Too many choices - analysis paralysis!!
Discussion
Hey everyone.
We have been a 2 car family for some time, an Smax as the family car and a Lexus IS250 for me as a commuter car.
We bought the Smax when my 4th kids was born 10 years ago an it has run fabulously until the weekend when it gave the ghost and died on us. This now has us thinking about how to replace it.
As a 7 seater it was now no good to us. My kids range from 21 to 10yo and the 3 eldest are all pushing 6ft and the youngest is pretty tall, getting into the back of the Smax was no fun for him. The Smax was also my wife's car, used for the school run, shopping run etc. Our thinking is that another 7 seater is no good as no one wants to do the long holiday drives like that (camping etc) and we have to accept that we will now be taking 2 cars with us on the journeys when it's all of us.
The IS250 hardly gets used now since Covid and WFH. I have changed our business set up so almost everyone works remotely, I only have to pop to the office (15mile trip) weekly to get the post and occasionally into London for site visits.
My thought process is as follows (budget £10-15K):
1. Use the Lexus as the daily runaround and get a lowish cost petrol estate as the family/tip/luggage car, something like a Volvo V70 or a Skoda Superb.
2. Leave the Lexus as the back up car and get a petrol hybrid (self charge or plug in) as the daily run around and family car for longer trips. However, it needs to be something of a decent size and the only thing that seems to fit the bill is a Misubishi Outlander. A Toyota Corolla or a Hyundai Ionic would probably be prefect if they were a bit larger.
The aim is to keep tax and insurance relatively low if possible. I'd rather not have something ancient, although I don't need the latest modcons, bluetooth for phone and audio would be nice, though I'm happy to plug a 3rd party bluetooth audio kit into an aux port.
Thanks all in advance for any help!
We have been a 2 car family for some time, an Smax as the family car and a Lexus IS250 for me as a commuter car.
We bought the Smax when my 4th kids was born 10 years ago an it has run fabulously until the weekend when it gave the ghost and died on us. This now has us thinking about how to replace it.
As a 7 seater it was now no good to us. My kids range from 21 to 10yo and the 3 eldest are all pushing 6ft and the youngest is pretty tall, getting into the back of the Smax was no fun for him. The Smax was also my wife's car, used for the school run, shopping run etc. Our thinking is that another 7 seater is no good as no one wants to do the long holiday drives like that (camping etc) and we have to accept that we will now be taking 2 cars with us on the journeys when it's all of us.
The IS250 hardly gets used now since Covid and WFH. I have changed our business set up so almost everyone works remotely, I only have to pop to the office (15mile trip) weekly to get the post and occasionally into London for site visits.
My thought process is as follows (budget £10-15K):
1. Use the Lexus as the daily runaround and get a lowish cost petrol estate as the family/tip/luggage car, something like a Volvo V70 or a Skoda Superb.
2. Leave the Lexus as the back up car and get a petrol hybrid (self charge or plug in) as the daily run around and family car for longer trips. However, it needs to be something of a decent size and the only thing that seems to fit the bill is a Misubishi Outlander. A Toyota Corolla or a Hyundai Ionic would probably be prefect if they were a bit larger.
The aim is to keep tax and insurance relatively low if possible. I'd rather not have something ancient, although I don't need the latest modcons, bluetooth for phone and audio would be nice, though I'm happy to plug a 3rd party bluetooth audio kit into an aux port.
Thanks all in advance for any help!
With your budget go for a petrol estate:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106163...
The VFM option is the new shape Insignia they're good cars hindered by the badge, if you sit in one you may well be swayed:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106244...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106103...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106163...
The VFM option is the new shape Insignia they're good cars hindered by the badge, if you sit in one you may well be swayed:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106244...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106103...
Right, another morning on the internet, looks like I'm not getting much work done today!
Looking at our current usage, mostly short local runs for school, shopping, kids taxi etc, with the occasional longer run a PHEV seems to be the best bet.
Options are:
Mitsubishi Outlander - Hits the price point and has pretty much the comfort levels we would want. Cons: From what I've seen, servicing is pricey and they can be a little shoddily put together.
Kia Optima - Looks to hit all the right points again. Only downside seems to be there are very few out there to choose from. A 2018 model however would technically give me 4 years left on the warranty which would be great.
Merc C350E - an outlier but it looks lovely on the inside and my missus would love it. Premium price for the name though.
Toyota Corolla Touring Sport - Would probably be perfect but I fear it'll be a bit too small at the back for 3 6ft adults.
My heart is leaning towards the Mitsubishi, it's the kind of slightly left field, different to the norm type of thing I would typically go for but the non-mechanic in me is worried it'll be forever breaking down or costing me money. I can't find enough online to allay those fears.
Looking at our current usage, mostly short local runs for school, shopping, kids taxi etc, with the occasional longer run a PHEV seems to be the best bet.
Options are:
Mitsubishi Outlander - Hits the price point and has pretty much the comfort levels we would want. Cons: From what I've seen, servicing is pricey and they can be a little shoddily put together.
Kia Optima - Looks to hit all the right points again. Only downside seems to be there are very few out there to choose from. A 2018 model however would technically give me 4 years left on the warranty which would be great.
Merc C350E - an outlier but it looks lovely on the inside and my missus would love it. Premium price for the name though.
Toyota Corolla Touring Sport - Would probably be perfect but I fear it'll be a bit too small at the back for 3 6ft adults.
My heart is leaning towards the Mitsubishi, it's the kind of slightly left field, different to the norm type of thing I would typically go for but the non-mechanic in me is worried it'll be forever breaking down or costing me money. I can't find enough online to allay those fears.
If you are definitely going to make use of charging it, the Outlander would be a good car. They are comfortable, big inside (back seat is quite low though, so feel a bit weird sat in the back).
When used properly, they are very efficient. No good for longer trips where the battery is run flat though. I believe the one at work gets about 20ish miles on pure electric, which seems about right.
Reliability has been good overall, one seized caliper and a couple of other niggles, nothing major.
Build quality is poor though, everything is rattly and feels fairly poorly put together IMO. I'd probably only get one if I was able to charge it every day.
Personally, a Skoda Superb is a very good option. Absolutely massive, you'll never be worrying about leg room or boot space.
When used properly, they are very efficient. No good for longer trips where the battery is run flat though. I believe the one at work gets about 20ish miles on pure electric, which seems about right.
Reliability has been good overall, one seized caliper and a couple of other niggles, nothing major.
Build quality is poor though, everything is rattly and feels fairly poorly put together IMO. I'd probably only get one if I was able to charge it every day.
Personally, a Skoda Superb is a very good option. Absolutely massive, you'll never be worrying about leg room or boot space.
FFS I keep changing my mind, but I'm now 99% convinced to come back to your way of thinking, petrol estate it is! Now to pick one.
Superb
V70 (my wife would kill me)
Avensis
Merc Eclass?
Jag (My wife would love me but I'd be scared to get it dirty!)
The question is, do I get a £5000 one to do me for 3 years, sell the Lexus and save the money to get an EV for the local runaround? Or go and splash £10--15K on a nicer version?
Superb
V70 (my wife would kill me)
Avensis
Merc Eclass?
Jag (My wife would love me but I'd be scared to get it dirty!)
The question is, do I get a £5000 one to do me for 3 years, sell the Lexus and save the money to get an EV for the local runaround? Or go and splash £10--15K on a nicer version?
gman88667733 said:
If you are definitely going to make use of charging it, the Outlander would be a good car. They are comfortable, big inside (back seat is quite low though, so feel a bit weird sat in the back).
When used properly, they are very efficient. No good for longer trips where the battery is run flat though. I believe the one at work gets about 20ish miles on pure electric, which seems about right.
Reliability has been good overall, one seized caliper and a couple of other niggles, nothing major.
Build quality is poor though, everything is rattly and feels fairly poorly put together IMO. I'd probably only get one if I was able to charge it every day.
Personally, a Skoda Superb is a very good option. Absolutely massive, you'll never be worrying about leg room or boot space.
We could charge everyday, the car would be on the driveway most of the time, we don't really have any one way only commutes anymore because of Covid. But it would be the car my wife would be driving and I'll never hear the end of it if the car is a bit shoddy. I'd rather give her the Lexus to drive and I drive the estate.When used properly, they are very efficient. No good for longer trips where the battery is run flat though. I believe the one at work gets about 20ish miles on pure electric, which seems about right.
Reliability has been good overall, one seized caliper and a couple of other niggles, nothing major.
Build quality is poor though, everything is rattly and feels fairly poorly put together IMO. I'd probably only get one if I was able to charge it every day.
Personally, a Skoda Superb is a very good option. Absolutely massive, you'll never be worrying about leg room or boot space.
makmanuk said:
We could charge everyday, the car would be on the driveway most of the time, we don't really have any one way only commutes anymore because of Covid. But it would be the car my wife would be driving and I'll never hear the end of it if the car is a bit shoddy. I'd rather give her the Lexus to drive and I drive the estate.
The best bet is to both go and sit in some of the options if you can. I've loved the look of a car on paper, then sat in it and completely hated it.What may seem poor to me, may be fine to you. I doubt you'll have much trouble with any of the options if you buy a half decent one. Best of luck!
Edit - regarding price, it really depends on what you can afford. If it is a long term car, then pay a bit more and get something as nice as you can. If you are happy with something cheaper, you can get a lot of really nice cars for under £5k. I just bought a 63 plate Volvo V60 for essentially £4k, high mileage though. But it just shows that you don't necessarily need to spend a fortune to get something presentable and half decent.
Edited by gman88667733 on Thursday 15th July 15:38
gman88667733 said:
Edit - regarding price, it really depends on what you can afford. If it is a long term car, then pay a bit more and get something as nice as you can. If you are happy with something cheaper, you can get a lot of really nice cars for under £5k. I just bought a 63 plate Volvo V60 for essentially £4k, high mileage though. But it just shows that you don't necessarily need to spend a fortune to get something presentable and half decent.
Really I want to spend as little as I can to get as much as possible! 😄Edited by gman88667733 on Thursday 15th July 15:38
I don't have the confidence to go buying high mileage cars, I don't know enough to know whether or not I'm buying a lemon. I'll probably go and have a look at the V60 too but I think it'll be a bit too small for what I need, especially seating at the back to 2 6 footers. I think something around £12K is going to be the sweet spot.
makmanuk said:
Really I want to spend as little as I can to get as much as possible! ??
I don't have the confidence to go buying high mileage cars, I don't know enough to know whether or not I'm buying a lemon. I'll probably go and have a look at the V60 too but I think it'll be a bit too small for what I need, especially seating at the back to 2 6 footers. I think something around £12K is going to be the sweet spot.
Look at the links I listed above, they tick all of your boxes.I don't have the confidence to go buying high mileage cars, I don't know enough to know whether or not I'm buying a lemon. I'll probably go and have a look at the V60 too but I think it'll be a bit too small for what I need, especially seating at the back to 2 6 footers. I think something around £12K is going to be the sweet spot.
ZX10R NIN said:
Look at the links I listed above, they tick all of your boxes.
I do like the look of the Mondeo and it's on my list of cars to go and see. Not so keen on the Vauxhall but will probably go and take a look. I'm sure under the hood they are fine but I'm a bit worried about build quality.EDIT: There is also an Outlander within budget range just down the road from me, will probably go and take a look at that tomorrow.
Edited by makmanuk on Thursday 15th July 20:48
makmanuk said:
Really I want to spend as little as I can to get as much as possible! ??
I don't have the confidence to go buying high mileage cars, I don't know enough to know whether or not I'm buying a lemon. I'll probably go and have a look at the V60 too but I think it'll be a bit too small for what I need, especially seating at the back to 2 6 footers. I think something around £12K is going to be the sweet spot.
Leg room in the back of the V60 is poor IMO. It's overall a long car with not as much room inside as it should. Loads of room for the driver and front passenger though. I don't have the confidence to go buying high mileage cars, I don't know enough to know whether or not I'm buying a lemon. I'll probably go and have a look at the V60 too but I think it'll be a bit too small for what I need, especially seating at the back to 2 6 footers. I think something around £12K is going to be the sweet spot.
High mileage seems to be fine if it has good history to back it up and is in good condition.
I've seen some low mileage cars that have been nasty.
For the most room possible, you really want a Superb, Octavia (maybe just), Mondeo, Passat etc ...
The suggestions in the post above are a good shout for the upper end of your budget.
At 5k you could get an older Superb/Octavia or Mondeo that would still have loads of life left.
The outlander - is it a PHEV? Assuming it is, see if you can get a proper digital report of the main traction battery. Stuff like that would big money otherwise.
makmanuk said:
I do like the look of the Mondeo and it's on my list of cars to go and see. Not so keen on the Vauxhall but will probably go and take a look. I'm sure under the hood they are fine but I'm a bit worried about build quality.
EDIT: There is also an Outlander within budget range just down the road from me, will probably go and take a look at that tomorrow.
If you're concerned about build quality then forget the Outlander & I'm not joking.EDIT: There is also an Outlander within budget range just down the road from me, will probably go and take a look at that tomorrow.
Edited by makmanuk on Thursday 15th July 20:48
As for build quality on the Ford & Vauxhall the Skoda/Seat etc are no better but all are decent, whatever you buy, buy on condition.
I will say the Insignia & you'll also be buying something that's a generation ahead of the competition price wise.
gman88667733 said:
The outlander - is it a PHEV? Assuming it is, see if you can get a proper digital report of the main traction battery. Stuff like that would big money otherwise.
Yeah, it is. It's not a Mitsubishi dealership, Ford one so must be a car someone part ex'd, so not sure how much report I'll get. Really it's to get a look at the quality of the build. ZX10R NIN said:
If you're concerned about build quality then forget the Outlander & I'm not joking.
