What car? Advice needed...
Discussion
Some advice please chaps. With our first baby on the way the current car's unfortunately got to go. So what should we buy?
Budget is approx £12,000. Got to be practical - so 5 seats and plenty of space behind. Reliable - so probably not more than about 50k on the clock. And it would be nice to have something with a bit of style - even if I am becoming a dad, I'm not ready to turn into MY Dad!
Toyed with the idea of an older shape X5 but thought maybe it was too high - don't fancy the Mrs having to shoulder press the pushchair into the back. Something a bit smaller might be OK, a Qashqai or Honda CRV posibly? Both seem a bit plastic though. Audi A4 estate would need to be a new shape but seem quite pricey.
So any suggestions?
Budget is approx £12,000. Got to be practical - so 5 seats and plenty of space behind. Reliable - so probably not more than about 50k on the clock. And it would be nice to have something with a bit of style - even if I am becoming a dad, I'm not ready to turn into MY Dad!
Toyed with the idea of an older shape X5 but thought maybe it was too high - don't fancy the Mrs having to shoulder press the pushchair into the back. Something a bit smaller might be OK, a Qashqai or Honda CRV posibly? Both seem a bit plastic though. Audi A4 estate would need to be a new shape but seem quite pricey.
So any suggestions?
Mazda 5 - sliding side doors so getting the baby in and out is a breeze without having to wrestle with a flapping door.
There are others with sliding side doors too.
If you can live with a PCP and keep money earning interest in the bank, there are some good deals on the Ford B-Max which has no B pillar to get in the way of entry/exit and sliding rear doors. From recent experience, it seems Ford will chip in with a wodge of the deposit and as long as you keep the money in the bank to pay off the final payment, job's a good 'un.
There are others with sliding side doors too.
If you can live with a PCP and keep money earning interest in the bank, there are some good deals on the Ford B-Max which has no B pillar to get in the way of entry/exit and sliding rear doors. From recent experience, it seems Ford will chip in with a wodge of the deposit and as long as you keep the money in the bank to pay off the final payment, job's a good 'un.
ph4567 said:
Stuff...And it would be nice to have something with a bit of style...X5... Qashqai...Honda CRV
Huh? You're having one baby, so why throw away your last chance to have something just a little impractical. Off/soft roaders aren't as good to drive as other cars (even MPVs) and use more fuel so why not get a hot hatch or decent estate? You could have any numbers of cars that aren't as "dad" as a 4x4.
My sister's got a Qashqai +2 and plenty of space for 2 kids and the dog. It does seem a bit plasticky but overall not bad.
I'll be sticking with my Octavia when we have kids, loads of room in the back and a huge boot, just not too sure about the white alcantara panels on the seats and kids though
I'll be sticking with my Octavia when we have kids, loads of room in the back and a huge boot, just not too sure about the white alcantara panels on the seats and kids though
No need to go for something as bad to drive and dynamically compromised as a mpv or softroader. In fact in my experience these are pretty poor when it comes to putting the buggy in the back. An estate or decent size hatch (mondeo/insignia) is a much better choice. As an example shortly after we had our little one (I had a 156 estate at the time) I got a freelander as a company hire car. out of curiosity I went to put the buggy in the back. Whilst officially the freelander has a decent size boot it is shallow and tall as are many mpv's/4x4's. The buggy had to go across the back of the boot and basically filled it leaving little extra space compared the the 156 (not known for a cavernous boot). I was getting sick of the buggy taking up all the boot so got a mazda 6 estate where it could go in longways leaving half the boot free for other stuff. We also have a XK which can actually still take enough for a weekend away baby and all!
With your budget a 159 estate would be my choice and keep 4k in the bank, or 3 series or legacy or any proper estate car. I have driven a few mpv's again as hire cars, they are compromised in every way, not quite a car and not quite a van unless you need 7 seats don't do it.
With your budget a 159 estate would be my choice and keep 4k in the bank, or 3 series or legacy or any proper estate car. I have driven a few mpv's again as hire cars, they are compromised in every way, not quite a car and not quite a van unless you need 7 seats don't do it.
edward1 said:
No need to go for something as bad to drive and dynamically compromised as a mpv or softroader. In fact in my experience these are pretty poor when it comes to putting the buggy in the back. An estate or decent size hatch (mondeo/insignia) is a much better choice. As an example shortly after we had our little one (I had a 156 estate at the time) I got a freelander as a company hire car. out of curiosity I went to put the buggy in the back. Whilst officially the freelander has a decent size boot it is shallow and tall as are many mpv's/4x4's. The buggy had to go across the back of the boot and basically filled it leaving little extra space compared the the 156 (not known for a cavernous boot). I was getting sick of the buggy taking up all the boot so got a mazda 6 estate where it could go in longways leaving half the boot free for other stuff. We also have a XK which can actually still take enough for a weekend away baby and all!
With your budget a 159 estate would be my choice and keep 4k in the bank, or 3 series or legacy or any proper estate car. I have driven a few mpv's again as hire cars, they are compromised in every way, not quite a car and not quite a van unless you need 7 seats don't do it.
I don't agree. We changed our Mazda 5, a perfectly good car in dynamic terms, for a Mondeo only because we had 3 children so the Mondeo houses 3 abreast leaving the vast boot free (which now gets used more as a spare shed). It was only because we had to deply Row 3 in the Mazda that it became less useful but the 5 was vastly superior in terms of access to the rear for baby seats etc and loading height for the buggy. It also had far better visibility out. If we had 2 or less kids, we would have kept the Mazda. Even now, with a 4 year old, the flapping doors are hugely inferior to sliding ones.With your budget a 159 estate would be my choice and keep 4k in the bank, or 3 series or legacy or any proper estate car. I have driven a few mpv's again as hire cars, they are compromised in every way, not quite a car and not quite a van unless you need 7 seats don't do it.
The Mazda was a 1.8, the Mondeo is a 2.0 so the driving dynamics are not so great as to be crucial.
Thanks guys. Some interesting ideas.
Point taken about not really needing an MPV / 4x4 at this stage.
Of the estates I like the idea of a 3 series or Alfa 159 the most. Anyone got a 3 series estate and able to comment on the engine? Are Alfa's still as unreliable as their reputation suggests?
Point taken about not really needing an MPV / 4x4 at this stage.
Of the estates I like the idea of a 3 series or Alfa 159 the most. Anyone got a 3 series estate and able to comment on the engine? Are Alfa's still as unreliable as their reputation suggests?
You've missed the point of "What Car?" threads. You're supposed to ignore our perfectly good advice (Most of which revolves around what we each own...) and go and buy the least reliable variant of whatever it was you first wanted.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff