Recommend a cheap family car ?

long_b

Need to change the family motor. We have been happy with our VW Polo hatch up to now.
Main criteria are reliability and boot space for the pram etc.. Also must be easy drive - herself has trouble reaching the pedals on my Polo saloon.
Would like to maybe stay with VW, but would consider other makes.
Budget around 3 to 4K. I know, I know but that's what it is.

robin2

long_b wrote: »

Need to change the family motor. We have been happy with our VW Polo hatch up to now.
Main criteria are reliability and boot space for the pram etc.. Also must be easy drive - herself has trouble reaching the pedals on my Polo saloon.
Would like to maybe stay with VW, but would consider other makes.
Budget around 3 to 4K. I know, I know but that's what it is.

peugeot 406 diesel

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/406/2.0-HDI/1197423/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/406/HDI-2.0/1235092/

or else citroen c5 diesel

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Citroen/C5/car/1227545/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Citroen/C5/car/1213903/

the diesel hdi engines are bullet proof. best diesel engine out there. for that money in a vw passsat you will be going back to a 1995

cantdecide

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Accord/2.0-I/1202747/

Automatic- I think having only one pedal to reach at a time would help

Max_Damage

Contrary to popular belief, they are actually quite good cars:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Escort/1.4I-GHIA/1018373/

And they have a fairly big boot for the size of the car too.

Redpunto

02 ford focus, reliable and easy to drive

towel401

406 ftw.

real nice car, the only reason i wouldnt recommend it is that having it as a family car the interior might get ruined by the kiddies. that would be such a waste

cantdecide

Max_Damage wrote: »

Contrary to popular belief, they are actually quite good cars:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Escort/1.4I-GHIA/1018373/

And they have a fairly big boot for the size of the car too.

To be fair, it's not worth that today and it certainly can't be worth 4 figures for much longer. I'm not trying to be disagreeable but having drove one for a week while my car was being repaired, they are not that nice/ easy to drive.

towel401

and it's in glanmire

glanmire is like the new knocknaheeney

long_b

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'm liking the Honda but I'm sacred of the increased costs of the big engine - we currently have 1.4L
Any thoughts on something in the 1.4 to 1.8 range ?

Mr.David

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Octavia/1.9-GLX/1114162/

Ok so the miles are too high but you get the idea......

cantdecide

long_b wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'm liking the Honda but I'm sacred of the increased costs of the big engine - we currently have 1.4L
Any thoughts on something in the 1.4 to 1.8 range ?

I have a 2.8 at the moment and trust me, the world doesn't end when you approach 2.0. You can find cars that are effectively only marginally cheaper to run but you can't get the same value for money. Afterall, it's new equivalent costs about €40k.

We, as a nation are over-sensitized to small differences in running cost IMO and we often shoot ourselves in th foot becasue of it.

Mr.David

cantdecide wrote: »

I have a 2.8 at the moment and trust me, the world doesn't end when you approach 2.0. You can find cars that are effectively only marginally cheaper to run but you can't get the same value for money. Afterall, it's new equivalent costs about €40k.

We, as a nation are over-sensitized to small differences in running cost IMO and we often shoot ourselves in th foot becasue of it.

I hear your point, but if the OP is looking for a car in the 3-4k range then he probably doesnt want 2k road tax per year and 20mpg either!:)

cantdecide

Mr.David wrote: »

I hear your point, but if the OP is looking for a car in the 3-4k range then he probably doesnt want 2k road tax per year and 20mpg either!:)

Are you sure you heard my point? Accord is a 30+mpg car with €600 road tax. Their 1.4 is 40mpg/ €350 road tax.

You can get more and less respectively if you buy a lesser car. In other words, for a little more money they can get a lot more car. That's my point

Mr.David

suppose the OP does 10k miles per annum.

On a 2L petrol @ 30mpg that equates to approx €2000.

On TDi @ 55mpg that is €1100.

Add in the tax saving and insurance saving and it is substantial.

cantdecide

Mr.David wrote: »

suppose the OP does 10k miles per annum.

On a 2L petrol @ 30mpg that equates to approx €2000.

On TDi @ 55mpg that is €1100.

Add in the tax saving and insurance saving and it is substantial.

Like for like, how much extra is a diesel variant, generally?? The saving never comes unless you're doing 20k a year. The Accord has half he mileage and is very far from the end of it's life...

