Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[STEMO]

Drove over to Liverpool and back today in my 1.4 astra estate. About 190 miles in total, M1, M62, M60, M62, M57 and I must have been able to hit 70 for all of about 10 miles. Smart motorways where every gantry has a camera or making motorways smart where average speed cameras hold you down to 50.
If I had a big beast capable of starship acceleration and mind blowing top speed, I would be more than a little pissed off watching a 1.4 astra crawling past because it had picked the faster-moving (up to a hair-raising 55mph at times) lane in the never ending roadworks.
I returned almost 50mpg on the day....no brainer (for me)

[Viral_Jim]

50mpg is very good for a petrol  .

Is it a turbocharged or NA lump?

[STEMO]

50mpg is very good for a petrol  .

Is it a turbocharged or NA lump?

NA, Jimmy, but still nippy enough for the town driving I mostly do. With Tunnie-esque driving I get 40mpg around and about. Having said that, Barnsley is not Leeds, or Liverpool, or Manchester. I very seldom get held up for long...it makes a hell of a difference to both mpg and my mood.

[STEMO]

Of course, I occasionally get pissed off being out accelerated by a transit van, but transits are quite quick these days. 

[Mister Rog]

Of course, I occasionally get pissed off being out accelerated by a transit van, but transits are quite quick these days. 

Transits are very quick these days, not unusal to see one bombing past doing a ton, while on the phone, eating a burger, shouting at female drivers and having a w**k, all at the same time 

[New POD]

Last year, I sold a low mileage 1.6 16V mk4 astra sport (50K) to buy a high mileage 3.2 MV6 (163K - now with 175K), because

a) Too many miles in pain for both driver and passenger, because of sporty seats and rock hard suspension as standard in astra 
b) Cruise, allowing the pain of long journeys to be eased.
c) Auto, allowing the pain of stop start M6 traffic to be eased.
d) (Alot) Faster than a mk4 astra when asked to be.  I won't say how much faster I've been but a tuned moped might be capable of the difference. Only useful in foreign lands obviously, but will out drag a 1.6 astra from zero to 70 which makes joining motorways less hairy
e) Fuel consumption is only 10 to 15 MPG less, which can't be costing me more than 20 quid a week 

[Mister Rog]

Drove over to Liverpool and back today in my 1.4 astra estate.

But if you were driving to Scouseland in a 1.4 Astra, you were probably hoping to come back in a nicked 4.0 Merc or something 

[omegod]

My house is 100 yards from the M57, That'll explain the cold shiver I felt at one point today 

[STEMO]

My house is 100 yards from the M57, That'll explain the cold shiver I felt at one point today 

I saw your house, big old yard with 'Jon's Scrappy' on an evertonian blue board. 

[omegod]

  Kettles always on

[STEMO]

Kettles always on

Wow, your leccy bill must be huge 

[2boxerdogs]

Each to their own I suppose, me I would do every trip in the V8 effortless power when needed & such smooth comfort at any speed as for fuel consumption 30mpg is not a strain on the wallet.😎

[BazaJT]

Although I've had a few small cars I've always preffered big cars,which for me means having a big engine to pull it.I'm not bothered about the 0-60 sprint time nor the ultimate top speed,just a nice easy comfy cruise with enough power in reserve when/if needed.Given the mileage I do [less now than previously]fuel consumption is totally irrelevant to me.but as Tilbo says it's each to their own.

[Lizzie Zoom]

50 mpg is what I dream of, but for me I just love big engines.....the noise......the roar..........the acceleration........the feeling of POWER!!

Along with that I once had to drive a Wolseley Hornet III (an upmarket Mini variant to you youngsters!) on a long motorway trip.  Never again!! All too many lorries tried to bully me and my car, coming up so close to my rear bumper and I couldn't accelerate away as I can in my big engine cars.  Horrible!

However I was once out accelerated by a Volvo tractor unit without it's trailer.  He just put his foot down, I think to show me who was boss, and roared away.  I suspect he had no limiter fitted / connected, and I researched at the time what engine he could have had, to discover it was of the largest turbo units type that Volvo build for lorry units.  I have often wondered what his mpg was

It was impressive though.  It made me wish I had the space under the miggie bonnet to fit one of those.  F.ck the mpg, I, just wanted one of those

So 50 mpg would be wasted on me

[Varche]

hmm. Power is useful where I live as there are many hills, lots of open road, very few speed cameras (except in and around Malaga which is riddled with them). I used to have to fill up the Omega everytime I went out averaging 23 mpg. The compromise is something like a modern 2 litre diesel. I hired an auto 2013 Passat auto in the Uk a few years back. Despite err    putting it through its paces it still returned a ridiculous mpg (low 60's possibly).

I can empathise with STEMO - fairly pointless having a big engined car in England. Where are you going to use the performance? My last trip over I remember grinding along from Leicester to Scarborough and back stuck in sheer volumes of traffic. Oh and Smart imotorways at 50 mph for mile after mile.