Best small car for long distance?

Tiddlywinks

I've got a Mini Cooper S and it is small enough for around town and the engine is large enough for motorways. I have the lounge interior so it is also comfie for long journeys.

MPG is shockingly low BUT I didn't buy it for economy and I already knew the figures before I bought it.

Before that I had a Volvo estate - nearly twice the length - it is not the size of the car but the shape and visibility that will make it harder or easier to park. For instance I also tried out the Fiat 500 and the nearside over the shoulder visibility for that was poor in comparison to my much larger car.

Take some cars out for a test drive and try them - sit in and see how much of your surroundings you can see... good wing mirrors help as well.

What is your budget and what are your priorities and "must haves"?

Retrogamer

I'm driving a 2012 VW Polo 1.2tdi hire car at the moment. I do approx 50 miles each day commute to work with about 70% motorways.

I rate it quite highly on the fuel saver front.
£20 a year road tax (IIRC) and the book says 83mpg on the motorway at approx 55mph.

The gear ratios are really long in it as well. 4th gear is longer than 5th gear on my old Corsa so when you're doing 70mph in 5th you're only doing approx 2000rpm.

It's really powerful or quick but it's got a bit of torque in the lower gears once the turbo spools up.

OddballJamie

Cowgirl13 wrote: »

I regularly do motorway driving and if your looking for a small car I would recommend a Peugeot 207 or 208 diesel. I got 600 miles to a tank ( £50-60) which I felt was economical. It was comfortable and very easy to park! Its not as small as an AYGO, but personally having driven cars that size such as a Seat Mii on motorways I felt a bit intimated when I went past lorries and couldn't get the car to go near 70mph! Also if you went for a slightly bigger car you'd increase your confidence in parking because you would just get used to doing it. Not sure if this helps xx

I'd love to know where you are getting your fuel so cheap, both the 207 and 208 come with 50 litre tanks.

Also if you couldn't manage to get a Seat Mii to go 70mph you really need to take some driving lessons on using gears correctly.

OP I recommend an A1 diesel, great little car and fantastic depreciation.

Ultrasonic

Retrogamer wrote: »

...the book says 83mpg on the motorway at approx 55mph.

Out of curiousity does it definitely say that, or is that the official extra-urban fuel economy figure? Although I can believe the two are similar anyway.

I totally agree that a diesel Polo is a good idea btw . Assuming it's not too big (a Polo is about 30 cm wider than an Aygo)...

Roland_Sausage

Imp wrote: »

People who say you need a big car for long miles are normally just looking for an excuse for their status symbols.

I would disagree. Recently my employer organised a rental car for me to do a 400 mile trip. They went for the cheapest and I was given a Nissan Micra.

Whilst it got me there in one piece, by the end of the journey I was desperately uncomfortable, and my right foot was aching from the accelerator pedal.

I would much rather have completed the journey in something larger and designed to be sat in for long periods at a time.

Retrogamer

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Out of curiousity does it definitely say that, or is that the official extra-urban fuel economy figure? Although I can believe the two are similar anyway.

I totally agree that a diesel Polo is a good idea btw . Assuming it's not too big (a Polo is about 30 cm wider than an Aygo)...

That's the official extra urban fuel economy figures. It doesn't have a mpg meter in the one i'm driving, but it seems much better than my old 1.5td Corsa and that done approx 65mpg extra urban. Seems to be a combination of the really small engine and turbo and really long gear ratios

CKhalvashi

I've spoken to someone, who has recommended the following, depending on your budget;

Ford Fiesta 1.6
Skoda Fabia 1.6/1.9
Vauxhall Corsa 1.7
VW Polo 1.9

All are diesel, all should last a long time, and all of which she has experience with high mileages from her previous job.

CK

iolanthe07

I had an Hyundai i10 and only changed to an i30 because the boot was too small. According to Honest John a couple of years ago it was (is?) the best small car you can buy in terms of reliability and equipment for the price. There are loads of them here in rural Somerset where I live - they seem to breed!. They come with a five year transferrable warranty, too. Kia do a similar sized car with a seven year warranty, so that might be worth looking at.

Cowgirl13

OddballJamie wrote: »

I'd love to know where you are getting your fuel so cheap, both the 207 and 208 come with 50 litre tanks.

Also if you couldn't manage to get a Seat Mii to go 70mph you really need to take some driving lessons on using gears correctly.

.

I no longer have the Pug, so not sure what current prices would be, but that was probably just over a year ago.

Thanks for the advice on my driving ability, very helpful!

gilbert_and_sullivan

Aygo unreliable, tell whoever suggested that they are talking out their backside.

Its a cracking little car, the 3 cylinder engine is fine and it will keep up with the traffic without problem and is more than capable of losing you your licence if you want to push it.

Why would the clutch be prone to failure on long distance driving, the clutch isn't being used its locked solidly to the flywheel, its hill starts, riding the clutch and excessive town or harsh unsympathetic driving that ruins clutches.

You read some tommy rot on here, you really do.

The only thing with Aygo is road noise, not insulated at all around the rear wheelarches nor around the boot floor area , though strangely enough the underfloor insulation is reasonable enough and the bulkhead quite well soundproofed.

For long journeys its worth spending £50 on soundproofing and getting someone handy to remove the plastics trims from the areas mentioned and lining the bare painted metal with self adhesive insulation and reassemble, the difference will be astonishing.
I know because i have done this to a family Aygo (which gives trouble free service) as well as upgrading the cheap and nasty standard radio and speakers again to great effect...the car now sounds and feels like a much more expensive car.

edit...worth soundproofing inside the doors and the rear side panel too whilst you're at it.

Early models apparently had a smaller clutch and this is prone to early failure if the car gets driven by an idiot who slips the clutch, later models upgraded and i believe the larger clutch can be retrofitted to early models in the event of failure.

Remember Citroen C1 and Pug 107 are the same car with different lights and slight body trim differences though both are ugly as sin with huge gaping mouth grills like other PSA modern designs, depending on the quality of dealers in your area one of those might be bought more cheaply.