Seeking new car advice please (UK)
Discussion
Hey,
Sorry for the long post, but i've been racking my brains on this for a couple of months, and it matters to me that i get this right as you'll come to undertand below. Having been stuck with boring cars like an auris for years, i don't want to make that mistake again.
So, I'm one of those guys who's just starting to earn some decent'ish cash after years of education and cubicle graft, has always wanted a sporty car and other boys toys, but now has a family + dog before being able to attain these desirable boys toys.
I've always wanted a skyline/GTR since 12'ish, and aimed to get one by the time i was 30 (29 now). I was planning that (used one for 35k), but realised the running costs would bankrupt me, so this is now an ever longer "nice to have". So, you kinda get where my head is at when i mean i've always wanted a sporty car
So, now i submit to having to look for an inbetween car, knowing the full-on "sporty" won't happen due to costs, and the fact within the next 12 months the items i may have to fit into a car are a wife, 7 year old, new baby, dog, suitcases, pram and other random clutter. Started looking at the following AWD 2011-2013 £20-30k semi-sporty estates and suv's (really wanted AWD):
Audi A4/A6 Avants
BMW 3/5 Series Tourers
Volvo V60/V70's
VW Touareg
Disco 4
Merc r-class
and so on. basically, big, expensive lumps of metal.
But, i quickly also realised that the boots on these still aren't big enough (except the disco), and that they are all expensive to buy and run given they are premium brands and mostly with high emission engines.
So, again, that took me onto another list of cars, but this time 2010-2013 models somewhere between £10-20k (all models list are highest spec and engine where possible). I don't see why i should still pay £20-30k for the types of vehicles below when i may not enjoy owning them and they are just cars to put me on while i need the boot space.
Vauxhall Zafira tourer SRi/elite (around 200bhp)
Ford s-max titanium x (240bhp)
Old disco 3 XS/HSE's (or an early low spec disco 4)
Skoda superb/octavia estates (wife hates idea of having a skoda, so these are kinda out)
and god forbid the more grandad ones, ford galaxy, C4 grand picasso, seat alhambra, vw sharan.
Have sat in the s-max, and to be honest its not a bad car, and the boot on all of these is big enough, BUT, are there any i'm missing that could still give me a bit of a thrill when the kids aren't in? or does anyone have any general input about what my options would be given the space i'd need?
Have also thought a little about running 2 cheap cars instead of one medium-high price one e.g. run a cheap luggage carrier for trips (we do 4-5 trips a year to family 130 miles away), and a cheap sporty one for thrills like an S2000. The only issue with the latter thoughts, is that we only use the the current car 3-4 times per week, and that the big car will only be used a few times a month, and the sporty one maybe a few times a week, maybe only a little more when the wife passes her test this year. Doesn't seem practical to run 2 cars with such light usage.
Thanks in advance guys for any help you can provide, seriously need it and don't want to end up with yet another dull, boring car i'll hate for the 2-3 years i have finance on it.
Sorry for the long post, but i've been racking my brains on this for a couple of months, and it matters to me that i get this right as you'll come to undertand below. Having been stuck with boring cars like an auris for years, i don't want to make that mistake again.
So, I'm one of those guys who's just starting to earn some decent'ish cash after years of education and cubicle graft, has always wanted a sporty car and other boys toys, but now has a family + dog before being able to attain these desirable boys toys.
I've always wanted a skyline/GTR since 12'ish, and aimed to get one by the time i was 30 (29 now). I was planning that (used one for 35k), but realised the running costs would bankrupt me, so this is now an ever longer "nice to have". So, you kinda get where my head is at when i mean i've always wanted a sporty car
So, now i submit to having to look for an inbetween car, knowing the full-on "sporty" won't happen due to costs, and the fact within the next 12 months the items i may have to fit into a car are a wife, 7 year old, new baby, dog, suitcases, pram and other random clutter. Started looking at the following AWD 2011-2013 £20-30k semi-sporty estates and suv's (really wanted AWD):
Audi A4/A6 Avants
BMW 3/5 Series Tourers
Volvo V60/V70's
VW Touareg
Disco 4
Merc r-class
and so on. basically, big, expensive lumps of metal.
But, i quickly also realised that the boots on these still aren't big enough (except the disco), and that they are all expensive to buy and run given they are premium brands and mostly with high emission engines.
So, again, that took me onto another list of cars, but this time 2010-2013 models somewhere between £10-20k (all models list are highest spec and engine where possible). I don't see why i should still pay £20-30k for the types of vehicles below when i may not enjoy owning them and they are just cars to put me on while i need the boot space.
Vauxhall Zafira tourer SRi/elite (around 200bhp)
Ford s-max titanium x (240bhp)
Old disco 3 XS/HSE's (or an early low spec disco 4)
Skoda superb/octavia estates (wife hates idea of having a skoda, so these are kinda out)
and god forbid the more grandad ones, ford galaxy, C4 grand picasso, seat alhambra, vw sharan.
Have sat in the s-max, and to be honest its not a bad car, and the boot on all of these is big enough, BUT, are there any i'm missing that could still give me a bit of a thrill when the kids aren't in? or does anyone have any general input about what my options would be given the space i'd need?
Have also thought a little about running 2 cheap cars instead of one medium-high price one e.g. run a cheap luggage carrier for trips (we do 4-5 trips a year to family 130 miles away), and a cheap sporty one for thrills like an S2000. The only issue with the latter thoughts, is that we only use the the current car 3-4 times per week, and that the big car will only be used a few times a month, and the sporty one maybe a few times a week, maybe only a little more when the wife passes her test this year. Doesn't seem practical to run 2 cars with such light usage.
Thanks in advance guys for any help you can provide, seriously need it and don't want to end up with yet another dull, boring car i'll hate for the 2-3 years i have finance on it.
If the age of the car wasn't an object, I'd nearly be inclined to point towards the Nissan Stagea. Alright, so it's not a Skyline, but from a bit of brief reading they do look to have Nissan's the RB series of Nissan engines. They're also common enough vehicles to receive front end swaps; mostly R34 front ends, but there is at least one running an R35 front.
Of course, the Stagea has been out of production since 2007 so it does fall outside of the 2011+ boundary (and the model pictured above is a late-1990s/early-2000s one). Still, if the Skyline has been a dream car it might be a fairly efficient way to get close to one, whether you go through with a front end swap or not.
The bottom line is that an Avant will probably make more sense for you, but I'm just tossing the idea out there in case it's any benefit to you.
Of course, the Stagea has been out of production since 2007 so it does fall outside of the 2011+ boundary (and the model pictured above is a late-1990s/early-2000s one). Still, if the Skyline has been a dream car it might be a fairly efficient way to get close to one, whether you go through with a front end swap or not.
The bottom line is that an Avant will probably make more sense for you, but I'm just tossing the idea out there in case it's any benefit to you.
Cheers so far, I think range rover sports and such cars would bankrupt me as quickly as a gtr in terms of general running costs and maintenance. I looked at an A4 and A6 avant the other day, and while the boots are big, i doubt they big enough for my needs. I reckon just for luggage alone, i need around 500+ litres of boot space, then you have to add in a dog cage. can't use the back seats because potentially children will use all that space up.
Unfortunately i see only one stagea on autotrader and it's quite old, and ugly (to me anyway), but even if there was a recent one, don't think the wife would go for it. At the end of the day, i hate to say it but her opinion matters too a bit and taste wise she's similar to me in that i like all the premium brands, but don't mind some of the older ones too e.g. R34's, mid 2000's jag xkr's, impreza's from the the mcrae era and so on. but these aren't in scope for now unless somehow i work out that it's practicle to own a cheap old sports car + a cheap family wagon.
Unfortunately i see only one stagea on autotrader and it's quite old, and ugly (to me anyway), but even if there was a recent one, don't think the wife would go for it. At the end of the day, i hate to say it but her opinion matters too a bit and taste wise she's similar to me in that i like all the premium brands, but don't mind some of the older ones too e.g. R34's, mid 2000's jag xkr's, impreza's from the the mcrae era and so on. but these aren't in scope for now unless somehow i work out that it's practicle to own a cheap old sports car + a cheap family wagon.
Edited by mpaver on Tuesday 31st December 00:57
mpaver said:
500+ litres of boot space, then you have to add in a dog cage. can't use the back seats because potentially children will use all that space up.
2012+ Mazda 6 Tourer: 506 litres with five seats; 1648 with two seats.2008+ Skoda Superb Estate: 633 litres with five seats; 1865 with two seats.
Two figures I just consulted Google for, but your best shots - according to Which? at least - are likely going to be a Mercedes E-Class or a Ford Mondeo. And if the badge counts for anything, the three-pointed star is likely going to win. I also stumbled upon this thread from 2010 asking for the estate with the biggest boot, as well as a similar one from 2011. As you've been looking at cars that are a few years old, these two threads could be especially relevant to your interests.
That said, I'm quite surprised by the sheer amount of space the Superb has. On paper at least, 1865 litres of space sounds positively cavernous, if not slightly impractical due to the loss of three seats.
Ferson said:
2012+ Mazda 6 Tourer: 506 litres with five seats; 1648 with two seats.
2008+ Skoda Superb Estate: 633 litres with five seats; 1865 with two seats.
