Honda civic touring replacement

[CAH706]

Im currently running a civic touring (66 reg) which I bought 5 years ago to use predominantly as a second car and for carrying my dog about.

It’s dull to drive but is cheap to insure, tax and to run. In 5 years it’s been utterly reliable and it’s the longest I’ve kept a car!

Unfortunately it’s manual and my dodgy knee doesn’t get along with it so well now.

So, time for a change

Needs

Estate
Cheap to run though I do sub 3k miles per year
Auto
Reliable
Similar size boot to the Honda - could be a slightly bigger or smaller car
Budget 20k Max

I’m thinking Toyota Avensis. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome?

Ps assuming insurance isn’t too expensive on the Honda for my son when he learns to drive the plan is to give the car to him as I’m very reluctant to let it go!

[Quattr04.]

Skoda Octavia kombi with a DSG box

MG5 electric estate if you’ve got space to charge it

[stevemcs]

I think the answer is Toyota Corolla,

[paralla]

Toyota Corolla Estate

[ACCYSTAN]

Corolla estate

Brilliant cars

Just make sure it’s not an ex taxi, buying one with main dealer service history should help avoid that

[Silvanus]

Dacia Jogger Hybrid

[Jonny_]

paralla said:

Toyota Corolla Estate

This is the answer.

2.0 hybrid goes well and still does between 50 and 60mpg. Remarkably decent to drive as well.

20 grand will get a 3 year old car with sensible mileage and plenty of warranty left.

[paralla]

Jonny_ said:

paralla said:

Toyota Corolla Estate

This is the answer.

2.0 hybrid goes well and still does between 50 and 60mpg. Remarkably decent to drive as well.

20 grand will get a 3 year old car with sensible mileage and plenty of warranty left.

They won’t win you any kudos or style points but they will be faithful servants for many years to come and as mentioned, the drivetrain is super smooth, refined and economical giving them a real quality feel.

My husband has a CH-R with the same 2.0L hybrid powertrain as a Corolla.

[CAH706]

Thanks all

It looks like the Toyota gets a big thumbs up. I had meant Corolla not Avensis in my original post.

Skoda is an an interesting choice - I had a VRS many years ago and liked that but I’m not in the market for that level of performance now. I also had a lot of problems with the car which irrationally had put me off them a little.

I’ll have a look at the Dacia - it looks a lot of car for the money with a warranty.

[stevemcs]

CAH706 said:

Thanks all

It looks like the Toyota gets a big thumbs up. I had meant Corolla not Avensis in my original post.

Skoda is an an interesting choice - I had a VRS many years ago and liked that but I’m not in the market for that level of performance now. I also had a lot of problems with the car which irrationally had put me off them a little.

I’ll have a look at the Dacia - it looks a lot of car for the money with a warranty.

Dacia and Skoda won’t get anywhere near close to the reliability of the Toyota.

[Silvanus]

stevemcs said:

CAH706 said:

Thanks all

It looks like the Toyota gets a big thumbs up. I had meant Corolla not Avensis in my original post.

Skoda is an an interesting choice - I had a VRS many years ago and liked that but I’m not in the market for that level of performance now. I also had a lot of problems with the car which irrationally had put me off them a little.

I’ll have a look at the Dacia - it looks a lot of car for the money with a warranty.

Dacia and Skoda won’t get anywhere near close to the reliability of the Toyota.

Dacia are pretty well regarded when it comes to reliability and driver satisfaction The Duster was the highest rated car in the last DriverPower survey. I'd imagine the Jogger will rate pretty highly. Plus you can get a nearly new one with the remainder of the 7 year warranty, certainly a contender.

[CAH706]

Any thoughts on the Suzuki Swace v the Toyota?

I think they are the same car underneath and I know a Suzuki dealer who can sort me a decent deal on one which helps.

[Skodillac]

Corolla probably is the answer, but I went through the same exercise of replacing a Honda Civic Tourer last year and ended up getting a Skoda Superb 1.5 TSI DSG hatch. The boot is ginormous, and, even though I carry a dog in a cage, it's no less practical than the Civic estate boot was. I bought it last August as a 72 reg with 7k miles on the clock on Approved Used for £20k. I love it.

My main driver was rear legroom for a long teenager, YMMV.

[paralla]

CAH706 said:

Any thoughts on the Suzuki Swace v the Toyota?

I think they are the same car underneath and I know a Suzuki dealer who can sort me a decent deal on one which helps.

Suzuki Warranty is up to 7 years or 100,000 miles, Toyota is up to 10 years or 100,000 miles.

The Suzuki is only available with the 140 hp 1.8L engine, the Toyota is 140 hp 1.8 or 178 hp 2.0L engine.

The 2.0 is a better drive, the extra power and torque means you get a lot less of the traditional CVT rev flare ups when pressing on while still giving good economy. The 1.8 is fine but the 2.0 is noticably faster and more refined.

[CAH706]

paralla said:

Suzuki Warranty is up to 7 years or 100,000 miles, Toyota is up to 10 years or 100,000 miles.

The Suzuki is only available with the 140 hp 1.8L engine, the Toyota is 140 hp 1.8 or 178 hp 2.0L engine.

The 2.0 is a better drive, the extra power and torque means you get a lot less of the traditional CVT rev flare ups when pressing on while still giving good economy. The 1.8 is fine but the 2.0 is noticably faster and more refined.

Thanks - that’s useful to know.

I’ll have a look at them both and see if the engine is an issue for me. I do very little miles so may not be a problem if there is a decent cost difference

[CAH706]

Skodillac said:

Corolla probably is the answer, but I went through the same exercise of replacing a Honda Civic Tourer last year and ended up getting a Skoda Superb 1.5 TSI DSG hatch. The boot is ginormous, and, even though I carry a dog in a cage, it's no less practical than the Civic estate boot was. I bought it last August as a 72 reg with 7k miles on the clock on Approved Used for £20k. I love it.

My main driver was rear legroom for a long teenager, YMMV.

Thanks

Slightly odd question but you may know.

Do you know if the boot floor is the same height on the Skoda as your previous Honda?

My aging dog gets into the Honda boot easily as it’s low down (he has a bad back) - the back seats folding up help s as well as he can go in there very easily!

[paralla]

The height of the boot floor might be lower in a 1.8L Corolla than it is in a 2.0L Corolla because the battery is under the boot in the 2.0. Not sure, that’s how it is in Toyota CH-R so probably worth checking.

[Skodillac]

CAH706 said:

Skodillac said:

Corolla probably is the answer, but I went through the same exercise of replacing a Honda Civic Tourer last year and ended up getting a Skoda Superb 1.5 TSI DSG hatch. The boot is ginormous, and, even though I carry a dog in a cage, it's no less practical than the Civic estate boot was. I bought it last August as a 72 reg with 7k miles on the clock on Approved Used for £20k. I love it.

My main driver was rear legroom for a long teenager, YMMV.

Thanks

Slightly odd question but you may know.

Do you know if the boot floor is the same height on the Skoda as your previous Honda?

My aging dog gets into the Honda boot easily as it’s low down (he has a bad back) - the back seats folding up help s as well as he can go in there very easily!

My Superb is a hatch, so there is a significant boot lip. I expect the estate version does not have a boot lip. I don't know if the height of the entry to the boot differs from that on the Honda I'm afraid. I would expect the Octavia to be an closer comparison to the Civic than the Superb in any case.

I lift my dog in and out of any car in any case (short legged Jack Russell).

[stevemcs]

Skodasuperb boot is high and has a 10cm drop unless it has the raised floor. The rear seats don’t fold flat either = at least they don’t in my estate.