Facts and figures
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FUN AT 50MPG
27.08.2008 |
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Green doesn’t have to be boring; Richard Bremner has found six cars that claim to save money at the pumps and put a smile on your face. But do they deliver?
Not the first diesel coupé, but one of the most glamorous. Audi’s new 2.0 TDI engine combines strong go with economy, and that’s with the traction of four-wheel drive. Fun at 50 miles to the gallon? A few years ago such a thing was possible in the form of a small, front-wheel-drive hatchback offering competence, perhaps a little fizz, but not much more. Today, every one of the cars you see here (which run from a pair of amusing retro hatchbacks to a couple of fast, lightly glamorous coupés) is capable of 50mpg – in theory at least. In theory because they all return over 50mpg on the official combined cycle, but plenty of cars fall well short of this in reality. Still, the possibility is there. So one aim of bundling this eclectic set of cars together is to see how close, or not, they get to those claimed numbers. Our main aim, however, is find out how much entertainment they provide while preserving the contents of your wallet. All six get off to a great start by dishing up plenty of visual character. The most controversial, perhaps, is the BMW, whose oddly proportioned rear end and bowed roofline combine unhappily with a 1-series lower half never noted for its great beauty in the first place. Its closest competitor, the Audi TT, is still a striking sight after all these years, even if its recent rework has diminished the shock of the original’s proportions. It’s far more of a sports coupé than the BMW, but sacrifices rear room and a decent boot in the process.
Both the Mini and 500 are reworks so individual that they cannot be mistaken for anything else, while the Mégane, although hardly elegant, has the most eye-grabbingly distinctive design of any car in this class since the ’98 Focus. The Volvo is almost unique these days with its sports estate configuration, although the load-carrying element is almost token, its boot not much bigger than a domestic fish tank. But it’s quirkily handsome, the C30.
None of these cars looks average, then, and not so long ago the Audi, BMW and Volvo would have been unusual even for offering diesels. Besides their diets, what binds them is their scope for scoring 50mpg. On paper, no model makes a stronger claim than the Mini, with its 72.4mpg, a doubly impressive number given that it can score 62mph in just under 10 seconds. In fact, it’s refinement and civility that strike you hardest with this car, qualities that complement its high standard of finish. Drive it hard and you’ll enjoy solid urge from its PSA/Ford diesel and a chassis that livens pleasingly after initially feeling languid. There’s sophistication here, far more than the Fiat, the Renault or the Volvo can muster, even if the Mégane’s chassis feels livelier. The Cooper’s stop-start system can annoy, but you acclimatise, and it’s a reminder (along with its gearshift light) not to drive extravagantly.
The Fiat does without either of these money-saving emissions reducers, but it is, of course, a substantially less expensive car. Cheekily glamorous looks and its classy detail décor make it one of the most appealing cars here. However, such attractions are needed to counter cabin dimensions that feel cramped despite generous headroom, the doors coming close to seats that you seem to sit on rather than in. The 500 gets about quite briskly at town speeds, and with decent refinement, but on the open road you must make good use of its five-speed ’box. That’s also true on a country lane, but the pleasures to be extracted here are road surface-dependent; the 500 turns absurdly bouncy on some B-roads and its rear wheels occasionally knock it off line if they hit mid-corner ruts. Couple this with the odd, artificial resistance of the electric power steering and you have a car whose appeal depends heavily on looks and price.
Good looks, to most eyes at least, are not what the 123d has going for it, but there are compensations in almost every other direction. It’s not quite the most expensive car here, but it’s certainly the most powerful, combining a 7.0sec 0-62mph time with 50mpg potential, an amazing achievement. The BMW feels like the best made and most sophisticated car here, its chassis delivering a superb mix of well insulated ride, crisp turn-in, fine balance and grip, its steering the most information-packed too. Adequate rear room and a generous boot make this a practical coupé besides. The TT is less convenient, but looks like a proper sports coupé, low-slung and exciting. You drop down into this car, enjoy a cabin almost as finely crafted as the BMW’s and an engine whose civility and turn of speed would be mighty impressive were it not for the fact that the 123d’s motor is even better. The BMW’s ride shades the TT’s too, as does the Mini’s for small bump swallowing, although the test TT was disadvantaged by optional 19in rims. But things swing in its favour when you push it really hard, the standard quattro system funnelling more torque to the rear axle to help it around a hard-charged bend. It also provides additional stability in poor conditions, of course. A shame the TT doesn’t feel so eager to change direction at saner speeds, however; the slower you drive it, the more ordinary it becomes. But these shortfalls are far less severe than they sound; this car is a pleasing drive and hugely satisfying to own with its classily crafted glamour.