Two figures I just consulted Google for
Cheers Ferson, unfortunately i wouldn'y be able to put the two seats down in the back, as the kids would take these up. So, the boot has to take ALL the luggage including dog. I have no idea of the amount of litres i'd need, but i just know that roughly the size we're talking about here is a disco or s-max with the 3rd row of seats down. i think that's 700+ in the s-max and around 1000+ in the disco. most mpv's and the discos are 2000+ with all the back seats down.2008+ Skoda Superb Estate: 633 litres with five seats; 1865 with two seats.
Two figures I just consulted Google for
Of course, when i start talking disco's, i love the idea, but then my bank manager slaps me. we had a friend of the family have a turbo go on her rangey, and unknown to me they had to take the whole body off the chassis just to access it. Needless to say, it's been costing her a lot. But i'd be happy to take any feedback on this too.
Mondeo estate with a roofbox for when you absolutely need all the extra space.
Last year I got 2 adults,2 adult sized teenagers, an 8 year old, a greyhound and all our gear for a week away into the car and a smallish roofbox.
That was the only time all year we actually needed the roofbox, the rest of the time we managed fine without it.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
With one of these for weekends
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Last year I got 2 adults,2 adult sized teenagers, an 8 year old, a greyhound and all our gear for a week away into the car and a smallish roofbox.
That was the only time all year we actually needed the roofbox, the rest of the time we managed fine without it.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
With one of these for weekends
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Q7's i can only find low spec old ones for the low 20k's, but yes the boot would likely be big enough. I did look at the Q7's, but the worry for me was running costs again. They're thirsty, have high tax bands, tyres cost a leg, and if anything went wrong like a blown turbo, i'd need a loan shark. Suppose i could buy a 3rd party warranty for ~£1k a year, but again that's just more running costs on an already expensive vehicle.
I personally love volvo's, especially the "T" versions of the AWD V models. Used to own a V50 T5, but soon got rid of that due to it's appetite for petrol. However, my wife doesn't like volvo's, so again i have to rule them out
It feel's like i'm rejecting every proposed vehicle at this point, but it's only because i've done a couple of months research and touched on nearly every vehicle i can think of from cheap 'n' nasty to expensive and bank breaking. Keep 'em coming though guys, cos you may prove me wrong on some of the vehicles e.g. if someone knows more about the reliability of Q7's or Disco's.
I personally love volvo's, especially the "T" versions of the AWD V models. Used to own a V50 T5, but soon got rid of that due to it's appetite for petrol. However, my wife doesn't like volvo's, so again i have to rule them out
It feel's like i'm rejecting every proposed vehicle at this point, but it's only because i've done a couple of months research and touched on nearly every vehicle i can think of from cheap 'n' nasty to expensive and bank breaking. Keep 'em coming though guys, cos you may prove me wrong on some of the vehicles e.g. if someone knows more about the reliability of Q7's or Disco's.
I imagine it is only rare occasions you would be using the full luggage capacity of the car?
Could you buy what you want plus a roof box for the long trips away?
We are a two child family (five years old and eight months old) and currently manage holidays, trips away with a Mini Clubman S and a roof box. We are spending xmas with my parents (six days away) with this setup and still have some spare space in the roof box.
I also find it a little odd considering spending upto £30k on a car then say you cannot afford the running costs. You can buy decent metal for £10k which then leaves £20k for maintenance/ servicing. Plus you will not loose £20k in deprecaition over the next 3 years?
Just a thought as it would open up the 'sporty' side more.
Mike
Could you buy what you want plus a roof box for the long trips away?
We are a two child family (five years old and eight months old) and currently manage holidays, trips away with a Mini Clubman S and a roof box. We are spending xmas with my parents (six days away) with this setup and still have some spare space in the roof box.
I also find it a little odd considering spending upto £30k on a car then say you cannot afford the running costs. You can buy decent metal for £10k which then leaves £20k for maintenance/ servicing. Plus you will not loose £20k in deprecaition over the next 3 years?
Just a thought as it would open up the 'sporty' side more.
Mike
Have you thought about a roof box for the times when you do need the extra space ? OK so not the most visually pleasing device and you'll take a hit on the MPG. I would have thought an A4 Avant with Roof Box on the top you would have fitted everything in and still leave space for the dog in the boot ?
Might mean you have to compromise less on the sporty car feel / drive but still get all the luggage in when you need to ?
Might mean you have to compromise less on the sporty car feel / drive but still get all the luggage in when you need to ?
Actually guys, the car i really want + a roof box seems like a great idea. I'd been trying to avoid getting a roof box to be honest, as i used to work at halfords in my teens and had no end of customers with roof box issues e.g. opening at highspeeds, and generally wearing out quite fast due to cheap or brittle plastics. That said, i suppose if i got a mid-priced fast estate and then higher quality box, that could work.
