Following on from the - Diesel debate - many motoring observers are talking up " down sizing " .

Basically , the size of car is dictated to us by our lifestyles . When deciding upon another car it has to fulfil all our requirements - we personally cannot afford the luxury of vehicles which can only fulfil some of them .

The only other variables are the level of trim , optional extras , brand and engine size , and these are the areas where we have an option of downsizing .

My view is that optional extras are generally expensive ( eg Sat Nav ) and your best way of choosing optional extras is to buy them in a trim package . Should you forgo these extras - not in my opinion because , for that relatively little extra in relation to the overall cost of the basic car , you get a product that you want rather than put up with .

Brand is largely down to a perceived level of service , value and quality - I must admit that over the years I seasaw over this issue and maybe this is where I am able to downsize , if my heart rather than my head would let me !

Which leaves engine size - generally it is my view that a small engine has to be " worked " far more than a large one and hence is less relaxing to drive and no more economical , though some might argue that they are more involving , and in small doses they may be right . What may be more influential , is the way that the manufacturers are able to sell the " green " desirability of their small engines under theoretical conditions with their increasingly optimistic , except in ideal cirumstances , mpg and CO emission figures .

Several magazines have recently shown large discrepancies between the published and actual CO figures .

I contend therefore that downsizing is not really an option ..........

i have downsized.

from large coupe to 3dr hatch has made little diff....

You also have to factor in the cost of changing a car. If you buy from a dealer you will have vat to pay no matter how small or cheap the car.

I'd agree with your view that a small engine worked hard is less economical than large engine taking it easy. I've always avoided having an engine too small for the car it's pulling.

SWMBO's tigra is very heavy and the 1.4 90hp engine struggles, she has to downshift for hills and over taking. Previously her 1.2 8v Clio was even worse.

Both cars are driven at full throttle a great deal of the time or they will just not keep up with normal traffic.

My VRS is normally driven very lightly. I guess 10-25% of what is available. I get about 5pmg more than her 1.4.

I have notice that her driving is affected by what car she is in. A drive in the tigra is a frantic screaming high rpm, cog swapping terror ride. In the VRS she is much more relaxed. Possibly the fact she only gets my VRS under pain of death might be an influence.

Carbon fibre and aluminium are becoming standard fair on high cost cars, this will filter down and mpg will start increase as cars get lighter.

With a wife and now a baby, I'm finding I really need the "big" car even though it spends most of its time carrying just me on the way to and from work with all the other solo occupant cars on the M-way. I'm effectively as downsized as I could be already (small engine, low spec) unless I resorted to bangernomics.

If anyone involved in vehicle development is watching, I see a future where we have modular transformer style vehicles. Dual power sources i.e. hybrid that allows the large vehicle to split into a small electric powered 1/2 seater commuter and a larger economic ICE-ed section that can be used by itself or link up with the samll section for a family sized car.

Few technical hitches to overcome (their job not mine) but it would go some way to solving the big car / single occupant and 2 car households so prevalent today.

I will be downsizing. Why?

Well, an E class for 1 person is just silly, when a Punto sized car does the same things, albeit possibly not quite as well.

Will it cruise all day on a motorway at 85? Yep

Will it be better on fuel? Yep

Will it be less to tax? Yep

Co car tax? Lower

Insurance? Lower

I can afford what I have now, but I feel that the need to pay off the mortgage far outweighs the benefits of having a bigger car. If I need something bigger, I'll just hire something appropriate.

I find that I'm limited in which cars I can choose from because of the lack of space in the cabin.

For me to be comfortable driving the Octavia is about the limit for leg room when I'm driving so I don't have to have my knees bent and either side of the steering wheel.

I'm only 6'4" but it seems that the majority of cars in the lower sized class just don't have enough space.

Our 2nd car is a VW Bora which is obviously similar to the Octy but when my wife is in the passenger seat and my daught is sitting behind her in her child seat it's cramped for my wife in the front and she is closer to the airbag than she'd like.

I find people complaining about mpg figures and economy all the time but driving around most drivers don't do themselves any favours like accellerating hard leaving their engines running when waiting outside schools or shops and driving in the wrong gears all the times.

Obviously the price of oil and therefore fuel is rising but there are simple techniques and car maintenance that can mean that peop[le don't need to downsize but alter habits.

Both me and SWMBO have Fabias. We can just about fit ourselves, Ap0gee Jr, all the stuff she needs for a trip out, and a load of shopping into the car. We talked about getting a bigger car, but decided we'd only need it for when we went on holiday, and so a roof box made a more sensible alternative, seeing how we'd only need the space a handful of times a year. This may change if other babies come along, but unless plans change, both cars will be paid off by then. I think SWMBO's will be candidate for the chop, as the 30-odd MPG she gets from her MPi isn't far off what a PETROL vRS could achieve!

I like the stability that bigger cars have at speed, and this makes them more relaxed to drive long distances.

My car is one of (if not my only) my vices.. and as such I guess I'm prepared to pay the cost (in insurance/tax/fuel etc) to enjoy it. Sure, I could pootle about in a 1.2 3cyl Fabia et al, but - as above - I like the relaxed nature of having more power.

