question about litre of car

event

Hi Guys

quick question

person i know, a lady, is looking to buy a car. She currently uses the mothers 1.0 micra. Would like to get one herself, same model, maybe a year or two newer.

question is, she would be doing big milage, as in driving from dundalk to dublin a lot, up and down the M1.

would a 1.0 litre car be ok for this, as in is it suitable for driving at 120Kph pretty much every day?

or would it be best to go for a higher version?

cheers

zilog_jones

Can't say something that small would be the nicest thing to drive long distances regularly. She should probably get something bigger like an Almera or a Corolla, or something bigger again (Avensis, Ford Mondeo, Mazda6 etc.) if she can afford it.

.:Who:.

Hey, my ex used to have a 1.0ltr, we used to drive from Dublin to Monaghan every second week, having such a small car on the motorway is horrible, his car would start shaking when it hit 60 but would now and them hit 70 going down hill! Also watch out for the cross winds there is a really bad pull on the steering wheel on small cars on the motor way. Shouldn't be a huge problem on millage, but I myself would definitely suggest a car with a bigger engine, sure its more expensive to run etc, but its safer and stronger esp on the motor way!

Good Luck with your car search.

kluivert

1.4 would be a better option to be honest.

No difference on Insurance either.

Astra Golf Focus Corrolla etc

Quick enough to maintain motorway speeds and better on fuel economy on a motorway than a 1L (less stress on the car)

I done 20k miles last year driving from Monaghan to Dublin for night classes. Bigger car of the Astra was more comfortable on the longer trips.

I made Dundalk to Naas in 1 hr 10 mins a couple of weeks ago, doing 95mph on the motorway (not recommended), I would be surprised if thats the top speed of a micra.

Stay away from small cars in my opinion, they are made of tin foil. Safest small car I would feel comfortable driving are the ones above. Micra etc are designed for driving around towns not long trips.

event

yeah its just that she is more comfortable with a smaller car

has done it before, and i fly up and down the motor way in my 1.0 Ibiza

but would prefer something that would be able to take it better

will check if the budget allows, cheers

kluivert

event wrote:

yeah its just that she is more comfortable with a smaller car

An Astra, Golf, Focus etc are not a big cars by any means.

She would be safer in it as well.

Enygma

What about a Polo? I think they come with the same 1.4 engine as the Golf.
Failing that a Clio 172

Max_Damage

Well, if 1 litre cars can make it from London to Mongolia (Mongol Rally; http://www.mongolrally.com/page2.htm), then going from Dublin to Dundalk shouldn't be a problem.

I've a 1 litre car myself, and I drive from Dublin to Cavan and back about every 2 weeks with no problems, in saying that though, I rarely go past 60mph.

littlejukka

i drove a 998cc micra for about 6 months when i started driving. it was great around dublin city but the drive home to cork of 156 miles was torture. not very stable, struggles to keep up the speed and one won't feel too safe in the little thing. it broke twice the day after one of these 156 mile trips at 100-120kph, probably no coincidence. the first time it was a problem with the throttle body which had to be replaced. the second time (christmas day of all days) the timing chain disintegrated and ripped the engine apart.

i quickly moved to a 1331cc corolla and it makes a world of a difference.

Guy:Incognito

Enygma wrote:

Failing that a Clio 172

Yeah, just what is needed. Crazy aul wans (no offence op, only joking) milling uo and down the motorway at 120mph in a clio.


I really want a clio 197 at some stage.

Gerry

event wrote:

yeah its just that she is more comfortable with a smaller car

She'll have to get over that. A smaller car is of no help to you on the motorway, it just gets blown around the place. Sure its easier to park, but its fairly easy to park most non SUV cars, with some practice.

layke

With such a car, I hereby ban you from the overtaking lane.

Andrewf20

I had a 1.25 litre 75bhp 1999 Ford fiesta, which I took on the odd long trip including daily motorway stints and never had problems.

colm_mcm

The 1.25 zetec is a peach.

Stark

Andrewf20 wrote:

I had a 1.25 litre 75bhp 1999 Ford fiesta, which I took on the odd long trip including daily motorway stints and never had problems.

Yeah that's a nice compromise car. Easy to drive round congested streets but also low and wide enough not to be blown all over the place by crosswinds. The zetec engine provides more than enough power for the weight of the car as well.

Still, if she's going to be doing mostly motorway driving, then a bigger car is the way to go. For one thing the larger tyres will make a world of difference stability and braking distance wise.

I definitely wouldn't recommend a Micra for motorway driving. Last Micra I drove was very shaky at 60mph.

biko

A SAAB* I think - reliable, safe, somewhat fun to drive, big on the inside - small on the outside.
This model has a bigger engine but you can get a smaller if you feel the petrol pinch.
*Don't buy this car, just for illustration

_Kaiser_

My 1.3 Mirage was great around town and even on the N3 run, but put her on the motorway and things changed dramatically. Would do 120kph but was very vulnerable to crosswinds and you just wouldn't feel safe/comfortable at that speed in it.

My 1.9 TDI Passat though is a completely different story!!

colm_mcm

biko wrote:

A SAAB* I think - reliable, safe, somewhat fun to drive, big on the inside - small on the outside.
This model has a bigger engine but you can get a smaller if you feel the petrol pinch.
*Don't buy this car, just for illustration

The Saab will cost a fortune to put right when it goes wrong! also road tax and fuel bills will be huge! Can't see many good points to be honest apart from the sheer size, which - if she's travelling on her own isn't really necessary.

I'd go for a Mk3 (up to 98) Golf 1.9 TDI

Lex Luthor

The Honda Jazz comes in a 1.4
Might be worth looking at
Small car, big feel

deman

My wife drives a 1.0 Micra. I drive a 1.6 Scenic.

My wife commutes 24km to and from work. I average 120-150km per day.

My wife works in the city. I drive motorways.

I wish I had my wife's car's fuel economy but comfort is important to me. For any person driving more than 80kms per day, DON'T buy a small car.

ninty9er

I did the N7/M7/M50 in the Corsa once. I won't be doing it again. If I have to do Dublin for Co-Op I'll be taking the train. Is there a commuter line between Dundalk and Dublin, if not I'm fairly sure I heard something about one being planned/ upgraded/re-opened

JHMEG

My wife owns an '03 Civic IMA. When driving it on the M1 run to Dundalk I get about 74mpg. Not a small car feel... same as an '03 Civic saloon, but with very comfortable leather seats, a/c.. all the bells and whistles...

Stephen

Civic IMA? Is that a hybrid or something?