A "What Car?" type of what car

[PomBstard]

My FIL is looking around for his next car. Doesn’t need much in terms of handling and performance, but needs 4/5 seater and would like one with a higher driving position and good warranty. We’ve had a chat and reckon for the mileage he does, say 8000pa, of which many are short trips with the occasional motorway haul, a petrol is a better bet. His current car is a Pug 308 turbo diesel and its been good to him, but he’s concerned about the future reliability and servicing prices for modern TD engines, and the driving position is too low. He’s also keen to look at an auto box. Conventional torque-converter will be fine, lack of paddles behind the wheel will not be noticed.

Whilst it might be obvious to mention things like a Corolla and similar, they’re too low – he’s really after some sort of soft roader or slightly raised SUV thing. Doesn’t need AWD, FWD only will be fine. Before the 308 he had a Picasso for 10 years, and I think wants a driving positon like that. BTW, that car was v reliable with HDI engine – 140,000 miles in the 9/10 years he had it.

On his list are Kia and Hyundai – 7 year warranty and not bad looking cars but I’ve no experience of them at all. Skoda Yeti? What else? A Forester has been mentioned, but are AWD and I think they might be a bit more specialist in the UK than over here. He’s not bothered by premium German stuff, and has no hankering for anything sporty. Any suggestions need to be made whilst wearing your best knitted jumper, y’know, the one Aunt Agatha gave for Christmas 14 years ago, just to get you in the right frame of mind.

[Stuart70]

Nissan qashqai. / Kia sportage?

[CallorFold]

Stuart70 said:

Nissan qashqai. / Kia sportage?

May as well add the Nissan Juke to the short-list too

[Stuart70]

CallorFold said:

May as well add the Nissan Juke to the short-list too

I have never been in one, is it big enough to really be a 4 seater comfortably?

[57Ford]

Is a Peugeot 3008 not ideal? Very similar to the Picasso driving position, similar engine, better specs in general. May get a good trade-in price too.

[Willy Nilly]

My mate wife is disabled and normally has a Golf on Motorbility. She has just had a new car, another VW and I think he said it was a Tiguan, purely because she finds it easier to get in and out.


For the record, she used to be a high rate tax payer.

[Deerfoot]

OP,

Your suggestion of a Skoda Yeti is ideal I'd have thought. The 1.8 TFSI would be my choice.

[Poopipe]

3008 isnt a bad shout. I had one as a hire car (auto, probably the 1.6 diesel) for a bit and while insipid in any ph-worthy sense it was generally brilliant for driving around without any arseache - even the bluetooth wasnt a total dick.

Also mine had an awesome fighter jet style hud thing that flipped up and told you how close to hitting the car in front you were and how fast you were going.