Car Recommendations

[Xye86]

Ok. I am aware its more how you drive than what you drive...

However before Christmas I got my tyres changed and my fuel consumption has plummeted. Before the change I got around 45-46MPG now I am getting 40-41. And its not like I got unbranded tyres either, I believe they are pirelli.

I drive around 70 miles a day, mostly(90-95% of the way) on clear motorways.

I was considering switching to a diesel but then I heard about this NOx gas pollution issue and am wondering what the government is going to do now.

I Currently drive a Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 16v Petrol, I was considering an Audi A3.

Just really not sure what to go for, so any help would be welcome.

[Draigflag]

Are you looking at new or 2nd hand? There are some great deals on new cars at the moment. German cars are ok, a bit dull to drive, but they have been slated recently for relibility issues, coincidentaly, the last three broken down cars I stopped to help were all A3s! Japanese and French cars top the tables for relibility now.

I wouldnt worry about the diesel scenario, it's only the government missing out on tax revenue for road tax since they told everyone to buy diesel to cut C02. The most probable outcome is that they charge extra congestion charges etc for entering cities, and as you do mostly motorway miles, this should not affect you.

There's a lot of choice out there, do you have any other aspects? Cabin space? Running costs? Etc.

[Xye86]

I was looking for something a year or so old, My only other limiting factors are price £15-17k and I have a garage which is kind of small, My current Alfa fits rather snugly into it, and parking outside isn't really an option.

I am tempted to go for another Alfa if I am honest, having had no issues at all with this one.

[Draigflag]

You were quite lucky not to have issues, as the MiTo comes almost last for relibilty. If you want a good idea about how reliable a car will be, this website below compiles vast amounts of data taken from owners and warranty jobs etc.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/

The Ford fiesta and Ford focus were the best selling cars of 2014, the 1.0 litre ecoboost is a small but mighty engine, but the diesel might suit the motorway better, you should see 70+ MPG from it (although some hypermilers have managed close to 90 MPG in the MPG Marathon!) With that budget though, there is still a huge choice, best to narrow it down to a few then go and test drive and see what features you like best. I did that and bought a new Clio, but I drove a lot of cars before making my choice.

[trollbait]

As to the new tires and fuel economy loss, are the new ones the same models as the old ones. Different tires have different rolling resistance, and all new ones will take a little time to break in. Also make sure the shop didn't underinflate them.

[Jcp385]

^^ +1 on the break in time. They can take a few months' time to properly break in. Not sure I'd trade in a car because it's fuel economy suffered from different treads.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Not only do new tires need to be broken in, but worn tires have a lower rolling resistance than the same tires when they were newer. Add to that, different tire models have different rolling resistances. Unfortunately, the time to check these things is before you buy tires, not after. It is January, and cold weather also has a negative impact on economy. My recommendation is to drive on those tires for another couple thousand miles and then reevaluate your economy in the spring.

[Xye86]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

You were quite lucky not to have issues, as the MiTo comes almost last for relibilty. If you want a good idea about how reliable a car will be, this website below compiles vast amounts of data taken from owners and warranty jobs etc.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/

The Ford fiesta and Ford focus were the best selling cars of 2014, the 1.0 litre ecoboost is a small but mighty engine, but the diesel might suit the motorway better, you should see 70+ MPG from it (although some hypermilers have managed close to 90 MPG in the MPG Marathon!) With that budget though, there is still a huge choice, best to narrow it down to a few then go and test drive and see what features you like best. I did that and bought a new Clio, but I drove a lot of cars before making my choice.

I was meaning to ask petrol or diesel Thank you for your advice Draigflag

Originally Posted by trollbait

As to the new tires and fuel economy loss, are the new ones the same models as the old ones. Different tires have different rolling resistance, and all new ones will take a little time to break in. Also make sure the shop didn't underinflate them.

To be honest I don't recall what the old tyres were but I don't think they were the same. The shop certainly didn't set the pressures I drove on them for a bit before I did that to find they varied wildly around the car.... wasn't terribly impressed but even after I set them back to the cars recommended pressures It was still the same.

Originally Posted by Jcp385

^^ +1 on the break in time. They can take a few months' time to properly break in. Not sure I'd trade in a car because it's fuel economy suffered from different treads.

Its not 100% because of the drop in economy the reason for the change. I have already driven several thousand miles on them already with little improvement even with trying to change my driving style

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Not only do new tires need to be broken in, but worn tires have a lower rolling resistance than the same tires when they were newer. Add to that, different tire models have different rolling resistances. Unfortunately, the time to check these things is before you buy tires, not after. It is January, and cold weather also has a negative impact on economy. My recommendation is to drive on those tires for another couple thousand miles and then reevaluate your economy in the spring.

Where do you go to check out the different tyres and so on that isn't all manufacturers blurb? I am sticking with my Alfa for a few months yet and will see if it improves any. Also is there any recommended ways of breaking in tyres? I mean I don't know how much I wear them just rolling along the motorway.

[Draigflag]

I also use this website below to compare running costs, you can select a few vehicles at a time and it gives a rough idea of depreciation, fuel costs, running costs etc. I did the calculation below based on 2 years and 12,000 miles a year. You'll see the diesel MiTo would save you £2500 in 2 years V's the petrol, but you can compare it against any car for sale in the UK!

http://www.greencarguide.co.uk/compa...model=mito@@@9

[trollbait]

The car's recommended tire pressures are more for comfy ride. Increasing it can make the ride rougher, but will reduce rolling resistance.

In Europe, the tire labeling and rating system goes into more depth than what we have in the US. At least site in German I once saw did.