Small comfortable auto - advice needed?
Discussion
Hi folks,
My mother is looking to change her car this year. She has driven various Honda Jazz since 2003 due to reliability/practicality and relatively low running costs. She wants to change as is now doing a 360 mile round trip once a month that the Jazz isn't ideally suited to and she'd like to move to an automatic.
Requirements:
- Auto
- Not diesel
- Hatchback
- Good comfort
- decent reliability
- ldeally less than 2 years old
- ideally less than 20k miles
- budget up to £25k but less is better, last Jazz was bought at 6 months old for buttons!
So pistonheads, what say you?
My mother is looking to change her car this year. She has driven various Honda Jazz since 2003 due to reliability/practicality and relatively low running costs. She wants to change as is now doing a 360 mile round trip once a month that the Jazz isn't ideally suited to and she'd like to move to an automatic.
Requirements:
- Auto
- Not diesel
- Hatchback
- Good comfort
- decent reliability
- ldeally less than 2 years old
- ideally less than 20k miles
- budget up to £25k but less is better, last Jazz was bought at 6 months old for buttons!
So pistonheads, what say you?
A Toyota Yaris cross hybrid?
The ordinary Yaris is comfortable, I've driven them a few hundred miles in a day easily. The slightly higher seating position should be good too.
NOT a new Mk4 Honda Jazz unfortunately - I had a 21 model and it was the worst car I've ever owned :
- Only did 50mpg on the motorway
- poor build with splitting seats and wing mirrors that don't always fold
- Rattly engines that are so bad people are rejecting the cars.
- Road departure mitigation system that would steer you head on into oncoming traffic on narrow roads. Loads of complaints from previously happy Jazz owners that hate the new model.
- Infotainment that didn't work randomly. You might have a 1 minute delay before you could use it. Common issue.
- When the infotainment finally booted up, the sat nav position was out by a few hundred yards. Doesn't happen in other cars.
The ordinary Yaris is comfortable, I've driven them a few hundred miles in a day easily. The slightly higher seating position should be good too.
NOT a new Mk4 Honda Jazz unfortunately - I had a 21 model and it was the worst car I've ever owned :
- Only did 50mpg on the motorway
- poor build with splitting seats and wing mirrors that don't always fold
- Rattly engines that are so bad people are rejecting the cars.
- Road departure mitigation system that would steer you head on into oncoming traffic on narrow roads. Loads of complaints from previously happy Jazz owners that hate the new model.
- Infotainment that didn't work randomly. You might have a 1 minute delay before you could use it. Common issue.
- When the infotainment finally booted up, the sat nav position was out by a few hundred yards. Doesn't happen in other cars.
I was really impressed with a new-shape Clio hybrid I drove towards the end of last year. I didn't even realise such a thing existed until I was behind the wheel!
The petrol engine is a proven chain-driven naturally-aspirated 1.6 Nissan unit that's been around for years. Combined power output is 140bhp, which increased to 145bhp last year. It's a conventional hybrid with none of the plug-in nonsense.
Very smooth, great on fuel, and surprisingly nippy. High-spec ones are very well-equipped.
What with the used car market the way it is, two-year-old examples seem to start at around £17k-£18k. Example: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212122...
Just Googled a couple of car brokers and found you can get a brand-new unregistered entry-level one for a fiver under £20k: https://www.drivethedeal.com/buy-a-new-car/RENAULT...
The petrol engine is a proven chain-driven naturally-aspirated 1.6 Nissan unit that's been around for years. Combined power output is 140bhp, which increased to 145bhp last year. It's a conventional hybrid with none of the plug-in nonsense.
Very smooth, great on fuel, and surprisingly nippy. High-spec ones are very well-equipped.
What with the used car market the way it is, two-year-old examples seem to start at around £17k-£18k. Example: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212122...
Just Googled a couple of car brokers and found you can get a brand-new unregistered entry-level one for a fiver under £20k: https://www.drivethedeal.com/buy-a-new-car/RENAULT...
Edited by MrGTI6 on Sunday 1st January 13:29
markirl said:
Hi folks,
My mother is looking to change her car this year. She has driven various Honda Jazz since 2003 due to reliability/practicality and relatively low running costs. She wants to change as is now doing a 360 mile round trip once a month that the Jazz isn't ideally suited to and she'd like to move to an automatic.
Requirements:
- Auto
- Not diesel
- Hatchback
- Good comfort
- decent reliability
- ldeally less than 2 years old
- ideally less than 20k miles
- budget up to £25k but less is better, last Jazz was bought at 6 months old for buttons!
So pistonheads, what say you?
