I once drove a petrol 59 plate Fiesta 250 miles for work. I used about two thirds of a tank for that mileage which I reckoned to be somewhere around the 45 mpg mark. Not bad for a petrol. Almost entirely motorway miles on the journey home, and mostly motorway on the way there.

we have owned several 1.4TDCi's in the past & now have a 1.6TDCi

The 1.6TDCi returns much bvetter MPG, performance is fantastic, the engine is so smooth and quiet & road tax is £30 a year. Overtaking is a singe with a 1.6.

If we drive our 1.6 steady it returns around 70 MPG, in fact over 370 mile trip few weeks ago it averaged 69.7MPG

Our 1.4's always did around 52-53MPG and were very nosiy on a motorway.

Don't always assume the smallest engine in the smallest car is the most economical.

True indeed.

My lift share has a 1.4hdi207 and yes it is not a ball of fire. Seems to have poor turbo lag - Was much worse when new!

However:-

Winds up very well to motorway speeds

It's one of the most refined small car diesels i've been in

Always achieves 60+ mpg

On a 2009 doesn't have a DPF!

Edited by Big John on 16/05/2012 at 23:30

I test drove a 1.4HDI 207 (same engine as the Fez), and I couldn't believe how people can drive these things. Dismally slow. Flat out in 5th at 50mph and couldn't hold the speed. Board computer was reporting 44mpg average.

I know what you mean, sir! I've been driving my little Fiesta 1.4Tdci for a hundred and fifty six thousand miles now and just keeping it going 'cos my pension won't stretch to a new car! But I am getting good fuel consumption (though I know the 1.6 is better), and it does keep going. Not having a computer readout, I work out my fuel consumption in miles (off the trip-meter) per litre at each fill-up, noting how much I put in to fill to the top, and many years ago I sat down at the computer and made out a chart with three columns; Miles/Litre, Lt/100Km and MPG. Now here's the thing-- I note that a lot of small new cars which are sold as having low fuel consumption are fitted with quite skinny wheels and tyres, unlike the wide wheels on blingier motors. My Fiesta was fitted with 15" wheels from new, and I was seeing fuel consumption of around 12 to 12.5 miles per litre, which my chart translates to about 55MPG. Changing to snowtyres on 14" wheels (the van version of the Fiesta is fitted with 14" wheels, as is the new 'Eco' models) I noticed an improvement in fuel consumption! The car also feels livelier and has a more comfortable ride. I now get 500 miles out of a tankful, whereas I used to get about 440 miles. I now see a regular 13.5miles per litre or more - just over 60MPG. I filled up before a 260mile round-trip to Durham and on the next fill-up the car had done 530miles. My chart tells me that's averaged about 63MPG.

If you are smelling diesel, then yes, get the injector seals done before diesel in the oil leads to other problems. Ask around if you don't know a reliable garage to take it to. Or bring it up to Station Garage in Ramsbottom... They did a most excellent job of changing my injector seals two years ago, after blowing the seats off 'em whilst doing the MOT emission test! I've had no problems with them since.

Not everyone agrees with me on this, but in general it's better to go for the bigger engine, as it doesn't have to be worked so hard to make reasonable progress.