[gazk75]

Hi, I'm looking to buy a used car with good MPG (about £7 - 8k to spend), but I'm caught up with what to get.

I know diesels are best for "long" motorway mileage and hybrids are best for town traffic (and that official MPGs are not realistic), but I can't work out what's best for me. My round trip to and from work is 37 motorway miles and 16 A/B road miles a day half of which is stop start, plus about 10 miles in town travel a week with the occasional 60 mile motorway trip thrown in (about once a month).

I currently drive a bit nun-like in an Auris 1.4 T3 from which I get about 530 miles between fills of about 42 litres diesel (think it works out about 55 mpg). I've been thinking of getting a hybrid Lexus CT 200H (mainly for looks and spec) but reading user reviews, it seems people are happy getting about 50 mpg from this - I would have expected more considering what I get from my car? Then I'm thinking of a hybrid Auris (official combined mpg a bit better than the Lexus but gear changes are awful) or a diesel Peugeot 208.

Can anyone suggest which of these would be best, or make another suggestion based on my usage? (I can only drive automatics btw)

[smudger]

I wouldn't believe all the hype they say about these hybrid cars, my bother in law bought a brand new one, but when he found out that he wasn't getting anywhere near the figures quoted, he returned the car, and wanted his money back.............................................. .In the end he had to take them to court to get his refund, but he won his case, and got his money back.

[gazk75]

Hi Smudger and thanks for the reply. I know that stated MPGs are not to be believed, but on saying that, I do somehow get the stated combined MPG out of my car.

But I'm still none the wiser as to what fuel type would be most suitable for my usage.

[smudger]

Well, I've always had petrol cars as I like them better, and if driven sensibly they can give you great MPG......................I've driven diesels at work, company cars, vans, trucks and ambulances, they were all Ok, but I just prefer petrol cars..............................It's just your personal choice really as to what you are more comfortable with, good luck.

[James TT]

I've no experience of hybrids but for diesel and petrol cars I found that the mpg figures are not achievable on cars built after 2007, where I could always match the makers claims on older cars.

Was there a change in the testing around 2007? Every car I've driven that was newer than that, I've failed to get over 90% of the combined figure...

[alan1302]

Would be interesting to know if anyone knows if the testing did change around then...I've always been able to match the MPG as well until I got a 2013 model car...all my other cars were before 2007 as well.

[gazk75]

Well, on to the MPG post 2007 bit... my current car's stated combined is 56.5 mpg (48.7 Urban, 62.8 extra urban).

Given the usage I put in the OP, I get an average MPG in the high 50s (based on the miles I do and how much fuel I fill up with, but the onboard PC generally agrees with my own calculations). I rarely get anywhere near the stated urban MPG.

But back to my original question. I'm getting an MPG in the high 50's on a 2009 diesel automatic car, so why are people saying that their actual average mpg in a relatively new car (say, 2013 onwards) is about 50 and they're happy with it? I'd be a bit peeved off with that personally based on what I get now.

Still don't know whether a hybrid or diesel would be better. If only there was a diesel hybrid...

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by gazk75

Still don't know whether a hybrid or diesel would be better. If only there was a diesel hybrid...

There is at least one - Peugeot 3008...although not in your price range.