Diesel automatic with good fuel economy?

flyingscotno1

First of all- I take it you have a high motorway mileage? If so diesel is no problem but if it is mostly urban maybe look elsewhere?

I was about to add the Auris Hybrid but saw you've noted that. My only concern with that is that they are more suited economy wise to urban journeys, not sure how economic it will be on motorway runs.

A quick look at What Car in small hatchbacks I could only turn up at a glance at the Auris Hybrid and a Fiat Bravo Auto (no doubt like so many a clutchless manaual with an auto function) at 60mpg and £30 tax which you haven't mentioned.

Now as to 60mpg figures, well that is what is stated in a lab test for all of them.... In the real world it is often a bit unachievable I wouldn't put too much onto them.

My car is 57mpg combined, 68mpg extra urban. I do 15 miles on motorways or A roads to work at 50mph+. Only 2.5miles of my commutes is in heavy urban traffic- yet my car is at the moment averaging 48.8mpg. I can on certain journeys get 60mpg on long motorway runs but that 68mpg is a pipedream only achievable under perfect conditions, light traffic, sitting at 50mph on a motorway. It isn't just that car either-my last Skoda was the same 48mpg yet it was 57mpg combined!

JoeyEmma

Thanks for all the tips!

My first car was a Fiat Bravo. It died on a on a single file bridge over a ravine in Cumbria with a 40ft drop below. Fiat stood for fix it again tomorrow in my book. I had nothign but problems with it and it rattled and incesantly.

My driving is about 30% motorways and 70% on urban roads. I do about 14,000 ish miles a year. Its on a lease scheme for work, which includes all my insurance, servicing, tax disc etc. It is taxed as a company car, so it is still important to keep the banding down.

adamc260

I have the normal Auris and its a great comfortable car thats brilliant for round town or long motorway journeys (the seats are SO comfy!).. The hybrid just builds on that with even better fuel economy

forgotmyname

70% urban, 60mpg and automatic, Only if you buy something with a tiny engine and drive very very slowly.

Kilty_2

I wouldn't get too hung up on fuel consumption - how much (if any) of those 14k miles do the company pay for?

14k miles isn't exactly that much anyway.

katykitten

hi, taken all this into account - im looking for a hatchback/mimi mpv or similar, i do mostly urban driving rarely motorway, need to have an automatic due to knee probs and am only 5' 2" and have been used to a meriva which gives me a great view and feeling of superiority so would love this as an extra benefit! Im buying this in part ex for the meriva which is an 06 easytronic with awful fuel economy, basically these things are important - fuel economy, low emissions (tax) height off the road, automatic or similar, 2 or 3 years old and..............it has to be yellow (sorry, only kidding!) - i have no idea as to where to start looking at comparison charts, sites etc so any advice from you would be much appreciated
thanks

bigjl

Diesel with an autobox and good economy are rare partners.

I think your best chance is with any VAG group car with the DSG box, as that is basically a manual box with two clutches.

You may be able to match the manual box figures by using in manual mode, a DSG box can normally get from 0-60 quicker than a normal manual box.

I have driven auto diesels at work for a few years, and can confirm the Zafira is really bad on fuel, though this may be down to the DPF.

If the Golf Bluemotion that you have mentioned has a DSG box then that would be a good bet. A normal autobox tends to let the engine rev like a petrol, and side steps the low down torque that lets you keep the revs down to help fuel economy in a manual diesel.

As mentioned a Prius/Auris will get 50+mpg round town, though not much better on a run, maybe even worse. Looks wise, some may find the new AUris hybrid to be nicer to look at.

flyingscotno1

JoeyEmma wrote: »

Thanks for all the tips!

My first car was a Fiat Bravo. It died on a on a single file bridge over a ravine in Cumbria with a 40ft drop below. Fiat stood for fix it again tomorrow in my book. I had nothign but problems with it and it rattled and incesantly.

My driving is about 30% motorways and 70% on urban roads. I do about 14,000 ish miles a year. Its on a lease scheme for work, which includes all my insurance, servicing, tax disc etc. It is taxed as a company car, so it is still important to keep the banding down.

I'd say the Auris Hybrid might not be a bad choice given company car tax and other things. It will be lowest BIK, best for urban driving too.

Fiat have improved in recent years stuff in the mid 90s wasn't up to much whereas there modern stuff is a lot better if not matching Japanese stuff. Some of their cars are really nice, thought the Alfa Guillieta might have suited but the diesel does not have an autobox unfortunately- but it is a gorgeous car IMV. If you think Fiat can be bad, just as well you ain't liking some of the French makes, we had a Laguna, which had err, character. Rear Windscreen heat and radio together was bad though. Air Con was like an asthmatic man blowing over you too! Was a good laugh though. :rotfl:

bigjl wrote: »

I think your best chance is with any VAG group car with the DSG box, as that is basically a manual box with two clutches.

DSG is an excellent box, esp on a lease under warranty. If you were a private owner I'd hate to see the cost of it failing!

I'd be tempted to ditch the Bluemotion Golf and go for a Skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel with same box though!

goldspanners

surely the new astra or the new focus out next momth will offer such fuel economy. i drove an automatic diesel vectra last year and got over 60 mpg from that combined over 200 miles.

forgotmyname

goldspanners wrote: »

surely the new astra or the new focus out next momth will offer such fuel economy. i drove an automatic diesel vectra last year and got over 60 mpg from that combined over 200 miles.

Was it towed 100 of them after it broke down? Or did you get 20mpg for the other 200 miles?
If you said it average 60mpg from proper working out and not the trip computer and over 50,000 miles i would rush out & buy one.

Do astra's still come with the useless 70bhp diesel? 70bhp for a car that weights over 1.3 tons. Snooze inducing.

Parkers show the average as 40mpg, which is 9 mpg less than the manual.