Fuel consumption

J

JohnJRyan

Guest
Hi all,

Looking at buying a 2nd hand car car and Im wondering if there would be much difference in my fuel costs if I decide to go for a 1.8 litre car rather than a 1.6 litre car. Right now Im looking at a Renault Laguna thats 1.8 but initially I was looking for a 1.6. Any guidelines on the usual difference in fuel consumption from 1.6 to 1.8??


Cheers,
John
 
a lot depends on the type of driving you do - country or city. if its country, you might appreciate the difference in power and the fuel consumption might not be all that different. not all engines are good and cannot be judged solely on size. compare the BHP figures and quoted fuel figures and bear in mind the weight of the car its pulling as in my experience an underpowered car needs more revving and therefore can sometimes burn more fuel than its bigger engined counterpart
 
penny pinching

It really amazes me what people will think when it comes to cars.

I agree it's important to conserve fuel etc but look at this in bigger terms.

a 1.8 vs a 1.6... you will probably spend about €50- €100 more per year on fuel. That's nothing.

The same with Road Tax. "Oh I can't get a 1.6... I'll need to get a 1.4. Think of the road tax!" The difference is only a couple of €.

With a 1.8 you are essentially getting an car that will be easier to drive. It will also be easier to overtake in. It will also be a stronger engine, therefore under less strain and should last longer.
 
Re: penny pinching

With a 1.8 you are essentially getting an car that will be easier to drive. It will also be easier to overtake in. It will also be a stronger engine, therefore under less strain and should last longer.

While I agree entirely - I drive a 1.8 T myself and drove a 2L before this - there is unfortunately an argument in Ireland for buying a smaller-engined car, namely: depreciation.

1.8, 2L-engined cars and above depreciate much more rapidly in Ireland than similar cars in the UK (in my experience) due to:
(a) inflated initial purchase price due to factors including limited competition and VRT;
(b) lower demand for such cars due to smaller population size and inferior roads;
(c) rip-off higher insurance in Ireland (just because it's a 1.8 or 2L car does not mean it's a sports car, despite what many Irish insurers think)
(d) high road tax and running costs.

So, you need to be careful to buy a marque that will hold its value as much as feasible in the segment you are buying in, or else hold on to it for a couple of years before you sell it.
 
Re: penny pinching

I owned a 1.6 Laguna and absolutely loved it but have to admit it was slightly underpowered. Then I moved to the 1.9 DCi (130 bhp - diesel) and found the difference to be impressive. The consumption in the DCi is about 45-55 mpg.

So to conclude, given the choice between the 1.6 and 1.8 I'd go for the 1.9 anyday :b
 
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