This is going to sound so daft. Well I started driving with a corsa 1.4..
I felt it was slow, and it was hard going on Sheffield's hills. So someone told me to get a more powerful engine. Which is what I did. Got a Polo, which is a 1.8.
Well is it just me but I can't really tell the difference. Not that would justify the difference is fuel cost. Yes, it is a bit better on hills, but fuel consumption is horrendeous!
I'm now thinking of going back to a 1.4 as the fuel bills are so much better. I just can't afford to go out in a 1.8!
In simple english, what is the real difference between a 1.4 and a 1.8??

usually bigger egine means more fuel consumption i'm afraid.

on long journeys 5 speed gears used to help but these days the gear ratios are little improvement.
for economy try buying a diesel - all though @1400cc(1.4) it will probably feel like you're going backwards.

easiest way to save on fuel keep your foot off the pedal - rapid acceleration is a killer.

If you want power uphill a 2 lite diesel will be better fuel consumption than the corsa and the new deisels have much more torque (power ..sort of)

Best advice is go for a testdrive in a few different cars.


Ed

Originally posted by superted666
If you want power uphill a 2 lite diesel will be better fuel consumption than the corsa and the new deisels have much more torque (power ..sort of)

Best advice is go for a testdrive in a few different cars.


Ed

what cars do you advise?

you could try an R1 or a GSXR am sure there be fast enough for you:P

Well i dont no what the budget is but here is a few suggestions...


High price - Audi a3 2 litre deisel

Medium price - VW golf Diesel

Low price - ford diesel - foucus maybe

If you are looking for cheaper than these then youll have to maybe look at bigger cars for diesels .....

Are you sure the polo isnt a diesel? I didnt think they made 1.8 polo's - Though i'm sure you would have noticed, as it would be dead by now if you were putting petrol in it instead of diesel!
Did you have any warning lights on your Corsa? Vauxhalls tend to switch the engine to 'safe mode' when there is a problem, which seriously affects the performance.

Anyway, you should be able to tell the difference between 1.4 & 1.8 on cars roughly the same size, though the Polo is a heavy car.
Other things to consider are insurance & tax, which also rise when you up the engine size, as well as fuel consumption. My better half has a 1.4 saxo, which is fine for driving around town - very nippy and fine for most of the hills.

Smaller the engine, the cheaper the road tax also.

You might consider a vehicle with i for injection after it's name.

Results in a more effective power delivery.

The Ford Focus is a popular choice.

i have a 1.4 seat ibiza and it is powerful enough for hills and it has been on some serious hills!
you better off in all money aspects with a smaller engine as road tax , insurance and petrol bills mount up!!!!

Hi Kitten,
what I think you need to understand is power to weight ratio. How heavy is the car and how powerful is the engine.

If you get a little car with a big engine then you will not have any trouble with running out of power.

For instance..
Corsa 900cc boring
Corsa 2litres very powerful.

And if you have a bigger car, then the engine size has to be much bigger to compensate for the extra weight of the car.
And likewise :-
Mondeo 1.3 underpowered (they don't make them)
Mondeo 1.6 boring and tiring to drive
Mondeo 1.8 ok
Mondeo 2.0 great on motorways
Mondeo 2.5 fast

Obviously if you have not been driving very long, then you might be doing something wrong, like not revving the engine enough. I have seen people doing this..

try and find a 1.4 diesel vw lupo or seat arosa...

they have lots of torque/power so are quick but cheap on the insurance...

Originally posted by willman
for economy try buying a diesel - all though @1400cc(1.4) it will probably feel like you're going backwards.


got to disagree there. I've got a 1.3 Corsa CDTI which has plenty of power and copes very well with the hills. Have to say though the turbo helps.

How does a N reg Golf TDI sound? It''s got 160k on the clock but I hear diesel engines last for ever

Originally posted by Saxon
got to disagree there. I've got a 1.3 Corsa CDTI which has plenty of power and copes very well with the hills. Have to say though the turbo helps.

so you've not actually got a 1.4 corsa then?

Golf's in general are like "s**t off a shovel" to coin a phrase.watch out on insurance though.

im not trying to be funny or anything, but have you tried going down a gear?

I've got a 1.3 fiesta and have no trouble even going up the steepest hill in Sheffield.

There was a guy on the forum a while ago selling a Chevy smallblock plus gearbox for around £200.

See if it'll fit in your Polo. I'm sure a 5.7 V8 wont have much trouble pulling your motor up Sheffield's steepest.

Originally posted by jackthedog
There was a guy on the forum a while ago selling a Chevy smallblock plus gearbox for around £200.

See if it'll fit in your Polo. I'm sure a 5.7 V8 wont have much trouble pulling your motor up Sheffield's steepest.

lol with that badboy, you are likely to be airbourne :hihi: