Car Thread - £2-3k Most Efficient Car?

db21111

Say you wanna spend £2-3k on a car (I don't but I'm curious to know for a friend) (Though I might let the info motivate me at a later date too!) but you wanted it to be efficient, aka cheap on fuel, insurance, maintenance etc.... What would you get?

Clearly the price limits the options and the possibility but I'm interested in what you car buffs think...

bengalknights

Skoda Fabia/Seat Ibiza/Ford Mondeo and a few other fords and a other super minis/city cars.

forgotmyname

Bigger car = cheaper to buy but maybe dearer to insure & less mpg. Depends on driving conditions.
Nearly managed 70mpg from my 2L Diesel mondeo estate tonight. Almost made it (69mpg).

Cost me £110 for parts and labour for a full service. Oil & Fuel & Air filters, Oil. Strip clean brakes etc.


Small car = more demand = higher prices to purchase but maybe cheaper to insure. (MAYBE)


Depends on your driving style and journey type. What mpg can you afford? How many miles and what
type of roads? Miles per year?

KierNet

I've got a 1.8TDDi Focus (2001). Cost me £1,700 a couple of years ago, had one thing go wrong with it (diesel pump...cost me £1,100 to get fixed), since then its been perfect. Get around 45mpg without trying. Insurance isn't too bad for me, £660 at 21.

bigjl

I would go for a Mk3 Mondeo diesel aswell, especially if i had some motorway driving to do. Mine will crack 50mpg mostly round town.

If i was only driving round town then a Clio with the 1.5 Dci engine is a good car. The wifes does 60 mpg overall with most miles round town. But beware these small cars on a long run with three ir four people in it, especially the 68bhp one that we have, as we went to Southampton in it last week and it returned 52mpg. As soon as you get to 70 you are revving the nuts off it as the gearing is obviously more suited to urban use.

At the same speeds my Mondeo would have been doing 60/65 mpg.

The mk3 Mondeo is also very cheap for what you get.

Though make sure you get a decent one, a lot of clocked ones and ex taxis out there.

Kilty_2

At this end of the market you really need to buy primarily on condition rather than fuel economy - a £2000 diesel that gets 6000000000 MPG will be no good to you if it's out of action.