[NIMAN]

I was recently thinking of changing my car, and was enjoying having a good old look around at the various websites.

In the past it would have been looks, features, reliability etc that would have been my main boxes that needed ticked.

Then it turned into road tax considerations/insurance group.

Now with unleaded at 164.9 in my local petrol station, I am more and more looking at MPG of cars.

I honestly think that in 5 or 10yrs we will be looking at MPG 1st before anything else, and we will be happy to drive 'uglier' cars than we would have in the past, as long as they have big mpg figures.

If I could get a car now that looked like dung but gave me 150mpg, I'd buy it tomorrow.

[shedweller]

It depends on where a person is at in their lives.
Single, no kids? Drive whatever you want!
Married, with kids? Well then, you better make sure you can afford to run whatever you buy.
I drive a crappy little d4d yaris and get 1200-1300km per tank.
Because i have to. Anything less efficient and i have to make sacrifices elsewhere.

[NIMAN]

Yeah admittedly your circumstances might still make certain cars unsuitable for you eg a little Yaris would be no good if you have 5 kids, but I think that if you had such a family then you might look at cars suitable for you, and have MPG near the top of the list on that shortlist of cars? In the future of course.

When I was single and carefree, I drove a 2 seat sports car. Couldn't have give a toss about mpg, luggage space, lack of seats for passengers. But it suited me then. Now I married with 2 little 'uns its different of course, but there are still many cars available to me, and MPG is going to be a main buying point from here on in.

[keithclancy]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

Yeah admittedly your circumstances might still make certain cars unsuitable for you eg a little Yaris would be no good if you have 5 kids, but I think that if you had such a family then you might look at cars suitable for you, and have MPG near the top of the list on that shortlist of cars? In the future of course.

Depends how much time you spend in the car,

If I didn't commute to work and just wanted a runaround for the weekends I'd buy a banger and have it sitting outside for runs to wherever. Then on long trips i'd rent a car.

With commuting however MPG would be a factor but not the only one, generally the low MPG cars are not really suitable racking up 40-50k / year.

With high mileage Motor tax would be the least of my worries.

[Anan1]

Fuel costs are still a very small proportion of my overall cost of car ownership, so MPG doesn't matter much to me. That said, looks matter even less - I can't see my car when i'm in it, and i'm not overly worried for the aesthetic gratification of passing pedestrians. I value ability, the car needs to be able to do everything that I want it to do.

[CiniO]

Originally Posted by Anan1

Fuel costs are still a very small proportion of my overall cost of car ownership, so MPG doesn't matter much to me.

Hmm.. Opposite for me.
Over 4 years ownership of my Fiat Bravo, I spend more on petrol for it, than on sum of anything else (including cost of purchase, maintenance, tax, insurance, parking, motorway tolls, etc).

[TestTransmission]

MPG isn't a big concern for me at the moment with the mileage I do, god knows what petrol prices will be like in a few years so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

[smash]

MPG and Co2 levels are top priority for a lot of people these days. But after the next budget that will probably change back to engine size when they change the motor tax system.

[djimi]

Im still at a stage in my life where I can afford to blow a high percentage of my wages on running a high expense car, so for the moment MPG isnt really an issue for me. If I decide to change car I cant see it being a high priority; certainly not at the expense of things like performance or comfort.

That said, I have no idea what the future holds, and spending €60+ a week on petrol might not always be an option.

[smash]

Originally Posted by djimi

That said, I have no idea what the future holds, and spending €60+ a week on petrol might not always be an option.

It's killing my bank account currently spending €100 a week on petrol.

[pcardin]

Originally Posted by djimi

Im still at a stage in my life where I can afford to blow a high percentage of my wages on running a high expense car, so for the moment MPG isnt really an issue for me. If I decide to change car I cant see it being a high priority; certainly not at the expense of things like performance or comfort.

That said, I have no idea what the future holds, and spending €60+ a week on petrol might not always be an option.

What car is it or how many miles you do per week?

[CiniO]

Originally Posted by djimi

That said, I have no idea what the future holds, and spending €60+ a week on petrol might not always be an option.

In a country where you get €188 per week on the dole, where minimum wage is nearly €350 per week, and generally on average people get over €500 a week, I think €60 spending on fuel a week is negligible cost.

[creedp]

Originally Posted by CiniO

In a country where you get €188 per week on the dole, where minimum wage is nearly €350 per week, and generally on average people get over €500 a week, I think €60 spending on fuel a week is negligible cost.

In a country where a €1,500 a month (just shy of €400 pw)mortgate in pretty common; where full time childcare costs are approx €800 per month perchild (€200 pw) and the cost of living other than that (e.g. groceries) is sky high, I can assure you that €60 a week on fuel on top of everything else is not a negligible cost. Maybe OK for someone living at home or is lucky not to have high mortgage/childcare costs .. I wouldn't know

[keithclancy]

Originally Posted by creedp

In a country where a €1,500 a month (just shy of €400 pw)mortgate in pretty common; where full time childcare costs are approx €800 per month perchild (€200 pw) and the cost of living other than that (e.g. groceries) is sky high, I can assure you that €60 a week on fuel on top of everything else is not a negligible cost. Maybe OK for someone living at home or is lucky not to have high mortgage/childcare costs .. I wouldn't know

So really the Mortgage is the problem then, not the Fuel costs.

800 a month for Childcare ... thats pretty cheap, runs at about 1100 / month / child here.

Groceries are sky high compared to what ? Their pretty much on par with here and Germany imo.

[creedp]

Originally Posted by keithclancy

So really the Mortgage is the problem then, not the Fuel costs.

800 a month for Childcare ... thats pretty cheap, runs at about 1100 / month / child here.

Groceries are sky high compared to what ? Their pretty much on par with here and Germany imo.

Yes mortgages are a big problem but because they consume so much of people's disposable incomes they don't have a whole lot left for other items of expenditure including fuel. So my point being that €60 a week is therefore significant. Maybe if we started off and said fuel is paid for 1st and then we'll see what's left for mortgate then you comment might be appropriate.

I'm glad you think that €800 a month is cheap .. tell that to someone with 3 kids. Any tax relief for childcare costs in your neck of the woods as a matter of interest?

I sure you aware of the phenomenon of the cross border trade with NI. I don't think people were heading across for the fun of it! It may be less lucrative now give currency movements. Also the differential is less if you buy foregin products ... the buy Irish campaign is fine but unfortunately its costs ... the problem I sometimes have difficulty rationalising is that its very often cheaper to buy Irish product abroad than at home.