What car for wifey - must be *reliable*, eco, smart, estate,

[cptsideways]

Right as per usual wifey's old nadger has started giving up the ghost so its time for a newer/better one. I've tried explaining to no avail that a *reliable* gas guzzler can be cheaper to run than an eco mising stbox French/VAG/Italian car when you add in costs to fix the things etc. Budget is in the 3k area but less is better.


In my mind a Lexus IS300 Sportback (ETA it's actuall called a Sportcross) would be the perfect car, 1JZ engine, proper Lexus/Toyota build quality etc, 3k buys a nice one however she wants:

50mpg ish or better
Estate with a low enough boot so the old dogs can get in and out (so no 4x4's)
Size wise she's not fussed
Must be manual
Leather trim
AC
Has to deal with rubbish Dorset lanes on a daily basis


We've had VW's that st themselves electricaly & suspension that falls apart, currently on a V40 Volvo that suffers from Renault Dci engine management issues & rust! A V70 Volvo that was perfect (*almost) in every way except it was petrol. *It had a French made steering rack that failed dismally.

The overiding factor must be inherently **RELIABLE**


Suggestions please gents

Edited by cptsideways on Saturday 2nd June 22:57

[Toaster Pilot]

Focus or Mondeo diesel estate surely?

[V88Dicky]

50+mpg around the leafy lanes of Dorset? Estate car?

Christ on a bike, that will be a tall order!

Is there any reason why she needs such fantastic economy, is she doing many, many miles per year?



Ps, love Dorset. Spent an idyllic week there last summer near Sherbourne.

[cptsideways]

Our old Golf 115pd did 50+mpg easy enough, her Volvo gets mid 40's in fact current tank is on 46mpg. However round the same hills the petrol cars we've had are lucky to get above 25mpg.

She does about 12k per year on average, though I'll often borrow the smoker for the longer trips that I do so we often see 15k per annum in total. The reliability aspect is fairly important as I'm often away for weeks at a time & she has to be able tend the horses that she looks after every day of the year come rain or shine. She's coped admirably with 2wd hills & snow no bother at all with winter tyres for the last 10 years.


It's certainly a tall order! I'm aware of that for sure, if only Lexus made reliable economical diesel estate cars....


Oh & we live about 10m from sherbourne

[Zoobeef]

Skoda estates? no idea how much they are though

[cptsideways]

Zoobeef said:

Skoda estates? no idea how much they are though

Thought about them but usual VAG problems aplomb, though they might appear to not feature Spanish made window switches as it's not something frequently mentioned in the adverts you see for them, unlike anything VW.

[cheadle hulme]

cptsideways said:

Thought about them but usual VAG problems aplomb, though they might appear to not feature Spanish made window switches as it's not something frequently mentioned in the adverts you see for them, unlike anything VW.

Its either the wine or your prose, but I didn't get that?

Never seen a Skoda advert extolling the virtues of Iberian produced electrics?

[cptsideways]

cheadle hulme said:

cptsideways said:

Thought about them but usual VAG problems aplomb, though they might appear to not feature Spanish made window switches as it's not something frequently mentioned in the adverts you see for them, unlike anything VW.

Its either the wine or your prose, but I didn't get that?

Never seen a Skoda advert extolling the virtues of Iberian produced electrics?

VW's have Spanish made switches (and many other electrical bits) that st themselves on a regular basis

[Bonefish Blues]

LPG could be a possible solution? I know this one's an auto, but it's got much to commend it, given your criteria I think.

Failing that, there's a Kangoo 4x4 on A/T that's been LPG'd if you search, also at £3K.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

[HeatonNorris]

cptsideways said:

VW's have Spanish made switches (and many other electrical bits) that st themselves on a regular basis

I've done huge amounts of mileage in VWs over the last decade (mostly Passats) and never once had an electrical failure. Come to think of it, I've only once had to call out a breakdown truck in around 500k miles.

