So I've been working out my MPG the last few weeks and after running a lot of work pool derv cars during the week I've been realizing that sitting at 60mph on the motorway just to see reasonable economy from my Mk1 VRS is really not ideal (trip computer says 40mpg typically).

 

Now the octy is mildly breathed on but lately my average mpg figure (pump to pump) has been around the 30mpg mark which means I'm spending more time at the pump then I'd like. 

 

Now I wouldn't normally consider this but as I currently have a S2000 in the garage waiting for the summer months to return I'm thinking of going back to Diesel but I don't really want to go backwards (I had a focus TDCI sport mapped to 138bhp previously) so ideally would want more power or similar to the Mk1 octy VRS for my daily driver. The big issue for me is that if I can find a diesel that achieves 40mpg I'll be making a saving of about £900 by the time I marry my fiancé in less than a year which will go a long way to the honeymoon fund.

 

Ideally I don't want to spend a penny so whatever I get for the Octavia I'll be throwing at the next car.

My options:

 

1. Fabia VRS mk1 - look after it then map to get it on par with the octy.

2. Ibiza Cupra PD160 - Leave stock and enjoy a car I remember from my days at University.

3. Keep the octy - drive conservatively for a year on the commute and enjoy the noise of a petrol.

 

My octy is not mapped but it does run a decat, a miltek full system, R-Tech open cone, and seems to have a small boost leak about 4k (which doesn't help).

 

Thoughts ladies and gents?

Have you thought about a PD130 Octavia?

 

They are getting cheap now.

 

Don't forget you'll be saving on car tax too as a diesel will be far less than your vRS.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Octavia-1-9TDi-PD-Elegance-/172413723697

Consider also the extra cost of the fuel, the potentially higher road tax and also insurance costs before deciding what to do. You may end up with a diesel that average only a fraction more than what you already have, but costs more to fill, tax and insure.....

 

Why not investigate a car that has had LPG fitted? That was one of the deciding factors for getting the vRS I did - it had a properly installed LPG fitted when it had 9 miles on the clock (now has 155k) - this works out as still averaging 35 mpg on the work commute (mixed roads and stop start town driving) but only costs me a maximum of £25 to fill (55.9p/litre at the moment) - so I only spend about £60 a month on fuel.

Consider also the extra cost of the fuel, the potentially higher road tax and also insurance costs before deciding what to do. You may end up with a diesel that average only a fraction more than what you already have, but costs more to fill, tax and insure.....

 

Why not investigate a car that has had LPG fitted? That was one of the deciding factors for getting the vRS I did - it had a properly installed LPG fitted when it had 9 miles on the clock (now has 155k) - this works out as still averaging 35 mpg on the work commute (mixed roads and stop start town driving) but only costs me a maximum of £25 to fill (55.9p/litre at the moment) - so I only spend about £60 a month on fuel.

Extra cost of fuel!!!  Diesel is 2p/litre more than petrol so 9p/gallon more.  If he is currently averaging 30mpg in his petrol car then more than 32.3 mpg in a diesel will see him break even.  Any better than that and he is gaining - as he will probably obtain at least 45mpg in a diesel his fuel will cost 5.5p/mile less.  My 2012 vRS CR has averaged a true 45mpg over the last 30K miles.

Consider also the extra cost of the fuel, the potentially higher road tax and also insurance costs before deciding what to do. You may end up with a diesel that average only a fraction more than what you already have, but costs more to fill, tax and insure.....

 

Why not investigate a car that has had LPG fitted? That was one of the deciding factors for getting the vRS I did - it had a properly installed LPG fitted when it had 9 miles on the clock (now has 155k) - this works out as still averaging 35 mpg on the work commute (mixed roads and stop start town driving) but only costs me a maximum of £25 to fill (55.9p/litre at the moment) - so I only spend about £60 a month on fuel.

It'll only be about a quid more per fillup (1.13 per litre vs 1.11 at my local station). I pay for my tax monthly, it's about £12 per month. I did a comparethemarket the other day and my cheapest quote was £350 (paid monthly), a bit pants considering I paid something like £280 last year, though that was for a single payment.

Extra cost of fuel!!!  Diesel is 2p/litre more than petrol so 9p/gallon more.  If he is currently averaging 30mpg in his petrol car then more than 32.3 mpg in a diesel will see him break even.  Any better than that and he is gaining - as he will probably obtain at least 45mpg in a diesel his fuel will cost 5.5p/mile less.  My 2012 vRS CR has averaged a true 45mpg over the last 30K miles.

 

My commute is mostly motorway, and in my (mapped) PD130, with normal driving, the cruise control set to 70 and the tyres correctly inflated I normally average 60mpg. With all the personal town driving etc. etc. The overall average is currently at 56mpg.

