MSE's 2011 Petrol/Diesel Cost Diet Challenge: Put your money where your pedal is!

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Comments

  • Inactive
    Inactive Posts: 14,509 Forumite
    http://www.harryramsdens.co.uk/ :)
  • clever_username
    clever_username Posts: 609 Forumite
    Inactive wrote: »
    http://www.harryramsdens.co.uk/ :)
    Yum. You buying? :)
  • spendaholic
    spendaholic Posts: 1,535 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud! Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    alexlyne wrote: »
    As for driving, I bought a diesel C4 a couple of years ago to replace a saxo (1.4 petrol averaging 45mpg, god knows how someone drives to only get 30, i guess it must all be through towns),

    Would that someone be me? I may get 45 to the gallon, I don't know. It'll be in my handbook, but as we've not had gallons since I bought it, I could be mistaken. Even so, a full tank, which used to cost £30 to fill but now costs £45, means between 350 and 400 miles depending on how much motorway driving I do.

    I emptied the boot. Next job will be fill the tyres.

    However, a terrific influx of new freelance work means I may be able to replace this car sooner (the head gasket is on the way out). I want a Golf, for the reliability, durability, stability and slight feel of luxury, but I don't know how economical a Golf will be. I know they hold their value, and I know parts are dear. But I don't know if the tax is the same as for my Saxo (£125 a year), or more, or less, and I don't know how many miles to the tank or how much it will cost to fill the tank.
    spendy/she/her ***DEBT-FREE DATE: 11 NOVEMBER 2022!*** Highest debt: £35k (2006) MY WINS: £3,541 CASH; £149 Specsavers voucher; free eye test; goody bag from Scottish Book Trust; tickets to Grand Designs Live; 2-year access to Feel Amazing App (worth £100); Home Improvement & Renovation Show tickets; £50 to spend on chocolate; Harlem Globetrotters tickets; Jesus Christ Superstar tickets + 2 t-shirts; Guardians of the Galaxy goody bag; Birmingham City v Barnsley FC tickets; Marillion tickets; Dancing on Ice tickets; Barnsley FC v Millwall tickets
  • Inactive
    Inactive Posts: 14,509 Forumite
    clever_username wrote: »
    Yum. You buying? :)

    Nah, I'm saving up for a gallon of petrol.. :)
  • geordie_ben
    geordie_ben Posts: 3,118 Forumite
    First Anniversary
    edited 13 January 2011 at 3:46PM
    spendaholic wrote: »
    But I don't know if the tax is the same as for my Saxo (£125 a year), or more, or less, and I don't know how many miles to the tank or how much it will cost to fill the tank.

    My 1.9 X reg TDI Golf is about £220 a year

    If you fill the tank then you will get less MPG. Fuels weighs a lot! Fill half a tank, even 1/4 if you can manage it and you'll notice a difference.

    I get about 40-45mpg. You can easily work out your actual MPG if you follow this easy process

    Fill your car with fuel and KEEP THE RECEIPT
    Reset your journey clock to zero before driving off
    Next time you fill up record the amount of miles on the journey clock
    In Excel set this simple spreadsheet out

    In cell A1 enter the miles you covered
    In cell B1 enter the price her litre (it's on the receipt you kept)
    In cell C1 enter the price of fill up
    In cell D1 enter this formula =D1/A1 - This will show you how much each mile cost you
    In cell E1 enter this formula =C1/B1 - This will show you how many litres you put in (should match your receipt)
    In cell F1 enter the formula =A1/(E1/4.54609188) - This will show you your MPG

    I filled my car with £20 of Diesel at £1.129 a litre. I did 160 miles.
    The formulas work out that it cost me £0.13 a mile. I filled up 17.71 litres and that my MPG was 41.06

    To test you've set the spread sheet up properly use these figures

    Input
    A1: 160
    B1: 1.129
    C1: 20

    Output
    D1: £0.13
    E1: 17.71
    F1: 41.06

    Repeat the process over and over again, keep note of your MPGs each time you fill up
  • clever_username
    clever_username Posts: 609 Forumite
    Inactive wrote: »
    Nah, I'm saving up for a gallon of petrol.. :)
    Amen brother.

    I'd laugh if it wasn't so close to the truth. :)
  • spendaholic
    spendaholic Posts: 1,535 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud! Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    geordie_ben wrote: »
    My 1.9 X reg TDI Golf is about £220 a year

    If you fill the tank then you will get less MPG. Fuels weighs a lot! Fill half a tank, even 1/4 if you can manage it and you'll notice a difference.

    Thank you - on both counts.

    I just found the Parkers website referred to by another thread, and I think I'll pay the same in tax. I'm only after a 1.4 3d, and that's £125 a year. I parked next to a GTI at lunchtime and that had paid the same half year tax, £68.75. Ish.

    I've been told before not to fill the tank. The last 2 times I've not filled it to the brim, one of them was only a half fill. Perhaps I could work out a weekly amount that fits with my budget. That should technically be a quarter tank a time. Most times.
    spendy/she/her ***DEBT-FREE DATE: 11 NOVEMBER 2022!*** Highest debt: £35k (2006) MY WINS: £3,541 CASH; £149 Specsavers voucher; free eye test; goody bag from Scottish Book Trust; tickets to Grand Designs Live; 2-year access to Feel Amazing App (worth £100); Home Improvement & Renovation Show tickets; £50 to spend on chocolate; Harlem Globetrotters tickets; Jesus Christ Superstar tickets + 2 t-shirts; Guardians of the Galaxy goody bag; Birmingham City v Barnsley FC tickets; Marillion tickets; Dancing on Ice tickets; Barnsley FC v Millwall tickets
  • geordie_ben
    geordie_ben Posts: 3,118 Forumite
    First Anniversary
    spendaholic wrote: »
    I've been told before not to fill the tank. The last 2 times I've not filled it to the brim, one of them was only a half fill. Perhaps I could work out a weekly amount that fits with my budget. That should technically be a quarter tank a time. Most times.

    Have a play around. if you do the same journey everyday (ish) then fill it full, then half then quarter to see which gets you the best results
  • sbsjb13
    sbsjb13 Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 13 January 2011 at 5:27PM
    I don't use the car one day a week, and walk and cycle as much as possble, taken off 4,000miles in the last year.

    Manufacturers need to go back to building cars with sunroofs to avoid excessive use of air conditioning.:A
  • fine_feather
    fine_feather Posts: 2 Newbie
    I had my car converted to run on LPG 30 months ago. The best thing I ever did when I see LPG priced around 74p per litre and petrol/diesel around £1.30.
    I can't understand why car manufacturers aren't providing this as a factory fitted option.
    Alan S.
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