Just curious as to how good the used ones are. I will be doing a more indepth search but have noticed they are quite cheap and since I can't afford a Yeti yet it maybe time to change. Petrol would be more tuneable but diesel would be good for economy. I'm doing roughly 100 miles a day on twisty welsh roads. People keep telling me that still isn't enough miles but my wallet in the Fabia vRS is saying otherwise. Will probably go Estate as then my bars would still fit.

Plus being used and something I wouldn't care too much about I could happily tune and fiddle with it.

100 miles a day, 5 days a week for even only 45 weeks a year = 22,500 miles a year plus whatever you do at weekends and during holidays, etc.  Difference between diesel at (say) 45mpg and petrol at (say) 35mpg would be around £560 for 22½K miles.  Also lower road tax and insurance.

 

Only you can decide whether you would rather have the higher running costs and drive a petrol rather than a diesel.  Good luck with your search for a car you like/want.

Is there really only £560 in it?

I reckon my mileage will be now about 25000/year with work, visiting family, hobbies, etc. One thing I am noticing, especially on 70mph stretches, keeping up with normal traffic, etc in my Fabia I find myself holding back as economy drops drastically. And that's without the oil topups.

If you're driving to maximise economy then you know the answer already.

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100 miles a day, 5 days a week for even only 45 weeks a year = 22,500 miles a year plus whatever you do at weekends and during holidays, etc.  Difference between diesel at (say) 45mpg and petrol at (say) 35mpg would be around £560 for 22½K miles.  Also lower road tax and insurance.

 

Only you can decide whether you would rather have the higher running costs and drive a petrol rather than a diesel.  Good luck with your search for a car you like/want.

 

Based off UK the official UK average petrol and diesel prices for last month. It comes in at £682.95 difference in fuel. Then for FL VRS manual hatch petrol £60 more to tax, £742.95 difference inc fuel. Petrol insurance group 30 diesel group 28. Rate of depreciation from purchase also greater on a petrol. 

 

The official figures for combined for the 2 cars are average 35mpg petrol and 49mpg diesel (stock). Difference between those 2 are £999.78 inc VED (tax). 

 

To go super in depth for a real world average comparison Using Fuelly for a 2011 VRS hatch petrol v diesel based (2011 for a run in engine and most results etc) Mean average of petrols is 33.3mpg and diesel 47mpg from users. Then taking specific to OP's location average fuel price in Wales for Dec (most recent official report), petrol £1.314, Diesel £1.390. Difference in fuel cost over 22500 + VED (tax) is: £1069.75 less on real world running cost for the diesel over petrol, before insurance. 

 

That said I get on a 205bhp remapped diesel get a better average than that, 53.7 average. But you may want the way a petrol drives over a diesel. A stock diesel at 170 is a bit poor IMO, a good custom remap as with any car transforms it. For twisty roads etc not just sitting on a motorway I would think the much higher torque of a diesel would help in average MPG over a petrol also. 

 

Depreciation is another thing, rule of thumb with a set budget you can get a newer petrol than a diesel at purchase. But the same thing applies when selling petrol does tend to depreciate faster etc. Depending on what car market is like in area, how easy to sell and how much it would cost to do so. I know where I live I wouldn't be able to sell a petrol VRS full stop. No one would touch it :( This was one of my deciding reasons when getting a diesel along with depreciation and running costs. 

 

RRP new stock 2011 VRS's diesel was £825 more expensive. Some can more than save that back in year 1. 

 

Get a quote for insurance on both and add the difference to the £1069.75 and if you know your the type of driver who can attain greater MPG than the average stated figures it would be a no brainier to me. 

 

 

Is there really only £560 in it?

 

 

No.

Thanks that's what I was after. In the Fabia vRS I get anywhere between 32mpg and 36mpg but all depends on traffic. Being twisty roads you have to take overtakes when they come up otherwise it takes ages to get home. This uses a fair bit. From full to fuel light on the last tank was exactly 300 miles. The only diesel I've owned was the last Fabia vRS and would easily do 45mpg on these roads even when pushing a little bit. 

So I'd be roughly saving £1000 just on fuel and if I top up when in Swansea instead where it's normally cheaper than out in the middle of nowhere I'd save a bit more. Servicing costs should be cheaper as I'd be doing it myself instead of at the dealers. But for the first year saving would probably go in a remap, lowering slightly and a RARB.

Selling wise maybe a problem but I could possibly get a straight swap somewhere if I'm lucky even if the Octy would be a year or two older but this doesn't bother me. I want to buy a house by the end of this year so it will be a keeper for a few years too. Estate for all the lugging I'll be doing will come in handy.

Hi Martyn, I sold my Fabia vRS for an Octy vRS TDi primarily becuause I found it too thirsty; not that I couldnt afford to run it but was v disappointed with the 32mpg average i was seeing, and like you being in the petrol station approx every 300 miles or less.

I wont lie to you I love my Blackline in every way except for how it performs; its not slow by any means but in terms of outright go it doesnt touch a petrol turbo car and I have to say I find it a bit dull. Ive consequently traded it in for an O3 2.0 TDi 150 Elegance estate as surprisingly following a test drive found it drove better and was easily as fast (weighs less than 1300kg so has a similar power to weight as the MK2 vRS TDi). I still went diesel though as didnt want to risk low 30's mpg again.

Still for a car with some level of performance its proved extremely reliable and much cheaper to run than the Fab. I see a good 46-48mpg in a long (100 mile) mixed run. I would however recommend a manual over a DSG, box does not mate at all well with the 170 TDi IMO and may be a large contributing factor in my finding it dull to drive, also hurts emmissions and fuel economy.

