Working for a green energy company and doing high mileage (about 36k p.a.) it makes sense to go for an “eco” car.

So I’ve been out in a few of the new golf “bluemotion” cars.

This is my honest opinion:

Golf Bluemotion TDI 5 Door 1.6ltr (otr £20,015.00)MAX VED-A

Appearance: Looks ok from the outside, but that’s about as good as it gets. The interior is cheap and ugly; And not just a little bit cheap and ugly, think really ‘old nhs wheelchair grey’ plastic with all the presence and allure of a night storage heater control panel.

Comfort: The seats are uncomfortable and the ride is hard, not just firm, skittery and hard. Equipment? everything that’s nowadays standard is extra. Motorway speeds are not a happy place and overtaking up a hill is a laborious affair. Now I only drove it on a hot dry day but I would imagine it to be a liability on a wet motorway at speed.

Performance: surprisingly, its not as slow as I expected, but then its designed to be light, no cruse control (its an option) and on the hour long (A road/Motorway) test drive I took its fuel consumption was nothing near claimed, 42mpg A roads – 63mpg M roads. Oh and apparently the Eco cut out doesn’t work if the AC is on!?!

Who would buy one: The octogenarian rambler who wishes to get short lived bragging rights on his neighbour who’s just bought a Prius.

Golf Match Bluemotion TDI 1.6Ltr 5 Door (otr £20,445.00)MAX VED-B

Appearance: Looks better than the above by a country mile both inside and out despite the aforementioned’s spoilers etc. Its more aligned to hotel lift interior than hospital public furniture but still its nothing to make you think “this is a good piece of kit”. Consider it more complementary ballpoint pen black rather than dead nursing home resident grey.

Comfort: Again better than the above again, feels more like a Golf than a mobility scooter and whilst not being anything to write home about its not a bad place to be and although its still a bit skittery it doesn’t feel as though you should be driving at 10mph below the speed limit to avoid ploughing through an overflowing school bus stop which was carelessly sited near a corner.

Performance: Again, not slow, in fact this one felt a lot less like it was slowly planning to kill you by dumping you in the path of oncoming traffic and more like, well, a standard Golf. Just a Golf, as the adverts say “like a Golf”. Predictable but dull. MPG was almost identical to the Pensioner special delivering a respectable 40mpg A roads – 65mpg M roads (better than its greener sibling, same route, slightly less traffic)

Who would buy one: People that don’t like to drive, but rather see it as an unavoidable necessity. People that recycle but spend most of their time driving short trips that they could easily walk.

Golf GT Bluemotion TDI 2.0Ltr 5 Door (otr £23,125.00) MAX VED-C

Appearance: Again, Better again, actual useful additions like fog lights are included as is flat tyre indicator (useful as the Bluemotion range don’t carry spares so you know to get off at the next motorway exit squirt in some foam and call the AA). This is the “respectable” option.

Comfort: Feels solid, like your driving a car rather than piloting an ashtray, The interior is another step up with leather seats (better all round when you drive long distance). Feels like a proper Golf, more like the original, actually a nice place to be.

Performance: Drives much better due to the slightly larger engine, it no longer feels underpowered when pulling away or overtaking. MPG 39mpg A roads – 64mpg M roads (driving like a bit of an arse, same route, much less traffic).

Who would buy one: Someone who was looking to get a Golf and knew what they were talking about.

For the record, I drive a C200K Mercedes (and used to own a MK2 5 Door GTI).

New Prius beats those hands down I reckon. VED A, lower (lowest) CO2, 140bhp, bigger, and rather nice inside. All the toys too. Very nice cars, much better than my version. Also petrol rather than diesel, which is greener.

I don’t think 40mpg is respectable on A roads btw, I get 55-60 even in my older Prius.

to be fair there was quite a bit of traffic on the A roads, lots of stopping and starting and I kept forgetting to take them out of gear.

I am not reading that. Summary?