[cptsideways]

Bonefish Blues said:

LPG could be a possible solution? I know this one's an auto, but it's got much to commend it, given your criteria I think.

Failing that, there's a Kangoo 4x4 on A/T that's been LPG'd if you search, also at £3K.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

LPG is certainly a thought, but have been down that route before & suffered issues with it.


Also as an example that Mitsubishi. its figures on petrol are:
Fuel consumption (urban) 14.93 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban) 25.48 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined) 20.26 mpg

Which means about 15mpg mpg on gas & hence a range of about 150 miles even with a decent size 80ltr tank! That then causes issues with space for the dogs. Doughnut tanks tend to have a max usuable capacity of 50L.


I'll let you speak to my wife re suggesting a Popemobile Kangoo The least you'd get is castrated

[cheadle hulme]

cptsideways said:

cheadle hulme said:

cptsideways said:

Thought about them but usual VAG problems aplomb, though they might appear to not feature Spanish made window switches as it's not something frequently mentioned in the adverts you see for them, unlike anything VW.

Its either the wine or your prose, but I didn't get that?

Never seen a Skoda advert extolling the virtues of Iberian produced electrics?

VW's have Spanish made switches (and many other electrical bits) that st themselves on a regular basis

Fairy nuff. In that case I won't bother suggesting a Skoda Octavia MK1 with the 1.9 PD engine in 105PS spec.

[WhoseGeneration]

Lol, google IS300 Sportback and this thread is at the top.
Apart from 5 series Touring, because of the leather, I can think of nothing else.
Just explain that your recommendation will be the most economical because of reliability.

[Bonefish Blues]

cptsideways said:

LPG is certainly a thought, but have been down that route before & suffered issues with it.


Also as an example that Mitsubishi. its figures on petrol are:
Fuel consumption (urban) 14.93 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban) 25.48 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined) 20.26 mpg

Which means about 15mpg mpg on gas & hence a range of about 150 miles even with a decent size 80ltr tank! That then causes issues with space for the dogs. Doughnut tanks tend to have a max usuable capacity of 50L.


I'll let you speak to my wife re suggesting a Popemobile Kangoo The least you'd get is castrated

When are you going to tell her what she wants isn't possible? At least she'd snip yours first before mine

[PumpkinSteve]

Don't know what the boot is like for access, but how about something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-MAZDA-6-S-DIESEL-SI...

That was the first one I found, you can probably get leather seats and whatnot.

[cptsideways]

PumpkinSteve said:

Don't know what the boot is like for access, but how about something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-MAZDA-6-S-DIESEL-SI...

That was the first one I found, you can probably get leather seats and whatnot.

A good suugestion but the Diesels suffer big big issues (its a Ford engine) the earlier ones are OK but they only seem to come in pauper spec

[HeatonNorris]

eh?

Diesel Mondeos with that lump seem to go on forever. The thing that was expensive on those was the clutch, but that's the case with all DMFs.

[wiliferus]

What about a Saab 95 estate 2.2tid? You'll easily find one in budget, generally well spec'd, nice place to be and ticks all the boxes.

I'm sure someone will come along to comment on Saab reliability.

[Bonefish Blues]

The 9-5's a nice car, we have one, albeit a petrol & LPG. Nice low load level and plenty of dog room.

The 2.2's a bit of an old nail, but is generally reliable. You'd be unlikely to get a consistent 50mpg from it, unless on a run, more like low-mid 40s.

[cptsideways]

The Saab suggestion is a good one, we have been looking into them. The old nail bit is actually a bonus! simpler engines with the original Tid less to go wrong but less mpg's though we might be able to have a compromise Plus we are Saab fans of old, having had 99's & 900's years before Am I right in thinking the 2,2 Tid came in the earlier 9-5's ?

As of last night I have bought for "myself" on the jumble a cheap smoker that might do for wifey as a temporary measure so we can get rid of the Volvo, a P plate 325 tds Touring auto on the leather & ac with 130k on it for 700 notes off to pick it up in a bit, looks very tidy too.