Ha, fair enough!! I have heard that's the case!ZX10R NIN said:
As for build quality on the Ford & Vauxhall the Skoda/Seat etc are no better but all are decent, whatever you buy, buy on condition.
I will say the Insignia & you'll also be buying something that's a generation ahead of the competition price wise.
Ok, you've convinced me to take a look! I'll see what I can get arranged!I will say the Insignia & you'll also be buying something that's a generation ahead of the competition price wise.
Left field choice. I'm on the point of chopping in my 63 reg XF Sportbrake 3.0 TD Premium Luxury with 93k miles for £8000. It's a lovely place to be & does high 40s mpg with a decent turn of speed.
No reason to change - it ticks so many boxes & I think I shall regret changing but man-maths, inflated second hand values (it went up by £1200 in 2 months...) & the right car at a sensible price intervened.
If you are interested, I will post the Hampshire dealer's name.
No reason to change - it ticks so many boxes & I think I shall regret changing but man-maths, inflated second hand values (it went up by £1200 in 2 months...) & the right car at a sensible price intervened.
If you are interested, I will post the Hampshire dealer's name.
Sortie 10 said:
Left field choice. I'm on the point of chopping in my 63 reg XF Sportbrake 3.0 TD Premium Luxury with 93k miles for £8000. It's a lovely place to be & does high 40s mpg with a decent turn of speed.
No reason to change - it ticks so many boxes & I think I shall regret changing but man-maths, inflated second hand values (it went up by £1200 in 2 months...) & the right car at a sensible price intervened.
If you are interested, I will post the Hampshire dealer's name.
Despite being sorely tempted, it's a diesel which rules it out, I'm afraid. I also think, from what I've read, we wouldn't get 3 tall adults comfortably in the back. No reason to change - it ticks so many boxes & I think I shall regret changing but man-maths, inflated second hand values (it went up by £1200 in 2 months...) & the right car at a sensible price intervened.
If you are interested, I will post the Hampshire dealer's name.
So, my overthinking of this whole thing continues.
It's more money but what are your thoughts on the Passat GTE. Yes, I'll be pushing the best part of £20000 for a lowish mileage version. That would then become the daily driver, local runs on electric, overnight charging on the driveway. Keep the Lexus for a few more years as the second car for when we need it. Replace it with a small electric when they become more affordable and the older kids have likely moved out.
Edit: I had a look at some reviews of the Insignia on YouTube last night, it does look like an impressive car, all the modcons you would want, loads of space and has jumped to the top of the list. I think I will go and try and look at one over the weekend.
It's more money but what are your thoughts on the Passat GTE. Yes, I'll be pushing the best part of £20000 for a lowish mileage version. That would then become the daily driver, local runs on electric, overnight charging on the driveway. Keep the Lexus for a few more years as the second car for when we need it. Replace it with a small electric when they become more affordable and the older kids have likely moved out.
Edit: I had a look at some reviews of the Insignia on YouTube last night, it does look like an impressive car, all the modcons you would want, loads of space and has jumped to the top of the list. I think I will go and try and look at one over the weekend.
Edited by makmanuk on Friday 16th July 09:14
Edited by makmanuk on Friday 16th July 09:30
makmanuk said:
So, my overthinking of this whole thing continues.
It's more money but what are your thoughts on the Passat GTE. Yes, I'll be pushing the best part of £20000 for a lowish mileage version. That would then become the daily driver, local runs on electric, overnight charging on the driveway. Keep the Lexus for a few more years as the second car for when we need it. Replace it with a small electric when they become more affordable and the older kids have likely moved out.
Edit: I had a look at some reviews of the Insignia on YouTube last night, it does look like an impressive car, all the modcons you would want, loads of space and has jumped to the top of the list. I think I will go and try and look at one over the weekend.
I think your best bet is to go to a car supermarket and sit in as many cars that take your fancy as possible. You may find something completely unexpected that you like.It's more money but what are your thoughts on the Passat GTE. Yes, I'll be pushing the best part of £20000 for a lowish mileage version. That would then become the daily driver, local runs on electric, overnight charging on the driveway. Keep the Lexus for a few more years as the second car for when we need it. Replace it with a small electric when they become more affordable and the older kids have likely moved out.
Edit: I had a look at some reviews of the Insignia on YouTube last night, it does look like an impressive car, all the modcons you would want, loads of space and has jumped to the top of the list. I think I will go and try and look at one over the weekend.
Edited by makmanuk on Friday 16th July 09:14
Edited by makmanuk on Friday 16th July 09:30
A budget between £5k and potentially £20k there are far too many cars to suggest particular ones really.
You may sit in a cheaper car and love it and save yourself A LOT of cash.
Then again, you may try something that £20k and fall in love with it.
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