It looks like I'll be changing jobs soon and the new one will come with a significant commute (approx 50 miles each way of A road). I've had my 1.2 Urban for just over a year and really like it. I average around 30-32 mpg of town driving and 38-40 on that sort of road. In the past year i've only done around 8500 miles in my car but I know this will shoot up. I'll try to minimise my mileage in the long term by car pooling or telecommuting but, in the short term at least, I'm looking at a lot more miles

 

So, onto the question. Would it be worth my while trading in for a diesel? I would have been tempted by the Adventure but I think these might be in short supply so will probably wait for another run-off special edition if that's the way to go but am I likely to get much better consumption going for the 110 (or maybe even 140) diesel?

Thanks for any pointers

I do a 48 mile, cross country A road commute in a 140bhp 4x4, and am averaging just under 50mpg all the time.

Congrats on the new job fox, Graham, my wine still hase not arrived

Teehee

Jedi Knights don't drink alcohol!!

You've never watched Star Wars then???

45 average fill to fill out of my TDi 110 4x4 on a 36 mile commute across the Yorkshire Wolds to York.

 

 

TP

Obviously you are likely to get a higher mpg from switching to a diesel but the question is will the saving be enough to offset the cost of the change? Probably worth asking a couple of dealers to give you a price to change yours for a diesel of the same age (for comparison purposes) and then work from there but a quick calculation, if my maths is correct, is that each £1000 you would have to stump up for a like for like change would pay for around 6,000-6,500 miles of fuel so as long as you are happy with your current Yeti for a 50 mile each way commute it might be worth holding onto it until you would be looking to change anyway and then make the switch. If there is a chance of car pooling or significant telecommuting all the more reason to hold off doing anything until you have a better idea of what your annual mileage might go up to.

 

(You could do a lot worse than a 50 mile commute through the West Country - enjoy the new job).

Some maths and searching of your desire for a new car are required here. If you went for an Adventure 110ps 2wd, you'd get little extra kit over what your Urban has except what many would consider the biggest omission on pre-2013 (week 22 build) 2wd Yetis, namely full Esc.

As to fuel economy, the 1.2 on extra urban does 52.3mpg and the 110pd states 64.2mpg (brochure's official figures). Now, if you take a similar amount off the latter number as per your real-world experience with the 1.2, then that's around 13mpg (so around 52mpg). So, how many extra miles commuting will you do and given the added cost of diesel over petrol in the Uk plus the cost to change vehicles, is it going to be worth your while over the medium to long term?

As for waiting for another special edition, then you're looking at the FL model and it will be some time before one of these becomes available.

It can be tricky to work out the costs and savings - but here are a couple of tools to help you

 

 

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/

 

 

http://www.torquecars.com/tools/annual-fuel-cost-from-mpg.php

 

Regards

 

Mike

Looks like its time to break out a dreaded spreadsheet. I'm happy with the current car but just worried about abusing the smaller engine in the urban.

(You could do a lot worse than a 50 mile commute through the West Country - enjoy the new job).

Would be better if it wasn't the dreaded A303...

I've got a 1.2 TSI in my Yeti and I would be very disappointed if it wasn't up for a regular 100 miles a day. I'm not a petrol head but I would have thought a decent run like that each day would do a lot less damage than a 10 miles a day commute in stop-start congestion (which these days also would do the diesels no favours either). Many years ago my first three cars were pretty elderly Fords powered 997cc and 1100cc engines with a lot less BHP than the 1.2 Yeti has and they handled everything youth could throw at them, albeit in those days rather more use was made of first and second gear than I'm having to use these days. I think the two things to put on your "To Do" list are firstly a run to the future place of employment and back to see if you feel your Urban is up to the job and, if you are still concerned - the spreadsheet. ("Dreaded"? - Perhpas i'm a bit odd, I love spreadsheets. Great decisio- making tools/timewasters!)

I've got a 1.2 TSI in my Yeti and I would be very disappointed if it wasn't up for a regular 100 miles a day. I'm not a petrol head but I would have thought a decent run like that each day would do a lot less damage than a 10 miles a day commute in stop-start congestion (which these days also would do the diesels no favours either). Many years ago my first three cars were pretty elderly Fords powered 997cc and 1100cc engines with a lot less BHP than the 1.2 Yeti has and they handled everything youth could throw at them, albeit in those days rather more use was made of first and second gear than I'm having to use these days. I think the two things to put on your "To Do" list are firstly a run to the future place of employment and back to see if you feel your Urban is up to the job and, if you are still concerned - the spreadsheet. ("Dreaded"? - Perhpas i'm a bit odd, I love spreadsheets. Great decisio- making tools/timewasters!)

Cheers, happy with the ride for that sort of distance was just a little concerned about any long term effects on the engine which is already being tweaked to give as much power as my old vectra of many years past.

Spreadsheets are mainly "dreaded" because there's always a temptation to make them that little bit more refined.

Spreadsheets are mainly "dreaded" because there's always a temptation to make them that little bit more refined. complicated

 

Corrected that for you.   

One critical question I don't think anyone else asked is how long you were proposing to keep your current Yeti.

One critical question I don't think anyone else asked is how long you were proposing to keep your current Yeti.

I've had it a year and the plan was to keep it for 5 (total)

 

I've just tackled the spreadsheet and think my current fuel spend is around £1.4k p/a. This will go up to £3.5k (at current fuel prices not taking into account telecommuting or car pooling). A diesel (using the half way 47.5 mpg will save me around £1k p/a on the petrol prices, assuming similar servicing costs and tires (but allowing for £15 saving in tax!).

 

Looking at that, it's pretty borderline on whether changing would be worthwhile, esp if the telecommute comes up more often.

 

Thanks for all the help. Looks like plan A is to keep it as-is for now but maybe re-evaluate if something changes along the way.

Edited 22 September, 201312 yr by fox2319

Sounds like a sensible plan to me. Gives you a chance to get some data on real mpg on the Urban, a year's extra use from the Urban will take another bite out of the depreciation and you will get a chance to properly evaluate the FL Yeti or, if you do decide to change and don't want to go down that route, give yourself time to find a S/H Yeti with the features you want. And of course it will also let you see how much telecommuting and car sharing is really practical in your circumstances. Better than change in haste, repent at leisure. (But this comes from someone who took 6 months between test driving his first Yeti and actually placing an order! Procrastination is my middle name)

I've had it a year and the plan was to keep it for 5 (total)

 

I've just tackled the spreadsheet and think my current fuel spend is around £1.4k p/a. This will go up to £3.5k (at current fuel prices not taking into account telecommuting or car pooling). A diesel (using the half way 47.5 mpg will save me around £1k p/a on the petrol prices, assuming similar servicing costs and tires (but allowing for £15 saving in tax!).

 

Looking at that, it's pretty borderline on whether changing would be worthwhile, esp if the telecommute comes up more often.

 

Thanks for all the help. Looks like plan A is to keep it as-is for now but maybe re-evaluate if something changes along the way.

 

Another factor to consider is the resale value at 5 years.  A diesel will probably worth a fair bit more at 100,000 miles.  The 1.2 TSI should still be running strong at that mileage providing you look after your oil and let your turbo cool down if you have been pushing it hard.