Leon 280 in non-hatch form is a good shout. Are these genuine 40+ to the gallon cars? bet the polestar wouldn't come close, shame as i do like a fast volvo!
Kia Stinger is an interesting left field suggestion!
I also have a soft spot for the current gen Audi TT. Going to google the TTS to see what the economy figures are like!
Alfa is only a 1.7turbo and weighs next to nothing so shouldn’t be any issue on fuel economy, if you keep the foot in check...servicing isn’t as ruinous as you think...
The Cayman S was the 4 cylinder version (same basic VAG group 2.0 IIRC do not really different to a golf R....running costs aren’t unreasonable really, servicing a little more granted.
Evora/older Cayman R’s may not quite hit the 40mpg but are fairly reliable, the Lotus is an easy to work on Toyota engine, not too much inside to go wrong and a specialist like back on track will take care of servicing fairly cheaply (my 4 cylinder Exige costs £180 a year to service...)
Most also won’t have the 4WD drivetrain losses or bumped up theft related insurance premiums either, that and depreciation....
I can’t see you achieving 40+ mpg from a fast petrol unless you drive it like an absolute nun. My 2.0d XF averages 50mpg (measured over last 5k Miles) driven gently. It returned 40mpg driven without a care for economy. A fast petrol may achieve 40mpg on a long run but realistically it’s going to be 30mpg combined, especially the 6 cylinders. Get a 335d or similar if you want some real shove but with a realistic 40mpg combined
Jag_NE said:
I can’t see you achieving 40+ mpg from a fast petrol unless you drive it like an absolute nun. My 2.0d XF averages 50mpg (measured over last 5k Miles) driven gently. It returned 40mpg driven without a care for economy. A fast petrol may achieve 40mpg on a long run but realistically it’s going to be 30mpg combined, especially the 6 cylinders. Get a 335d or similar if you want some real shove but with a realistic 40mpg combined
40 mpg in my 430d is impossible unless you intend to avoid stop start traffic and spend most of your time on motorways, whenever I reset mine, I get 40-42 until I hit a traffic jam or any high street where there’s lots of stop start, then it goes down to 35 and doesn’t go any higher unless I do a steady 75 on the motorway for 20 miles.My long term average is actually 28 but I’m enjoying the car, commute to work is lots of stop start and the journey home is clear roads so lots of action
jimmy156 said:
As we are all prone to do sometimes, i have been mulling over what i could replace my MINI with. But i genuinely can't think of a car that fits...
I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
In your dreams!I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
0-60 in less than 6 seconds and 40 mpg doesn't exist in the real world!
But my BMW Z4 coupe does 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds and is showing an average of 33.6 mpg on the OBC so not too far away.
Just curious, but what Golf GTi does 0-60 in less than 6 seconds (and what Mini does that)?
jimmy156 said:
As we are all prone to do sometimes, i have been mulling over what i could replace my MINI with. But i genuinely can't think of a car that fits...
I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
If it has to average 40mpg & have sensible running costs then you're really talking about a hot hatch & the answer isn't a Golf GTI, it's a i30N/Megane Trophy/Type R if driver involvement is what you're looking for..I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
ZX10R NIN said:
If it has to average 40mpg & have sensible running costs then you're really talking about a hot hatch & the answer isn't a Golf GTI, it's a i30N/Megane Trophy/Type R if driver involvement is what you're looking for..
IMHO in the real world driving day to day you'd be lucky to get 40mpg out of any of the above or any other car mentioned, especially if you are taking advantage of the "driver involvement" part. I don't think i've ever driven/bought/witnessed a car that makes its indicated average mpg. Its always less in my experience. But agreed with above in the choice of car to go for. Buy one and be happy with something over 30mpg which in terms of costs to run won't translate into too much of a difference against "40mpg".
stevekoz said:
IMHO in the real world driving day to day you'd be lucky to get 40mpg out of any of the above or any other car mentioned, especially if you are taking advantage of the "driver involvement" part.
