Looking to Buy a New Car That Is Fun to Drive and Fuel Efficient?

Hey everyone, i've been driving a subaru impreza rs 09 hatch but i recently got a job which requires me to travel around 100KMs a day. Being an AWD car and requires premium petrol, it consumes a lot of petrol for my daily commute.

I was looking at purchasing a 103TDI golf. Possibly 2011-2012 model with less than 100kms. I have attached 2 ads i have been looking at, both have had its dsg serviced at least once (60,000km service).

What are your thoughts on these cars? Are there any other options i could look into for a fuel efficient car that's also fun to drive? Budget is around 10-12K.

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/dallas/cars-vans-utes/golf-t…
&
https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Volkswagen-Golf-…

Comments

  • +5

    is this the era of car involved in the emissions scandal?

    not sure I'd equate 103TDI with fun either, each to their own.

    from carsales; Acceleration 0-100km/h 9.3 (s)

    .

    • I was reading up on people remapping their ecu to 130KW but still maintaining a 5L/100KM fuel efficiency on freeways..

      • +7

        I own an MK6 golf. Beautiful car, seriously though, unless you have official written service history from the prior owner be very careful.
        These cars can cost an absolute fortune to fix and the diesel are known for having DPF issues causing the car to essentially go into limp mode while the DPF cycles…

        If you go for a petrol one, only ever use 98 RON fuel, my mechanic has seen so many golfs come through his shop with piston and cylinder issues due to the person trying to save a few bucks and use shitty e91 in their golf.

        And as for the DSG, I wouldn't touch a second hand one unless you got a spare $4k sitting around in the event it fails…

        So to summarize… I'd suggest going with a manual and make sure you have official service history or you'll be in for a world of pain.
        (small tip, don't buy a car off gumtree, if the person selling can't even afford $60 for a carsales ad, they clearly can't afford to look after their car)

        • Thanks mate, good insight think ill steer away from the golfs for now

        • I seriously don't get the Euro snob that even the mechanics attest to. Mazda 2.5 is more powerful, direct injected, high compression, aspirated and yet runs absolutely fine on 91

        • @dealsucker:
          and you forgot to mention its more reliable, cheaper to service and easier to sell :-)

        • +1 mate works at Volkswagen and rebuilds engines all day due to people running 91 and/or E10 forever in them.

          This is excellent advice.

        • (small tip, don't buy a car off gumtree, if the person selling can't even afford $60 for a carsales ad, they clearly can't afford to look after their car)

          HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

          thats so wrong lmao

          Are you associated with carsales by any chance?

  • +12

    Is saving petrol cost your only reason for getting a new car?
    If so you might want to weigh up the extra rego, insurance and risk (of buying a lemon) versus just using your current car and pay a bit extra on fuel.

    Otherwise there're cheap, fun to drive and efficient. Pick (up to) two.

  • DSG, nuf said!

  • +17

    Economical fun car is an oxymoron.

    Get a motorcycle…. great on fuel and good fun.

    • +3

      I was thinking about bikes but id rather a car as its more functional for me thanks

      • +4

        Fair enough.

        I'd probably stay away from a 6 year old Volkswagen though.

        You probably better getting a near new or demo Hyundai or Kia.

        The Korean brands have come a long way in the last few years.

        We just got a Kia Sportage (well.. the wife did). She loves it.

        • Ill have a look mate cheers

        • +2

          @Insert2Coins: Agreed. The newer Hyundai/Kia models are a big step up in quality and fuel economy. Definitely worth taking a closer look.

      • I would argue that you buy both. Motorbike for fun, some economical for other stuff.

    • What SpottyMoose said

    • +3

      I disagree. Cheap cars can be fun to drive if they have a good chassis and you drive it like you stole it. Our little Ford laser is a blast to drive cos you have to wring it's neck to go anywhere, and even though you're driving it at 100% of its capability you're still will within legal limits.

      My Forester XT is actually less fun because by the time turbo comes on boost you're already past most speed limits.

