Thread: Economical Fun Car

Hi Guys,

In the final stages of interview for a new job.
The job is 35 miles away each way totally just over 70 miles on motorways.
I currently have an 8L S3 which gets me 24 mpg for my current 5 mile commute which is very stop start town driving.

I am thinking it is going to cost a lot of my wages travelling back and forward each day in the car and am thinking of looking for something else.

I love my S3, the speed and fun factor is what I most love.
I have no commitments or children so I am looking for something fun and fast putting a smile on my face but that will also cost me comparatively little on my daily commute. Not bothered about comfort or luxury's particular either.

I had thought about new Audi A1 with their £200 a month finance option but thinking it wouldn't put the smile factor the S3 gives me...

As a side not i considered a second car but dont really have the capital for a cheap run around due to the S3 sucking most of my cash away!

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

What about an A4 B7 3.0tdi - performance & economy & 4wd

I wouldn't call 3.0tdi economical with current diesel prices...
Any 2.0tdi 170 with dpf removed

1.9TDi A3 with DPF removed, remap and wheels/suspension?

Then it's up to your right foot whether you get good MPG or not.

Excuse the ignorance, what's dpf?
Any other recommendations even non Audi ones?
Did think sports cars like lotus potentially if they are cheap to run?

Originally Posted by jdas03

Excuse the ignorance, what's dpf?
Any other recommendations even non Audi ones?
Did think sports cars like lotus potentially if they are cheap to run?

Diesel Particulate Filter.

Lotus Elise are around £8k, they do around 30mpg I think, maybe more on a light run. I would consider something with a smaller capacity engine, Lupo GTI maybe, but for pure mpg, it has to be diesel power, but somehow, I don't associate diesel and fun together. Sure you have a wallop of torque to overtake things quicker in the right conditions, but it gets boring!

Originally Posted by jojo

Diesel Particulate Filter.

Lotus Elise are around £8k, they do around 30mpg I think, maybe more on a light run. I would consider something with a smaller capacity engine, Lupo GTI maybe, but for pure mpg, it has to be diesel power, but somehow, I don't associate diesel and fun together. Sure you have a wallop of torque to overtake things quicker in the right conditions, but it gets boring!

Yes it does.

Downsized from an 8L 20VT to a Polo TDi (PD100). Struggled to keep up with a Corsa GSi last night. Once we'd both blown past a slow going Smart Car he started eding away much to my frustration.

I'd vote for a small engined petrol. Something in a 16v maybe...

Keep your S3, if you're averaging 24 now with stop start it'll come up with a nice run. My modded A4 1.8T is driven 20 miles to work and then back each day and averages about 29mpg across the tank.

keep the s3 m8.....

I would trial the s3 first before you make any move to get another car. It should return high 20s-low 30s on a run so long as you keep to 70 and dont get egged on to go faster.

The mk 5 golf 1.4tsi 170bhp is quite nippy and gets about 38+mpg. You could go down the diesel route but ive herd a lot of horror stories about dpf and injectors which put me off getting one. Quite costly if they do go wrong. Plus I dont really do the miles to own one.

Thanks for the comments guys!
I'll give the S3 a go and see how I get on.
A mate of mine has otherwise recommended the Abarth 500 as an option if the S3 is too thirsty, despite its girly looks it may be a potential goer with small engine and light weight!

Originally Posted by jdas03

Thanks for the comments guys!
I'll give the S3 a go and see how I get on.
A mate of mine has otherwise recommended the Abarth 500 as an option if the S3 is too thirsty, despite its girly looks it may be a potential goer with small engine and light weight!

Is your mate Jarrod? lol

How much is it going to cost you to swop to an Abarth500? Will the difference cover your fuel costs of keeping the S3? Unless you change and keep the car for a good few years, it's a false economy to swop to a newer, more expensive car just for lower running costs!

id go second car mate. but keep it cheap!
"economical fun car" = this.......
1993 PEUGEOT 205 DT RED GTD **NO RESERVE** | eBay
handling and speed wise theres not much between these and 1.6 gtis. theyre tuneable and do 50mpg!

I'd buy a mk4 golf gt tdi and keep the s3 you can pick up a nice golf for 3k. Mines done 140k with remap from new and driven hard. It returns 50mpg

mk4 golf? he said fun to drive.......
no need to spend the same amount of money on your second car as you do on your first car. thats not the idea!
3k on a golf tdi, then theres all the servicing and door catches, antiroll bar bushes... and everything else that vag fail to make properly! plus youd have to change the soggy ****e suspension on it before it could ever be described as fun!!

buy an older car thats good, well designed and reliable out of the box that you can maintain on a shoe string.

i thing one drive in that 205 and youd be sold.