‘Class’ and ‘crafting’ are not words that leap out when you switch to the Mégane, whose cheap leather seats and plasticky interior are feeling dated. The willowy gear lever and a heavy clutch don’t help, yet the Renault proved one of the finest entertainers here with its mix of sensitive steering, reliable grip, good seat-of-jeans feedback and the kind of mid-range pull that makes it easy to bound from bend to bend. Less good are the patter of its big wheels over bumps and an aura of frangibility, suggesting that this car will eventually field more rattles than a crèche. But if entertainment is the measure, this car is right up there; it’s enough fun to earn Renaultsport badging.
The Volvo C30 wears intriguing subsidiary badging too, the R-Design package providing bigger wheels, a body kit, aluminium cabin highlights and some particularly stylish two-colour leather seats. None of which are enough to turn this attractive-looking car into the deft machine its looks imply. Indeed, the bigger wheels remove the one area of above-average dynamic sophistication in the standard car – a supple ride that’s as much a pleasure over back-road twists as it is in town – to make the C30 an also-ran in this company, an impression strengthened by a somewhat grumbly diesel. Which is a surprise, given that it was better in the last C30 we sampled and is the same engine fitted to the Mini Cooper, if without a sixth gear or stop-start. The C30’s low-end tug is decent enough, and it’s not too rattly, but the motor sounds stressed when pressed. Perversely, the very precise movements of the gear lever make it more of an effort to change ratios, and when driver satisfaction is paramount this car falls well short. Entertainment is one thing; just as important is how close these cars came to turning in 50mpg. Only one car broke that barrier, and by an impressive margin. The Cooper turned in a fine 56.1mpg, easily winning the economy test. It was trailed by the C30’s strong 48.4mpg, the Fiat’s slightly disappointing 47.9mpg, the BMW’s 36.4mpg (excellent, given its go), the Audi’s decent 34.9mpg and the Mégane’s not so hot 33.0mpg. But we’d expect all of these cars to be capable of improving usefully on these figures. And the testing did include ultra-hard driving in the interests of science.
And our winner – for its combination of potency, parsimony, all-round ability and sophistication – is the 123d, in particular because it is such a finely judged driver’s tool. This car simply delivers more thrills per mile. It’s followed by the Mini, whose highly capable but slightly inert chassis is compensated for by its spectacular economy, capabilities that nose it ahead of the Mégane, whose motor is just torquey enough to make good use of the superb Cup chassis. Its economy wasn’t so hot, which is why it slid behind the Mini. Just behind that comes the Audi, which sheds points for being a less competitive performance and economy compromise than the mighty BMW, and for being a slightly more wooden drive than the Mini. If the fun element were less important, it would easily shade the Mégane. Wooden is what the C30 is, this stylish coupé disappointing for its lack of dynamic edge, especially as a Ford Focus offshoot. Consider it instead as an unusual-looking hatch with the bonus of excellent economy. Which brings us to the Fiat. It is, of course, easily the cheapest car here, and the most charming to look at. But its manners on B-roads fall far short of the standards set by the 12-year-old Ford Ka, and any number of £8000 entry-level superminis. Its chassis and steering are simply too crude to be much fun, which is why it must come last in this test. L …and Judged purely on fun? Fun and economy are not mutually exclusive, I’ll grant you, but if you take a random selection of cars with a 50mpg combined cycle, and a random selection with a 20mpg figure, I’ll wager you’d have more fun with the second group. And that’s a given if your 50mpg selection involves a Fiat 500. Fun to drive? No. It’s just a series of bounces, coupled to an asthmatic engine, over-sharp steering and an alarming roll rate. A Panda 100HP would be a thrill-a-minute more fun. Like Bremner, I’m also a fan of the C30 in its most basic form, but this R-Design specification didn’t show it at its best. It rides too harshly, there’s none of the smooth steering and supple ride that I remember. Pity. The TT and Mini are harder to separate, particularly if you think about price and economy, but that’s not my remit: on thrills alone, the Mini can’t keep the TT behind it. Its engine is good, it steers well and it’s agile. But the Audi is more refined, faster, it steers with precision and it keeps a respectable hold on its body movements. If you had to drive one or the other for a year, the TT would be the choice. It’s almost as good as Audi’s 2.0-litre petrol version of this car. Which leaves the Renault and the 123d. If you had to drive one for a year, there would be days with either when you thought you’d made the wrong choice. The Renault’s body movements are impeccably tied down. It has a proper chassis. Its engine is relatively strong and refined, too. But the BMW’s composure, maturity and balance are fine, too, and its playfulness and engine seal it. Of all the cars here, the 123d is the only one that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve compromised on entertainment in the pursuit of economy.