      • Exactly this.. Lot of people are mislead by performance numbers but entirely forget the fact they drive 60 km/h roads most of the time with occasional highway driving. I'm a fan of Prius, obviously not known for performance but if you try it 0-60 km/h acceleration, most of those 'performance cars' will struggle to beat it (due to instant electric power unlike engine rev power which takes time). Having said that, I'd still won't consider Prius to be great when it comes to quick corners etc. It's a very comfortable car which on the other hand means you won't feel the road that much (if you know what I mean). I often feel like I'm on a boat (which I personally like) but lots of people won't like it. Also the engine sound, many people like the 'roar' which is completely out of the question with electric/hibrid cars. But for the sake of a comparison, just try out a Prius on 'high performance' mode (there is a button which actually does make a difference) and see for yourself without taking any public perceptions.

    • +1

      Economical fun car is an oxymoron.

      Nah, PRACTICAL Economical fun car is an oxymoron. ;)

      The BRZ/GT86/MX5 are all great fun cars to drive around town and come to life on the backroads but they have virtually no storage space.

      Something like a Civic Type R or Mazda MPS is probably a good middleground but costs a bit more.

      • Not the TypeR, too many issues, maybe an Integra.
        However those "sports" Mazda3 are definitely fun, practical, cheap and Economical…it's for a good reason that most owners keep there's for a long while so you don't see much of those popping up on CarSales/Scumtree

        There is the Golf GTi and they're fun, but not very cheap and definitely lacking in the reliability department. And I really like that car, so it's off-putting the whole VW brand for me as I want to get a VW Amarok in the future (but probably will settle for a Ford Ranger instead).

  • +17

    Mate you're downgrading if you wanted a fun car.
    Your current car is an NA impreza no turbo, whats the worst its giving you? 10l/100km 11l/100km if youre really having fun?
    Its safe, reliable, AWD, fun to drive, looks good and consumes slightly more fuel compared to any other 4 cyl sports hatch while giving you that legendary AWD.

    Want a fun to drive car, reasonable on fuel? you already have it! put a nice exhaust on it and drive on.

    Also your impreza rs DOES NOT require premium fuel, its not a WRX, its a normal impreza engine with a sports body kit. Use ULP91.

    if reliability is not a concern however, there are a few more options.

    • Thats true, but i feel like it would be more worthwhile to get 1000KM per tank rather than 500~

      What other options were you thinking?

      • +1

        Hey if your desire for fuel economy is greater than having a fun car, I would agree with a golf or polo diesel but I was thinking more Golf GTI, focus st or more reliable mazda3 hatch, something along those lines..

        • Do not buy a polo diesel. We bought a very low kilometre example at work for the receptionist to drive and flogged it for what we could get 8 months later. The DPF problems, even if covered under warranty are an absolute joke.

    • +10

      Waaaait wait wait wait a second…

      A non-turbo AWD Impreza is fun to drive? Bloody news to me.
      All those things do is guzzle the petrol like no tomorrow and take forever to get off the line.

    • +1

      I have a subaru 2.5 na and it runs much better on 95 then 91 and increases fuel economy from around 9.5 to 8.6. I also tried 98 but that makes no difference at all.

      • Yes i am currently running on 95 as well

        • 95 is the sweet spot !!

  • +9

    mx5

    • Not a fan of 2 doors sorry!

      • +71

        Buy two of them, then you'll have four doors.

    • +5

      About as much fun as you can have outside the bedroom.

      • Because the mx5 wouldn't fit through the doors..

      • Clearly you've never been on a motorbike.

        15x more likely to die, but its absolutely worth it

    • +2

      This

  • +5

    The money you save on petrol buying a VW will be lost in resale value and maintenance. Perhaps try hypermiling, you can easily save 30-50% on fuel costs by annoying everyone else on the road.

    • Honestly i thought i would be driving the subie until it dies. Never thought that i would have to sell it one day but the golf will definitely become my daily for a long foreseeable future

    • It's what I do for fun on my Prius C.

