Big commuters

[vwbassett]

Hi are there any leon owners who commute quite a lot? Do any of you use an LCR as i do and as my mileage is stepping up massively i think i may have to join the dark side. For diesel commute owners ie mainly motorways whats your average mpg as im trying to work out if i can stay with the LCR for a bit or if id really see a benefit with a diesel as i get a generous fuel allowance.
Cheers
Adam

 

[BoomhaueR]

I commute in my LCR, but it's quite a short distance. 150 miles a week maybe. So cost isn't too bad. It is mainly motorway/dual carriageway, average about 28-30mpg. But if I was doing more like 300+ miles per week, then a diesel or more economic commuter car would probably be necessary.

What sort of miles are you doing?

 

[UncleFester]

I've been doing a bit more motorway driving of late .... easily seeing 45mpg ... as high as 50.

 

[chrisphysics]

Don't do it. The savings to be had are small at the moment. Factor in the cost of changing cars, the fact that dirty fuel costs upto 15% more at the moment. Then there's the extra cost of alcohol that you'll need to factor in.

Driving a TDi after a LCR will drive you to drink and masterbation just to feel better about yourself.

 

[UncleFester]

Don't do it. The savings to be had are small at the moment. Factor in the cost of changing cars, the fact that dirty fuel costs upto 15% more at the moment. Then there's the extra cost of alcohol that you'll need to factor in.

Driving a TDi after a LCR will drive you to drink and masterbation just to feel better about yourself.

Then there's the cost of brakes etc etc etc - depending what you run your car for ( remember he has a track car for stupid fun) the real world differences between an LC Tdi and a Cupra R do not become so important.

Tax is half the LCR and insurance is a chunk cheaper too.

It's not all about the cost of the filthy black fuel you chuck in

 

[JamesL]

I've got a 110 Derv and do a fair amount of miles in it. I do at least 70 miles a day (which is just work and back, so plus anything else I do). I work out my consumption properly whenever I fill up, I normally average around 45 mpg which is mainly sat at at least 70 on the motorway and fairly 'spirited' driving around town - I'm not doing 60 in a 30 etc but I dont drive it like a grandma is what I mean.

I'm sure there's a fair scope for me to improve it if I wanted to.

 

[sockpuppet]

I have a TDI 150 and do 500 miles a week. I purposely got the car due to the milage I was going to have to do.
The 0 - 60 time is not bad for diesel car but not that great compared to a petrol LCR, but overtaking is amazing.

Unless petrol becomes half the price of diesel I will be staying on the dark side!

 

[MrJohnnyB]

on my Leon Cupra it was costing me about £300 a month on fuel of which £275 was probably commuter miles on Dual carraigeway/B roads about 65 miles a day. Do the diesels also have lesser service requirements or is that my imagination? I honestly found it very tiring becuase including insurance, servicing etc i was paying like 450-500 a month on my car. I found this rather tiring so moved house lol. Now have a 0.8 mile commute

 

[Jonesy]

Do 350 miles a week for work and some at weekends in my LC.
Fill up twice costing just over 100 notes

 

[Mylo]

mapped petrol LC, about 70 miles a day, every day. £60+ a week on petrol (31.4 mpg ish) and two oil changes a year.

Not cheap to run, but it was bought for fun not economy.

 

[chrisphysics]

on my Leon Cupra it was costing me about £300 a month on fuel of which £275 was probably commuter miles on Dual carraigeway/B roads about 65 miles a day. Do the diesels also have lesser service requirements or is that my imagination? I honestly found it very tiring becuase including insurance, servicing etc i was paying like 450-500 a month on my car. I found this rather tiring so moved house lol. Now have a 0.8 mile commute

I have just done the same, my 40mile each way commute will become 8. Woo.
Still to vwbassett I would prise up the full year costs including cost of car, servicing, fuel, insurance.
I've no idea what it will be for your mileage but i bet the difference will be small. For £100 a month i'd keep the better car. That said if it's not your only car then any saving would be good?

Make sure you get a Leon though.

 

[vwbassett]

Well i have 1 and a half cars lol, kit car is still a work in progress. Im guessing i may do 25,000m a year if im lucky with a new promotionbased on fuel alone i rekon it would cost £2709 for a diesel(45mpg) vs £3516(32mpg) EEP! ok a £700 difference is a lot but i think if i sell the LCR at the moment i think id loose more plus its got a 12m tax/mot and i love the thing it was and still is just what i wanted but it might hit me when/if things go wrong as i know cupra parts are a bit cheaper especially those brakes!

Anyone think a remapped LCR would increase its cruising@70mph mpg?

 

[UncleFester]

Well i have 1 and a half cars lol, kit car is still a work in progress. Im guessing i may do 25,000m a year if im lucky with a new promotionbased on fuel alone i rekon it would cost £2709 for a diesel(45mpg) vs £3516(32mpg) EEP! ok a £700 difference is a lot but i think if i sell the LCR at the moment i think id loose more plus its got a 12m tax/mot and i love the thing it was and still is just what i wanted but it might hit me when/if things go wrong as i know cupra parts are a bit cheaper especially those brakes!

Anyone think a remapped LCR would increase its cruising@70mph mpg?

You could get a switchable map maybe - one for economy and one for abuse?

 

[diss_50]

Driving a TDi after a LCR will drive you to drink and masterbation.

Thats not a bad thing!

 

[WeeJase]

Thats not a bad thing!

until you drink just a teeny bit too much, and try and take the top off your c0ck with your teeth

 

[Dave H]

TDI Economy: Summer 53mpg and Winter 48mpg. Annual average is slightly above 50mpg as I record all monthly use. I do about 16k annual miles
Really is a simple calculation, I had pulled a spreadsheet together at the start of the year and was monitoring fuel prices monthly, as the gap between the two fuels is ever growing, but still cheaper to run diesel just now for the miles I do.
If you want to save money and doing commuting miles then diesel can save you money over say a 2 year period guaranteed! But you may need to trade some fun for saving pennies

 

[jasonhanson88]

Or get saving and get a cheapish diesel.
I got myself a high mileage (100k) Leon se tdi (110) for ₤3.5k,
Full service history, had it for a year and its only cost me a service and extra oil change,
Nice and economical over the past 15k .... but i do want to get myself a fast petrol...

 

[vwbassett]

Pat, who offers those mapping services? still think i need some lighter wheels, maybe they'd get my LCR to 45mpg

Dave H that would make quite a difference to calculations i made, which would make me another few hundred £ better off with a diesel - DOH! My dads got a cupra tdi(mk1) hes selling soon which makes the question harder as id get a nice full history, well looked after car at a family discount but id still be left with an LCR to shift.

I have thought about a second car but 3 leons on the drive would look silly lol plus the cost of 2 insurance policies, 2 tax, 2 mot and double servicing cancels the benefit.

 

[holty]

I wouldn' t count on petrol prices staying low for too long either mate. You never know whats around the corner...
Jusy my 2 pence worth.

 

[vwbassett]

Dont think its going to stay cheap for diesel boys forever either though. I did fill up with 99 ron for 94p a litre yesterday with Tesco's 5p off a litre but OH the cars going to be empty again tomorrow did a 400m round trip on wed.