BMW 123d SE Coupe
Price £25,045
Combined mpg 54.3mpg
Test mpg 36.4mpg
0-62mph 7.0sec
Max speed 148mph
CO2 emissions 138g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1995cc, turbodiesel
Power 201bhp at 4400rpm
Torque 295lb ft
Transmission 6-speed manual
Weight 1495kg
Tyres 205/50 R17
BMW’s superb diesel delivers astonishing performance — this is almost a 150mph car — with amazing economy. That’s an unbeatable combination.
Mini Cooper D
Price £14,420
Combined mpg 72.4mpg
Test mpg 56.1mpg
0-62mph 9.9sec
Max speed 121mph
CO2 emissions 104g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1560cc, turbodiesel
Power 109bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 192lb ft at 2000rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Weight 1165kg
Tyres 175/65 R15
A famous shape, brisk performance and the promise of near-spectacular fuel economy enhanced by an Efficient Dynamics package that includes a stop-start system and regenerative alternator. The Mini
is very well made, too.
Volvo C30 1.6D
R-Design Sport
Price £16,745
Combined mpg 57.6mpg
Test mpg 48.4mpg
0-62mph 11.9sec
Max speed 118mph
CO2 emissions 129g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1560cc, turbodiesel
Power 108bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 177lb ft at 1750rpm
Transmission 5-speed manual
Weight 1381kg
Tyres 205/50 R17
The unusually styled C30 sports hatch isn’t as brisk as its rivals, but promises strong economy despite
a five-speed transmission. The
R-Design package, which is a
no-cost option, adds big wheels
and styling flourishes.
Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet Lounge
Price £10,900
Combined mpg 67.3mpg
Test mpg 47.9mpg
0-62mph 12.5sec
Max speed 103mph
CO2 emissions 110g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1248cc, turbodiesel
Power 74bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 107lb ft at 1500rpm
Transmission 5-speed manual
Weight 980kg
Tyres 185/55 R15
It’s a cool economy car, the 500, particularly as a 1.3 turbodiesel. It weighs under a tonne, produces peak torque at only 1500rpm and promises consumption that almost hits 70mpg.
Renault Megane Sport Hatch Renaultsport 175dCi Lux
Price £20,785
Combined mpg 50.4mpg
Test mpg 33.0mpg
0-62mph 8.5sec
Max speed 137mph
CO2 emissions 172g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1995cc, turbodiesel
Power 173bhp at 3750rpm
Torque 265lb ft at 2000rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Weight 1430kg
Tyres 225/40 R18
You can have the admired Renaultsport R26 Cup chassis (£400 on the Lux) with this diesel and the visual trimmings to go with it, the dCi’s zest just strong enough to support such warpaint. There’s a cheaper £19,385 version too.
Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro Coupe
Price £26,350 Combined mpg 53.3mpg
Test mpg 34.9mpg
0-62mph 7.5sec
Max speed 140mph
CO2 emissions 139g/km
Engine 4cyls, 1968cc, turbodiesel
Power 170bhp at 4200rpm
Torque 258lb ft at 1750-2500rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Weight 1370kg
Tyres 225/50 R17
