TRL Helpdesk: Cars

[Bob8]

A change of employment means I am looking at having to buy a car.

My question is what type.

Diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric.

Electric all seems to be hugely expensive at the minute. I am in a village, so and I hear hybrids are more for city driving (less you spend most of your time with the battery being heavy baggage). That leaves petrol and diesel.

Is this a fair summation?

[Robin Evans]

The range and recharge times are important with electric vehicles.

At the mo, the tech is not there for what I want from a vehicle...e.g. a 600mile round trip with a ten minute charge.. so I'm sticking with petrol.

If you do shorter journeys, don't need a rapid turn around and can get a charge at your gaff with no street issues, I'd have a gander at a lecky.

[Northern Eel]

2 hours ago, Bob8 said:

A change of employment means I am looking at having to buy a car.

My question is what type.

Diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric.

Electric all seems to be hugely expensive at the minute. I am in a village, so and I hear hybrids are more for city driving (less you spend most of your time with the battery being heavy baggage). That leaves petrol and diesel.

Is this a fair summation?

To take the economic view, it is most dependent on the sort of mileage you are likely to do each year. General rule of thumb is likely to be somewhere around 15k+ for a diesel or less than that for petrol. 

[Bob8]

11 hours ago, Robin Evans said:

The range and recharge times are important with electric vehicles.

At the mo, the tech is not there for what I want from a vehicle...e.g. a 600mile round trip with a ten minute charge.. so I'm sticking with petrol.

If you do shorter journeys, don't need a rapid turn around and can get a charge at your gaff with no street issues, I'd have a gander at a lecky.

 

10 hours ago, Northern Eel said:

To take the economic view, it is most dependent on the sort of mileage you are likely to do each year. General rule of thumb is likely to be somewhere around 15k+ for a diesel or less than that for petrol. 

Thanks.

I live in a village, and visit the city about weekly or so. That means I do not need much city driving and am not that bothered by parking. That pretty much rules out a hybrid as I understand it?

I largely work from home, but will have commutes when they happen of about 60+ miles, and occasional trips of a few hundred miles. It looks like a traditional combustion engine would be best.

[Northern Eel]

1 hour ago, Bob8 said:

 

Thanks.

I live in a village, and visit the city about weekly or so. That means I do not need much city driving and am not that bothered by parking. That pretty much rules out a hybrid as I understand it?

I largely work from home, but will have commutes when they happen of about 60+ miles, and occasional trips of a few hundred miles. It looks like a traditional combustion engine would be best.

Over the life of the car, I would say that profile best fits a petrol engine. Anyone else think the same/otherwise?

[graveyard johnny]

owt "electric" is great when its new or nearly new after that its all downhill- ask yourself if you pay a fortune for an electric car now - how much will it be worth in 5years time? and who will even  want to buy a used 5 year old electric car? the value of these things will plummet far quicker than traditional motors

[Tommygilf]

Recycling an old petrol car would probably have the least carbon footprint and result in the best capabilities for what you need.

Diesel makes no sense to buy right now.

Electric could work if you're not paying for it I suppose. 

I've always found hybrids lacklustre attempts at what they claim to be. I stress that is in reference to everyday hybrids like the Toyota Prius not the McLaren P1...

[graveyard johnny]

3 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

 

Diesel makes no sense to buy right now.

 

theres still plenty of diesel cars out there with £30 £20 and even zero£ road tax per year and do plenty of miles to the gallon 

[Tommygilf]

13 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

theres still plenty of diesel cars out there with £30 £20 and even zero£ road tax per year and do plenty of miles to the gallon 

Compared to the alternatives though now, especially if driving into a city is likely to be needed.

[henage]

Derv for me .Got t4 . done 200k plus . Runs great on veg oil / derv 50 - 50 mix . Gets near to 40mpg .Gets me to Cornwall and back home to east yorkshire (800miles) on full tank . Used for work , used for weekends away . 

[Bob8]

2 hours ago, henage said:

Derv for me .Got t4 . done 200k plus . Runs great on veg oil / derv 50 - 50 mix . Gets near to 40mpg .Gets me to Cornwall and back home to east yorkshire (800miles) on full tank . Used for work , used for weekends away . 

Sorry, Derv? t4?

[Red Willow]

We have a hybrid, if you drive above about 40mph then it uses the petrol. It's weird adjusting to an automatic. They are more expensive but use much less petrol.

[voteronniegibbs]

.

Edited August 2, 2023 by voteronniegibbs

[JohnM]

Tow a caravan? Then look VERY carefully before buying a battery electric or a hybrid.

These  usually have a very low (non-existent in some cases) towing limit and can suck the range out of any car.

