reliable family car
Discussion
g'day all,
so recently found out that my wife is expecting a little bundle of joy. not due until next year, i feel i may have to change my car again. only had my current 120d coupe since september last year. but think this car won't be ideal for a new born and all the equipment they come with plus a 4 year old.
at the moment we also have an 07 mondeo diesel, but could do with another decent sized car.
i've always fancied an estate either e90 3 series estate or a 5 saloon, along with the alfa 159 in estate guise. mrs would like a 4x4/suv type car...ford kuga type...
car does need to be reliable, petrol or diesel as I could use the diesel for the work commute. fun to drive. do want a car with a fair bit of power. anything above 170-180bhp would be ideal. reliable. good space. budget of around £6-8k.
what can you guys suggest?
so recently found out that my wife is expecting a little bundle of joy. not due until next year, i feel i may have to change my car again. only had my current 120d coupe since september last year. but think this car won't be ideal for a new born and all the equipment they come with plus a 4 year old.
at the moment we also have an 07 mondeo diesel, but could do with another decent sized car.
i've always fancied an estate either e90 3 series estate or a 5 saloon, along with the alfa 159 in estate guise. mrs would like a 4x4/suv type car...ford kuga type...
car does need to be reliable, petrol or diesel as I could use the diesel for the work commute. fun to drive. do want a car with a fair bit of power. anything above 170-180bhp would be ideal. reliable. good space. budget of around £6-8k.
what can you guys suggest?
My previous car was a Honda Accord 2.4 Exec. Fits the bill perfectly. Well specced, comfortable, ultra reliable, practical and ticks the power box you were after. Mine was the saloon which would be fine but the estate would guarentee fitting all of the stuff you need in the back. The estate isn't a very attractive lookng car but apart from that, it should do everything you need.
toon10 said:
My previous car was a Honda Accord 2.4 Exec. Fits the bill perfectly. Well specced, comfortable, ultra reliable, practical and ticks the power box you were after. Mine was the saloon which would be fine but the estate would guarentee fitting all of the stuff you need in the back. The estate isn't a very attractive lookng car but apart from that, it should do everything you need.
Yep. I have one of these as a daily (LPG'd). An 08 plate tourer Auto. It's the consummate family hack with comfort and reliability. It's ugly but then I don't really stand on the driving looking at it!!Wife has a Qashqai for carting Eltax Junior (2 yr old) about the place. When she got it I wasn't convinced, but I've come to love it for it's reliability, practicality and general feeling of ruggedness. The wife treats it like utter s
t, bouncing curbs (nice high profile 16's on it), reversing into fences and she's also managed to have it rear ended and put it into the rear qtr panel of an old volvo. It's the 2.0 petrol so is cam chain driven, which adds to the worry free appeal.It just keeps coming back for more. She will keep it forever. And interestingly, she's always hated every car i've ever talked her into in the past. This time, I asked her, if we sold the kumkwat, what would you buy.... answer: "another one!"
Edited by eltax91 on Thursday 12th June 12:03
i would love to keep the 1 coupe, but feel it just won't be practical, gonna be hard to get in and out.
i do like the a4 estates too.
but the 5 series does look nice and big, although never driven one. boot space/easy loading. although i've never thought of the 5 estate, thought of the 3 estate and then the 5 saloon having similar boot space.
i do like the a4 estates too.
but the 5 series does look nice and big, although never driven one. boot space/easy loading. although i've never thought of the 5 estate, thought of the 3 estate and then the 5 saloon having similar boot space.
We've got an E91 330I. Copes perfectly well with a 1.5 year old and a 4.5 year old despite all the doom mongers saying the boots are rubbish etc. Yes, they're not as big as our old Octavia vRS estate but in every other respect the car is a mile better than the Skoda was.
Got a roof box as well for holidays when lugging kids bikes, fishing gear etc around ia required. Its brilliant.
Got a roof box as well for holidays when lugging kids bikes, fishing gear etc around ia required. Its brilliant.
For the family car we have had a Honda Accord Type-S(2.4) for 8 years, bar a clutch, tyres and services (I do myself) its cost us a total of £15 on a rear droplink, 140K on the clock and no issues ever. We use it all the time to drive to Scotland/France etc and the wife just drives it into things (like trees and walls) and it just keeps going.
I will happily plow up and down the m-ways with no issues, and actually grips and handles quite well, it has about 190bhp so goes ok.. (it could do with 220-240 really).
I want to get a new car, but I know it will lead to trouble, you cannot go wrong with a Honda.
I will happily plow up and down the m-ways with no issues, and actually grips and handles quite well, it has about 190bhp so goes ok.. (it could do with 220-240 really).
I want to get a new car, but I know it will lead to trouble, you cannot go wrong with a Honda.
Edited by joe_90 on Thursday 12th June 13:43
Skoda Octavia vRS (hatchback)
Big enough to cope with usual family stuff, quick enough to be fun, reasonable servicing and parts costs and you should be able to find a relatively young one for your budget.
Big enough to cope with usual family stuff, quick enough to be fun, reasonable servicing and parts costs and you should be able to find a relatively young one for your budget.
Edited by willis1337 on Thursday 12th June 13:47
Edited by willis1337 on Thursday 12th June 13:48
willis1337 said:
He also constantly posts similar in the BMW section 
Octavia has a massive boot even in the Saloon version the estate is even larger of course. I've taken the whole family (wife, and 2 under 4's)to France for a week in a chalet with everything required in the boot. My mate with kids similar ages filled an A4 Avant one year and a Q5 the next and still needed a roof-box.
VRS should be quick enough for you and you'll get newer than the more premium brands. I love mine.
VRS should be quick enough for you and you'll get newer than the more premium brands. I love mine.
Would you consider a Skoda Yeti?
We've got the SE Greenline (2wd, 1.6 TDI) and it swallows up loads of stuff in the back, and you can take the chairs out for even more room for the tip run.
Ours is the '61 plate model, but Skoda have got a face-lifted version out which has a bit more of an aggressive face on it.
Ours is really nice to drive, it soaks up the bumps really well, even though it's the greenline model, which means it's been lowered slightly.
You can get a 2.0 TDI 4x4 and that should be good for 40 mpg average.
There's very little wind noise, and if you don't go for the stupidly big wheels, then very little tyre noise as well.
It's effectively a smaller Qashqai, so it's worth looking at
We've got the SE Greenline (2wd, 1.6 TDI) and it swallows up loads of stuff in the back, and you can take the chairs out for even more room for the tip run.
Ours is the '61 plate model, but Skoda have got a face-lifted version out which has a bit more of an aggressive face on it.
Ours is really nice to drive, it soaks up the bumps really well, even though it's the greenline model, which means it's been lowered slightly.
You can get a 2.0 TDI 4x4 and that should be good for 40 mpg average.
There's very little wind noise, and if you don't go for the stupidly big wheels, then very little tyre noise as well.
It's effectively a smaller Qashqai, so it's worth looking at
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