  • +2

    I don't see how a Golf (pretty heavy car) with 103 kW is fun to drive, but that part is each to their own.

    The part that isn't is the fuel economy. With the car you're thinking of getting 5.7L/100km, but the reported numbers are always a bit inflated. I'd say you're more likely to be getting around 6.2L/100km, is it that much of an improvement on the car you already have? The Subaru gets probably around 8L/100km, so you're looking at a saving of maybe a maximum of 2L of petrol every day. That's $2.50 per day, or $912 per year.

    Of course, it's not an insignificant saving, but if you just want to save money, the higher depreciation you'll pay on the newer car (as well as it being a Euro), and also the likely higher servicing costs will definitely outweigh the petrol savings. On top of that the Golf will be a Diesel, which can be more expensive than ULP.

    Like I've always said, don't worry about fuel economy. It's just a marketing rouse to sell people these small cars designed for (smaller) European roads in Australia where people used to traditionally prefer bigger cars. If I had a dime for every time people paid more for a particular car (for fuel economy reasons) than the lower fuel consumption would actually save them, I'd be rich. If you really drive a lot and you want to save money, get an LPG.

  • Thanks guys, i guess ill keep looking at what other options there are cheers!

  • +1

    clio or megane rs?

    • Hows the maintenance on renaults?

      • +1

        no idea about the later models. I had a 2001 172 RS and it was the most fun car I have ever driven(of about 50 different cars)

      • I recently looked at a brand new Megane. 1 year or 30000km service intervals, whichever comes first. It was a really nice car, the 1.2l turbo engine was surprisingly good for the tiny size! But I ended up going with a Skoda Octavia instead. Bit more powerful, just as fuel efficient, and a known quantity as I'd already had one…

        • 30,000km service intervals on a turbo motor?!?!

          Good choice on the Skoda. I drove the 17 RS before deciding on the Superb 206 AWD, lot of fun.

        • Yeah I was amazed too. The guy at the dealership said that they stand by their cars as being amazing - and this is one way they prove it.

          I was a bit upset they stopped making the Octavia scout - I wanted that one for snow trips!

  • +2

    Clio RS, cheap, kinda fuel efficient and actually pretty fun to drive

  • +2

    Suzuki Swift

    • +14

      Swift sport!

    • This.
      One with a full service record. Manual tho.

  • +3

    I had plenty of fun driving a 1991 Corolla hatch manual. Slow, handling nothing flash but lots of fun! Only cost $1500 too.

    • +1

      All the Corollas I've driven have been fun.

      Mostly as they go faster on two wheels than four me thinks.

  • +2

    Hybrid Camry! Will absolutely FLOG both your Subaru sled & SH!theap Volkswagen!!! Not to mention under 5 litres a hundred(if you really, really try) resale value, reliability & it's a FAMILY SIZED CAR!!!

    • Forgot about camrys hybrids, last time i checked (few years ago) they were pretty expensive and out of my budget but they dont look too bad right now. Cheers mate

    • +2

      He said FUN TO DRIVE and efficient. Not efficient and boring that drives like a tank.

      Also don't forget there's a life-limit to batteries. Same with electric vehicles these batteries will need replacing..

      • How long do they usually last and are they expensive to replace?

        • Not sure with hybrids because your car will still run without the electric component. Basically if the battery dies out all you'd notice is that your petrol engine kicks in more (higher fuel consumption).

          Apparently Toyota says 8 years, but it will depend on how the car is used.

          Batteries have 2 life-spans: one where the capacity drops on its own whether it's used or not, and the other the number of charge-discharge cycles it goes through. Usually the second one comes up first.

          Given this, I'd say definitely stay away from ex-taxi or high-mileage hybrids.

          I'll just put it out there that I'm no fan of hybrids. The cost of getting one almost never stacks up to the amount of fuel you save, however in a second hand car where the depreciation has already happened (and the battery is in good nick) there may be a case for it.

          Not sure about the cost to replace is.

        • @CMH:
          Cheers, yeah they're pretty expensive brand new and having a quick look a lot of the ones for sale look like they're ex taxi/high mileage.

