Hi

I currently own a 56 plate skoda octavia vRS 2.0 TFSI I would like to get my fuel and insurance bills down. I have been looking around for a Octivia 1.4 TSI seems to have a nice balance of fuel efficiency and power. But alas none in my price range I think they are all too new.

Also quite happy getting a smaller car as there really only me in it 80% of the time. Was even looking at fiesta 1.6 zetec s I like the looks seems to tick a few boxes there too. Anyone got any other suggestions?

Thanks

I (along with a lot of people on here) would probably stay in the VAG realm. Have you considered an Octavia vRS TDI, they're 170bhp standard and provide and lot of grunt with the balance of being very economical. Or a mid 2000s Fabia vRS, 130bhp with about 60mpg motorway driving. You could get a nice 2007 Fabia vRS SE for £8k with a lot of factory extras!

Maybe an Audi A3 sportback? Nice choice of diesel and petrol engines, and has the hatchback look, but with 5 doors and a good boot

Passat 1.9/2.0tdi? Jetta 1.9/2.0 tdi?

BMW 320d, 320i? Great cars and great engines!

Loads of choices, i'm sure people on here will provide a few!

My 54 plate fabia.vrs is going up for sale? 68k miles slightly modified,

If you go for an Octy VRS TDI go for an 08 or new CR (common rail) much more reliable than the PD.

If I had £8k to spend on a car and didn't need something big, but wanted economy and fun it'd have to be a Fabia mkI VRS SE for me.

Don't spend 8k and the fuel/ins won't seem so bad.

I've looked into this for the same reasons and the maths just doesn't add up. You'd have to get something very economical for it to make much of a difference. I worked out changing to something like an A4 1.9 130hp would save me about £40 a month doing 12k a year. If it broke down that'd be the savings wiped out.

Newer diesels with DPFs, EGRs and DMFs just have too many issues especially with the DPF being considered a consumable on some cars.

If you're set on changing something like a Kia Ceed diesel is very economical and well built. Better value than a Focus.

Is that the new Fiesta? Nice cars, fun to drive

Check whether or not you need a diseasel, as you may end up spending more on fuel!

If you go for an Octy VRS TDI go for an 08 or new CR (common rail) much more reliable than the PD.

Says who?

Says who?

Says the bucket load of injector failures.

The PD170 seems to be full or problems. The CR isn't proven in the same way the older PD engines were, but at the same time it doesn't have the issues the PD170 does.

Personally, I'd avoid changing the car, as you'll lose money in the sale and purchase and that hit will probably buy a lot of fuel.

Just do your research when next changing cars and don't do a change out of cycle.

PD140`s were ok, PD170`s dont bother with, thats what all my various VAG mechanics have told me

Don't spend 8k and the fuel/ins won't seem so bad.

I've looked into this for the same reasons and the maths just doesn't add up. You'd have to get something very economical for it to make much of a difference. I worked out changing to something like an A4 1.9 130hp would save me about £40 a month doing 12k a year. If it broke down that'd be the savings wiped out.

Newer diesels with DPFs, EGRs and DMFs just have too many issues especially with the DPF being considered a consumable on some cars.

If you're set on changing something like a Kia Ceed diesel is very economical and well built. Better value than a Focus.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yeah you are probably right I'm not really interested in a diesel as mostly my commute to work is 3 miles diesel won't have even warmed up by then. I do about 4-5 100 mile round trips a month probably do about 8 to 9k miles a year. I do most of my driving on country roads in mid Wales.

Keep the Octy!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yeah you are probably right I'm not really interested in a diesel as mostly my commute to work is 3 miles diesel won't have even warmed up by then. I do about 4-5 100 mile round trips a month probably do about 8 to 9k miles a year. I do most of my driving on country roads in mid Wales.

If you are only doing a 3 mile commute to work get a push bike, it will save your fuel and probably be just as quick. You'll have all that extra fuel to use when you need to use the car.

There's a few 2008 (58 Plate) Kia Cee'd Sport 2.0 CRDi 140's in your price range.... Which will have 4 years warranty left...

We've had, since new for the wife, a 2007 1.6 CRDi 115 Kia Cee'd - 45,000 miles on it now, no problems at all, and still has 3 years warranty left! - Returns 50+ MPG day in, day out, and is £90 to tax. - Part leather, Climate etc.

Al.

3 mile commute will kill just about any modern diesel.

Bicycle suggestion is probably the OP's best option to save money.

Sounds like you needs a VX220. 0-60mph in 5.4secs, 35mpg combined.

and for your kinda mileage it's perfect.

£5k gets you a poorly maintained high miler, £6.5k high miles but well maintained(engine and gearbox are strong anyway) and £8k for non threashed minter.

very quick cars, decent fuel economy considering how fast they are

downsides

Vauxhall badge(take the badge off and the rest of it is lotus)

Small boot.

3 mile commute will kill just about any modern diesel.

Bicycle suggestion is probably the OP's best option to save money.

How? You may get dpf regens but the 100mile trips would sort that out.

But I agree on getting a bike for 3miles. see if your work do a cycle to work scheme.

3 mile commute will kill just about any modern diesel.

Bicycle suggestion is probably the OP's best option to save money.

How? You may get dpf regens but the 100mile trips would sort that out.

But I agree on getting a bike for 3miles. see if your work do a cycle to work scheme.

Says the bucket load of injector failures.

The PD170 seems to be full or problems. The CR isn't proven in the same way the older PD engines were, but at the same time it doesn't have the issues the PD170 does.

There's one fault then, incidentally one that only affects a single PD engine and can be fixed for free. Anymore?

I have both a PD140 and PD170 and both are faultless.

The VAG 1.9 PD is one of the most reliable engines of recent times, respected by the motoring industry worldwide.

Lets look at the comparative reliability of the VAG CR engines in about 5 years time when they've been around as long as the PD. The CR may well prove to be more reliable but until then to claim the PD is less reliable than the CR is unsubstantiated.

The Citroen C5 is a lot of car for not a lot of money. Gets very good reviews and score well for owner satisfaction too.

PSA diesel engines are generally pretty tough and good on diesel.

I was astonished at the negative responses a fellow member got on a recent thread when he swapped his Skoda for a C5. Apparently anything French must be rubbish. Hmm, I wonder what people thought about Skoda only a few years ago!

A car similar to this (high spec) with a little over average mileage can be had for less than £8K...

The V6 (or some big TDI) TDis seem to go some too! Caused me take a double take when I was following one onto a dual carriage way when in the RX-8.

My dad says the ride in those makes their Focus seem as hard as my GTi in comparison, so pretty comfy too considering how good the Focus is!

VW Polo Bluemotion, 33 on Autotrader at under £8k.