Economical New Cars That Achieve Over Fifty Miles Per Gallon In The UK
Using the words of Bob Dylan Times they are a changing and this is certainly true when we look at the habits of the new car buyer. Successive governments have failed to curb our excessive fuel demands indeed for many years cars just seemed to get bigger and bigger with fuel consumption figures dropping sometimes barely hitting double figures. Then came the troubles in the oil producing regions of the world swiftly followed by the credit crunch and all of a sudden attitudes have changed. Market forces have influenced the new car buyer and as a result the car manufacturers have moved swiftly to fill the chasm that is opening in the marketplace the need for comfortable but fuel efficient new cars. Listed below are ten economical new cars not in any particular order or indeed not even market leaders what they do have in common though is their ability to travel over fifty miles per gallon on the combined cycle. They may not be the answer to all our problems buy they are certainly a step in the right direction.
MINI Cooper 1.6 D
The 1.6 diesel MINI Cooper has had the EfficientDynamics treatment by BMW low rolling resistance tyres electric power steering an intelligent alternator control / brake energy regeneration system an automatic stopstart function and a high precision Direct Injection system are amongst the advances that have been applied to the new diesel Cooper and as a result it achieves a staggering 72.4 miles per gallon on the combined cycle.
Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion
Powered by a 1.4 litre three cylinder diesel engine that is fitted with a with a variablegeometry turbocharger that gives maximum assistance at low speeds the Polo Bluemotion is one of the leaders in its class. Volkswagen have used a few tricks to get the Polo Bluemotion to perform as frugally as it does the obligatory lowrollingresistance tyres lightweight alloy wheels and improved aerodynamics all contribute to the Bluemotion achieving 74.3 miles per gallon on the combined cycle. Exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter give the Polo another advantage over most cars in the UK market Co2 emissions of only 99g/km resulting in zero road tax. Low cost motoring at its best.
Audi A3 1.9 TDIe
Audi may not be the first manufacturer that comes to mind when it comes to economical cars but this just goes to show how serious manufacturers are now taking the situation we find ourselves in. The A3 1.9 TDIe is powered by a reworked diesel unit and this combined with aerodynamic tweaks lowresistance tyres and a recommended gear display mean the Audi will travel 62.8 miles for every gallon on the combined cycle. So if you youre looking for a car with green credentials but dont want to compromise on quality the A3 1.9 TDIe may tick all the boxes you require.
Citroen C1 1.0i Vibe 3 door
The Citroen C1 could just as easily be substituted with the Peugeot 107 or the Toyota Aygo as they all share the same platforms and the same engines that said the C1 was chosen for one thing and one thing alone price. Designed in collaboration between the three manufacturers all are extremely capable city cars with low road fund bandings and good mpg figures slight cosmetic differences are really the only things that set the models apart that and the fact that Citroen run slightly better offers making them the lowest priced model. Powered by a one litre petrol engine the C1 will return 61.8 miles per gallon on the combined cycle and has Co2 emissions of 108 g/km.
New BMW 1 Series 118d EfficientDynamics
Voted World green car of the year in 2008 by 47 journalists from 24 different countries the BMW 118d EfficientDynamics makes use of energy capture systems brake energy regeneration auto stopstart optimum gearshift change indicators electric power steering and lightweight body panels to achieve a quite remarkable 62.8 miles per gallon on the combined cycle. With BMW expecting sales of 700000 cars a year in Europe that have EfficientDynamics incorporated the fuel savings are estimated to be in the region of 33 million gallons quite a substantial saving by anyones book
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic
When it comes to economical new cars the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic has to be up there with the best of them. Powered by a specially tuned 1.6 litre diesel engine the Fiesta ECOnetic is the most economical Ford and possibly the most economical car around at the moment. Longer gear ratios a gear change indicator aerodynamic wheel trims low rolling resistance tyres lowered suspension and the fact that it weighs about 40 kgs less than the outgoing Fiesta mean that the ECOnetic will let you drive 76.3 miles on the combined cycle for every gallon of diesel you put in. Ford may be struggling in the US but with figures like these the Fiesta ECOnetic it sure to prove a big hit in Europe.
Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI DPF BlueMotion S 105 5dr
Unfortunately not everybody can utilise a small city car or hatchback after all some people do have families and this obviously restricts their choice when it comes to buying a new car. For those in that position Volkswagen has come to the rescue in the form of the Touran Bluemotion. The Extremely popular MPV sports a new front grille and air intake optimised aerodynamics lower suspension and higher gearing along with low rolling resistance tyres combined these improvements mean that the Touran Bluemotion will return 52.3 miles per gallon on the combined cycle. Proving you dont necessarily have to downsize to do your little bit.
New Toyota Prius 1.5 VVTi
When launched the Toyota Prius was seen by many as just a gimmick as a result both Lexus and its parent company Toyota have stolen a bit of a march over their competitors. Exemption from the London congestion charge has certainly helped to raise the profile of the Prius and as a result it has become a common sight on the roads throughout the UK. Powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine and a high output electric motor the Prius switches between the two the electric motor takes charge at low speeds up to 28 mph with the petrol engine taking the strain at higher speeds. The result a combined cycle of 65.7 miles per gallon making the Toyota Prius an ideal car not only for the city but also for those who choose to commute.
Skoda Fabia 1.4 TDI PD 80 GreenLine
Another offering from the Volkswagen stable to take a trip down to the wind tunnel is the Skoda Fabia Greenline it may not quite match up to the Polo Bluemotion or the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive it is however quite a bit more frugal than the rest of the Fabia range. Achieving 68.9 miles per gallon on the combined cycle the Greenline should theoretically drive 689 miles on a full tank put into perspective thats seventy miles more than a standard Fabia 1.4 TDI. The Greenline may cost a little more than its siblings but with petrol and diesel prices as they are it wont take very long before youve recouped the cash.
New Mazda 2 1.3 TS
Generally as we get older we add weight something that also seems to happen to cars. Redesigns and facelifts always seem to add a few pounds here and there and as a result larger more powerful engines are required just to achieve the same performance. Not so with the new Mazda 2. When Mazda launched the new 2 model it weighed in an incredible 100 kgs lighter than the model it replaced. Its safer five stars from EuroNCAP for adult occupants has more equipment as standard yet still manages 52.3 miles per gallon on the combined cycle quite an achievement really.
About the writer: If you are in the market for a new car make sure you look at economical cars that get more than fifty miles per gallon and green cars.
Choose Your Rv
Choosing Your RV.
The best advice I can give to someone who wants to do fulltime Rving is to attend a large RV show. These are usually held in the winter season in many cities. Rosemont Illinois and Tampa Florida are just two that come to mind. Get a RV magazine like “Camping Life” or “Trailer Life” and find one close to your home. You will also see advertisements about close out sales at different dealerships in your area. Remember that there are hundreds of different types of RVs out there. A dealership can have only so many. That is why a show is so good. There are many different dealerships and manufacturers. When we bought our 2002 Avion Platinum 33′ fifth wheel we had gone to the show in Rosemont Illinois near O’Hare Field. We knew what we wanted in a RV: two recliners and a bedroom which was higher than 6’2″ because that is my height. Those were our demands. We also wanted large storage space because both of us are pack rats. One of the first RVs we walked into was this Avion by Fleetwood. I never heard of it but knew of Fleetwood’s reputation for trailer construction. I had been in the trucking business for twenty years and Fleetwood made our fleet. Since then we have gone through a learning curve. We are still in love with the Avion. Others hate them because of the many problems they have occurred with them.
We spent the rest of the day looking at and sitting in RVs. Some had slanted roofs and wasted a lot of interior space. Some had short bedroom ceilings where I had to stoop over to get into bed: unacceptable. Some had space between the cabinets and the ceiling: a waste in my opinion. We must have looked at over fifty fifthwheel trailers. We settled on the Avion and got a good price because of the RV show. We would have even gotten a better one if we had driven it off the lot. We were not ready to start traveling for another four months. Today many manufacturers have adopted a flat roof and a high ceiling in the bedroom. There are more options out there. One other thing is price and budget. What can you afford? Even some fifthwheels can cost as much as six figures: not in our range.
