Driving - opinions please

[DAZZD88]

Right, in our office we have just had a miniature debate. Basically our MFL tech came in and because I'm getting a new car the conversation changed to cars. She said she needed a 140bhp 2.0 diesel Seat Ibiza. I then asked, "You need it or want it?" To which she stated she needed it. I asked why and she said that it was because she had some pretty steep banks too go up and she needed the extra power.

 

Then I asked how come she doesn't just change into an appropriate gear to which she said (which I'm not disputing the answer she gave) that in her 140bhp Seat, sixth gear is appropriate. I mentioned about just changing gear and making sure you have enough revs etc and have plenty of power for overtakes and climbing banks. The reactions was that with the power she doesn't need to. The guy i work with (has a Civic Type R) said he preffered having more power so that overtakes and the like are easier.

 

So onto my point of the poll, do people get big engined cars because they need them or want them? My thoughts are that unless you need a high-powered car then you may as well just get a little car and learn to use the gearbox properly.

 

 

Just to clarify, before getting flamed by people that jump the gun I am simply airing my opinion and am in no way sayin people who have bigger engined cars are poor drivers or anything like that. The issue simply intrigued me and caused me to wonder what others thought.

[bossman]

She is right in one respect as the larger vehicle will use less diesel compared to a smaller car as the torque of the larger vehicle will allow for higher gear whereas the smaller car as you have stated requires the driver to gear down and use higher revs thus burning fuel at a much faster rate than the larger vehicle.

 

Some people are of the opinion that small is often better but in a majority of cases i.e.1.9 Tdi diesel being the optimum engine size for better fuel consumption at all levels plus added comfort and easier driving.

 

I am not stating that bigger is better just that under certain circumstances it is.

[gl3nnym]

I am a bit of a petrol head so like the big engine cars. I do a lot of mileage and it's just more a matter of fun on which car I want, not convenience. I don't worry about having to use the gearbox, it is there to be used so I will use it appropriately.

[DAZZD88]

Fair points, much appreciated.

 

I can understand where people are coming from preferring a bigger engine. I am changing down from a 1.6 Astra to a 1.25 Fiesta.

[gl3nnym]

Fair points, much appreciated.

 

I can understand where people are coming from preferring a bigger engine. I am changing down from a 1.6 Astra to a 1.25 Fiesta.

 

I went from a 1.2 Fiesta to a 2.0 Focus. Quite enjoyable but won't be happy until I get the BMW 330i. Ohhhhh yeeeeh.

[K.C.Leblanc]

As a comparison Top Gear drove a Toyota Prius flat out around a track, they then had JC follow it in a BMW M3. Now the M3 barely had to draw breath to keep up with the Prius, and as a result used less fuel.

 

Also as for the small/big car argument as cars get older the gap narrows. In fact when you get to the bottom of the market small cars are often worth more because they're cheaper to run. I've always had larger cars, because I've never done many miles, and also most smaller cars are less refined.

Edited September 27, 2010 by K.C.Leblanc

[36Degrees]

I went for the large engine option mainly because of the number of miles I do. I've always found them better for commuting and the engines last longer - my last car was replaced at 205,000 miles purely because it needed a lot of welding doing which wasn't cost effective.

[linuxgirlie]

Petrol-head here as well....well Diesel-Head at the moment, have a Chrysler 300c which is a 3.0 V6 Diesel. I would say though that this was definitely bought as a WANT and not a need. It took me a lot of saving and going without of other items, and my personal opinion is that anything that is above the main human survival is automatically a want and not a need so carefully consider every purchase I make....

 

.....though some can say I am over-frugal!!

[aerospacemango]

I'd go with big engine too.

 

More power makes for safer overtaking. I've got a 1.8Si Escort estate and live out in the sticks.......

 

If it was the car I WANTED, it would be a Land Rover Disco with a big engine!!!

[Gerry]

As a comparison Top Gear drove a Toyota Prius flat out around a track, they then had JC follow it in a BMW M3. Now the M3 barely had to draw breath to keep up with the Prius, and as a result used less fuel.

 

But then Prius owners don't tend to thrash their cars about...

 

I find stop-starting to be the createst consumer of my precious petrol. I have to drive through a traffic jam just over 1 mile long every morning. Can take up to 10 mins during term time, and almost no stops during the school hols. I find the jam increases my consumption by approx. 2mpg

 

I also like having enough power for overtaking, but wish I had an extra "economy" gear.

[TechMonkey]

It would depend on your driving style and use. If you like to be able to overtake and have that bit of spare, maybe you will be towing things, then bigger is better. If you are just nipping round town, with a few long runs then smaller would probably make sense.

 

I think mine is a 1.3 or 1.4 and sometimes really wish I had a little bit more oomph, I don't bother with an overtake as I know it could be a bit tight. But generally no problems so it isn't an issue

In a perfect world do I want a bigger engine. Hell yeahs. Gimme a Range Rover Sport any day, watch those things hoon it!

 

In my opinion most people want bigger engines. Few need. But that doesn't make it a bad thing.

[Edu-IT]

What do women know about cars? *Takes cover*

 

[Arcath]

ive had a 1.2 clio and now have a 1.8 focus, and drive wise the focus wins hands down its never maxed out, if you need that little bit more power its got it. As for the costs the focus was cheaper than the clio (but yet its got more extras and a bigger engine?) and fuel wise the it gets about the same distance to a tank although it does cost more to fill (bigger tank) but youd expect a bigger engine to need more fuel

[SYNACK]

I have a 2.5L and its still too slow, I also use the gearbox plenty but there again we have some really winedy mountainus roads that are just no fun with an anemic vehical. Having driven through mountain passes with a little 1.8 toyata corrola and a much more powerful 2.5L car I much preffer the bigger one.

