Fuel consumption - learner cars

TheBlaaMan

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a small car for my daughter who will be driving about 250ml/300km per week on inter-city runs between Cork and Waterford. The car choice has been narrowed to one of Renault Clio 1.2l; VW Polo 1.4 or Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec.

Any likely car will be from 2000 to 2002 and cost €1500-2000 so I'm not looking spend a lot, but I know that fuel consumption will be a key factor in the total cost of owning the car. EG, I calculate that if one model does 30mpg and another does 40mpg then the annual difference will be over €800 - half the purchase price of the vehicle.

So, I am looking for advice from existing owners of the above models as to what sort of fuel consumption they are experiencing on mixed driving conditions.

Thanks

burrentech

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a small car for my daughter who will be driving about 250ml/300km per week on inter-city runs between Cork and Waterford. The car choice has been narrowed to one of Renault Clio 1.2l; VW Polo 1.4 or Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec.

Any likely car will be from 2000 to 2002 and cost €1500-2000 so I'm not looking spend a lot, but I know that fuel consumption will be a key factor in the total cost of owning the car. EG, I calculate that if one model does 30mpg and another does 40mpg then the annual difference will be over €800 - half the purchase price of the vehicle.

So, I am looking for advice from existing owners of the above models as to what sort of fuel consumption they are experiencing on mixed driving conditions.

Thanks

It will all depend on how the car is driven. Some owners might tell you fuel consumption is terrible, and the next that its brilliant!

On a run I can get 55mpg from a 1.6 Golf, and almost 40mpg from a 2litre Saab turbo. But I drive defensively and within the speed limits so I'm not riding the brakes like most people.

Put your daughter through a defensive driving course, and you'll probably save regardless of the car you eventually buy.

challengemaster

Is your daughter a learner? Or are you just considering the cars as "learner cars"

Alanstrainor

2003 1.4 Polo owner (Automatic though). MPG is shockingly bad. Lucky to hit 25mpg, and that's tops. Usually a lot worse. I don't drive like a mad man, I accelerate gently and stay within the speed limits. The auto box would play a part, but from reading other forums getting reasonable mpg from that car is near impossible.

Insurance is going to be the biggest cost if she is a learner. It's worth getting a few quotes on different cars to see if there's a difference.

challengemaster

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Insurance is going to be the biggest cost if she is a learner. It's worth getting a few quotes on different cars to see if there's a difference.

That, and I'm wondering exaclty how someone doing that milage is going to have a qualified driver with them at all times....

TheBlaaMan

First car for her, though she has been driving (the wife's Alfa !) for a year or so. Test in two weeks and optimistic, so I want to be ready to pull the trigger on a car for her at that point. Insurance provisionally sorted on all/any of those three models.

Any further first-hand info on consumption on those models ? - trustworthy (ie non dealer) online info is to hard to get !

challengemaster

From a mechanical point of view - the fiesta would probably be the more reliable one, quite regularly referred to as bulletproof. Parts aren't hard come by either, so any maintainance isn't going to be overly costly and it's unlikely to cost a bomb in repairs... also a big factor in the total cost of owning it....

matt70iu

As others have stated, I find that if you don't drive aggressively, you can get good mpg out of any car up to about 2.5 litre.

Have a 1.8 golf GTI turbo and can get 40-50 mpg out of it. Itcan be a lot less if I put my foot down:)

Long runs help also, so if she's going to be doing a lot of motorway driving, maybe the slightly bigger 1.4 engine of the polo might be better.

Had a 1.1 fiesta a couple of years ago and it's definitely one for the inside lane of the motorway:) best of luck car hunting!

challengemaster

matt70iu wrote: »

Had a 1.1 fiesta a couple of years ago and it's definitely one for the inside lane of the motorway:)

as are all cars unless you're overtaking

matt70iu

challengemaster wrote: »

as are all cars unless you're overtaking

Ha true! Well there are those who tend to stay right cuse they're flyin past everyone regardless of speed:)

burrentech

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

First car for her, though she has been driving (the wife's Alfa !) for a year or so. Test in two weeks and optimistic, so I want to be ready to pull the trigger on a car for her at that point. Insurance provisionally sorted on all/any of those three models.

