Difference between a 30 and 45 mpg car?
Difference between a 30 and 45 mpg car?
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Discussion

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Realistically over a year? I currently own a Cooper S and have a firm offer of well over what I was expecting for it. I need to sell it as I simply need the cash.
I am still looking for a car with good performance and was considering a really cheap car but I just can't do it, most of them are stone chipped to buggery, scratched and rusty. And I simply haven't got the income to fuel the motor to view tons of different cars around the country.
Anyhow I set myself a budget of up to £6k- and found a nice S3 225 locally. Combined mpg on this is 30.
The official Cooper S figure is 45 and to be fair it does very well.
What does 15mpg difference make in a year, with the way fuel prices are going I wouldn't want to cry everytime I filled the S3 up.

Super Slo Mo

5,371 posts

214 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Broadly speaking, it'll cost you a third more in fuel. That's assuming the Cooper S actually does 45 mpg, which I'd be surprised at if you're using anything like any of its performance (most people reckon 25 to 30 mpg average).

That aside, and assuming the figures you quote are reflected in real life, then it comes down to whether you can cope with the increase in fuel costs. In real figures, what now costs you £60 in fuel will cost £80, using my very rough fag packet calculations.









Fleckers

2,878 posts

217 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
i would have said about 15 MPG myself smile

scotty_d

6,795 posts

210 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
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Are s3's not 4WD and if it is i doubt it will see 30mpg very often more like low to mid 20's, I know this because my mate has a a3 1.8t quattro and thats what it does, its the 180bhp car.


so nearly double what your car costs you now if you get 45mpg.

F i F

46,979 posts

267 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
well the way I have always looked at it is that it all comes down to driving style and mose of usage.

If neither of those change significantly then if in car A your average fuel consumption is

"avg consumption" = ("official combined figure of car A") * K

then in car B you will be likely to get

"avg consumption" = ("official combined figure of car B") * K

Where K is a constant..


So winding all that into logic suggests you will be buying one third more fuel than previously, and only you know your mileage, but if it's anything significant this is not a place I'd be going at the moment especially if things were financially tight tbh.

Not much help I know, sorry for that.

Just to add I've slowed down a bit, not much by 5mph usually, maybe 10mph on a slow day, and amazed how much less fuel I now use, was getting 48-49 before.

Liquid Knight

15,754 posts

199 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
30mpg = bored beyond the point you are no longer constipated
45mpg = suicidal

Jasandjules

71,238 posts

245 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
How many miles a year will you do? And when you say the Cooper gets 45mpg, is that what you actually get out of it?

Deerfoot

5,073 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
scotty_d said:
Are s3's not 4WD and if it is i doubt it will see 30mpg very often more like low to mid 20's, I know this because my mate has a a3 1.8t quattro and thats what it does, its the 180bhp car.
I had a 225bhp S3. 30+ mpg is easy to get on a run.

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
How many miles a year will you do? And when you say the Cooper gets 45mpg, is that what you actually get out of it?
No, I don't get 45 mpg- but to be fair mid to late thirties mpg is easily achievable. I'd say in town 35 mpg easy. Which I'm pleased about. I just doubt the S3 could get anywhere near that?

scotty_d

6,795 posts

210 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Deerfoot said:
I had a 225bhp S3. 30+ mpg is easy to get on a run.
Yeah on a run but in the real world day to day, stop start?

skodamanpat

367 posts

195 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Old shape Fabia vRS, you will get a nice one for your budget and if you was getting 45 mpg in a cooper then you will get 55mpg from the fabia and still retain the smiles per mile.

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
It is a turbo, yep.

FunkyNige

9,550 posts

291 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Assuming petrol at £1.30 per litre -
30 mpg is about 20p per mile
45 mpg is about 13p per mile

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
FunkyNige said:
Assuming petrol at £1.30 per litre -
30 mpg is about 20p per mile
45 mpg is about 13p per mile
Not a huge difference putting it like that!

Huntsman

8,837 posts

266 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
sat1983 said:
Not a huge difference putting it like that!
Isn't this all a bit dependant annual mileage?


sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I do between 150-200 miles a week. The car in question is a 2009 Cooper S with 15000 miles on it. I've been offered £13.5k by the main dealer and non one could get anywhere near that, not even in a private sale.
Still though, as you say, spending £6k on car with increased repair bills might not be the wisest move. I've kept thinking that's it's not really worth the hassle, trouble is I really could do with a few grand in the bank...

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

200 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Sad thing is, you're probably right...

russy01

4,795 posts

197 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
We have an R53 Cooper S and personally id say 45mpg is near enough impossible. 25-30mpg is all you get especially if you like the odd squirt out of roundabouts etc.


cheadle hulme

2,496 posts

198 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
Super Slo Mo said:
Broadly speaking, it'll cost you a third more in fuel.
It will cost 50% more in fuel, not 33%, assuming 45 vs 30mpg. The Mini will cost a third LESS is what I think you mean wink

Fabia vRS is a good call. Easy 55mpg on the motorway. Remaps to 170bhp and the shove when the turbo comes on boost is a hoot. They're ugly, but in a good kind of bulldog way.

Maxym

2,462 posts

252 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
quotequote all
45 mpg in a Cooper S? Only going downhill at no more than 50 mph. Using a bit of performance and/or cruising on the M-way at an indicated 80 in mine, the trip computer shows about 33 mpg. In reality that's 30-31.

For really good economy you need a relatively low-powered petrol of a diesel. S3? Gotta be kdding.