Edited 11 January, 201412 yr by pipsyp

Hi Martyn, I sold my Fabia vRS for an Octy vRS TDi primarily becuause I found it too thirsty; not that I couldnt afford to run it but was v disappointed with the 32mpg average i was seeing, and like you being in the petrol station approx every 300 miles or less.

I wont lie to you I love my Blackline in every way except for how it performs; its not slow by any means but in terms of outright go it doesnt touch a petrol turbo car and I have to say I find it a bit dull. Ive consequently traded it in for an O3 2.0 TDi 150 Elegance estate as surprisingly following a test drive found it drove better and was easily as fast (weighs less than 1300kg so has a similar power to weight as the MK2 vRS TDi). I still went diesel though as didnt want to risk low 30's mpg again.

Still for a car with some level of performance its proved extremely reliable and much cheaper to run than the Fab. I see a good 46-48mpg in a long (100 mile) mixed run. I would however recommend a manual over a DSG, box does not mate at all well with the 170 TDi IMO and may be a large contributing factor in my finding it dull to drive, also hurts emmissions and fuel economy.

 

Agreed, I came from a Mk1 Fabia VRS (173.3bhp remapped) to a new Octavia VRS CR170 TDi......... Coming from what I did made the stock Octavia VRS poor and dull! Remap happened at 1500 miles on the clock as a result and it made it better than the Fabia was for me. I drove 750 miles in a oner before remap got it done then drove 750 odd miles back. 49mpg on stock average 53mpg enjoying the remap on return leg. New engine so had to be nice to it also. 

 

In short as I said above, remap makes any car a whole new animal but in the CR170's case BIG TIME! More so if your coming from something anywhere close power wise. The good thing with the diesel VRS is that even if you gave it the beans your not going to drop to scary low MPG in the same way you might in a petrol for a spirited run. 

It will be getting mapped there's no problem there. Plus I will lower and add a RARB plus any other small bits that may help. Definitely won't be DSG either. Now the search begins

So I'm still looking for one. I should get £9k or so for my Fabia and ideally don't want to spend more than £12k for an Octavia vRS CR TDI. I would prefer an estate but I am looking at hatches too. Still not many tidy ones about though. Should be able to get a 10 or even an 11 plate with normal mileage in that budget?

So I'm still looking for one. I should get £9k or so for my Fabia and ideally don't want to spend more than £12k for an Octavia vRS CR TDI. I would prefer an estate but I am looking at hatches too. Still not many tidy ones about though. Should be able to get a 10 or even an 11 plate with normal mileage in that budget?

Hi - Sounds like a few here have already done what you're doing and includes me having just recently gone from Fab vRS to Octy Diesel.

There are cars in that price bracket but my experience was similar to what I've seen in previous threads; prices are up and down.

I do around 19k per year so for me the reason for getting a diesel was to hopefully have a better px value in a few years time.

Good Luck!

I would have thought you would be able to get a decent 2010/11 model cr vrs for £12k. I found a car like mine on auto trader & it was for sale for £7k... :'(  mine is a 58 plate petrol though. 

My local dealer has a 10plate petrol vRS with just under 30k on clock for a smidge under 11k. Looks quite nice but has vinyl CF roof and rear tinted windows.

Diesel - I'm looking at those - and have a budget of 13k. Seems a few around in that bracket.

If it is down to finances then obviously the diesel makes more sense . I test drove both before buying my tsi. Having had various diesels over the last few years the cr diesel is good but I was getting bored of the narrow power band and they take a lot longer to warm up in the winter. I covered 24k miles last year in my 2010 tsi. Usually get about 430-450miles from a tank. Best I've managed is just over 500. I've had mine remapped and it's great.....love being able to rev an engine now. Petrol also feels less nose heavy. Interestingly when I did an insurance quote for both the diesel was only £30 cheaper

I'll be doing about 25k a year now and currently doing 5-600 miles a week. In the Fabia vRS that two tanks and about £100 a week. I drove a Shark remapped and lowered vRS estate last week. Went very well and feels a lot smaller than it is and at speed feels fairly effortless but still good fun. I only noticed the front nose heaviness when going round a small roundabout. Felt like there wasn't enough air in the front tyres. When I get mine it will be off to Shark for a map then I'll get it lowered slightly and add a RARB. Should be perfect then.

One thing I have found is there are quite a few tatty ones about. Not unexpected but finding a tidy one is hard. Fleabay is a waste of time

I have a tidy petrol one. The trouble is there is not much of an incentive to sell them as they are so damned nice.

I'll be looking at one on Saturday

I'm still looking for one if anyone knows of a good one about. I'm looking at hatches now too to give me more choice

Scratch that. Estates only now. Been making plans to still use the kayak this year. I'll be part-exing the Fabia, budget including part-ex is still about 13k. Problem is 10 plates with higher mileages are getting priced at that :(

I have the same budget but only looking at hatches. Should be able to find a 10/11 plate with 40k on the clock around that price, but it is slim pickings for diesels. Think I may have a good one lined up tho, fingers crossed

I'll join the hint also. If I find any good ones that are too far south for me I'll pass on details!! Fabia Vrs estate - nice car, but £75 a month worse off due to increase in fuel bill over current MK5 Jetta? No thanks!!!

I'll join the hint also. If I find any good ones that are too far south for me I'll pass on details!! Fabia Vrs estate - nice car, but £75 a month worse off due to increase in fuel bill over current MK5 Jetta? No thanks!!!

When it was local driving only it was fine. Now I'm spending £80-£100 a week on fuel. It has to go.