hello i'm new to the forum i just wanted to ask a few questions about my possible purchase. i am thinking of buying a 1.2 fiat 500 pop 2013 reg, 7000 miles on the clock i am currently driving a 1.4 Fiat Idea giving me average mileage of 35 mpg city driving. It is 2005 reg with 40000 miles on the clock.
I road tested a the 1.2 pop this morning noticed that the average mpg only went up to about 42 mpg on a 10 mile drive similar to my usual commute. does it get any better than this? Just wondering before I take the plunge.
My aim is to save all round, tax, insurance & petrol.
Thanks Donna

donnorf said:

hello i'm new to the forum i just wanted to ask a few questions about my possible purchase. i am thinking of buying a 1.2 fiat 500 pop 2013 reg, 7000 miles on the clock i am currently driving a 1.4 Fiat Idea giving me average mileage of 35 mpg city driving. It is 2005 reg with 40000 miles on the clock.
I road tested a the 1.2 pop this morning noticed that the average mpg only went up to about 42 mpg on a 10 mile drive similar to my usual commute. does it get any better than this? Just wondering before I take the plunge.
My aim is to save all round, tax, insurance & petrol.
Thanks Donna

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Hello and welcome :wave:.

Good to have you on the forum.

With any car, fuel economy depends mostly on two things; the type of journey you make, and the way you drive.

If you're currently getting 35mpg from a 1.4 idea, then you'll likely get somewhere in the region of 40-45mpg from a 1.2 500, if you drive it the same way on the same kind of trip.

On longer runs, and driven for best economy, the car is capable of much better than this - but you'll only see these better figures if you do longer runs and drive for best economy. Whatever mpg you actually get, you can at least be reassured that there are very, very few petrol cars on the road that could do better than a 1.2 500 or Panda, driven like for like.

donnorf said:

My aim is to save all round, tax, insurance & petrol.

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You have to do your own figures, but it's very hard to save money buying a new(er) car. I went from 23.5MPG to 37+ MPG, but there's no way I'm going to beat depreciation, repayments and insurance costs with the fuel savings (10mile commute - but sometimes might do 60 work miles a day). I was faced with a $6000 repair bill so it made sense to jump ship, but even then the $900/year fuel saving I'm not going to save money.

UFI said:

You have to do your own figures, but it's very hard to save money buying a new(er) car. I went from 23.5MPG to 37+ MPG, but there's no way I'm going to beat depreciation, repayments and insurance costs with the fuel savings (10mile commute - but sometimes might do 60 work miles a day). I was faced with a $6000 repair bill so it made sense to jump ship, but even then the $900/year fuel saving I'm not going to save money.

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Thanks for the advice. I jumped ship. Got a good part ex on my 10 year old Idea. Pick it up on Saturday. Looking forward. Will see how the savings go.

Hi and welcome,
If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.

My journeys are very short, a couple of miles a day. I have a mile on a dual carriageway and a mile on standard roads. My fuel economy is currently reading at 40mpg which is about an average for me. It can go up to 42mpg if I'm feeling flighty and head into town

Other half drives a bloody great big Jeep Patriot diesel and it amuses me that he gets 45mpg on average out of that but his journeys are massively different to mine.

pulliptears said:

My journeys are very short, a couple of miles a day.... .... My fuel economy is currently reading at 40mpg which is about an average for me.

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That's reasonable, given the type of journey you're making. Making lots of very short trips has a massive impact on fuel economy.

Take it on a 50 mile run at moderate speed, and you'll likely get half as much again.

I'm pleased with it. I tend to play the 'fuel economy game' occasionally and see if I can get a bit more out of it. I'll be really well behaved and follow the 'shift' messages

pulliptears said:

I'm pleased with it. I tend to play the 'fuel economy game' occasionally and see if I can get a bit more out of it. I'll be really well behaved and follow the 'shift' messages

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If you really want to play the 'fuel economy game', I'll let you into a little secret.

By the time those shift indicators light up, you've already missed the change point for best economy - if you're driving really carefully, you'll almost never see them on.

My Fuel consumption for my current 10 yearold 1.4 fiat, is surprisingly to the book, a pretty rubbish 35mpg city driving. So if I get 40-45mpg city driving with the 500 twill be a bonus + tax saving and insurance savings tis all good even if in a small way.

I also have until Saturday to decide if I wanna buy the Boomerang 3year depreciation thing. Im in 2 minds. Anyone purchased that?

Didnt know there were also shift indicators though on the 500 1
2 pop useful tool for new drivers

donnorf said:

Didnt know there were also shift indicators though on the 500 1
2 pop useful tool for new drivers

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I still can't get my head around the fact the car wants me in 5th gear on a 30mph stretch of road

pulliptears said:

I still can't get my head around the fact the car wants me in 5th gear on a 30mph stretch of road

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The 69HP 1.2 runs perfectly well on level ground at 30mph in 5th, and if you have a light touch on the gas pedal, will also pull away quite happily without needing to shift down, albeit with acceleration more like a train than a car.

The 60HP Euro 4 1.2 in the Panda has better bottom end torque and can do the same thing from 25mph.

jrkitching said:

The 69HP 1.2 runs perfectly well on level ground at 30mph in 5th, and if you have a light touch on the gas pedal, will also pull away quite happily without needing to shift down, albeit with acceleration more like a train than a car.

The 60HP Euro 4 1.2 in the Panda has better bottom end torque and can do the same thing from 25mph.

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Quote for truth. I shift up to 5th when pootling round 30mph zones at around 27-28mph and the car is quite happy. I get cross with the wife when she doesn't shift up and stays in 4th!

Cei said:

Quote for truth. I shift up to 5th when pootling round 30mph zones at around 27-28mph and the car is quite happy. I get cross with the wife when she doesn't shift up and stays in 4th!

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You must be great fun to live with!

Palma500s said:

You must be great fun to live with!

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My wife has yet to find fourth gear. Goes from third to fifth, and back again. Not sure why, and life too short to ask her!

wellfan said:

My wife has yet to find fourth gear. Goes from third to fifth, and back again. Not sure why, and life too short to ask her!

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to be honest with you, 4th gear is the gear i probably use least in the car!

ahmett said:

to be honest with you, 4th gear is the gear i probably use least in the car!

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Makes sense, Ahmett.

You spend most of your time driving either cruising, accelerating or braking - and 4th isn't much use for any of those.

Palma500s said:

You must be great fun to live with!

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I am very fun to live with

I think it comes down to how we were both taught to drive. She seems to have been told to only go to 5th when you're comfortably over 30mph, as that's probably what the car she learnt in wanted, whereas I was taught the whole "every car is different" approach and to pay attention to revs, engine noise and the like.

As for 4th gear itself, it's remarkably useful in London. Often your 'cruise' speed is around 25mph due to traffic, perfect for 4th.

jrkitching said:

Makes sense, Ahmett.

You spend most of your time driving either cruising, accelerating or braking - and 4th isn't much use for any of those.

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Exactly when accelerating I use either 2nd or 3rd most of the time then go up to 5th for the cruise.