[Hightower]

I'd prefer a larger option, but I usually just buy whatever my mates dad has going when I need a new car. These are usually smaller hatches like Clio's but the latest purchase was a 1.7CDTi Astra. I wouldn't say the 1.7CDTi is a large engine, nor a small engine. I pay £90 p/y tax on it, and it has plenty of poke when I get my toe down. Quick enough to blitz past a hazardous driver doing 40, slow enough to have red cheeks when attempting to go past a 330

[aerospacemango]

When I lived in Brentwood, Eseesx, and drove into London at night for work, I had a 1.2 Kia Picanto. Tiny car, tiny engine.....

 

However, despite being underpowered around the M25 and A13, it'd still do 70.....But it came into it's own once I reached Central London.

 

See a gap? Go for it! Snappy acceleration and lots of fun. It was a breeze driving around the city.

 

Now that I live in the sticks, and although I really need a 4WD, the Scort does the job, especially on the back roads of Suffolk!

[Andrew_C]

She is right in one respect as the larger vehicle will use less diesel compared to a smaller car

Errr... Smaller car, less mass, better mpg. Typically. The Top Gear excesses duly noted.

 

I'm currently running a 1400 Jazz, but that is soon to go. I'm heading towards a circa 2l oil-burner again. Similar MPG, but I want the comfort of my Citroen Xantia back. The Jazz is SO noisy! Did 450 miles in it yesterday, and my head is still ringing.

 

The choice is between the C5, and a Skoda Octavia. I think...

[broc]

Sometimes people confuse power & torque; in general more torque means less effort & fewer gearchanges. Turbo diesels generally provide huge amounts of torque vs petrol engines, even petrol turbos. My 2.2l turbo diesel motorhome weighing 3500kg takes less effort to drive than my ex-Honda Civic 1.8 petrol which was over 2000kg lighter; both had around 140bhp but the diesel had loads more torque available at much lower revs whereas the Honda engine had to be screaming to get any torque. In the Honda it was embarrassing trying to pull out & overtake in anything above 3rd gear unless the engine was spinning at 4000-5000rpm, the motorhome could easily out pull the Honda in all higher gears (at legal speeds) thanks to the low-down torque from its turbo. Also I find revvy engines such as the Hondas quite tiring to drive with a manual gearbox, which is why I now have a Honda Accord petrol with an auto box

 

Of course, all the torque in modern turbo diesels has a downside; high pressure injection systems with incredibly fine tolerances that foul up, Dual mass flywheels (DMF) on bigger engines which have spring dampers to soak up excessive torque when moving off (otherwise you get excessive wheel spin and/or broken transmissions). DMFs are made to quite high tolerances and the springs can be damaged by excessive heat (too much slipping the clutch) and are very expensive to replace when they go wrong. Add to that diesels appetite for turbos, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) clogging and you have a recipe for expensive repairs with a modern TD engines.

 

Having said all that, a decent sized TD in a small car (eg Seat Ibiza or Skoda Fabia vRS) can be fun.

[Sirbendy]

Octavia - go VAG. Nice and solid, and not overly french.

 

I had a rather tasty Golf 1.6FSI DSG 6 speeder - economy, and yet still ridiculously rapid and long legged -100 in 4th, not even close to being out of puff.

 

Now back in my 1.6 8v Astra auto. On paper it's lacking in power. In practise? Keep it on the boil, it'll go up nice steep hills at 50+ with sports mode engaged. More than enough.

 

I prefer handling over power, and Astras are EXTREMELY chuckable with most satisfying chassis feedback and lots of warning should you overcook it. Roundabouts with camber make me smile.

[Fatmas]

Been insured on my dads Alfa 147 1.9td and also drive the other half's 1.0 Peugeot 107. The difference is quite scary. Although, because the 107 is so light, it is very nippy around town.

[anerney]

I used to have a Peugeot 206 which was a diesel and a 1.4 but the drive isn't the same as my current car. I have a Ford Mondeo now which is a 2 litre tdci. The main reason I got this car is because it is very much a confortable car and easy to relax in. There is no small car out there that gives me the comfort that my big powerful Ford Mondeo gives me, even if you were to get an Audi A3.

[sidewinder]

Would go for the smaller engine myself, thats only because Im a bit obsessed with fuel economy though.

Currently drive a 1.6 Escort and I worked it out to average around 50mpg on the motorway (although that seems a little high, perhaps I was wrong). Had a 2l Hyundai Coupe at one point and while the extra power was nice, it wasnt worth the extra fuel it drunk.

 

As an aside, considering getting a 1.9 Diesel Peugeot 306 next...would that be a step upwards in my quest for economy?

[BTCC_Fan]

I currently have a 1.3 Ka which has 60bhp. While its fine with 1 person in it around Leeds and general driving its plenty powerful. As soon as you get to the mway or a dual carrigeway its less good. It does get to 70, it just takes some time. Where it really struugles through is hills on the motorway and overrtaking. I live near the M62 which is a very hilly motorway and I'm often flat out going up the hills just trying too keep 70.

 

While I love it for my daily commute to uni, I begin to like it less when I take it on the motorway which I do fairly regularly. When I next change my car then I will look for something a bit more powerful but not loads more powerful (or bigger).

[K.C.Leblanc]

Now some people are mentioning cars with biggish engines. But if you're mantra is 'there's no replacement for displacement' you need this.

 

SOL CLASSIC CAR CLUB

[DAZZD88]

TBH I think I have a similar mindset to sidewinder, I love trying to get a good MPG. I also like feeling that I'm actually driving the car and using it properly rather than point it in a direction and push the accelerator. I like gearchanges because I reckon it's the proper way to drive. Obviously if there were excessive amounts of gearchanges then that'd be a case for a bigger car with longer gear ratios and a bit more puff.