you need to do a TCO for 1 year. include all your running costs, insurance, servicing every 5 months (10K) so 2.5 services, tyres you should be right with for 12 months etc.
that said i had a kia cerato - 2011 model SLI. was ok as a little buzz box. after 5 years it was starting to show its age so it left. fuel was great in that thing best i'd seen it was 6.7 per 100 km. services were approx $320-$350 for minors.
as an aside i have problems with the seats in small cars as they don't support the underside of my calves (near knees) and end up sore. hence why i love my VX.
Cheers,
Greg aka Sir Burnie Tanington
VX1 Berlina V6, VT1 Berlina V6 (Track), VN1 S V6, Hilux RN105 GMV8, Ford XP 170.
I have the same problem with my legs too, they start to go numb from circulation being cut off. Also back problems because the shitty "bucket" side bits on the backrest go all the way up to your neck instead of only around your waist, so my shoulders don't fit in between and my spine between my shoulders just floats in the air unsupported. So I have to sit sideways with one shoulder in the "bucket" and the other pointing out towards the front of the car.
I'm the director of VSH (Vlad's Spec Holden), because HSV were doing it ass about.
Actually the gains in fuel usage is mostly seen in highway driving when large distances are covered in short time, so slow traffic makes stuff all difference. Yes the L/100km is much worse in a v8 in urban setting but we need to remember that L/100km is exactly that, where would you even travel more than a few 10s of Km in traffic in the city? The gains are almost mute in the urban environment.
Living 75km from the edge of the Melbourne suburbs and then having t drive across it some additional 30km, driven a few difference cars I can say the city part of the driving fuel consumption sees the least difference from car to car, long distance is where its at.
Really depends on the driving situation.
its all 100km/h country roads... no urban driving at all. nearest metro area here is 200k's away haha.
the saving for a year, is $1344 approx. thats going from 9L/100 in the v8 to 5L/100 in a smaller car. insurance, rego cost and serviceing doesnt really come into it. as I have to rego the v8 anyways, so buying a not v8 car will be cheaper insureance and rego anyways. Servicing I do myself... so running costs other than fuel are much of a muchness... depending on when the rego expires obviously and the cost I sell the v8 and buy/sell the new car. it could end up borderline not worth it I guess.
yeah I agree, if the saving in fuel is only $1344 then to buy a car the price your suggesting your still going to be behind a few $K .... and depending what you get for the V8 sale you might or might not even break even.
i'd seriously think about putting that few thousand for a new car aside and using it for the current cars, especially if the current cars have pretty long rego on them.
No matter what the question is, the answer is always more horsepower!
