gutted but i have to sell the zs

[jockfraz]

Hi guys I'm really gutted but I'm going to have to sell the zs and get something that is better on fuel. I have move jobs and have to commute to work now and the cost of fuel isn't practical for me as the wife has had to leave her job and we have the twins now. So if anybody fancys a le mans green zs 120 atomix with a few upgrades give me a shout.

[ZS]

I wouldn't sell... Honestly!

I had a Modified ZS180 and only sold to try and reduce costs... Now I have a Rover 75 CDT (Diesel)

I tell you, the ZS was MUCH cheaper to run! Yeah ok the fuel lasts twice as long in the CDT... But it costs 5p more per litre, is slightly cheaper to insure (not much mind!) and tax is cheaper...

But the Rover has cost me loads in repairs! I should have stayed with the ZS... 2 x Fuel pumps, 4 x Injectors, Tyres etc etc...

It was certianly, in my case, false economy to change cars. Plus the ZS was better looking and a much better car to drive...

However on the plus side I *LOVE* the toys the Rover offers :D

[peterzs]

Best of luck with the sale, shame its got to go, but all the pennies you can save help now a days.

[stamford]

So what are you looking at that would be cheaper to run and maintain than a 120? Sam has seen both sides as said. Sometimes we only look at a diesel and think save money but infact can be dearer to run over a year when compared. My 180 is cheaper to run than my TD5 Land Rover.

[MG6Turbo]

The problem with buying a diesel, is that most have done over 100k when people buy them.

The pumps and injectors are designed to last 100k then give up.

Unfortunately diesel pumps and injectors are very expensive and cost much more than a petrol car.

What Sam said about running a rover 75 is true to a degree, unless you get one thats had these done in the first place.

Unless you do over 200 miles a week, i wouldnt bother swapping to diesel. The cost per litre as said is more and then factor in repair costs for when it does go wrong.

All late diesels will cost a fortune when there particulate filters fail, and other emission friendly items.

If you want to save money but enjoy a zs, go buy a zs diesel. L series engine, will run on vegetable oil and go forever, and isnt to bad to fix when it goes wrong, which isnt that often.

Common rail diesels are good till they go wrong.

G

[ZS]

For what its worth.. my 75 is a 2001MY with 49,000 on the clock ;) so hardly super high mielage...

If you want to save money on the 1.8 ZS.. I would start looking at smaller cars (lighter is better for economy)... like, say, a Shitty... errr City Rover... or an MG F - or that sort of size...

My MG F (1.8i) is one of, if not the, cheapest cars to run I have ever had :) - it does 400 - 500 miles to a tank when there is only the driver in... changes when you have a passeneger though!

Mind you the 125cc Bike I had used to do 350 miles to £10 of fuel... Maybe its worth looking at a bike alongside your ZS? ;)

[jockfraz]

We have a vectra diesel that the wife uses with the girls so the zs is just for me getting to work and I have done over 400 miles this month. I'm thinking of getting a fiesta diesel or something small like that.

[stamford]

Sounds like a lobotomy..............:laugh:

[steven.winder]

400 miles is only a tank of fuel (£65) so if you get an old ish fiest diesel say an 03 plate then you will have to put about £1000 towards the cost of buying it. That's over a years worth of fuel in the ZS!!!!!! I would think carfuly about this....... Good luck whatever you end up doing though :)

[steven.winder]

Just to add, my friend has an old 1.8D Fiesta and gets about 45 MPG on a good day because they are so heavy and under powered as most are on their last legs so that's why I said an 03 plate one, 1.4 TDCI.

[Bobdope2002]

this is gonna sound extremely harsh and its a typical post from me but if you cant afford to run a 120 i personally cant see you being able to afford run a derv considering its 5p more a litre may last longer but its an extra 5p a litre you dont have

sorry to be so blunt

[sheldore]

I do just over 200 miles a week in the 180 and it costs me the same as my old Vectra 2.2 petrol. I drive sensibly and I've been shocked how well the 180 manages. mind you I do drive like an old fart.

[talkingcars]

If you are getting rid of a car and going down to a 1 car family car I can see sense in getting rid of the ZS and keeping the diesel but when you factor all the costs of changing cars such as the value of the ZS and the cost of the replacment and the possible repair costs of an unknown car and the fact that you know and like the ZS I wouldn't be changing either.

[ZS]

I will also point out that diesels are not very economical in stop start traffic... My 75 gets down to 8 - 10 mpg in stop start traffic... its only long distance and motorway driving that I make up the economy...

I would say if your doing that few miles per month that the ZS would be cheaper... :)

[ZS Phil]

As said, depends how many miles you are doing. If you sell the ZS and get say a diesel 25 for the same money you will be quids in. The L series is dirt cheap to run, tax, insure and in the rare event anything should break then parts are cheap too.

HOWEVER, if you sell the ZS and put a grand towards it to get any fiesta diesel worth having then you will deffo be quids out.

The bottom line is diesels are cheaper to run, people know that and as such carry a price tag premium over their petrol equivalent so if you will benefit simply depends on how many miles you do.

On a side note, if a 75 CDTI is doing 8 mgp then there is something wrong with it :O

[ZS]

On a side note, if a 75 CDTI is doing 8 mgp then there is something wrong with it :O

In stop start traffic... on the motorway 55 mpg all day long :)

But yes I am sure there is something wrong with the car... There is an air leak somewhere I think as on hard accelleration it pumps out thick black smoke :)

[steven.winder]

I do just over 200 miles a week in the 180 and it costs me the same as my old Vectra 2.2 petrol. I drive sensibly and I've been shocked how well the 180 manages. mind you I do drive like an old fart.

You wernt driving like an old fart when you shot past me on St Helens Street today haha ;)

[sheldore]

I was testing my 0-30 times. I didn't see your car.

[steven.winder]

I had just parked up behind a van so you wouldn't have, I was walking down the street to see a customer

[zsserbia]

I used to have an 02 plate fiesta 1.8 td and if I'm honest, it was up to 10% better on fuel than my ZS td in stop and go trafic (zed is 200 kilos sharp heavier), but no better at all or worse once you get going. Fiesta has a very bad weight distribution and unbelievable understeer so on local roads you have to decelerate and accelerate much more frequently which normally hurts the fuel economy. On motorway, fiesta needs more throttle than the ZS due to poor wind resistance.

The engines are of the same technology and as said, they will go forever but the L-series has much more power and the sound of it is music in comparison to ford's LYNX. Other stuff which are in favour of ZS are to ridiculous and obvious to mention, performance, handling, space, etc. Plus you may get one at silly price.

As for 1.4 tdci fiesta (03 and later), I'd steer clear because their injectors and pumps cost a fortune when fail, I'm not sure if it has a DMF as well, which will fail...

Or you just convert your one to LPG, eh?

[talkingcars]

.....Or you just convert your one to LPG, eh?

Would be as cheap as changing cars.

[gibbzy2k1]

We changed cars when we had our little one. My wife had a fiesta 1.3 which did around the same mpg as my 216 coupe. mid 30s usually. We got a ZS td and now doing an average of 43mpg over the last 9 months. Factor in the cost difference at the pumps and we are probably not saving much on the old coupe.

It is still good over the fiesta as we have more room in the ZS. One a side note, my car only does 21.5mpg... Although I don't use that every day lol.

I think I would either seriously think about LPG or if you do have to change car I highly recommend a ZSTD...