Small Auto SUV / Hatch For My Mum

[V8RX7]

Mum (75) wants a nice but small automatic car

She still does some motorway driving so nothing tiny or too slow (currently has a 130bhp Tdi)

Must be able to fit an elderly lab in the back so not too high, or too low for Mum to get out of.

Budget £5-15k sub 70k

What the nearest modern equivalent to the 2003 Rav4 3 Door as I think that would be perfect or a more modern and slightly smaller A Class ?

Jimny is a bit crude and too slow with only a 1.3
Jazz is a bit meh

(I've asked before but criteria has changed and she's no longer worried about rear passengers)

[irocfan]

Mini Clubman?

[Deerfoot]

Yeti?

[Jonny_]

Toyota C-HR hybrid?

Auto, reasonable size but not massive, slightly elevated driving position, cheap to run, unlikely to break, similar power to her existing car.

[ZX10R NIN]

Top end of your budget:

Mercedes GLA 200 AMG Line Premium Plus 175

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

AMG Line Premium 140

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

220 AMG Line Premium Plus 170

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Or the same car but with a different badge:

QX30 Premium Tech 170

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Kia Nero 3 Hybrid 141 (you'll get one with 5 years of Warranty left for added peace of mind)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

CX-3 GT Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

X1 25d M Sport 231

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

20d M Sport 190

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Middle of the road:

Ford EcoSport Titanium 110

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Hyundai iX35 Premium Panorama 135

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Premium 135

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Kia Soul 3 140

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Vauxhall Mokka Elite Nav 140

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...


QX50 GT Premium it may be to be to big (but if the CH-R is an option then one of these might work)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

[loskie]

I've been unfortunate enough to have a Mokka rental car for work sometimes. They are awful.
Yeti or CRV if that's not too big

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Suzuki SX4 or the newer replacement

[V8RX7]

Thanks but:

Hybrids are a joke and I won't consider them, electric doesn't work at low mileage either

AMG... she's 75 big bolsters and narrow sidewalls are not good

CRV, X1 etc too big - that's the problem, the small SUV / Crossovers of 2000 are the right size, most of the modern ones are too big for her. Her current car is 4.1m x 1.7m smaller would be better.

I've been told not to buy a Ford Powerst Auto

[ZX10R NIN]

The wet clutch Powershifts are fine like VAG it's the dry clutch ones that give issues.

If the side bolsters are an issue then look at the GLA SE:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Or look st the Infiniti's I linked to.

[V8RX7]

ZX10R NIN said:

The wet clutch Powershifts are fine like VAG it's the dry clutch ones that give issues.

If the side bolsters are an issue then look at the GLA SE:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Or look st the Infiniti's I linked to.

Sorry I'm still confirming sizes but I think they are all too big even the bloody SX4 is (as well as looking cheap)

Which models is the wet powershift ifitted to ?
( although I presume only the Fiesta is within the size limit)

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

V8RX7 said:

Sorry I'm still confirming sizes but I think they are all too big even the bloody SX4 is (as well as looking cheap)

SX4 is 4.1m?

I had one for years, a very capable little chugabug

[Summit_Detailing]

Nissan Note, Kia Venga, Hyundai iX35, previous gen A-class?

Cheers,

Chris

[V8RX7]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

V8RX7 said:

Sorry I'm still confirming sizes but I think they are all too big even the bloody SX4 is (as well as looking cheap)

SX4 is 4.1m?

I had one for years, a very capable little chugabug

Yes but it's 50mm wider - trust me that's important, she's dented hers multiple times.

I think it's going to have to be a supermini

(I drive a Swift so I can recognise a cheap interior it doesn't matter to me but it will seem like a downgrade to Mum)

[irocfan]

What about a b-max or the small picasso?

[kieranblenk]

Suzuki Grand Vitara 3 door? I think they made them up until about 2013ish but might be too wide..

Failing that what about the new Ignis?

[V8RX7]

irocfan said:

What about a b-max or the small picasso?

B Max would be a good call but from my googling it has the dry powerst box

[V8RX7]

Summit_Detailing said:

Nissan Note, Kia Venga, Hyundai iX35, previous gen A-class?

Cheers,

Chris

Note is possible but cheap looking, Venga - never heard of one, off to google

Old A class is where we started, she'd like one, but newer

[Griff74]

My parents are a similar age and have had 2 Yeti's which they loved. As they don't make them anymore they struggled to find something of a similar size (has to fit under the carport at the top if the drive!), be able to tow their small 2 berth caravan and have a higher seating position to make getting in and out easier. After a lot of research on my part I landed on the Golf SV. Same footprint as a normal Golf, just taller and more room inside. They went for the 2.0 TDi which has the wet clutch DSG, the smaller petrol engines have the dry clutch DSG but I wouldn't worry about that, the issues they had with the box when it first came out are well fixed and was only really a big problem in really hot places (western States in the US and Australia) when stuck in heavy stop\start traffic. My previous car (1.8tsi Leon) had the dry clutch DSG and my current one (2019 Polo GTi) has the wet one, I do not find the wet clutch box any smoother than the dry and I do a lot of town driving.