Right, in an effort to lower costs, I'm considering switching to diesel power from my 36mpg Focus. With petrol set to rise even higher, it's becoming impractical...so what's my best choice?Factor in servicing (which I believe is usually more expensive/regular than petrols), obviously mpg and general reliabilty and such across a typical 12,000-15,000 mile-year.
I mean, I know I'll be sacrificing a lot in the Focus' other abilities...but I may just have to start getting excited about not having to fill it up every week...
|
It's a lot less than your budget, but I'm very happy with my 405TD estate. You should be able to get a 406 for that money. Mine has done 165,000, and I get 42 easily, over a tankfull on mixed driving, and 45 if I'm doing fewer kids' taxi runs.
At today's prices 15k will cost £1797 at 36 mpg, 95.0/litre petrol
and £1490 at 45 mpg and 98.5/litre diesel = saving £307.
|
|
|
I would look for well cared for Polo SDI. Lots of five year old examples with low milage are around and they benefit from 10K service intervals.
Alternatively a Seat Ibiza TDI is more rapid for the same money, though most seem to have done much bigger milages.
|
It's probably not worth changing the car.
Factor in swapping your current well-cared for car for a 2.5k car and you might be buying a whole load of troubles. Your in bangernomic territory, but paying serious prices - a dangerous amount of money to spend on a car.
Stick with what you have until you were planning to change it.
|
|
Diesel is set to rise higher than petrol - so unless you're increasing your mileage significantly, it's probably not worth changing solely due to the recent increase in petrol prices
|
The cheapest value for money diesel is a relatively unwanted Citroen Xantia or Xsara..imo.
madf
|
Skoda Felicia 1.9D?
Or a leggy Xantia TD.
|
|
With your mileage, this is totally pointless. You'll save no more than a few hundred quid at most, and this will be eaten up by the cost of changing your car..
|
|
i agree with what is said you know your own car and to buy a 2.5k diesel is always going to be a gamble no matter what anyone tells you.
|
|
VW Passat, 1.9TDi's or Audi TDI's, no question!
|
I'm going to side with the "keep the Focus" group. With the Focus getting 36mpg, you will be lucky the get an extra 10mpg out of an elderly diesel.
Doing 12k a year you'd only be saving £300-400 in fuel costs over the year, which if you new car needed a service and a couple of tyres in the near future, that would out way the savings.
The only financial gain could be releasing a small bit of equity as I guess the Focus is worth more than £2500.
|
Also bear in mind that, with recent fuel price increases, other punters will have the same idea. So expect increased demand for whatever diesels are in the market and a lower sale price for the Focus.
Judging from some figures quoted by diesel drivers in the backroom, you'd do well to get an extra 10mpg out of a new diesel, never mind an elderly one!
FWIW, my thought is to keep the Focus for now and, when your next planned change is imminent, wait until fuel prices drop (they're seasonal, rising in autumn due to more crude oil being refined into heating oil and in early summer to meet petrol/diesel needs with the onset of the holiday season). Then, with petrol prices falling, trade in the Focus for a diesel - which may well be in less demand than now as Joe Public sees the price at the pump fall by 5p/litre and thinks "ahhh, panic over".
|
I just begrudge the fact that I'm paying oil companies (and the taxman) £40 every 8days as it is. If it's to increase by 25% (a conservative estimate) that's another £10 every week. At this rate, all the wages from my Sunday job will eaten up by the damned car!
(And yes, the Focus is worth more than £2.5k, I asked the guy at the local garage what he'd give me for it, and even he offered £3k - and he's a very, very conservative estimator).
|
|
Sorry I should make clear where that 25% is coming from...at uni, it was 90p/litre when I was paying £40 every 8 days or so. At home, it's already £1.00/litre, before it rises. If it does rise as it's supposed to, then I would reckon £1.10 is off the mark (typically it's about 10p/litre more than the UK average out here in the countryside).
|
Non-turbo diesels are quite economical IME, e.g. 50 mpg should be possible from something Focus or 405 sized.
Also less to go wrong.
But are they still made without turbos?
|
"But are they still made without turbos?"
I don't think any diesels are now naturally aspirated; and for good reason - they're dire to drive. Once drove a Golf SDi and couldn't think why anyone would buy this engine when you can have the far superior Tdi.
|
|