That is our story. How about you? Each person has different tastes and needs. In choosing a RV for yourself you have to address these issues. Do I want to fix a meal while driving down the highway? Where do I want to explore? Do I want a resort with all of the amenities: pool club house activities etc.? Do I want to find a secluded beach or mountain lake? O how about all of the above?
Let us look at the different options in buying a RV. There are pros and cons for each one you consider.
First the Motor Home: Class A. The motor home is a selfcontained unit looking like a bus. They come in all sizes and with every comfort of home. Their cost will be less than 100000 to 1000000. There are some resorts that will accept only the highend motor homes as residents. Motor Homes have all of the creature comforts: captain chairs lot of interior and exterior storage space and the comfort that you can fix a meal while driving down the highway not the driver but the passenger. There is a story about someone driving down one of the lonely straight roads out West and wanted to fix lunch. He put the Motor Home on Cruise control and went back to fix lunch. Miles ahead was a turn in the road. He was still fixing lunch and ran off the road. Another plus for a Motor Home is security. I a worse case scenario where there are pirates who want to attack you all you have to do is get into the drivers seat and pull away leaving them empty handed. This does not happen too often.
The cons about a Motor home are that you have to have a tow vehicle. I have seen them as small as a Scout and as large as a full size Hummer. I have seen his and hers motorcycles. I have seen trailers with Corvettes inside or other sports car. Each person has his and her own lifestyle. You do not have to give it up to be a fulltime Rver. Remember that for each vehicle you need a license and insurance and mechanical upkeep.
Second the Travel Trailer TT. I have seen travel trailers the size of an egg less than ten feet to ones over forty feet with numerous slide outs. I have seen some that the roof collapses and travels behind the car or truck. They are becoming more popular. Airstream is a wellknown manufacturer. These are the silver bullet ones. Many people swear by them and have Airstream Travel Clubs. Travel trailers come in many sizes with a variety of slide outs and other amenities. One advantage is that you can use a car to pull some of them i.e. the lighter ones. The cons are swaying in the wind while driving down the road. Sway bars are available to diminish some of this. They are not as steady as Motor Homes or fifth wheels.
Third: Fifth wheels. These look like travel trailers but have a gooseneck extending in front over the bed of the pickup truck. They come in sizes from lt;26 feet to gt;45 feet. The longer the trailer the less option you will have of finding a suitable parking place. Our overall length is fifty feet: thirtythree for the trailer and seventeen for the dually pick up truck. We have white knuckled into a parking space many a time. Turning corners is another challenge. You need extra room to do so. Look at Semi drivers who have to make a sharp turn. These are professional drivers. Fifthwheels are wonderful to travel down the road. I forget that it is behind me. I remember when I have to brake change lands or come to a viaduct with a low clearance. Remember the height of your trailer. The cons are dropping and hooking. At our website I have a couple of checklists for exterior and interior dropping and hooking. These need to be adhered to or else you might be going down the road with the television antenna raised. It will not be like that for long. I know from experience.
Fourth: Class C Motor Homes. These are on a truck chassis and can range from lt;twenty feet to gt;thirty feet. Like Motor Homes you need a tow vehicle so you can travel while in a campground. I have seen some very nice Class C Motor Homes. They are very suitable for the single traveler male or female.
Fifth: truck bed drop ins. These are units that fit on the rear of a pick up truck. Lancer manufactures a very nice model which hangs over the rear of the truck. One advantage is that you can drop the unit and drive away in the truck. One con is the about of weight you put on the rear of the truck. Be careful about destabilizing the load.
Sixth: Class B Motor Homes. I have not seen too many of these lived in by fulltime Rvers. They look like custom vans and come in various sizes. I would feel claustrophobic in one of them.
Finally: pop up trailers. Yes there are some fulltime Rvers who live in a pop up trailer. These are hearty souls who do not mind being in the elements. I have seen one that is no more than six feet long. The occupants put up a kitchen tent where they did their cooking and relaxing. The trailer was for sleeping.
