I currently have a Toyota Avensis but with it having a 2.2 diesel lump it’s a bit of a thirsty beast around town which is where it gets most of it use. It tends to average around 32-33mpg and only really manages 40-42 on the motorway.

I need to replace it with something family shaped ideally with some form of 1.6-1.8 diesel power. Only musts really are aircon and isofix for the kiddy seat, oh and not a Vauxhall, I hate Vauxhalls. Looking to spend £7k tops.

Options I’ve looked at so far are Focus, (older) Golf, or maybe a C4 Picasso type thing. Is there anything I’ve missed or anything that I should avoid like the plague.

(I’m not allowed a Berlingo/Tepee, her indoors has vetoed it already 🙁 )

Why a Focus, when you can have a Mondeo which is better in every way for the same money.

Hadn’t even looked at Mondeo’s to be fair. Possibly because I was thinking smaller but then main aim is to save money on fuel costs.

northernmatt – Member
(I’m not allowed a Berlingo/Tepee, her indoors has vetoed it already )

Ah, you want a Doblo then.
🙂

Mondeo wouldn’t be much better around town. Probably a small petrol engine car would suit your needs better as they tend to be more economical on short journeys around town.

VW Touran? Lovely car, lots of space and I can get 55+mpg on the 10 mile run (half country side/half town). We had the 1.9 which was great and then moved up to 2.0 which is much more powerful but lose about 10% efficient.

Remember to factor in the cost of change and how many miles/years it will take you to recoup that over your current car.

RS – I showed a picture of a Doblo, she wasn’t impressed

craigxxl – I’d prefer a diesel for the economy on longer runs. New commute is going to involve longer distances on faster roads which is where petrol would lose out.

ska-49 – my brother has Touran which I’d somehow forgotten about, I’ll go and ask him all sorts of inane questions about it now.

Keep the car you have then

Why have a car that does 40mpg on a long run when I can have one that does 50mpg and gets round town at 40?

And what would diesel car would that be. Stop start driving around town kills a diesels economy unless it has the stop/start technology which is going to cost you a lot to upgrade. Smaller petrol cars fair better around town. My Mondeo diesel does low 30’s around town and on a long run will do nearly 60 if I’m really careful and can maintain the same speed not normally possible in the UK.

Might not match all your criteria but it is a lov ely car : http://mercedesclforsale.wordpress.com/

Focus with the 2 litre tdci is a great combination- should give better mpg than you’re used to with the relative lightness and, frankly, better engine- ford diesels might be lazy but the toyota economy is poor. (I do a lot better than your figures there with a 2.2 mondeo, despite mild tuning and a lead foot)

You will not save money changing your car for one that does 10 mpg more unless your doing about 100k a year

It is false economy.

If your car needs changing as its about to need alot spending on it or you just want a change by all means go ahead

Btw when did you last have the avensis serviced?

My 2.2 diesel isuzu frontera on all terrains gets near the same mpg

Why have a car that does 40mpg on a long run when I can have one that does 50mpg and gets round town at 40?

If there was no cost to change, you’d be correct – but if it costs you £1k to change you’ll need to do a lotta miles to just break even.

And all you need is a ‘minor’ issue with the new car, and any saving has gone.

Avensis was last serviced about a year ago. It’s never done particularly well on fuel even when new, it had some engine problems after 2 years which necessitated an engineer rebuild but that made no difference. Even driving like an 80 year old makes no difference. It’s the 180bhp one and I’ve looked about the Interweb and most people seem to get the same.

I shall think on as the voices of reason have spoken and what they say makes sense.

Trade your Avensis in, buy my Merc and the money you save will cover the extra petrol and pay for a holiday. You will feel happy in your car, your family will enjoy the holiday and my wife will get off my back about having too many cars.

Everyone’s a winner!

Possibly because I was thinking smaller but then main aim is to save money on fuel costs.

I had a current shape Mondeo 1.6 diesel on hire when on holiday for 10 days in Ireland. 48mpg average, with stop/start tech that worked some of the time…

I only filled it up twice, it cost nearly £90 to fill up but did get nearly 800 miles on a tankful