I drove three cars, only the last one was any good.

I’d go for the last one. 😉

TBH I’d be looking at your route planning and trying to cut the 36k, if you can.

That’s impossible, the last one? The C200k or the MK2 GTI?

I have an 09 prius, it’s perfect but I’m chopping it in for a Lexus ct200(the kyle car), again a hybrid, test drive it at the weekend, perfect.

One of these?

http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm

Hybrid 125 -225 mpg depending on power source and driving style.

Top speed 80 mph.

The Ct200? I have looked, nice enough but a big price hike compared to the Golfs no?

hmmmmm the XR3 Plug-In Hybrid? to the man cave!!

MrNutt – Member

I drove three cars, only the last one was any good.
Posted 5 minutes ago # Report-Post

This last one.
I used to do that sort of mileage and knew very well that it could have been cut down.
Overnight stays, better route planning, I’d be very surprised if you couldn’t cut the mileage significantly.
What are the reasons for it being impossible?
What are the motivations for going from a C200 to a Golf? Is it simply the green image?

BMW 320 Efficient dynamics…..

Get something with a sodding big V8 petrol, & **** the environment.

Want to go green? Buy a banger and put an LPG tank in it.

to be fair there was quite a bit of traffic on the A roads, lots of stopping and starting and I kept forgetting to take them out of gear.

That’s why the hybrid is awesome. Gentle throttle, slow driving, crawling in queues – no fuel used. Aircon is also electric so no fuel needed for that either – on the Toyota/Lexus system, not the Honda one afaik.

Get something with a sodding big V8 petrol, & **** the environment.

D’you mind, that’s my environment.

Want to go green? Buy a banger and put an LPG tank in it.

LPG isn’t that green really.

Working for a green energy company and doing high mileage (about 36k p.a.) it makes sense to go for an “eco” car.

It only makes sense if someone else is picking up the lease/depreciation/tax costs based upon the cost of those cars…, my s/h 535i would be cheaper to run over the 36k pa, as it cost bu99er all to start with.

batfink – Member

BMW 320 Efficient dynamics…..

+1

or maybe look at the new 1 series range if you want a 5 door hatch?

The only real world feedback I could find on the 320 ed was that it was good for about 55mpg measured. Good for a fast car, but you can do a lot better and greener.

The 320ed’s are also ok to drive. Not something that can be said about a diesel golf.

Golf Blumotion TDI

Did a round trip from lakes to Manchester 60ish mpg in the way down on the motorway, way home left at J36 and drove it hard through the lakes got 55-60 by the time I got home, very impressed.

And you don’t have battery manufacture/disposal to add onto your environmental conscience.

Prius drivers are attention seeking apologists

I had the golf poo motion 1.6 and the older 1.9 eco and the one before 1.9 eco
the 1.6 was the nicest to drive smooth and quiet not as quick but fine for cruising about if you are doing 35k you need to cruise and relax not hammer it everywhere (been there and got the points) the 1.9s were rough . Also both had rattles, not impressed.

For all 3 the mpg was way less than expected and no better than a 3year old renault megane sport tourer 130bhp (3mpg difference) which had better options to boot.

Oh all were estates incase that matters

I’ve been looking at the Green/Eco options (purely from a fuel cost)
Currently drive an A4 2.0TDI 170bhp – but get between 50-54 regularly if I don’t hammer it, so can’t find anything that makes a worthwhile difference, without spending a fortune or it being uncomfortable – I find the Audi very comfy!

Questions,

Is it your money?

Are you going to run the car into the ground or how long are you going to keep it for?

And you don’t have battery manufacture/disposal to add onto your environmental conscience.

Prius drivers are attention seeking apologists

Don’t talk shite.

That’s the big disadvantage of driving a Prius – everyone thinks they know all about you and how much of a **** you are. And yet you can buy other eco cars and no-one cares. FFS.

