Chevrolet Lacceti Estate, any experience ?

[Nigel Worc's]

What ho chaps.

I'm looking for a cheap toolbox carrier.

I have been searching with a £3k wish price for an estate car to do about 35,000 miles a year for two to three years.

These Chevrolet Lacceti keep popping up, does anyone have any experience of them ?

Like this one :

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Edited by Nigel Worc's on Monday 28th January 21:55

[SteBrown91]

If I was spending 3k to do 35k a year a lacetti would not be on my radar. Cheap, unrefined and not particularly comfortable.

For that money I would be getting a Passat 2.0 tdi with the later CR engine

[DailyHack]

My thoughts exactly, I do 20k a year in a mildly speced 3 series which is as dull as anything, cant expect a Lacetti estate is a nice way to spend 35k a year in - a van would be better.

Only claim to fame is it was the original Top Gear celebrity fastest lap car...15 years ago or something

Edited by DailyHack on Monday 28th January 22:09

[Jag_NE]

There are loads of better cars out there but it comes down to the usual trade off with age and miles. Premium cars at 2k are probably a lot more of a lottery than something pretty rubbish that has been driven by a pensioner all its life. Pay your money take your chance at that end of the market.

[HustleRussell]

DailyHack said:

Only claim to fame is it was the original Top Gear celebrity fastest lap car...15 years ago or something

How could you forget the Suzuki Liana?

[ilikejam]

There's plenty I'd be looking at for £3k before a Lacetti.

Mondeo, Merc C/E 270/320, Citroen C5/Pug 407SW, Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[philipbrown123]

Saab 93 or 95 would be my choice.

[ZX10R NIN]

If I was looking for a car that I'd be spending a long time in then comfort & reliability (personally I'd want an auto doing those miles) would be top of my agenda with this in mind my first point of reference would be a 2.7 or 3.2 cdi E/C Class preferably with less than 100k on the clock:

E320

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Then there's the V70 D5 but the auto isn't the best in terms of reliability:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

V50 D5 if you don't need as much space:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Now if you want bang for buck (age spec mileage reliability etc) & still have decent reliability then I'd say these tick the boxes:

407 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Laguna Dynamique the window regulators are expensive but they're not cheap on any car these days.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C5 VTR+

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


2.7hdi 407 Executive these are more maintenance heavy so do your homework, but it's a whole lot of car for your cash.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Strong Horse]

You should be able to buy some fairly decent cats for 3k. My friend bought a passat estate for less money and its treated him very well. I think they are fairly reliable cars. I dont suggest a Ford Focus estate. I have the MK2 and I hear they did not sound proof the estate as well so its loud. There are lots of passats around.

I also like the old model Honda Accord but im not sure how easy finding an auto is.

[Strong Horse]

Actually the Lacetti looks OK to me. Should be reliable enough if its treated well.

My friends girlfriend had a lacetti and they never had any issues with it. He actually said it was quite good to drive.

[Strong Horse]

Actually dont buy that Lacetti as its petrol. Buy a diesel if you do that mileage unless work or someone else is paying for the fuel.

[HustleRussell]

I'd buy a Mondeo.

[strath44]

I'd vote for Passat or Mondeo both drive well, huge amount of space easily available on budget and generally reliable especially the passat.

The Lacetti is probably an ok car, but not somewhere you want to be doing high mileages.

Also the residuals on it will be absoultely dreadful compared to anything in a similar class.

On positive note there are only going to be 2 types of people that buy a Lacetti and neither care much for cars; the first is the older retired type who see it as good value, look after it well and you'll get a nice clean low mileage example. The other hate it, treat it like crap and probably never get it serviced - it should be pretty easy to spot the difference!

[blue_haddock]

Instead of the lacetti i'd possibly look for the 05-08 mitsubishi Lancer Estate.

It was warranty directs most reliable car for many years, i had one and it just worked!

[blue_haddock]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

There you go, i'd say a better pick than the lacetti

[strath44]

blue_haddock said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

There you go, i'd say a better pick than the lacetti

have to agree, but would probably want a bigger engine if its carrying much load wise!

[gman88667733]

Sorry to budge in here, but the Citroen C5 posted in a link above, is that a regular auto? Or is it one of the automated manuals? If so, how are they to drive? I have a DSG Octavia, which is okay, but it labours in a high gear a lot and it doesn't like crawling speeds. It is very much on or off.

[ZX10R NIN]

It's a normal auto.

[Nigel Worc's]

Just to update the topic, and many thanks for the replies.

I bought a 2008 Honda CR-V, the exec model, 2.2 litre diesel, 107,000 miles, £4,250

It drives nicely and has a similar load carrying capability to my old VW Caddy, but a touch more comfort.

So just short of 312,000 miles the old Caddy will get to retire to a scrapyard next week.

[ZX10R NIN]

Glad you got sorted OP.