It's all private mileage - I don't do very much business mileage at all. That's part of the issue - spending time at the petrol station is becoming a hobby :-).

I Doubt any large diesel automatic within your budget will achieve a meaningful saving regarding fuel consumption. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is able to average around 65mpg apparently depending on usage, massively short of the manufacturers claims but still it is a large auto SUV with Japanese levels of reliability and there's no turbo, DMF or DPF to worry about plus free road tax. If you can put up with changing gears for yourself the Honda CRV 1.6 DTEC is very economical. Ours is averaging 56mpg with 65 possible on longer runs and road tax is only £20. But the auto is only an option on the much pricier and heavier 4wd 2.2 or 1.6 twin turbo diesels neither of which will be much if any more economical than your current car. Agree with avoiding VAG's DSG box, there are too many expensive tales of woe on the net regarding them.

Thanks for that it's helpful.

I did look at the PHEV but am mindful of the reviews that slate it's economy over longer distances. As most of my mileage is motorway thay that's quite offputting.

Looking at the real mpg figures then the Qashqai appears to offer around 43 mpg. I accept that isn't outstanding in its own right but it's probably around 10-12 mpg more than I'm getting right now. Over 20k miles that's a saving.

It is Avant. I have driven diesels for many years and the previous worst I had was a V40 D3 which had the 5 pot engine and even that wasn't as bad as this.

Economy aside the RAV is a fabulous car even if I am an unashamed Toyota fan. It's practical, not at all bad to drive and, of course, as reliable as toast.

The tax is over £200/year though and when coupled with very very poor economy it makes it borderline unsustainable to run. The trick is to find something that doesn't cost me anything to change so I am netting any savings from Day One.

I may have to consider an estate as it does appear that the SUV/MPG types are inherently thirsty.

RT - makes total sense and very much what I was thinking myself. Just one point though: the 32 mpg is as reported by the car's computer. I haven't actually done a brim to brim comparison but I think it's reasonable to assume that the the real MPG is likely to be even worse.

You can imagine it's proving somewhat costly......

I may have to look at the larger estates so would anyone recommend any in particular? Instinctively I'd tend to go for an Avensis estate but fear the Toyota diesel, again paired with their auto box, may be comparitively expensive.

Never was a Ford fan but Mondeo estate would obviously be a contender even if I'd be less confident about them doing 100k + miles. May also look to see if I can pick up a 3 year old E Class as long as it's been looked after.

Thanks Avant I wasn't aware of that as have just been massively put off by all mention of DSG. You really would have thought that VW would have remedied these by now.

I'll look at those.

I have also been looking at a few this evening and the 308 SW looks to have a cavernous boot size - I'd never considered those before either.

If 20k/year and auto there is nothing in your budget that would offer any significan saviing on running costs (Real mpg & maintenance)

Any px of your existing Rav would swallow any future saveings in the depreciation hit - in other words you would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Ignoring (for a minute) the small loss I would take over what I paid for it how is this so? If I pay nothing to change for a more economical vehicle then surely savings are savings?

Your situation is almost identical to that of my wife's two years ago, with 20k / annum and a Rav 2.2 which we loved but mpg was poor and it was getting a bit leggy.

We opted for a pre reg Pug 2008 although it's the manual and it is smaller the Rav, but you should get bikes etc in (no rear passenegers obviously!). Shop around and you'll have change a plenty form your budget.

Cheap as hell to run (she gets ~60mpg on a good journey, and insurance and VED are a pittance compared to the Rav), comfortable, well spec'd and more than adequate for our needs. Might be worth going for a test drive to at least rule it out?

Otherwise you're looking at an estate of some sort to hit those MPG returns

Thanks and that is an option. I think SLO76 is on the button though that in round terms I am going to lose out by doing that and then take another potential hit in terms of depreciation when I come to sell it.

It's certainly an option if I am prepared to accept that though, the more i think about it, the more I consider that it may be worth my 'investing' a few quid to buy something of parity and then keep hold of it. Probably the most likely option would be a V40 D4 which should be reliable, have reasonable residuals and certainly be more economical though I'm not deluding myself in any way by pretending it will be big enough to pay for the outlay.

The benefit to me will just be, moth on month, savings in terms of fuel and annualyy tax and insurance.

It's very difficult to change the car and end up saving money in my experience. I've tried it too and once you factor in the dealer profit margins, I think the only way is to sell your car somehow for its market value and downsize into something older, more economical and shrewdly purchased. Even then it's a lottery. Anything older might hit you with an unexpected bill and wipe any potential savings out.

I calculate you are spending about £280 monthly and even buying something doing 45 mpg will only save you about £80 a month on diesel. I doubt you;ll find a big auto SUV that can average that to be honest.

I would keep what you've got, drive it until the change point you originally anticipated and look for a large estate or hatch, or MPV. I'd avoid SUV and 4wd unless you really have a need for it, otherwise it's just wasting fuel.

Thanks Avant. I agree, and the posters on the thread have been very helpful, in helping me determine that I will encounter similar issues should I simply move to another SUV.

The experiment you mention is very apt as I actually did just that some weeks ago in setting the cruise to 60 and letting that do the work. It was a frustrating journey!

At the end of it I can tell you that the actual mpg I got was 34 - that's on a motorway!

My thinking at the moment, as others have said, is that I either have to pay the price at the pumps of owning an SUV Auto or I have to change my thinking. I am actually minded to downsize, as I mentioned in an earlier post, to a medium sized hatch, and then simply accepting that the car will be a long termer.

The unknown of course is reliability and that's my biggest concern. As a previous Volvo owner I am swayed towards a V40 despite the interior being rather small but am also tempted by the Mazda 3 and 308. I accept that I will be taking a hit at point of change over what I paid for the RAV but at least I will not be paying out any more at this point and then, hopefully, the monthly fuel bills will at least be somewhat less. That doesn't make it a great deal but rather just a case of cutting losses.

Depreciation of course is something I'll have to live with later in the day.

Will sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I am not in a mad panic.