Performance vs efficiency — what matters most to you?

[Swansway Motor Group (SEAT & CUPRA)]

When it comes to choosing your next car, where do you sit on the performance vs efficiency debate?

Would you rather have the extra power and sharper performance when you want it, even if it means sacrificing a little on fuel economy?

Or is fuel efficiency, running costs and getting the most miles from every tank/charge more important to you?

And has your view changed over the years? Maybe performance was the priority when you were younger, but practicality and efficiency matter more now… or perhaps you still want that extra punch whenever you put your foot down!

Performance or efficiency — where do you sit? And what car have you got that best balances the two?

 

[SRGTD]

My views have certainly changed with advancing age. I’m more focused on economy rather than performance these days, although the opposite used to be the case for me.

I’ve owned mainly hot hatches during the (almost) 50 years that I’ve been driving, but my current car is a modest B segment full - self charging - hybrid (not a VAG car). I’ve been retired a few years now and pretty much all of my motoring is local in the area I live with most of my journeys are no more than a 50-60 mile round trip. The roads I drive on are predominantly A and B single carriageway roads and they always seem to be pretty congested with traffic usually travelling at 45 - 55 mph max with little or no opportunity to overtake or use the performance potential of a performance-oriented car, so it’s a case of just going with the flow of the traffic. Under those driving conditions, my lowly hybrid is as quick as the rest of the traffic.

I don’t really miss not owning a performance car these days, and a long term average fuel consumption of circa 67 mpg from my current car is an added bonus!

My next car is likely to be a B segement EV.

 

[Swansway Motor Group (SEAT & CUPRA)]

My views have certainly changed with advancing age. I’m more focused on economy rather than performance these days, although the opposite used to be the case for me.

I’ve owned mainly hot hatches during the (almost) 50 years that I’ve been driving, but my current car is a modest B segment full - self charging - hybrid (not a VAG car). I’ve been retired a few years now and pretty much all of my motoring is local in the area I live with most of my journeys are no more than a 50-60 mile round trip. The roads I drive on are predominantly A and B single carriageway roads and they always seem to be pretty congested with traffic usually travelling at 45 - 55 mph max with little or no opportunity to overtake or use the performance potential of a performance-oriented car, so it’s a case of just going with the flow of the traffic. Under those driving conditions, my lowly hybrid is as quick as the rest of the traffic.

I don’t really miss not owning a performance car these days, and a long term average fuel consumption of circa 67 mpg from my current car is an added bonus!

My next car is likely to be a B segement EV.

That’s a really good point – there’s not much benefit in having lots of power if the roads and traffic don’t give you the opportunity to enjoy it! A hybrid sounds like a great balance for everyday driving, especially with 67mpg. It’ll be interesting to see how your move to an EV compares.

Do you think you’ll miss the convenience of a self-charging hybrid, or are you looking forward to going fully electric?