Frugal but reasonably fast daily ?

[MondeoMan1981]

I'm getting rapidly bored of my current car. It handles and stops fine, not fast off the line but ok when you get going and in the turbo zone... the main attraction is the £30 road tax and averaging 60-65mpg on devils piss.

Looking forward, I will be looking for something <=£4000 with decent performance and capable of turning in 50mpg+ on a run...

Any recommendations ?

320d seems to fit the bill...

[parapaul]

Stay true to your username - relieve me of my Mundaneo

[y2blade]

any of the Volvo D5s

[Seeker UK]

y2blade said:

any of the Volvo D5s

+1

I've run 2 of these in 163 BHP guise and the 0-62 fugures don't do them justice. They really shift, sound good (for a diesel) and return 52-53 on a run.

[Turbodiesel1690]

Octavia vRS diesel - 170 brake & close to 50 mpg

[matthewg]

Turbodiesel1690 said:

Octavia vRS diesel - 170 brake & close to 50 mpg

Good choice.
Anything much quicker would mean much less mpg (but more fun)
Or get an MX5

[300bhp/ton]

MondeoMan1981 said:

I'm getting rapidly bored of my current car. It handles and stops fine, not fast off the line but ok when you get going and in the turbo zone... the main attraction is the £30 road tax and averaging 60-65mpg on devils piss.

Looking forward, I will be looking for something <=£4000 with decent performance and capable of turning in 50mpg+ on a run...

Any recommendations ?

320d seems to fit the bill...

Would a 320d really do 50+ mpg when being driven harder?

How about a sports car? £4k would get you a smart Roadster, not quick off the line either (although you can remap them). But very quick point to point on B/C class roads. 48-58mpg capability too.

[Chris71]

Smart roadster?

ETA I see I was beaten to it. Still, I reckon it's a good call if you're a city dweller. The standard Smart has a characterful engine, minimal fuel consumption, great steering and, crucially, feels quicker than it is. With that in mind, I can imagine one with a lower C of G - so it no longer feels like it's permanently on the verge of rolling over - would be great fun.

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 21st February 10:06