Recommend us a new car please!

Gromit

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Mrs G and I (plus the wee Gromette and woofer) are after a new motah fairly soon. We've around 15k max to spend, prefer a Diesel and it must have a reasonably large boot. Car would be < one year old hopefully.

We've had our Shitroen C5 Estate (which has been a bloody good car I have to say)for 5 years now and feel like downsizing a tad to something a little more wieldy. We've also a wee C2 which will be kept as it's fantastic for whizzing around in.

I don't know a huge amount about cars - certainly not what's really what. I much prefer motorcycles - although I did build a Caterham 7 a few years agosoI likea car that's at leastreasonably good to drive. It'd also have to be well screwed together.

Our current shortlist; most of these would be 6 month old cars which makes them more affordable...we could do the H*nda new.

Seat Altea Sport 2.0TDI, Golf SE 2.0TDI, Civic 2.2CTDiSE, Corolla Verso T3, Oktavia 2.0TDI Estate (my fave - Mrs G ain't convinced).

I have heard that VW aftersales isn't very good, and their servicing is also a tad steep? From an ownership PoVI rather like the idea of a Verso but something inside me says I'd lose all credibility as a red-blooded male if we bought one? That'd I'd start smelling of p*ss and take up pipe-smoking?

Thanks for any pointers folks - your input is most appreciated.
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The Hifi Gallery

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Corolla Verso T3 (or a deal ona new T spirit, same as T3 with extra kit for less)spent ages looking over xmas for wifeys new co car, and this came out as best most flexible family alrounder, comfy driving position too, and not too big, for a *ahem* People carrier, besides if you can't beat em....

 

meninblack

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What's wrong with the C4? I get to drive a lot of these small hatchbacks as hire cars, and the C4 is my favourite at the moment.

The new Golf is really, really, really shit. The Corolla has always been shit. Civic probably good if you can stand the looks. Don't know the Altea, but if it's Leon based it will be poor. The Skoda is OK if you intend mini-cabbing.

 

JamPal

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Ford focus estate would be my choice. C4 is good, have also driven one as a hire car. Nice looking too, and Citroen are keenly priced.

 

Gromit

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meninblack wrote:

What's wrong with the C4? I get to drive a lot of these small hatchbacks as hire cars, and the C4 is my favourite at the moment.The new Golf is really, really, really shit. The Corolla has always been shit. Civic probably good if you can stand the looks. Don't know the Altea, but if it's Leon based it will be poor. The Skoda is OK if you intend mini-cabbing.
LOL
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Thanks for your...er...forthright opinions!
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C4? Don't really want another Citroen tbh, and the C4's boot is oddly-shaped and lacking space - this is where the Civic scores as it's such a clever design - doesn't appear large but in fact is surprisingly so. Also, the sides of the car, at the rear, slope at an angle which seriously compromises rear head room. Shame as I quite like the C4 otherwise. We drove an Altea last saturday which I was quite impreessed with - had a fair amount of go and felt solid. Only downside is that VW diesel ain't half noisy after the Citroen.

Paul - yes, 'People Carrier' (cough). That's what I'm worried about.
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meninblack wrote:

What's wrong with the C4?
paper mache dash, poor quality throughout, fine as a hire car, will look shoddy in 10k miles,

new C4 picasso looks great and has some neat ideas, but have you driven one, godawful,

civic is nice to drive, but gloomy inside, and protruding sweep on dashboard, is easy to bang one's knee against also expensive for what you get,

Altea is cheap feeling in places, with 170bhp tdi it's a flying machine, but poor front 3/4 visibility and poor dealer service we give this a miss, Agree the Corrola is dreadful, but the verso is a different car, huge comfort in the front, decent switchgear and quality, well thought out interior, poor petrol engines but the diesels are fine, poor that you need to buy a T3 level to get Stability control, even as an option, all things considered however this car offered more flexibility than the others, and will be a great family car, and will not breakdown.

Go out and test drive them all Gromit, but with your budget most of these cars will probably be able to be had new or pre registered.

 

Craig

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HiFiWigWam wrote:

Ford focus estate would be my choice.
Mine too, though the Toyota is a an extremely tempting buy.

Just go for the D4D engine? That really is not a bad engine at all, though avoid the funny gearbox option.

Ford for fun, Toyota is the serious choice though.

Edit; if you coudl sretch to it, the S-Max should be f.a.b.

 

rockmeister

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best VFM and best to drive from your list the skoda and seat. MUCH better than the golf equivalent. Forget the Honda...overpriced in that competition. I'd add the new mazda 3...would be the best built and most relaiable of all AND roomy, good to drive and versatile.

My2P:)

 

Gromit

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Thanks guys - good to read of folks' personal experiences (even as hire cars).

The Verso has a lot of showroom appeal I have to agree - doing the 'squeeze, knock, fiddle' test (ie go around twatting various parts of it) it feels tight as a drum build-wise. And as Paul very rightly says, it'll never break down. Conversely, I was v surprised at how tacky the Honda felt - from opening the door handle onwardsthe thing just reeked of 'cheap'. Pokey Diesel though.
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I love the Focus - I use one for work occaisionally - and agree it's a great car to drive. Like a bloody go-cart on the right roads. However (and this is a where a bit of the snob in me comes to the surface) they're very common so I don't particularly desire one. Like I say though, great fun car - and nicely built too in my experience.

