29.4 mpg on motorway mileage from a 1.6? That's a bit steep isn't it?mikegti wrote:Economy wise, it cost me £40 at 86.9ppl to fill it once the fuel light came on, and I'd done about 300 miles (M-way and A-roads).
hire car
-
GroovyCarrot
- Sponsor
- Posts: 2305
- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 7:35 am
- Location: Saffron Walden, Essex
-
Tahrey1043
- Bling Bling Diamond Member
- Posts: 5184
- Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2003 1:15 am
- Location: Birmingham! Enjoys: The pseudo-G-Smiles provided by a 1.6 Megane Sport valver...
- Contact:
"heavy car" is probably much more the important side of the equation than "small engine"..... 
even under continual stress the mk3 refused to dip much under 30mpg. Average economy wasn't impressive (high 30s) for a 1-litre, but there did seem to be an efficiency "wall" so long as you kept it in top gear as much as possible, regardless of how much the throttle was nailed. (changing down of course, made it plummet, but there's a limit to how long you can stick in the lower gears on WOT)
Driver involvement is 9/10ths of the enjoyment law. polo was 1043cc, the astra is 1598cc and slightly more efficient in terms of hp/litre, and has phat ass tyres (in comparison), plus better brakes and supposedly helpful power steering (needed, because of the tyres and block!). But it's heavier, has squashier suspension (even in comparison!) and overall just feels more removed and not as much fun..... not quite "no" fun, but you dont feel anywhere near as much "part" of the car or in touch with the road. The satisfying feeling of nailing each maneouver dead-on even with minimal power and questionable roadholding/suspension is replaced by much more adequate acceleration and grip but a strange sense of vagueness and detachment that detracts from it a bit, a little like you're playing a sit-down arcade game rather than actually driving.
(makes for a wonderful cruising beast though, even if it's in danger of sending you to sleep... spot on handling satisfaction replaced with that of precisely hitting each gear just at the sweet spot on the lower edge of the torque curve in the new ratio and purring along smoothly and almost silently.... whereas the polo never really went below a reluctantly subdued burble guess each vehicle has it's own niche in which to live... next im looking for one that gives wicked economy whilst combining best bits of the previous two..)
even under continual stress the mk3 refused to dip much under 30mpg. Average economy wasn't impressive (high 30s) for a 1-litre, but there did seem to be an efficiency "wall" so long as you kept it in top gear as much as possible, regardless of how much the throttle was nailed. (changing down of course, made it plummet, but there's a limit to how long you can stick in the lower gears on WOT)Driver involvement is 9/10ths of the enjoyment law. polo was 1043cc, the astra is 1598cc and slightly more efficient in terms of hp/litre, and has phat ass tyres (in comparison), plus better brakes and supposedly helpful power steering (needed, because of the tyres and block!). But it's heavier, has squashier suspension (even in comparison!) and overall just feels more removed and not as much fun..... not quite "no" fun, but you dont feel anywhere near as much "part" of the car or in touch with the road. The satisfying feeling of nailing each maneouver dead-on even with minimal power and questionable roadholding/suspension is replaced by much more adequate acceleration and grip but a strange sense of vagueness and detachment that detracts from it a bit, a little like you're playing a sit-down arcade game rather than actually driving.
(makes for a wonderful cruising beast though, even if it's in danger of sending you to sleep... spot on handling satisfaction replaced with that of precisely hitting each gear just at the sweet spot on the lower edge of the torque curve in the new ratio and purring along smoothly and almost silently.... whereas the polo never really went below a reluctantly subdued burble
guess each vehicle has it's own niche in which to live... next im looking for one that gives wicked economy whilst combining best bits of the previous two..)