I don't think i've ever driven/bought/witnessed a car that makes its indicated average mpg. Its always less in my experience. But agreed with above in the choice of car to go for. Buy one and be happy with something over 30mpg which in terms of costs to run won't translate into too much of a difference against "40mpg".
I agree with you but I don't think you'll be far off 35-38mpg but you'll have to drive it like there's an egg underneath the accelerator which will curtail the fun part of the equation. You'll be that close to the MPG OP that you'd be mad not to go for one of the above.I don't think i've ever driven/bought/witnessed a car that makes its indicated average mpg. Its always less in my experience. But agreed with above in the choice of car to go for. Buy one and be happy with something over 30mpg which in terms of costs to run won't translate into too much of a difference against "40mpg".
Alright it's a hatchback... but I'll bite, My S1 is saying 36mpg in the 2 months I've owned it (mixed driving) and does 0-60 in around 5.8s.
It's comfortable, practical enough for my needs (commuting, no kids).
And I probably could take it to a track, but I'm too stingy to open my wallet, and I'd probably be crap.
It's comfortable, practical enough for my needs (commuting, no kids).
And I probably could take it to a track, but I'm too stingy to open my wallet, and I'd probably be crap.
Mr Tidy said:
jimmy156 said:
As we are all prone to do sometimes, i have been mulling over what i could replace my MINI with. But i genuinely can't think of a car that fits...
I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
In your dreams!I do around 20k per year at the moment, but only have space for one car so it needs to be fun and a bit interesting as well as reasonably economical etc.
So...
40+mpg
quick enough to be interesting, lets say 0-60 in 6.something or less.
Petrol
Comfortable enough and modern enough to do an hour long commute (i.e not a stripped out special, bluetooth, NAV etc)
Not ruinously expensive to fix or service, and by that i mean "normal" car costs, not AMG or M costs.
Reliable enough that you are not always worrying about it.
Fun to drive, could see the occasional track day.
Interesting in some way and not a hatchback (otherwise the answer to this would be a Golf GTi)
As this is purely a hypothetical, there is no initial budget!
The only car i can really think of is the new Alpine A110, but i am assuming this would fail on the running costs stipulation. But i can think of anything that comes close otherwise. I am thinking i will be sticking to small hot hatches (like the MINI.)
0-60 in less than 6 seconds and 40 mpg doesn't exist in the real world!
But my BMW Z4 coupe does 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds and is showing an average of 33.6 mpg on the OBC so not too far away.
Just curious, but what Golf GTi does 0-60 in less than 6 seconds (and what Mini does that)?
My R56 MINI Cooper S is stated as being able to do 0-60 in 6.8 seconds and i am currently averaging 44mpg without trying to be economical. I have a commute that is fairly kind to mpg!
Z4 coupe is close! Always liked those too! I would be struggling at 33mpg though, as that would be a 33% increase in fuel costs.
This is, of course, purely hypothetical.
Something like the i30n would be a good shout, but i am surprised that there isn't something that is a more of an actual sports car that will do those numbers. Maybe Mx5 is the answer! or Gt86, how economical are those things?
pb8g09 said:
Alright it's a hatchback... but I'll bite, My S1 is saying 36mpg in the 2 months I've owned it (mixed driving) and does 0-60 in around 5.8s.
It's comfortable, practical enough for my needs (commuting, no kids).
And I probably could take it to a track, but I'm too stingy to open my wallet, and I'd probably be crap.
I like the S1. I LOVE the looks of the new one with the bonnet nostrils It's comfortable, practical enough for my needs (commuting, no kids).
And I probably could take it to a track, but I'm too stingy to open my wallet, and I'd probably be crap.
An S1 would feel like a natural replacement for the MINI (which occasionally does baby carrying duties!) but i can't help but think i want to replace the MINI with something that isn't a hatchback.
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