Cheap To Run Recommendations

[Puzzled]

No, I want something for drearing up and down a motorway. I want it in a purely practical and cheap manner, to get me to somewhere I can cycle and or/see someone. I want it purely as a mode of transport. The enjoyment comes when I reach the destination, not in getting there

The adventure is in the journey
Fair enough a practical estate makes sense if you need the bike. I just remember when I used to travel all over the country for work thinking at times that this road would be so much better in my car rather the dull company car but I'm unlikely to ever go that way again for a personal journey.

 

[Haggisman]

The adventure is in the journey
Fair enough a practical estate makes sense if you need the bike. I just remember when I used to travel all over the country for work thinking at times that this road would be so much better in my car rather the dull company car but I'm unlikely to ever go that way again for a personal journey.

The fun car becomes significantly less fun when the handling is totally compromised by the amount of weight you're carrying in the boot and you have a set of handlbars digging into your ribs because that's the only way the bike would fit in

 

[Gaygle]

I'm fine with this. I'm not looking for excitement. I might even prefer an automatic to make it even slightly duller!

Yeah, figured this If you want even more duller, but more comfortable, more equipment and even more space, have a look at a Skoda Superb. They are great.

I think I see what you mean. It's almost the entire front half of the car, which makes me wonder if it's just a trick of the light? I'll go and see it anyway, if nothing else I'll test drive it and will see how an Octavia drives, get an idea of the boot size and how comfortable it is.

I'm pretty certain that that isn't a trick of the light. The door is definitely a different colour, i just can't figure out if the front wing is the colour of the front door, or the rear door.

This is the sort of stuff that would concern me as not being a car person, I would have no idea what I'm looking at. Do the AA do some kind of 'check a car for you' service?

Yeah, if it needs a cambelt, 4 new discs and pads and a couple of tyres soon, you could find yourself spending £800-1000 quite easily, which makes the cost saving exercise....er....not very cost effective. And trust me, no one ever gets rid of a car when they've paid out for all the expensive jobs on it - people only get rid of cars when it needs a lot of money spending on it, which a trader (or any seller in fact) won't be forth coming about for obvious reasons!

 

[Gaygle]

Something like this looks much better. Got a lot more room in it than an Octavia, better built, so much standard kit and you can pick one up for not far off the same price:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106193994725?

 

[AndyCr15]

Hmm, it's MPG is a LOT lower though

 

[sigma]

Get a trailer, enjoy the ‘Stang.

 

[MagicBoy]

Hmm, it's MPG is a LOT lower though

Age range you're looking is is prime emissions cheating era. I'd independently check them using something like this : https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/real-mpg/

I'd be surprised if both weren't in the 50-55mpg range real world.

 

[Gaygle]

Hmm, it's MPG is a LOT lower though

Yeh, there's no way on god's green earth that Octavia is getting anywhere near 75mpg combined. Ever. I'd say 50mpg combined is more likely whilst the Superb will likely get 45mpg quite easily. My girlfriend's 14 year old 150k mile Audi A3 2.0TDI 170bhp gets nearly 50mpg on a run, so a car that is 5 years newer with the newer CR diesel engines will easily do the same.

IMO the Superb is a MUCH better car than the Octavia in all areas, and as an added bonus it's easy to find a well looked after Superb and they're nearly the same price as a poverty spec Octavia. Also the 1.6TDI engine is absolutely breathless and you'll spend more time ragging the hell out of it to get it up to speed.

 

[Nasher]

You'll never see 75mpg in the real world. That is calculated including start/stop, which is kinda cheating. How it can affect the average mpg when it's turned off and stopped must be some crazy maths

 

[SkodaMart]

A diesel car will return a higher average than an economical petrol car in less than ideal conditions.
Both my vehicles are economical
My berlingo 1.6hdi ranges from 44 worst case, stop start city driving - to best case 58mpg on a long run taking it easy.
My Civic is capable of 60mpg and I’ve achieved it real world on a few occasions.
It’s amazing under optimal conditions and it beats the diesel.
However worst case, stop start stuck in traffic it can drop to less than 30mpg.
Pretty much like every single petrol vehicle I’ve owned.