        • @CMH:

          Warranty is 8yrs/160,000kms

          There are many reports of taxis etc getting a lot more out of the battery. I guess they wouldn't own them if they'd be up for a replacement battery and the costs related to it

        • @Spackbace:

          I would suggest they sell them before they need replacing.

        • @Insert2Coins: Not all are ex-taxis. If looking at a Camry Hybrid, look at a 50 series (2012-2017), far superior to 40 series Camry Hybrid (2010-2012).

          Example here. Ad says HL but is only a H. Yes it has done just over 200K, but if serviced properly, will easily do a lot more km. Taxis easily clock over 1 million with little to no drama.

        • +1

          @CMH:

          I'd suggest it wouldn't be viable for a taxi driver to sell their car at under 160,000kms, they'd run them higher than that. Which means, the battery is getting a lot more mileage than its warrantied for

        • +1
        • @Spackbace: True that. OP needs to catch a plane or bus for that one though.

        • @Spackbace:

          A battery that's been used for 160k km will not cause any issue other than not charge up as full as it should.

          The car will continue running, and once the battery is flat will continue on the petrol engine. No problem at all.

          However if the battery is in such a condition it no longer holds much charge, then it basically turns into a normal petrol driven car with an electric engine in tow. It will still run without any issues, it may very well run to 1million km.

          If you want to continue down this path OP, it's really up to you.

        • @CMH:

          However if the battery is in such a condition it no longer holds much charge, then it basically turns into a normal petrol driven car with an electric engine in tow. It will still run without any issues, it may very well run to 1million km.

          That's incorrect. The HV battery is required to start the engine (via inverter/MG1). If the HV battery goes into a state where it cannot hold charge, the engine light will come on and "Check Hybrid System" will be displayed on dash. The vehicle will not start again until the issue is cleared.

        • @PinzVidz:

          The charge required to start the car and the charge required to do any real moving work would be quite different I'm sure.

          Also, does anyone know what the thresholds are for warranty on the battery?

        • +1

          @CMH: Regardless of what charge is required to start the ICE or move the vehicle, the ECU won't allow the vehicle to go into "READY" mode if the HV battery doesn't hold charge. I've worked on the things for years, what I'm saying is correct.

        • +1

          my prius battery died after 13 years from new, replace costs 2.5k, but car should last another decade. same battery at a lexus cost around 4k..badge premium.

        • @CMH: rightio! Just tell that to my $2200 (off Gumtree) 2013 Hybrid Camry ex taxi with almost 700k on the clock! Yes, it'll need another HV battery/cell in the near future, but at $250-$500 from a smashed car at the wreckers I'm not too worried!

        • @PinzVidz: this is incorrect! The 'Check Hybrid System' comes up on my 2013 AVV50 almost daily! It still drives fine, starts, goes into ready mode no issues whatsoever! The engine simply runs continuously! It's a bit of a worry that you 'state' you work on them daily, yet have no clue about what you're talking about! Toyota dealer? Say no more!

        • +1

          @Micko179:

          Thanks for the negative vote. As I said earlier, in the event the HV battery can no longer hold charge.

          no issues whatsoever! The engine simply runs continuously!

          There's obviously an issue, just not relating to the HV battery. You're just lucky it's not preventing the vehicle going into ready mode. Care to tell us what the fault codes are? Or do you just ignore it altogether? If that's the case, too bad if it shits itself completely one day when you need it most…

        • @PinzVidz: rightio! Honestly, I Don't take much notice of the error codes as they comes up daily! But you'll be more than pleased to note that it has a 'permanent' pending code for 'replace hybrid battery' + the usual codes of 'check hybrid system' ETC! but being a 'Toyota Technician' who works on them on a daily basis you already knew that, RIGHT?! New name suggestion 'KNOWLEDGE'

        • @Micko179:

          Just gotta know the difference between a technician and someone who actually understands how it works.