 

Octy PD130 is the way to go imho; the OP will keep the boot space etc. they're used to though they'll lose the nice seats. If space isn't an issue I'd say get the Fabia vRS.

Edited 24 November, 20169 yr by abo

Extra cost of fuel!!!  Diesel is 2p/litre more than petrol so 9p/gallon more.  If he is currently averaging 30mpg in his petrol car then more than 32.3 mpg in a diesel will see him break even.  Any better than that and he is gaining - as he will probably obtain at least 45mpg in a diesel his fuel will cost 5.5p/mile less.  My 2012 vRS CR has averaged a true 45mpg over the last 30K miles.

 

At the moment - take into account the way that the perception of diesel is changing, and that could all change in the next few years. London are already on about restricting pre Euro4  petrol and diesel cars, a few other larger cities are looking into introducing similar policies as well - so the benefit of diesel may well be thrown out of the window before long.

Cheapest car is normally the one you own.

 

You haven't said how many miles you are driving but unless it's a lot you'll probably be as well off with what you have.

Cheapest car is normally the one you own.

 

You haven't said how many miles you are driving but unless it's a lot you'll probably be as well off with what you have.

 

Agreed! I'm doing 80 miles a day to/from work, so 400 a week and 1600 a month (plus mileage at the weekends too). I've thought about changing mine for something more economical but have decided not to for a number of reasons:

• I keep on top of maintenance and the running costs are fairly predictable. Lots of big jobs have been done fairly recently (cambelt, discs & pads, tyres, tie rods, suspension bushes...) so other than servicing every 10k miles there shouldn't be much else to do. Sometimes it's better the devil you know.
• Virtually no depreciation left on the VRS - may not be true of a replacement car.
• The VRS is a good compromise for performance/economy. A more economical petrol car will most likely be slower and smaller, or newer and more expensive. A diesel will be... diesel (slower and sound like a tractor).
• Time - the ideal used car rarely pops up around the corner. "Full service history" and "good condition" mean very different things to different people. There are a lot of lemons about, more so at the price range it sounds like you'd be looking at.

I recently got my first diesel car as my work mileage could well double soon & my petrol octavia vrs was great for 6 years but the £270 a year tax & 32 mpg were getting expensive,my volvo is £30 a year to tax & im getting around 50 mpg which im happy with & ive already seen a massive change in how often im visiting the fuel station.  so this works for me at the moment. 

Cheapest car is normally the one you own.

 

You haven't said how many miles you are driving but unless it's a lot you'll probably be as well off with what you have.

 

I wholeheartedly agree which is what put me off a few months ago.

 

•  Sometimes it's better the devil you know.
• Virtually no depreciation left on the VRS
• The VRS is a good compromise for performance/economy. A more economical petrol car will most likely be slower and smaller, or newer and more expensive. A diesel will be... diesel (slower and sound like a tractor).
• Time - the ideal used car rarely pops up around the corner.

 

 

Lots of good points gents - but yes diesel is finally being picked up in our country as being worse for the local environment but I'm not 100% when tax is going to change.

 

My mileage is 14-16k in just the octy, around 5k in the S2000 and about 2k in the girlfriends Lupo.

 

I think in reality I need to use the Fiance's Lupo a hell of a lot more for the local around town stuff rather than doing the easy fun thing and jumping in the octy each time but I just enjoy driving the Octavia a hell of a lot more.

 

Reason I changed from the focus TDCI in the first place was despite having a track/weekend car I often found myself miserable and bored in the focus as the lack of a soundtrack did my head in. I know full well that in the near future I'll be looking at a 335D for the daily stuff but until then I do think it makes sense to stick with the petrol VRS.

Cheapest car is normally the one you own.

 

You haven't said how many miles you are driving but unless it's a lot you'll probably be as well off with what you have.

Absolutely!

(I should have learnt my own lesson but I failed))))

Absolutely!

(I should have learnt my own lesson but I failed))))

 

Oh I totally won't be following my own advice next year.

I'll probably buy something completely inappropriate then complain about my stupidity for the 5th time.

I was considering going the other way.... VW 1.6 TDI, but now doing less than 250 miles a month on general round town/small commute. A petrol made more sense, given the inbuilt problems with VW diesels currently.

However, incoming family edition meant more space required for lugging stuff about.

A petrol based equivalent CRV cost more on tax, drank more fuel ( on paper anyway) and was far less drivable to us.

In practice, the derv version costs a teeny but more to run 3 weeks out of 4, by about £3. But the mi ute we hit the motorway to visit relatives, a 110 mile round trip, the needle swings back in favour of the derv.

But cost I can live with, but driveability, getting going, picking up and getting a move on.... the diesel has more grunt to respond. At least from my test drives.

I can't see anyway of going back to petrol, unless it was a fun, weekend car sort of thing.