I'll look into the boxes and see what's out there, but please do keep feeding back guys. It's really useful.
I'll look into the boxes and see what's out there, but please do keep feeding back guys. It's really useful.
The Dodge Magnum was a thought that came to my mind; 770 litres of space with the seats up, and about 2000 litres with them down. Unfortunately, the only one I see on eBay is a 5.7 HEMI for £10k, and it's a left hooker as well. As it turns out the Chrysler 300C was a sister car to the Magnum, and as it so happens, you can buy those in estate form with a smaller engine and a steering wheel on the right.
The Chrysler badge isn't exactly the most common in the UK, so it might have some semblance of prestige. I'm not sure if the 300C is still de rigeur for selling copious amounts of 'product' and shooting people for their Nike Air Maxes, but it is a fairly handsome looker. I can't vouch for the 300C's reliability, but you can pick them up with the 3.0 V6 diesel engine for less than £10k and mike9009's idea of putting £10k to the car and keeping the rest might ease the burden of repair.
The car's aesthetic is a bit more sporty than some of the 2011 metal you're looking at. I suppose the insurer will the one to determine how the 300C goes. At the time I write this there are a handful on eBay, both with the Bentley-esque grille and without, so again, there's some choice. Just one problem. You don't seem to have any choice when it comes to the transmission. That'll be an automatic.
The Chrysler badge isn't exactly the most common in the UK, so it might have some semblance of prestige. I'm not sure if the 300C is still de rigeur for selling copious amounts of 'product' and shooting people for their Nike Air Maxes, but it is a fairly handsome looker. I can't vouch for the 300C's reliability, but you can pick them up with the 3.0 V6 diesel engine for less than £10k and mike9009's idea of putting £10k to the car and keeping the rest might ease the burden of repair.
The car's aesthetic is a bit more sporty than some of the 2011 metal you're looking at. I suppose the insurer will the one to determine how the 300C goes. At the time I write this there are a handful on eBay, both with the Bentley-esque grille and without, so again, there's some choice. Just one problem. You don't seem to have any choice when it comes to the transmission. That'll be an automatic.
Hi kiethton,
I must admit, after i kinda told myself suv's might be out of the picture, i went straight to the V10 Avant and the V10 M5 tourer, especially because the latter can be picked up for ~£25k'ish e.g. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
The latter i would also LOVE to own because i love the engine note, but i can just see a series of massive bills if anything went wrong. i mean, it's practically a super car engine, and must come with almost super-car bills. I suppose the same applies to the audi. prefer the sound of the v8's to the v10's in the audi's for some reason.
If anyone can give me re-assurance around the reliability of the m5 tourer, i might look into it again.
XC90 seems reasonable, but i've heard of reliability and running cost issues with these. Having owned a volvo, i'm unfortunately aware about how much replacement parts for the car cost e.g. a new key costs a few tonne.
Hadn't looked into the zafira vxr, but will have a look a bit later. Seem's like it would be a good option if i end up in the MPV route.
I must admit, after i kinda told myself suv's might be out of the picture, i went straight to the V10 Avant and the V10 M5 tourer, especially because the latter can be picked up for ~£25k'ish e.g. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
The latter i would also LOVE to own because i love the engine note, but i can just see a series of massive bills if anything went wrong. i mean, it's practically a super car engine, and must come with almost super-car bills. I suppose the same applies to the audi. prefer the sound of the v8's to the v10's in the audi's for some reason.
If anyone can give me re-assurance around the reliability of the m5 tourer, i might look into it again.
XC90 seems reasonable, but i've heard of reliability and running cost issues with these. Having owned a volvo, i'm unfortunately aware about how much replacement parts for the car cost e.g. a new key costs a few tonne.
Hadn't looked into the zafira vxr, but will have a look a bit later. Seem's like it would be a good option if i end up in the MPV route.
Edited by mpaver on Tuesday 31st December 11:38
Sadly i wouldn't consider any of the 4x4's you've mentioned as even vaguely "sporty". I was in a similar position after a few other pokier cars and opted for a Cayenne - quick and had a huuuuuuge boot, but once you got over the initial point and squirt speed it did become dull. I have since PX'd the big Porsche for an RS4 which fits the bill entirely, albeit you may again find the boot a bit small, and again- there's always the risk of the odd bill.
Would a decent compromise be a big diesel A6 Avant? If you do wish to stick with a 4x4, a diesel Cayenne would be a very nice place to be - to add, service intervals are two years too which makes the pill easier to swallow when it does arrive.
Would a decent compromise be a big diesel A6 Avant? If you do wish to stick with a 4x4, a diesel Cayenne would be a very nice place to be - to add, service intervals are two years too which makes the pill easier to swallow when it does arrive.
Edited by crashley on Tuesday 31st December 11:44
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