At what fuel price would you consider a more fuel efficient car?

[wemorgan]

BBC News - Petrol price hits record high

Just read the above article and it made me think, at what fuel price would people consider a more fuel efficient car?

......so cast your vote

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I voted never on the basis that the question is to sell the car I have and buy another, specifically because of fuel prices, and I would never do that as I've lost so much already the cost of fuel doesn't really make much difference in terms of the total cost of having owned that car.

I would however consider emissions/economy when I next change cars for other reasons. The Alpina D5 has caught my eye for that reason.

 

[BTB 500]

Pretty much what BD said. You'd need to be doing a LOT of annual miles to change a car based solely on mpg. But as and when you look at new(er) cars most people would probably take fuel consumption into account.

A more common scenario would be that people keep the same car(s) they have now, but drive them less.

 

[Londonscottish]

They way things are going I'm MORE likely to buy a petrol next rather than a diesel.

Fuel cost is a tiny part of the overall cost of running a car over the 6-8k a year I do. For others I presume it isn't hence the widening price differential between petrol and diesel cars (on the secondhand market).

Why would I spend £3k more on a car to save £500 a year?

Any anyway my car is my ultimate toy and I want a petrol one

 

[MicB]

All as above.....the question does not arise unless you are changing your car for reasons nothing to do with the price of fuel or fuel economy......even then mpg is not an over riding factor in the overall cost of keeping and running a motor car.

Mic

 

[KillerHERTZ]

 

[John]

Probably when the price of my annual fuel bill exceeds the cost of getting the train - which is by far and away the much faster accelerating entity than the price of petrol or my car...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Even though I drive a diesel, it is a V6 that averages a lot less than the 4cyl.

I couldn't stand the thought of having anything less tbh...

 

[A210AMG]

I only do around 6 - 8K a year and changed a Petrol ML for a Diesal E class.

I now love the fact the car does 40 to 45 mpg, I love the fact I get 700 plus miles out of the tank.

When I go out now and we use the car on trips etc, I'm not working out the millage in price like I was towards the end of the ML ownership. We just use the car and enjoy it.

I've swapped already then, even though I walk or ride to work during the week.

We probably actually visit more places and take the family more places now than we used to, so to me I'm gaining having swapped.

 

[mw_C32]

On the back of a fag packet I sort of worked out that the extra "mpg" of a petrol car that can run at 25mpg over a diesel car at 40mpg is about 2mpg in favour of the petrol car accounting for the price difference of the fuel.

So the 25mpg car is equivalent to 27mpg in terms of cheaper unleaded. Or thereabouts!!!

I know what I'm on about....

.

 

[A210AMG]

^ You will soon be visiting the pumps a lot

 

[mw_C32]

^ You will soon be visiting the pumps a lot

I already do with my diesels , our MX-5 seems cheap by comparison as it only has a small tank and uses unleaded.

 

[wemorgan]

Modest response so far. Interesting to see how polarised the votes are. I wonder how representative it is of the real, non-forum, world?

I had imagined there was a specific price at which habits would change and people would then go out and buy a more economical car.

I agree the price to change cars is not cheap, but if you're the kind of person who keeps your car for 5 years and were a year or two away from a natural swap anyway, there would be no harm in bringing this forward IMHO. Reducing your fuel costs by say 30% is better today than in 2 years time.

For sure, there are those who do limited mileage where diesels make marginal sense, or those who dislike diesels and those who have enough disposable cash to not worry about fuel costs, but I suspect that vast majority of drivers don't fall in to those camps. So I'm confident the trend will be for more diesels cars to be bought and small engined ones at that. The day of the V6 diesel are surely numbered.

 

[LTD]

If petrol costs get to the point that commuting by car becomes impractical then I'll start to do the 12 mile run on my bicycle.

I was doing this for a while last year and loved it although it did become a bind on my youngest as she was relying on me to take her and her heavy schoolbag to the train station. I gave in for her sake.

There is no real logic for me to change to a more economical car than my 5 litre V8 on the basis that the cost of the car change would outweigh the savings in fuel.

Factor in the drop in ride quality and interior panache and you really lose a lot down-sizing.

 

[SilverSaloon]

I voted as 'already have done' as in 2008 I sold my V8 petrol 7 series for a diesel W124 and run it on comedy fuel

fuel was about £110p when i sold the BMW as I just couldnt justify it when I knew I could still travel in W124 luxury for free

we also just recently got rid of the V6 Alfa 156 in favour of another W124 diesel.

I still have my V8 SD1 and R107 SL but as these are occasional use i can live with fuel costs on those....

 

[SilverSaloon]

On the back of a fag packet

.

give up the smokes and put it towards your fuel

 

[st4]

When I change car, it will be for a more efficient model and a smaller engine and car.

I won't change cars because of fuel prices, unless they dropped the other way radically then I'd buy a 55k. In the real world, when I can afford to get rid of the shed I will, and its replacement will be either a BMW 320d or a C220cdi.

I don't need quite such a large car as I have, and going into a smaller car means the lesser engine won't see a noticable drop in performance.

There are other things in life to spend ones spare cash on than fuel.

 

[BTB 500]

Reducing your fuel costs by say 30% is better today than in 2 years time.

But as mentioned, unless you're doing a lot of miles the cost of changing car will almost certainly be more than your fuel saving.

 

[wemorgan]

I don't need quite such a large car as I have, and going into a smaller car means the lesser engine won't see a noticable drop in performance.

When I started out driving 18 years ago the aim for me and my mates was to buy the largest car with the largest engine we could afford.

Amongst my mates the cheep and fast hacks of the time were, Citroen BX 16v, Peugeot 505, Golf GTI, Honda Prelude VTI.

Today I think we nearly all own at least one diesel estates .....but that'll be the kids and DIY influence more than anything. Times change.....

 

[Colin_b]

I do less than average mileage in mine, neither of which is exactly thrifty in either fuel consumption or VED terms.

It is a given than if you drive a car you are are a government cash cow.

Given that, I still prefer the balance to swing towards performance and comfort rather than economy and austerity because I'm prepared to pay that premium, within reason.

I've worked hard all my life, and the reward is considering less 200bhp an unjust reward

As an aside, if I were OPEC I'd increase the price of oil by 50% - if governments can tax it at 100%+ it is too cheap. Who is more addicted to cars, drivers or governments?