Edited December 29, 2021 by JohnM

[Exiled Townie]

On 28/12/2021 at 19:36, Bob8 said:

A change of employment means I am looking at having to buy a car.

My question is what type.

Diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric.

Electric all seems to be hugely expensive at the minute. I am in a village, so and I hear hybrids are more for city driving (less you spend most of your time with the battery being heavy baggage). That leaves petrol and diesel.

Is this a fair summation?

My sons father in law has got a Toyota hybrid and cannot sing it's praises high enough. Self charging electric, so no plugging in, and petrol engine when needed. He said he has saved a fortune in fuel costs since he got it. I should say though most of his trips are around town with just the occasional 'long' journey.

[CornwallRL]

Get electric, then you can run blind people over, and blame it on E-Scooters.

[Futtocks]

My sister lives out in the countryside, so has to drive to get anywhere, even the local village. This, plus fairly frequent longer journeys. She's had a hybrid for a few years now, and is very pleased with it.

[Desert Skipper]

I swapped my Nissan SUV for a Leaf back in May, on a very good deal at the time for Nissan customers. Trying it for a couple of years until my employer has a BIK scheme on electric cars. We live semi-rural and I have a 7kW home charger (nearest charging point is expensive and the only one in the village so gets busy).

I have to say it's the happiest I've been with a car. It looks small but is big enough for the family, and even though I have the smallest option of battery (188 miles) it's more than good enough for me (my daily commute is a 50 mile round trip with the odd day in Leeds when I may need to recharge on the way back).

It handles beautifully, is quiet, roomy and most importantly of all I can pre-set it heat up, de-ice, de-mist and warm the seats and steering wheel before I get in (useful for 3am starts in the winter). Its also has a great autopilot that means I can carefully monitor it while it does the work of stopping and starting and keeping lane in traffic jams on the motorway. If I let go of the steering wheel it warns me before bringing the car to a stop with the hazards on (a sort of dead man's handle).

I'll probably get a version with a bigger battery on the BIK when I need to.

EDIT: I should also point out that I bought the missus the new Dacia Sandero for her 40th. This is the second happiest I've been with a car. We bought the mid-range model for £9k and it's every bit as good as it's equivalents at half the price. It also won What Car 'Car of the Year' 2021. It even looks quite swish for a Dacia.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Desert Skipper

[getdownmonkeyman]

Expect to wait for a new car. I ordered a new car in August, the delivery date was given as early January. This was revised to post mid-February in November, with confirmation of a firm date four weeks in advance. I am still waiting on a firm date.

Edited January 7, 2022 by getdownmonkeyman

[Desert Skipper]

11 hours ago, getdownmonkeyman said:

Expect to wait for a new car. I ordered a new car in August, the delivery date was given as early January. This was revised to post mid-February in November, with confirmation of a firm date four weeks in advance. I am still waiting on a firm date.

Yes I forgot to say we waited a while for the the Sandeep, partly because of the chip shortage and partly because of demand. 

[henage]

On 29/12/2021 at 22:53, JohnM said:

Tow a caravan? Then look VERY carefully before buying a battery electric or a hybrid.

These  usually have a very low (non-existent in some cases) towing limit and can suck the range out of any car.

Watched 5th gear ? last night . Gave vw and vito electric vans a test .

Didn't do very well 50k ish cost  No miles in battery  , speed rubbish . Merc slightly bettter than vw 

 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, henage said:

Watched 5th gear ? last night . Gave vw and vito electric vans a test .

Didn't do very well 50k ish cost  No miles in battery  , speed rubbish . Merc slightly bettter than vw 

 

Hence why I'll not be changing my 20 yr old sprinter that I've owned for 19 and a half years any time soon , when it dies if I'm still working I'll buy a trailer 

Edited January 9, 2022 by GUBRATS

[henage]

had t4 getting on for 15plus years , hoping to get to half a million miles  

[Dunbar]

So, from the other thread on charges. 

I am going to buy a ridiculous car for no other reason than I want one.

The big question is do I compromise and buy a car that will suit the family as well as my selfish needs or do I just buy one for myself and let Mrs Dunbar have something more practical (which I will buy anyway!).  We don't really drive enough to justify two cars so its a tough one.

[Desert Skipper]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

The big question is do I compromise and buy a car that will suit the family as well as my selfish needs

Choose a biggish car that suits the family, but with a hybrid system that's better for the green stuff. Then upgrade the interior with all the bells and whistles and luxury stuff that will make you feel a bit happier while you're driving it. That way it suits as many of the parties as possible.

Before I bought my EV I was looking at the hybrid Skoda Superb or the Kodiaq (SUV version). The top-end interiors are really nice for what you're spending. And way more reliable than the equivalent luxury brands.