We're going to choose a day in a few weeks to drive all the cars I've suggested, then hopefully come to some kind of decision.

The S-Max looks great although it's a tad large for us. A smidge above what we want to spend aswell (I've a motorcycling fetish to feed too!).

 

Gromit

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Aha! Thanks RM - hadn't thought of the Mazda at all. Do think it looks rather sweet though. Will put it on the list (this is getting complicated!).
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G

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the c4 is a great car to drive. stick with citroen if your happy with the brand i have for over 10 years now and will not buy any other make.

apart from a stingray of course

 
G

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Paul wrote:

meninblack wrote:
What's wrong with the C4?
paper mache dash, poor quality throughout, fine as a hire car, will look shoddy in 10k miles,

new C4 picasso looks great and has some neat ideas, but have you driven one, godawful,

civic is nice to drive, but gloomy inside, and protruding sweep on dashboard, is easy to bang one's knee against also expensive for what you get,

Altea is cheap feeling in places, with 170bhp tdi it's a flying machine, but poor front 3/4 visibility and poor dealer service we give this a miss, Agree the Corrola is dreadful, but the verso is a different car, huge comfort in the front, decent switchgear and quality, well thought out interior, poor petrol engines but the diesels are fine, poor that you need to buy a T3 level to get Stability control, even as an option, all things considered however this car offered more flexibility than the others, and will be a great family car, and will not breakdown.

Go out and test drive them all Gromit, but with your budget most of these cars will probably be able to be had new or pre registered.
yea you reckon. well my berlingo has done 40,000 miles and is still as good as new.

had 2 before that and both did over 100k and still as good as new after. my last one never even had a new battery in 3 years. just new tyres and brakes.

 

Tons of Fun

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rudolph hucker wrote:

Paul wrote:
meninblack wrote:
What's wrong with the C4?
paper mache dash, poor quality throughout, fine as a hire car, will look shoddy in 10k miles,

new C4 picasso looks great and has some neat ideas, but have you driven one, godawful,

civic is nice to drive, but gloomy inside, and protruding sweep on dashboard, is easy to bang one's knee against also expensive for what you get,

Altea is cheap feeling in places, with 170bhp tdi it's a flying machine, but poor front 3/4 visibility and poor dealer service we give this a miss, Agree the Corrola is dreadful, but the verso is a different car, huge comfort in the front, decent switchgear and quality, well thought out interior, poor petrol engines but the diesels are fine, poor that you need to buy a T3 level to get Stability control, even as an option, all things considered however this car offered more flexibility than the others, and will be a great family car, and will not breakdown.

Go out and test drive them all Gromit, but with your budget most of these cars will probably be able to be had new or pre registered.
yea you reckon. well my berlingo has done 40,000 miles and is still as good as new.

had 2 before that and both did over 100k and still as good as new after. my last one never even had a new battery in 3 years. just new tyres and brakes.
The Berlingo is far far simpler than the C4 and is the better for it. The C4 has the digital dash and that weird steering wheel with a much greater potential for going wrong. The company frequently uses Citroen Relay vans and they're good as well but based on the neighbours Xsara Picasso and the consumer ratings, the more complicated they are the more they should be ignored.

Another vote for the Focus FWIW. On account of us not being in Sweden where as RH is about to explain they apparently melt.

 

thrunobulax

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Audi A3 tdi,(red I), dont know what the new ones are like but the 2000 on an X plate SE model i got for 10k with 40,000 on the clock in 2003 has been superb, and is in as good a shape as the day i got it. its price new was around 23k but they start from less than 15k now, probably more for the diesel but a 6 month old one would be in your price range.

 

Gromit

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thrunobulax wrote:

Audi A3 tdi,(red I), dont know what the new ones are like but the 2000 on an X plate SE model i got for 10k with 40,000 on the clock in 2003 has been superb, and is in as good a shape as the day i got it. its price new was around 23k but they start from less than 15k now, probably more for the diesel but a 6 month old one would be in your price range.
Nice car the A3 I've little doubt (we looked at one whenwe bought our C5) but the boot's atad on the small side. Not as much room inside as the Golf which surprised us considering it sits on the same pan.

May be a sign of coming over all sensible but the Verso's the 'head' choice for us at the moment (of course 'heart' says buy loads more bikes and run the C5 till it drops)
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oops...sorry love didn't mean that....
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G

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I'm with Borats Baby on this one there are many better older cars to choose from. I run a 9 year old Saab 9-5 Griffen with 63k on the clock. Cost £32k new and would now cost £4.5k tops. All the toys and runs like a Sweedish watch.

However, if you are considering anewer car then Mrs kgb recentley bought a demo Subaru Impreza Wagon. Not a diesel but has all of the attributes you seek and is a much better drive than anything else mentioned above. 2 litre normally aspirated engine means the insurance is realistic as well. Great dealers, avaerage servicing costs and great reliability.

Enjoy

 

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