        • @Micko179: Your battery has degraded to the point where the warning comes on, but not yet to the point where the car refuses to start. Nothing you've said has shown that @PinzVidz is at all incorrect.

        • @PinzVidz: Codes are P0A7F Hybrid Battery Deterioration P0A80 Replace Hybrid Battery Pending/Current/History!

        • @Micko179: you're damn lucky that you can still drive it. In the couple of cases I've seen where similar codes come up, the HV battery turned out to be open circuit.

        • @PinzVidz: a few cells are dying(12,13 & 15 from memory), they often get down to 12 odd volts! Most of the time it's fine as long as I continually clear the pending codes to get the engine to cycle as intended instead of constantly running, it mostly comes up because I try to hypermile (much much easier to do in my other 40 series) in it keeping it in electric more than usual.

  • Dear OP
    It is you that is going to be driving the car 100kms every day.

    Whilst OBs can offer you thier opinion, thats all it is.
    They are telling you what is important to them.

    Whats important is your opinion, now ours.

    List the pros and cons of each car as you see it and then pick the one with the most pros and least cons….Simple

    • Thanks mate, been going through everyones suggestion and widening my search but havent really decided yet

  • -2

    No such thing as a fun eco car

    Buy a fun car and a daily

  • +3

    People who are saying economical cars can't be fun obviously haven't driven a Mazda Mx-5 (or an Elise if you're wealthier and more hardcore), or equate fun with straight line speed.

    Consider something like a Swift Sport, RenaultSport Clio or 308 GTi (if they've fallen low enough yet).
    Just the mindful that the Clio arguably being the best drivers car, is probably the worst to commute in.
    I'm sure there's a whole bunch of other cars that fall into this category. Polo GTI et al.

    Any of these cars will be more fun than the Impreza as I imagine it's pretty heavy.

  • +5

    Xr6 or G6E ecolpi

    • Can confirm this. Have a G6 Limited Edition EcoLpi. Cheap to run, and you can put your foot down when you need to without feeling too guilty.

      See here for 100 metre run and discussion about the petrol turbo and xr8 comparison:
      https://youtu.be/yPewODeliBM?t=88

  • For 10-12k… Lordie lord…

    Any good mileage petrol car will be rubbish if you drive it in a 'fun' way. Hybrid will help but your budget is not there I'm afraid, even for 2nd hand.

    Supercharged or turbo run higher compression and more engine wear, plus the need for 98 will kill your fuel costs vs 91

    Might have to pick one or the other. Power, Fuel and Cost, can't have them all.

    Look for a light car with okay power that uses 91 fuel. But you also want a 4 door… My god

    • How do you figure?! Paid $4k for my wife's 2011 Hybrid Camry, $4k for my 2010 Hybrid Camry, $2200 for one of my 2013 Hybrid Camry's & $9800(very low KM'S) for the other!!!

  • A Skoda Fabia?

  • +7

    Only one really choice. Spend slightly more and get a Toyota 86. Job done.

    • +2

      +1 on the 86 - great fuel, fun to drive on the corners.

  • -2

    2013 Opel Astra diesel.

    This was the model which finally made Opel Astras reliable.

    They ride and steer sweetly, look great, are well screwed together, you'll also get around 800km on a single tank. Plus parts are surprisingly cheap and plentiful if using ebay.

    https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Opel-Astra-2013/…

    • +2

      That engine has 350nm of torque.
      Your getting downvoted, but this is actually an option, that would be a blast to drive!

      • -1

        By looking at the compression and RPM range, its a diesel which means its not really going to produce a lot of actual speed.

  • +2

    mx5

  • +1

    i recently got a job which requires me to travel around 100KMs a day.

    A diesel van or a commercial Ute would be good for work and play. Both may park in loading zones and carry a sizeable cargo.

  • Mazda 3 Diesel?

    • Second hand only, as I believe Mazda has pulled diesel 3s from the market here. They were never very popular because buyers were forced to buy a high end model to get the diesel, causing the price to blow out to $40k.

  • +3

    Mini Moke. It will also increase in value over time

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