I don’t think battery manufacture is any worse than all the extra shite diesel spews out, and all the extra energy it takes to make it.

Get something with a sodding big V8 petrol, & **** the environment.
D’you mind, that’s my environment.

It makes more sense to keep an old car running than to scrap it and buy one that’s made of parts that have been half way round the world twice…..

And also – £23k for a VW Golf????????

Are you INSANE??????? You can get several nice cars for tha money.

Way to go! Let’s throw money down the drain!!!!!!

Can’t you take the train? Surely if you work for a “green energy company” you must know that an “eco car” is an oxymoron?

So what else is cheaper then PP?

Seroisly check out the Alfa guilietta, the Multi-air petrols are brilliant for perfomance vs fuel economy and the deisels arnt bad either!

All eco cars should be banned to the inside lanes of motorways, having seen them going flat out in the outside lane is not what they are supposed to be about. I’ll stick with my 5cyl volvo engined Focus for now, thanks. Would never spend over £15k on a car and definately wouldnt be seen in most of those eco chariots……….

So what else is cheaper then PP?

Bloody just about ANYTHING that’s 2 -3 years old! You have to be MAD AS A CABBAGE to buy a new car.
Our Focus was £5995 with 16200 miles on the clock. That’s 6 months driving for the OP. The new price was £16000. That’s TEN GRAND down the drain in under 3 years.

I’ll say it again – TWENTY THREE THOUSAND POUNDS FOR A VW GOLF?????? Are you mad?

Tell me, after the 35000 miles a year, what’s that car worth in 3 years? £8000? £10000?
Shovel £14000 onto the fire, go right ahead, don’t let me stop you.

Considering that VW carried out a big retool/cost cutting exercise from the MKV to the MKVI (although visually you think its better quality) paying over 20k for a ‘eco’ car is daft.

Convert some of that initial outlay into a bigger/different car and I think you’d have something better for ownership. i.e. Petrol, slightly less MPG but offsets the extra diesel cost including the cash put towards would probably equal the two cars out.

Holy crap

I’ve just shocked even myself. Go on, go to Auto Trader and see what a 2009 Golf Bluemotion is selling for. Go on. You won’t believe me if I tell you.

TBH with the mileage you are doing OP you’ll kill its resale value anyway once its over 100k.

Bloody just about ANYTHING that’s 2 -3 years old! You have to be MAD AS A CABBAGE to buy a new car.

Well that’s a different argument altogether. I’ve never bought a new car, let that be known.

It sounds like he’s talking about a company car lease though.

And remember, someone’s got to buy them new.

Petrol, slightly less MPG

When you are looking at 60mpg or more, petrol cars aren’t going to be ‘slightly’ less mpg, are they? Try 30% less.

go to Auto Trader and see what a 2009 Golf Bluemotion is selling for

Uh oh, better try and shovel some of that money back off the fire then quickly!

Even if you earn £50k a year, are you willing to throw 10% or more
Of your wages down the drain purely on car depreciation? Not running costs, not fuel, not purchase
price, just depreciation.

If you don’t use the car for one day you loose a minimum of £13.70 that day. Just in one day, doing nothing.

And remember, someone’s got to buy them new.

Yep. Mad people!

I’ve got the 2010 golf 1.6tdi bluemotion estate, and having spent a longish day in a 2yr old Prius yesterday, I can say that the golf is way better screwed together, more comfortable and generally a nicer place to be. The Prius was like the starship enterprise too, knobs and dials everywhere, gave me a headache! Mine is variable MPG wise, very sensitive to how you drive it, but on a motorway run it’s great – 715 miles off my last tank on a run to Plymouth from Leeds.

Mine’s the sportline btw

Some people think it’s worth it, don’t they? Some people would scoff just as much at us spending money on bikes. Or people who by Apple products 🙂

2yr old Prius yesterday,

New shape or old? The new one I went in seemed very solid and well built, the older version less so.