3 yr old large Estates -rare as rocking horse excrement?

[MC Bodge]

I went for a look for used 3 year old estate cars around various main dealers and used car places in Manchester earlier.

Vectra, Mondeo, Octavia, Accord estates are thin on the ground. The salesmen kept telling me the same thing "We get a lot of enquiries about those, but they don't some up very often".

Petrol versions are extremely rare and I've discovered that the VED is much higher than for the equivalent diesel anyway.

I'll just stick with my current 04 Mondeo and hope that the TDCI doesn't go wrong.

[chrisispringles]

It's because everybody who needs a large family car apparently seems to need an MPV of some description, so nobody bought them.

[MC Bodge]

chrisispringles said:

It's because everybody who needs a large family car apparently seems to need an MPV of some description, so nobody bought them.

It would appear so....

There were a lot of MPVs. The salesmen were keen to sell me them, ignoring the fact that I said that I wanted decent handling and a long load-bay, not a tall 7 seater with bulky folding seats and the length of a hatchback.

[sjg]

They have a bit of an old-fashioned "photocopier salesman" image. Plus for a lot of people practicality means something that they can carry 7 with (even if occasionally) as well as big things.

Besides, something like an S-Max manages more boot space than a Mondeo estate in either 2-seat or 5-seat mode, along with a longer max load length to front seats, while being no wider and slightly shorter in length. Plus has a reputation for being great to drive - http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/default.asp?storyId...

Given the choice between the two at a similar price, I'd take the S-Max any day.

[DaveL86]

MC Bodge said:

I went for a look for used 3 year old estate cars around various main dealers and used car places in Manchester earlier.

Vectra, Mondeo, Octavia, Accord estates are thin on the ground. The salesmen kept telling me the same thing "We get a lot of enquiries about those, but they don't some up very often".

You are going about looking for a car all wrong in the modern age, calling or visiting garages on the chance they'll have something you want has long gone away.

Use the internet to your advantage using PH and AutoTrader to find the car you want, don't limit your self just to the Manchester area, you've got a car so use it and give your self a 30-50 radius, that way you'll find more examples of cars your interested in.

I live in the Manchester area and can see 4 pages of Skoda Octavia Estates within 30 miles of me.

[LongLiveTazio]

I bought a 2000 reg V70 and it hasn't put a foot wrong in the time I've had it, despite over 150k on the clock now showing. Comfy, spacious, well-equipped. Get one.

[MC Bodge]

DaveL86 said:

You are going about looking for a car all wrong in the modern age.....Use the internet to your advantage using PH and AutoTrader

I know you are being helpful, but I am very aware of those methods and I've used those same methods myself in the past.

Today was just a preliminary recce around Manchester to see what was out there on the ground and to check out some unfamiliar cars rather than travelling many miles to look at specific examples.

-I was genuinely surprised by how few suitable cars were available though.

If you are looking for a mid-range supermini or small-med hatchback car there are lot about.