class_A

Hello all,

Thought this would be the most suitable place for this thread. Apologies, as it's at the "cheap-as-chips" end of the motoring spectrum where performance isn't an issue. (Yes, such a place exists )

Anyway, the Q is which fuel is more suited to short journey motoring? The old dear is after a change of car. She mainly does 10 miles per day in urban traffic.

Her old Fiesta is on it's death bed, choking on mayonaise I'm trying to persuade her to look at diesels, as I think a petrol engine just wouldn't get the chance to warm up properly on her typical journey.

Could you help me add a little weight to the argument?

Cheers,
Alex

fatherpierre

My Octavia oil burner does 43mpg on a 1 mile trip from cold in bad, North London traffic. Manages 55mpg+ once warm, in traffic and 60+ on a run.

MooseRacer

Diesel for sure - the difference between them and petrols is at it's biggest on short/round town journeys.

class_A

I have to say FP, those Octavia fuel figures strike me as amazing. She'd probably only need to visit the forecourt once a year

fatherpierre

Yeah, shocked me when I first got it. I had a V6 Mondeo before this and I'd only buy diesel from now on - I'm converted.

It's just not possible to get it to give less than 40mpg, no matter how you drive!!!

backdoors

Get a bike...........pedal power.......you only pay for food !

N1 SPAN

I tink a biug difference is that diesel are never on choke so they are not over fuelling when cold.

I use a 306 d-turbo for little journeys and put fuel in every couple of weeks. Swopped wit ha mates 306 petrol and even ion just a few mile a day I noticed a massive difference.

On the motorwary at decent speed, there isn;t that much between them.

brickboy

Diesel definitely. The PD100 Skoda Fabias are great, and apparently the Yaris D4D is very good too.

You'll just have to put big "DIESEL ONLY" signs all over the car so she doesn't fill it with petrol

class_A

Fear not, I have the label maker ready! Stickers for the windscreen and the fuel flap methinks.

logiclee

I'll second brickboys comments about the Fabia PD100.

My wife has one and uses it for short journeys around town and shopping, even in this cold weather it's averaging around 48mpg without the engine getting upto temperature half the time.
When I use it sometimes for my ten mile run to work which is mainly b roads and through one town centre I can crack 60mpg.

Forget 0-62 and the little Fabia's performance is excellent as you would expect from a supermini with as much torque as a 2.5V6 Jag, you can really rocket by slower traffic onto a 115mph top speed.

Cheers
Lee