Any further first-hand info on consumption on those models ? - trustworthy (ie non dealer) online info is to hard to get !

Sister's been running a '97 Ford Fiesta, I have no idea of the engine, assume fairly small. She's been doing a mix of some city, and a few runs of about 30 miles each way on smaller country roads. Seems to be giving around 55mpg. But that's been based on the 10 euro for 80 miles @ 1.50/litre, so it could be a bit more, she wasn't exact on the mileage (maybe up to 90) and of course the price of petrol has an effect too.

If your daughter has been driving an Alfa, I'd expect she'll get less because her foot will be on the floor of any small car you buy her :eek: Get her that defensive driving course and it might her tame her Alfa driving habits

Christinalit

im looking to buy a 1.2 2004 polo, would anyone know what the fuel consumption on a car like this would be? I want something that would be ecconomical...thanks for any replies

Mister Jingles

Christinalit wrote: »

im looking to buy a 1.2 2004 polo, would anyone know what the fuel consumption on a car like this would be? I want something that would be ecconomical...thanks for any replies

You'll have more of a chance of getting a reply if you start a new thread in the ''Motors'' section.

brownacid

I have a 03 fiesta 1.3l it has teh duratec engine so its by no means the best engine available for the fiesta. I get roughly 36mpg with day to day running of it i.e. driving to and from work at a round trip of about 70 miles. If Im doing longer cross country trips it goes up to about 45 mpg there abouts

Del2005

Christinalit wrote: »

im looking to buy a 1.2 2004 polo, would anyone know what the fuel consumption on a car like this would be? I want something that would be ecconomical...thanks for any replies

TBH the driver makes a bigger impact on the fuel consumption then anything, on my bike I can get from 120km to 230km to a tank!

A 1.2 car doing long motorway runs will drink fuel if she keeps at the limit, a bigger engined car will be less stressed and use less fuel. My 2l auto does 2.5k rpm at 120km/h, my old 1.4l manual did 4k rpm at 120km/h.

You need to figure out where her main driving is going to be and find a suitable car for that, then worry about fuel.

MascotDec85

I'd be buying a diesel for her. Yes, maybe slightly more expensive to buy but in the long run cheaper a) to fill and a superior mpg

challengemaster

MascotDec85 wrote: »

I'd be buying a diesel for her. Yes, maybe slightly more expensive to buy but in the long run cheaper a) to fill and a superior mpg

and much more expensive when there's mechanical issues....

Compton

the fact that they're more expensive initially is usually not even worth it.

softmee

brownacid wrote: »

I have a 03 fiesta 1.3l it has teh duratec engine so its by no means the best engine available for the fiesta. I get roughly 36mpg with day to day running of it i.e. driving to and from work at a round trip of about 70 miles. If Im doing longer cross country trips it goes up to about 45 mpg there abouts

I have 02 fiesta lx, the same engine I think, but 1.4l and I cant belive how good it is on petrol. I spend less money on petrol then my friend with 1.2 corsa driving the same distance regularly.

Compton

i have a 1.25 08 fiesta . it does around 550-600 km on a tank. 55 euro

MascotDec85

challengemaster wrote: »

and much more expensive when there's mechanical issues....

shblob wrote: »

the fact that they're more expensive initially is usually not even worth it.

I suppose it depends on the mileage you are doing whether it's worth it or not.

My Corsa 1.3 ecoflex diesel broke down (fuel pump, most diesel faults are fuel related). I drove an identical Corsa 1.2 Petrol for a week. The amount of fuel I put in that in comparison to my own was frightening. Both cars the same age with similar mileage and regularly serviced

Compton

Thats true, its good to clear out the diesel engines on the motorway once a week too at least. 100km/h plus. theyre just not made for stopping and starting and constantly turning them off & on.