1.5T Kia Ceed GT Line S:My mother is looking to change her car this year. She has driven various Honda Jazz since 2003 due to reliability/practicality and relatively low running costs. She wants to change as is now doing a 360 mile round trip once a month that the Jazz isn't ideally suited to and she'd like to move to an automatic.
Requirements:
- Auto
- Not diesel
- Hatchback
- Good comfort
- decent reliability
- ldeally less than 2 years old
- ideally less than 20k miles
- budget up to £25k but less is better, last Jazz was bought at 6 months old for buttons!
So pistonheads, what say you?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212062...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212032...
1.5T XCeed in 4 Spec:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211161...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211201...
3 Spec the first one is a 2022:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211011...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212232...
Having 6-7 years worth of warranty gives added peace of mind too.
Something C segment like the Corolla Hybrid Hatchback.
The long distance comfort level definitely goes up the larger the car.
Of the 'small' B segment cars I've driven: Corsa, Fiesta, Polo; the Polo was the most mature feeling on the motorway, but all were all lacking in comfort compared to their C segment equivalents. The extra wheelbase and wider tracks definitely make a difference.
D segment cars are even better, but definitely aren't small.
The long distance comfort level definitely goes up the larger the car.
Of the 'small' B segment cars I've driven: Corsa, Fiesta, Polo; the Polo was the most mature feeling on the motorway, but all were all lacking in comfort compared to their C segment equivalents. The extra wheelbase and wider tracks definitely make a difference.
D segment cars are even better, but definitely aren't small.
Edited by wyson on Sunday 1st January 15:21
Brand new in stock Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Turbo with a couple of grand off list price
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212022...
Nearly new Mazda 2 1.5 Skyactiv
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212202...
Brand new in stock Mini Cooper Classic
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210140...
or a slightly older one for several grand less
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211121...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212022...
Nearly new Mazda 2 1.5 Skyactiv
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212202...
Brand new in stock Mini Cooper Classic
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210140...
or a slightly older one for several grand less
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211121...
Thanks for the replies folks!
Neighbours have a Yaris Cross Hybrid that they seem to like, will short list it but my mum doesn't really like the Yaris in general! She also seems to have a thing against SUVs.
I hadn't thought of the Clio, rented one in 2019 and was surprised how much I liked it - are they still a disaster reliability wise though?
A-class Merc is one of only 2 cars that has been mentioned by my mother - she really likes them so by default it goes top of the list: any pitfalls?
Good shout on the Kias - I've always liked the 7 year warranty and managed to get my MIL a 5 year old example of a Picanto with 20k for only £2k back in the good old days - its still running fine 5 years later.
Corolla Hybrid is the other car that has been mentioned by my mother, its on the shortlist.
Mini hatch - my sister and partner both have MINIs and my mother thinks she's too old for one...
CX3 is a great shout, I've added to the shortlist. I think the Mazda 2 is a bit dated and small at this stage.
We won't buy a Vauxhall I'm afraid!
Neighbours have a Yaris Cross Hybrid that they seem to like, will short list it but my mum doesn't really like the Yaris in general! She also seems to have a thing against SUVs.
I hadn't thought of the Clio, rented one in 2019 and was surprised how much I liked it - are they still a disaster reliability wise though?
A-class Merc is one of only 2 cars that has been mentioned by my mother - she really likes them so by default it goes top of the list: any pitfalls?
Good shout on the Kias - I've always liked the 7 year warranty and managed to get my MIL a 5 year old example of a Picanto with 20k for only £2k back in the good old days - its still running fine 5 years later.
Corolla Hybrid is the other car that has been mentioned by my mother, its on the shortlist.
Mini hatch - my sister and partner both have MINIs and my mother thinks she's too old for one...
CX3 is a great shout, I've added to the shortlist. I think the Mazda 2 is a bit dated and small at this stage.
We won't buy a Vauxhall I'm afraid!
If you are looking at the Mercedes A class it's also an idea to look at the B class. We have one for family use and my mum really likes it as it has a higher seating position than the A class which makes it easy to get in and out of. It has the same footprint as the A class so it is easy to park.
Ours is a petrol B200 from 2017, we have had it since new and spent nothing on maintenance other than the usual servicing and tyres in the 45,000 miles it's covered so very reliable. My wife usually changes cars every 3 years but liked it so much we paid the balloon and kept it.
Ours is a petrol B200 from 2017, we have had it since new and spent nothing on maintenance other than the usual servicing and tyres in the 45,000 miles it's covered so very reliable. My wife usually changes cars every 3 years but liked it so much we paid the balloon and kept it.
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