Plus, 55mpg is not a realistic figure for most diesels doing average mileage. 46-48 is probably reaslitic

For the OPs budget, a quality diesel car it probably too much to ask for IMO

GERMAN ROCKS

id give my vote to the peugeot 406 diesel aswell

TigerTim

Skoda Octavia 1.4 petrol. Not that exciting but carries my 3 kids with plenty of room & a massive boot for all their bits. Light on petrol as well.Have it for 10 months now with no probs.

T.

long_b

Thanks folks. The 406 has been vetoed I'm afraid.
Would there be any "taller" cars in this price range ? Easy for getting the bambino in and out of the car seat ?

S.I.R

depending on your budget theres the bullet proof baleno right upto the rolls royce... All cars are good with maintenance... personally id buy one of then new stolen reocvered avensis's, replace the knackered engine with a new one, drive her for a year and 99.99 % chance you will resale with no loss ( apart from insurance and petrol... Also tax if you put any on it after your done... )

though personally i would only sell it to get a newwer model...


if not, any primera/corrolla/avensis/passat/octiva will do.... all reputibale cars which just your love and a spanner and they will do crazy milage.

loc5

opel astra 1.2/1.4 on,reliable lots of parts safe in a smash and you can always sell them on at a good price- if you dont hang onto them to long
the old 8 valve 1.7diesel (non turbo) was a great diesel but keep away from anything with a turbo/intercooler no matter what and youll get lot of people giving out yards about people who give turbos/turbointercoolers etc the thumbs down but i have experience and dont wish to pass on such an exerience youve been warned!!!

if she wants a taller car try the kangoo 1.2 its huge inside and is low on tax/insurance lots of car for your cash but there would be fair ole ? over reliablity though

the best of the "tall smalls" would proberbly be the yaris/yrv (the bigger daihatsu's are great cars dont rule them out)

long_b

What say you to the Renault Scenic ?

Eoin

Would a Mazda Demio or Mitsubishi Spacestar be any use?

long_b

Mmmmm - temptating ...
Does anyone know anything about the Mitsubishi ?

towel401

long_b wrote: »

A little too exotic for my tastes, but thanks anyways :-)

family cars need certain amount of boringness about them.

colm_mcm

Did anyone see the bit where the OP was looking for a reliable car, I'm seeing suggestions of Scenics and 406s. neither are a paragon of build quality or reliability.

Eoin

long_b wrote: »

Mmmmm - temptating ...
Does anyone know anything about the Mitsubishi ?

Have a look on www.parkers.co.uk for some reviews and see what they say there.

HashSlinging

BLACK SEAT LEON Good nick and the price is right, say you'd walk away with it for 3750. Might be tough on the old tax but your staying in the VW group. This car will not depriciate any further and will be easy enough to sell on even with 200k miles..!

RED SEAT LEON

The right Leon with the important 1.6 16v engine, a cracker of a car. This one looks very well looked after you could get it for around 3k fully spec'd with leather steering wheel and all elec. Performance is a step up and tax wont hurt that much either. A very very good all rounder.

long_b

Don't want to sound like a racialist but I wouldn't touch a second hand car from Donegal, I could be mad wrong but between the weather and the speeding ... No offence like.

Also want to keep it well under 100K on the clock.

i'm thinking Ford Focus or that Demio maybe ...

Please keep the suggestions coming though !

ninty9er

Nothing in the Focus/Scenic range is a PROPER family car for someone with prams, shopping, and golf clubs all thrown in at once.

The Accord is the best suggestion on the thread.

But for a tall car, you won't find much better than this eyesore at the price. (Overpriced at the moment)
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1239296

This wouldn't be bad either
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1232853

But for a proper boot, you want something like
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1099821

or MPV ish

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1092936

JJJJNR

long_b wrote: »

Don't want to sound like a racialist but I wouldn't touch a second hand car from Donegal, I could be mad wrong but between the weather and the speeding ... No offence like.

Also want to keep it well under 100K on the clock.

i'm thinking Ford Focus or that Demio maybe ...

Please keep the suggestions coming though !

Yeah your right about the Donegal thing, they are mad drivers up there, but the weather!!?? your not living in Australia mate LOL they get the same weather as Dubs ..LOL

long_b

OK people - Mondeo vs Primera,
In a straight match most of ye would say the Nissan but would the following even it up for the Ford ?
25K vs 56k on the clock
Better spec -vetec, air con, alloys, elec seats
Gigantic liftback boot
The Ford is 500 dearer by the way.