As you can see there are many options from which you can choose to live the lifestyle of adventure as a full time Rver. I recommend googling on RV trailers on the Internet to see what is available. Se what the price ranges are for each one. But before you buy. Make sure you sit in one and check out all of the amenities. You have to answer one question; Can I live in this? If you have any qualms about your answer go somewhere else. This will be your home.
Remember to visit our web site for more updates about RV living: http://www.jmpelley.org.
About the writer: John and Maggie Pelley are Geriatric Gypsies. Both of us are retired from the rat race of working. We are fulltime RVers who ran away from home. We began our travels on the East Coast and like the migrating birds seek the warmth of the seasons. No more shoveling snow in Chicago. We have discovered volunteering with the National Park System. During our travels we have found that each town has a story to tell: some are more interesting than others. Both of us enjoy good listening music as we go. John has a CD he has recorded of Native American flure music. We have learned that RVing has a learning curve. We want to pass on some advice the help others avoid this trecherous curve. Life is an adventure. We are living it to the utmost.
The Manual Drive 541s Jensen British Classic Car
Values
A phenomenal amount of interest in classic cars a few years ago caused much to be published and prices to escalate beyond belief.
This was at a time when an Aston Martin Zagato racing car that never won a race sold for over a million and a half pounds. An ‘E’ type Jaguar commanded as much as 90000 for what was a mass produced car and so many were made in the 12 years of production. It is not so surprising that many enthusiasts were unable to afford an interesting classic.
Since those heady days the situation has changed dramatically the recession resulted in more sensible prices for most classic cars.
However even when prices were rather ridiculous there was a remarkable distinctive car of the early ’60s that was overlooked available at a very reasonable cost and still is undervalued.
Hand built with very few maintenance problems and best of all no body rust to worry about! It is one of very few classic cars that can actually be used as a daily form of transport I had been driving one for well over 25 years and now my son still uses it.
I am referring to Jensen cars of the early ’60s designed by Eric Neale and made at the time when Richard and Alan Jensen owned the company. Particularly the Jensen CV8 this is the model before the Interceptor with the huge 6 litre V8 engine and the 541S.
The CV8 was the fastest fourseater car of all in 1965 and I drove my special one off version commissioned by Hardy Amies every day until I emigrated from the UK a few years ago.
The other favourite is the classic British thoroughbred the 541. Especially the last model made prior to the CV8 with the 4 litre straight six Austin Princes engine particularly the manual drive version of the Jensen 541S.
Classic Car Show Awards
For so many years these Jensen cars have not been expensive by comparison with any other classics of the period. Very strange really when one considers that at most of the important classic car shows in the past Jensen won all the best awards.
Up against all the well known prestigious makes the Jensen Owners Club together with Dave Horton’s famous CV8 have won; ‘Car of the show’ or ‘Best of the master class’ and ‘Best club stand’ and so on. There can hardly be a worthwhile classic car award that has not been won by a Jensen!
Pioneers
These awards are not really so surprising as the Jensen brothers based at West Bromwich made extremely fine hand built cars. They were also pioneers; the first to provide disc brakes all round; first with four wheel drive on a CV8; one of the first to use the wind tunnel for body design.
They were also well known and respected for their advanced ideas on safety. The 541S was the first car with seat belts as standard they also provided very soft padded areas above and below the dashboard. Door handles and window winders were all in recessed panels out of harms way.
They won the silver medal for coach work at Earls Court and with the 541R in 1957 according to tests by ‘The Autocar’ they had produced the fastest four seater car of the day.
Over the years their glass fibre and polyester resin coach work has stood up to the test of time remarkably well.
Maintenance
Service and maintenance of these cars proves a lot easier than with many other classics and this statement applies to some of the more modern cars. There is a very enthusiastic owners club that provides valuable technical information. Most spare parts are also not too difficult to find through the Jensen Owners Club. The chassis is built like a tank and the glass fibre body cuts out all those rust problems.