Today I'm driing my girlfriend's 1.2 16v Corsa C... and I'm revving the balls off it just to make it move, whereas my Octy would be far more civilised to drive.

Just my 2p

What will make a big difference to the running costs is the depreciation of your vehicle.

That's why I've decided to keep my current car for a year longer than originally planned.

My car is one of (if not my only) my vices.. and as such I guess I'm prepared to pay the cost (in insurance/tax/fuel etc) to enjoy it. Sure, I could pootle about in a 1.2 3cyl Fabia et al, but - as above - I like the relaxed nature of having more power.

Today I'm driving my girlfriend's 1.2 16v Corsa C... and I'm revving the balls off it just to make it move, whereas my Octy would be far more civilised to drive.

Just my 2p

:iagree:

I much prefer a large petrol engined car. :cool:

Where's Welshy when you need him? 2nd-hand 520ds all-round, isn't it?

Where's Welshy when you need him? 2nd-hand 520ds all-round, isn't it?

Does a 520d badge on an M5 count?

Does a 520d badge on an M5 count?

:ne_nau: Guess so. Works the other way round on Corsas...

:iagree:

I much prefer a large petrol engined car. :cool:

Yup... and if I'm honest, my Octy will be doing pretty much the same, if not more miles to the gallon!

At a constant 70mph it will average over 40mpg with the air con on, and it's not noisy. Going back to my girlfriend's Corsa, will do the same 40-ish mpg... but it sits at 4,200rpm. Which is quite noisy!

I find that I'm limited in which cars I can choose from because of the lack of space in the cabin.

For me to be comfortable driving the Octavia is about the limit for leg room when I'm driving so I don't have to have my knees bent and either side of the steering wheel.

I'm only 6'4" but it seems that the majority of cars in the lower sized class just don't have enough space.

Our 2nd car is a VW Bora which is obviously similar to the Octy but when my wife is in the passenger seat and my daught is sitting behind her in her child seat it's cramped for my wife in the front and she is closer to the airbag than she'd like.

Here-Here. I'd love to drive a fiesta 99.9% of the time but due to being 6ft 7 it's just not feasble. Actually had to go up in size for me SO's car just so i can fit in the passenger seat comfortably! - wanted a fiesta/fusion, ended up with a C3!

Yup... and if I'm honest, my Octy will be doing pretty much the same, if not more miles to the gallon!

At a constant 70mph it will average over 40mpg with the air con on, and it's not noisy. Going back to my girlfriend's Corsa, will do the same 40-ish mpg... but it sits at 4,200rpm. Which is quite noisy!

I managed 32mpg on my journey from the Ring to Rotterdam the other week, thats AC on and with a decent run on the autobahn as well..

Find it easier to drive around town as you don't have to stretch the engine to make decent progress.

i had a 54 plate focus tdci about a year ago, lovely car, couldnt fault it and the only reason i swapped to a mazda 6 and then a vRS was just to get a faster car purely for pleasure

as a day to drive and even as a fun drive the 100bhp 1.8 tdci in a car that size was great, fuel ecconomy was brilliant, went down to newquay last year in it, 3 in the morning, empty motorway, cruised at 100 all the way and it still only used just over half a tank, if i wasnt an idiot id still be driving that car

Size really matters:rofl:

Well in my job as an owner/driver i have no choice but if i didn,t have this kind of job i would downsize in vehicle but i would still want a decent amount of power though as i find all those small "buzz boxes" on the road very annoying!! When traffic is moving slow ahead you can guarantee its some tw*t in a Micra holding us up.(slighty off topic appologies)

Ive downsized!

I no longer use the VRS for my traffic laden daily work commute.

After a lot of thought, all I needed was transport my me and my 2yr old. The VRS was overkill.

Now we travel by Fords finest; a Fiesta!

Bought a 1.6 TDCI Zetec Climate 5dr (inc all options bar the sunroof) and I havent looked back. 46mpg instead of 23mpg average on my main journey. £35 tax instead of £210+.

And to cap it all its just great fun to drive. 151lb/ft, soon to be 200lb/ft+ torque Ive adjusted to a smaller car just fine.

Ahh the good old fester miles better than a Ka:rofl:

I'm downsizing from my Octy to a Mini Cooper D.

Only because I'll be doing a serious amount of mileage for work... otherwise she'd definitely be staying!! :(

Necessity dictates why I'm switching... fuel costs, depreciation and the fact that I need a deposit for a house!

and the fact that I need a deposit for a house!

I Don't think that you've thought this through!

Could you not get a 1.9Tdi Octy instead? - mine is doing 60+ to the gallon!!

I wouldn't fancy moving house with a Mini - Any fuel consumption gains you might make would be negated by the fact you have to do 25 trips to move the same amount of stuff as the Skoda's one.:confused:

Removals companies are a great thing

Removals companies are a great thing

I hear good things about van hire too...

Rob.

I have downsized too - To an Octavia II 1.9tdi.

Company car so including lease (I paid extra for the Honda it replaced) tax and fuel I recon on about £200 a month extra in my pocket!

So far just getting it run in and it is approaching 60mpg over the Honda's 50!