 

[Havana_UK]

How it can affect the average mpg when it's turned off and stopped must be some crazy maths

Not really.

A car with stop/start, when stationary and engine off uses zero fuel.

A car without stop/start, when stationary and with the engine running uses some fuel.

It's simply that the car WITHOUT stop/start will have worse consumption than one with because it still consumes fuel whilst not moving.

 

[Nasher]

Not really.

A car with stop/start, when stationary and engine off uses zero fuel.

A car without stop/start, when stationary and with the engine running uses some fuel.

It's simply that the car WITHOUT stop/start will have worse consumption than one with because it still consumes fuel whilst not moving.

Well one of my cars hasn't been running for days, so it must have a combined mpg in the 1000s

 

[Havana_UK]

Well one of my cars hasn't been running for days, so it must have a combined mpg in the 1000s

You're either being deliberately stupid or actually stupid...

 

[Nasher]

You're either being deliberately stupid or actually stupid...

Adding to the MPG figure when it's not moving or running makes no sense.

Both the fuel usage and speed are 0, so it shouldn't count as it's giving a missleading figure. No one actually gets anywhere near 75mpg in the real world, it's a comical claim.

 

[Havana_UK]

Adding to the MPG figure when it's not moving or running makes no sense.

Both the fuel usage and speed are 0, so it shouldn't count as it's giving a missleading figure. No one actually gets anywhere near 75mpg in the real world, it's a comical claim.

It's not adding to the MPG figure...it's just not reducing the MPG figure. Seriously, this isn't a difficult concept!

Also, everyone knows that the claimed MPG figures are for comparison purposes only and shouldn't be taken as claimed real world figures. They are all generated by taking the vehicle through a specific driving cycle a portion of which involves the vehicle being stationary. If the vehicle does not have stop/start tech, then the engine will be running (consuming fuel) but travelling no distance (= 0 MPG, or looked at the other way around, infinite gallons / mile). When equipped with stop/start tech it doesn't use fuel whilst it's stationary.

 

[AndyCr15]

Something like this looks much better. Got a lot more room in it than an Octavia, better built, so much standard kit and you can pick one up for not far off the same price:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106193994725?

How about this one. The smaller engine means higher MPG, reasonably low mileage and looks quite nice I think?

I'll still go an test drive the Octavia this afternoon, if nothing else to get an idea how it drives.

 

[Kenai]

How about this one. The smaller engine means higher MPG, reasonably low mileage and looks quite nice I think?

The smaller engine also means a 5 speed gearbox.

Having driven that 1.6TDI 5sp combo in a Golf, it's absolutely gutless, I can only imagine it's worse in a larger heavier car.

I think the Greenline II has slightly longer gearing, to stop it revving so high in 5th mind you. My memory of the Golf was it sitting at noticeably over 2,000 revs at 70 and wishing I could shift into 6th.

 

[AndyCr15]

So I've just got back from one of these trips I might do more of and I managed almost 27mpg! I think that could be a record

The saving is then made smaller if everyone is suggesting I would likely only get 55mpg from one of these estates and I feel it becomes a more difficult decision as to spend £7k on another car... The estate aspect I still really like the idea of though, having the bike strapped to the back of the car is really limiting on what I can do during the journey.

 

[Haggisman]

So I've just got back from one of these trips I might do more of and I managed almost 27mpg! I think that could be a record

The saving is then made smaller if everyone is suggesting I would likely only get 55mpg from one of these estates and I feel it becomes a more difficult decision as to spend £7k on another car... The estate aspect I still really like the idea of though, having the bike strapped to the back of the car is really limiting on what I can do during the journey.

I get ~55mpg on a long run in my 2009 1.9 TDI PD Octavia estate when fully loaded, could probably get it up to 60 if I tried, but not really worth the effort. Newer ones may be more economical, but a heavier car (e.g. Superb) is always going to need more energy to move. You also have the potential DPF issue with the newer ones (although probably not too much to worry about if you're using it just for longer journeys)

 

[wesley]

I think you are too hung up over mpg thing just for few months. You don't know car you are buying..any breakdown/repair will wipe out of the savings you'd hope.

Like someone said, get a trailer and enjoy the stag