Family Car, SUV Or Estate £7,000 - £10,000

[TheThing]

I can't decide on the next family run around, there seems to be so much choice these days! Criteria as follows;

ULEZ compliant
Petrol
Preferably manual
Large(ish) boot for usual family junk
Needs some ground clearance to avoid bottoming out on the driveway when fully loaded
Decent MPG

Current car is 2007 Mondeo 2.5T estate, its been great but is starting to show its age and I'm fed up of 19MPG and 400 odd quid a year tax. Current favourites are Mazda CX5 or Skoda Octavia estate. I do like a Ford but i am put off by the ecoboost horror stories. Also quite like the Suzuki Vitaras but the boot seems tiny. Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome.

Edited by TheThing on Tuesday 18th February 19:32

[jaydeeuk1]

Why not auto if you're worried about mpg? They tend to be better than manuals nowadays and if it's not a 2 seater V8, nicer to live with too. As I'd be pointing you towards a corolla estate, eCVT (nothing like the ford powershift atrocity)

[ZX10R NIN]

TheThing said:

I can't decide on the next family run around, there seems to be so much choice these days! Criteria as follows;

ULEZ compliant
Petrol
Preferably manual
Large(ish) boot for usual family junk
Needs some ground clearance to avoid bottoming out on the driveway when fully loaded
Decent MPG

Current car is 2007 Mondeo 2.5T estate, its been great but is starting to show its age and I'm fed up of 19MPG and 400 odd quid a year tax. Current favourites are Mazda CX5 or Skoda Octavia estate. I do like a Ford but i am put off by the ecoboost horror stories. Also quite like the Suzuki Vitaras but the boot seems tiny. Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome.

Edited by TheThing on Tuesday 18th February 19:32

Ecoboost issues are pretty much with the 1.0T but that's not the engine to go for.

Also if a CX-5 can work then the hatchback version of the Mondeo/508/Insignia will be more than good enough, at your price point some of the auto's will be dual clutch & with these you need to make sure the fluids (the same is true for a conventional autos but it's more important on the DC boxes) have been changed as per schedule.

Insignia Elite Nav:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501057...

SRI Nav:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502179...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502088...

SRI VX Line Nav:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502129...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412036...

1.5T Mondeo Titanium:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501308...

Hybrid:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502169...

1.6T Kuga Titanium:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411206...

1.5T:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502078...

1.6T Tucson this would get the nod SUV wise:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502078...

1.6T Sportage GT Line:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502139...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412147...

Kadjar 160:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502129...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407071...

[TheThing]

Thanks both for the replies. I'm not averse to auto but the Mrs is and she will be driving it for the majority of the time hence the preference of a manual.

Are the Ford 1.5T and 1.6T any good reliability wise? If I went down that route, would I need to budget for the wet belt issue?

Another Mondeo would be a good option but we have issues with the one we have bottoming out on the driveway and the Mrs would prefer something a bit smaller this time around.

Thanks again.

[Liamjrhodes]

I would recommend taking yourself and the Mrs to a large car supermarket and drive a couple of autos. My wife would also reject any autos until she drove a couple and realised how good modern autos are and how much it simplifies driving.

Personally always prefer an estate to an SUV but its all personal preference.
An estate should be cheaper on Tax, tyres and general wear and tear than an equivalent SUV.
But with an SUV you gain a higher driving position which lots of people prefer

[ZX10R NIN]

TheThing said:

Thanks both for the replies. I'm not averse to auto but the Mrs is and she will be driving it for the majority of the time hence the preference of a manual.

Are the Ford 1.5T and 1.6T any good reliability wise? If I went down that route, would I need to budget for the wet belt issue?

Another Mondeo would be a good option but we have issues with the one we have bottoming out on the driveway and the Mrs would prefer something a bit smaller this time around.

Thanks again.

The 1.6T has a conventional cambelt, the 1.5T has a wet belt so yes budget to change it.

It sounds like you'll be going down the SUV route

[TheThing]

Thanks again for the reply. Yes, we more than likely will. We have had a Rav4 in the past and she prefers the driving position. I'm still looking though! Can't be arsed with wet belts so at least I know to go for the 1 6T if we do go Ford again. I bet they are rare though, is there any other known issues with this engine?

[ZX10R NIN]

No the 1.6T isn't rare but don't discount the 1.6T Sportage/Tucson.

[joshcowin]

TheThing said:

Thanks both for the replies. I'm not averse to auto but the Mrs is and she will be driving it for the majority of the time hence the preference of a manual.

Are the Ford 1.5T and 1.6T any good reliability wise? If I went down that route, would I need to budget for the wet belt issue?

Another Mondeo would be a good option but we have issues with the one we have bottoming out on the driveway and the Mrs would prefer something a bit smaller this time around.

Thanks again.

My wife had only driven manuals, I bought her an suv with an auto box, about a week in she said "why didnt we have auto before, its so much nicer to drive". We live in the SE where you either sit in traffic, crawl in traffic or travel in a convoy of cars all doing 35mph in a 60.

I would buy the car with the nicest interior and relaxing drivetrain, as everyday driving is becoming a chore.

They do a seat leon with a raised drive train - leon x-perience or the golf equivalent x track. Rare in petrol but all engines are euro 6.

For focus active is a raised up drivetrain also.

I would go older and audi a4 allroad but you open yourself up to more maintenance and probably high tax.