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Sportage, C-MAX, 11k budget - all explained below!

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Stoofa

Original Poster

958 posts

168 months

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Tuesday 19th September 2017

My brother is looking for a new car. He has a relatively old Civic at the moment and wants something bigger. He has a young daughter now and what with her and additional luggage he needs bigger.
He really likes the Sportage. I can only assume he's got a friend who owns one or he fancies the higher drive height etc. His budget is £10k plus whatever he can get for the Civic, so I'm thinking somewhere in the £11k - £11.5k area. He won't want anything really high mileage and I think he'd like something "newish".
2014 diesel Sportage or 2012 petrol Sportage seem to fit in his budget. Are these things worth a punt? Should he be looking at petrol or diesel? Any particular trim level he should be looking at?

He has also mentioned the C-Max. I do know a mutual friend of ours owns one, so that maybe the reasoning behind that. Once again the budget seems to allow for something in the 2014 - 2015 area.
Once again, what is the general opinion on these? Petrol or diesel? Trim levels to look for keeping within budget?

Finally, what else might he consider based on the two, different, vehicles he's listed above? Again, the budget is a hard budget.

Thanks for any PH input.

MorganP104

2,605 posts

130 months

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Tuesday 19th September 2017

If it were my money, I'd take the Sportage over the C-Max, for a few reasons:

1) Kias have loooooooong warranties. Family car buyers covet that sort of thing.
2) These days, Kias are (very) good cars. As reliable and well-built as anything of a similar vintage.
3) I've driven a Sportage, and they are a pleasant steer (not dynamically the best - for that your brother would need to go "premium SUV", and throw a lot more money at the budget in the process).
4) It's an SUV rather than an MPV. Whenever I see man driving an MPV, I imagine he's had a trip to the vets, and his balls are in his wife's handbag. laugh

If he's used to piloting a Civic, the Sportage won't be a disappointment in the handling department. The C-Max is a shade sharper (I've driven plenty as hire cars), but I've always found the act of hustling an MPV to be a tad ridiculous, so it's a bit of a moot point!

ZX10R NIN

27,598 posts

125 months

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Tuesday 19th September 2017