Second Car Diesel Auto

Notch000

hI,

i was wondering what a diesel auto mpg would be like for a 8 mile urban communte EW ??? i think somehting like a golf/focus/c5/i40 sizes car maybe small estate. I'm aware of the potential DPF erg issues etc etc. I only every owned petriol and am looking at a second car to replace a MX5 for commuting and full use over the winter spring time months. looking for 2008+ cheap tax/VRT & something reasonably confortably. not sure about MPG or diesel autos petrol auto i had before we pretty horrendous on juice. i'd spending about 5.5k and looking to keep for 2-3 yrs . might source from the north & take a chance on somehting high milage

Foxhole Norman

I think it'd be utter madness to get a car that size with a diesel for an 8 mile commute. Better off looking at something like a Golf 1.4TSi DSG or the like!

zilog_jones

For an urban commute, diesel is not a particularly good choice. At low speeds and in heavy traffic the engine will barely warm up - not good for fuel consumption or any of the emissions control junk. If you want something efficient for urban driving you'd be better off with a hybrid, but at that budget there's not much choice (2nd gen Prius or Civic Hybrid of similar age).

Modern automatics are not bad fuel-wise.

Musketeer4

For a mere eight mile commute would you not get a good bicycle instead?

You'd be bonkers to pay big money for a newish enough diesel car that's just doing 80 miles a week.
If a bike is not an option I'd be getting, say, an 08 petrol supermini class car. Maybe a suzuki swift, Nissan Micra or Ford Ka. No merit in anything bigger than 1.2L for urban commute driving.

selectamatic

Prius

Musketeer4

Smart car?

alias no.9

Something like a Honda Civic 1.8 petrol iShift might fit the bill. It's an automated manual rather than a torque converter auto and possibly not the most refined of gearboxes but if an economical, low tax (€390) cheap to run car is what you want, you may live with the gearshift, especially on such a short commute. No turbo, DMF, DPF, etc... to fail and eat up all of your tax and fuel savings.

Notch000

thats 8 miles each way, i ccycle buy galway traffic is very dodgy, **** driving standard and worse narrow roads + winter.

I had thought of the civics but i test drove a jazz recently for my mother and though the auto box was really terrible

Musketeer4

No. just no. A 1.8 litre is an animal of an engine for city commute driving.
Why do you need an auto box? A manual will be cheaper and easier to get.

grogi

Musketeer4 wrote: »

No. just no. A 1.8 litre is an animal of an engine for city commute driving.
Why do you need an auto box? A manual will be cheaper and easier to get.

Because it is, well..., easier to drive?!

cruizer101

Musketeer4 wrote: »

No. just no. A 1.8 litre is an animal of an engine for city commute driving.
Why do you need an auto box? A manual will be cheaper and easier to get.

I'd agree 1.8 bit big for urban commute but for a lot of stop start an auto is very nice to have and I would say well worth the extra you'd pay.

mikeecho

for a 16 mile daily commute, i'd be looking at an Auto petrol/electric

just to clarify.. something like a bmw 330e or toyota prius/ or that honda version of a prius

Petro/elec gives you the benefit of an electric car, with the convenience of a petrol for those longer journeys. and as you said, it'll be a second car, so prob wont be doing long journeys all that often.



i'm also an Auto convert.. would never go back to a manual...

Musketeer4

A 330 BMW for city commuting? You#re having a laugh.

That sort of second car utility driving requries nothing more than an A or B segment car.

mikeecho

Musketeer4 wrote: »

A 330 BMW for city commuting? You#re having a laugh.

That sort of second car utility driving requries nothing more than an A or B segment car.

it was an example of a petro/elec

do you have a problem with the suggestion of a prius / honda



*unfollows

kirving

Musketeer4 wrote: »

A 330 BMW for city commuting? You#re having a laugh.

That sort of second car utility driving requries nothing more than an A or B segment car.

Obviously not at the OP's budget, but what's wrong with a bit of comfort and refinement in your commuting car? It could take over an hour to travel 8 miles in Dublin, which is 2 hours a day. Add in a few child seats and a B segment car would be a complete pain.

colm_mcm

Spending €5500!

Ah jaysus, you won't get anything decent post 08 in a diesel auto for that. And if you do it'll be in shoite in no time.


Get a Prius (pre 08 but only 1.5 tax anyway)

Even if you had a car that only did 20mpg vs 35mpg - you're still not spending that much extra on petrol in real terms.

Anyway, the answer is a Prius.