High Power
The well proven straight six 4 litre engine is in a class of it’s own set with triple SU large carburettors and linked to the Jaguar Moss 4 speed synchromesh gearbox with overdrive add to this servo assisted Dunlop disc brakes all round. Provides one hell of a lot of motor car!
The CV8 is an even more powerful car still but not a British thoroughbred as it has a Chrysler V8 engine. There are certainly not many cars from the early ’60s that can still be used as a daily car some 35 years later.
Super Luxury
I have not yet mentioned the luxurious interiors but both of these models provide lavish leather arm chair comfort for four but also with plenty of head room and leg space even in the back. A lockable glove compartment a useful container under the central arm rest a deep pocket either side of the rear seats for rolled up newspapers as well as large pleated pockets in the back of the front seats. The 541S front passenger seat folds completely up to allow far easier access into the rear than most other two door cars even modern ones.
Both the 541S and the CV8 unlike many more modern fast cars sensibly provide a very large boot space for luggage. I do feel that a lot of the modern fast car designs fail to provide the head room and leg space for taller drivers and completely fail to provide useful luggage space. As a family man these are some of the reasons why I favour the CV8.
An overwhelming amount of standard equipment at a time when so many items were charged as optional extras such as: a Motorola radio lights up with the name Jensen; the heater; a fog and a spot light; a fire extinguisher; a first aid kit; a cigar lighter; a clock; rear window heater and all the instruments one could wish for. Plus a very generous tool kit in a fitted tray under the 541S dashboard consisting of apart from screwdrivers and spanners pliers an adjustable spanner even a tyre pressure gauge spare bulbs tyre valve and cap.
Out of all the Jensen cars of this period the 541S has been the least sought after and the most difficult to sell. There is a reason for this although it is an impressive car and beautiful it has a reputation for lacking acceleration as a sports car. It has a good top speed and is capable of travelling at over 100 mph all day long.
The Fabulous Manual 541S
But all the original road test reports were based on the automatic version this automatic gearbox although developed by Rolls Royce lost an awful lot of performance it is such a pity that the manual version was never tested!
Between 1960 and 1962 Jensen built 127 in total of 541S cars out of these only 22 were manual drive. The manual is a gem of a car! The most luxurious car of all the 541 range and what is not generally known these manual drive cars with the LacockdeNormanville overdrive are very fast cars indeed. They would have earned a much better reputation from a road test than the one they have from the automatic version.
Extra Design Features
The 541S has certain unusual design features adjustable front seat arm rests fitted to each door the Bevelift jack kept in the boot was designed for use through the floor of the car in front of each front seat. So it was possible to lift front and rear wheels together whilst protected from the rain.
When the boot lid is open the driver can still see without any restriction out of the rear window. Very sensibly the spare wheel valve is accessible through a fitting in the rear of the boot floor thus allowing the air pressure to be checked easily without having to remove the wheel.
Sexy
The look of these cars when viewed from the side could be said to be reminiscent of early Jaguar cars head on possibly Aston Martin and from the rear one thinks of Porsche. However Jensen developed with the 541S quite an original and distinctive aero dynamic design without any sacrifice to space or comfort.
I still consider it to be one of the most attractive four seater cars of that era that still attracts admiration today.
Readers will by now realise that I rather like these cars that is certainly true and we owned 5 out of the 22 made. It will not be easy to buy a good manual 541S as only 15 more at most exist.
They are identified by the chassis number prefix of 102 there were two prototypes made with the chassis number JM EXP 100 and JM EXP 102. The hunt would be worthwhile if one could be found as such a car would cost less than an ordinary ‘E’ type Jaguar in reasonable condition.
My bet is that this situation will change.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;John N. Cohen A past director of Jacey Cinemas Ltd. Later the proprietor of a design photographic studio now a director of Jacey Homes Ltd. a property development company. Interests and Hobbies: A top international award winning photographer who also became a well known Asian antiques collector and an enthusiast of Jensen British classic cars. Other interests are skiing and Salsa dancing.
To view the photographs that relate to this article please use the following link:
http://www.jncohen.net/Jensen/article.htm
For John’s other interests have a look at:
http://www.jncohen.net