Choose my new car

LacticAthlete

Hi All,

Not sure what to do going forward car wise. Have an opel corsa currently and looking to trade in and get a 172 in a few months.

Looking at:
Mazda 2
Mazda 3
Seat Ibiza
Seat Leon
Hyundai i30
Opel Astra

My main source of indecision is around the specifications i.e

The Ibiza is around 14000 but without air con etc, by the time the add ons id like are there its about 17000. Would it be better off just going with the Leon?

Of these cars which has the highest spec as standard?

Any issues with these cars or advice re pcp/warranty etc?

Any other recommendations?

bazz26

A base model Leon/Mazda3 might have less standard equipment than a top spec Ibiza/Mazda2. On the other hand if you are looking at entry level models of all these cars then standard equipment on the bigger cars maybe higher than standard equipment on the smaller cars but the tradeoff is that the bigger car's base price will cost more than the base price of the smaller cars. So decide first how much you have to spend and then what specification you want from a car in that price range.

Also only you know if PCP suits you, it doesn't suit everyone and can easily be sold as what looks like an affordable way to get into a brand new car. Focus on the overall cost of PCP, ie deposit, monthly repayments and final lump sum payment. Too many people only look at how much it costs them per month and the headline offer of low interest rates but end up paying nearly the full retail price of the car over the term. Dealers and manufacturers can play with figures to make them look very cheap up front so do your homework.

AMKC

You should include the Hyundai i20 on that its a very good car with as much space in it as cars that are in the next class up and the same with the new Kia Rio.
The new i30 is very disappointing was looking at one over the weekend a definite step back for Hyundai. If they had of done what they did for te Tucson with there new i30 they could have had a stunner too if only. The current outgoing model is much nicer.

You should also consider the new Nissan Micra not the horrid looking cheap Indian built yoke the new one think Clio size but even nicer and the new Renault Megane is a stunner and very classy. Was looking at one over the weekend it looks stunning in the metal.

colm_mcm

The new Ceed is quite nice inside. Well the GT Line is anyway

walus

New Honda Civic 1.0 petrol turbo looks like a cracker. Good price vs equipment.

bazz26

It's no looker though. Styled that way for the sake of it imo.

ShadowHearth

Keep in mind there is a New Ibiza coming out, which is a lot better in every way according to a lot of reports. Its coming out in July in England, but feck knows when here.

JohnBoy26

AMKC wrote: »

You should include the Hyundai i20 on that its a very good car with as much space in it as cars that are in the next class up and the same with the new Kia Rio.
The new i30 is very disappointing was looking at one over the weekend a definite step back for Hyundai. If they had of done what they did for te Tucson with there new i30 they could have had a stunner too if only. The current outgoing model is much nicer.

You should also consider the new Nissan Micra not the horrid looking cheap Indian built yoke the new one think Clio size but even nicer and the new Renault Megane is a stunner and very classy. Was looking at one over the weekend it looks stunning in the metal.

It's not a bad car and it's definitely a step up from the previous model but it's trying too hard to be like a golf and as a result it's a bit meh. I agree with you when you say they should have based it's styling on the tucson, it would be a much better looking car then.

colm_mcm

It's got a hint of the Volvo v40 around the front corners too.

JohnBoy26

walus wrote: »

New Honda Civic 1.0 petrol turbo looks like a cracker. Good price vs equipment.

The 1.5 promises to be a much better engine than the 1 liter though. It's 4 cylinder and revs like a honda should, unlike the 1 liter which is very un-honda in the way it performs.

colm_mcm

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The 1.5 promises to be a much better engine than the 1 liter though. It's 4 cylinder and revs like a honda should, unlike the 1 liter which is very un-honda in the way it performs.

I would imagine there'll be a hefty premium for the 1.5 though, if Honda Ireland even bother selling it.

JohnBoy26

colm_mcm wrote: »

It's got a hint of the Volvo v40 around the front corners too.

What I don't like about it too is that the deluxe is poorer specced.

you have to step up to the delux plus(which is only available in diesel at the moment afaik) to get the bigger infotainment screen(which has a massive bezel and looks out of place in both sizes)and to get things like the chrome around the door frames which makes this model of i30 look much better.

JohnBoy26

colm_mcm wrote: »

I would imagine there'll be a hefty premium for the 1.5 though, if Honda Ireland even bother selling it.

it being honda there probably will but it being 4 cylinder will make a massive difference.

colm_mcm

The times they are a changing though, screaming VTECs haven't really been a thing on non Type R Hondas for a long long time now, these new ones are turbo, which again is not traditional Honda, so 4 cylinder vs 3 cylinder for the sake of purism isn't a very strong argument. Of course it's better because it's bigger and more powerful - but that's not to say the 1.0 isn't worth buying.

JohnBoy26

colm_mcm wrote: »

The times they are a changing though, screaming VTECs haven't really been a thing on non Type R Hondas for a long long time now, these new ones are turbo, which again is not traditional Honda, so 4 cylinder vs 3 cylinder for the sake of purism isn't a very strong argument. Of course it's better because it's bigger and more powerful - but that's not to say the 1.0 isn't worth buying.

Im not saying the 1.0 isn't worth buying, it will suit many people.

walus

In my opinion when it comes to pure mechanical engineering and reliability Honda are in top 3 of all brands that sell in Ireland. The new 1.0l 3 cylinder engine may not be what a die-hard Honda fans would write home about but with the torque bandwidth way lower than in a regular VTECs it is bound to be more driveable for regular drivers who would go for Honda for other reasons than engineering etc.
The car is priced well too starting off at 23.7k with Honda Sensing equipment fitted as standard.

JohnBoy26

Behind the styling(not that it is bad or anything) the i30 is actually a decent car.

cros13

Why have you not considered electric, OP? You'd need to be doing enough mileage so that savings make up the difference in capital cost, but the value proposition blows the cars you are considering out of the water. Much better standard equipment, 10X+ lower running costs and better performance.

colm_mcm

What electric car would you reccomend for PCP?

cros13

Depends on the OPs mileage. New 41kWh Zoe is arriving in Ireland in this month, it's been available in the UK since November and PCP deals have been fairly aggressive there (~€300/month... again running costs are much much lower so this is not directly comparable to a combustion vehicle).

Hyundai Ioniq is also an option, they have a scrappage deal running until the 16th... an order placed now will get that included but demand is outstripping supply so new orders are going to be delivered close to the 172 reg anyway. PCP from ~€350/month on those, but:

android auto + carplay
upgraded infinity audio with 7 speaker + sub
wireless phone charging
adaptive cruise control
rear camera + sensors
AEB
heated seats
lane departure warning with lane keep assist
keyless entry
dual zone climate
LED headlights
etc...

all standard on a base spec IONIQ. No servicing beyond an annual inspection. And electricity is 12 times cheaper than diesel.

cros13

I'd also add that on the Zoe 41kWh in both France and the UK Renault are doing a fuel included PCP.

So they rebate you every month of the 3-year or whatever PCP for the cost of the electricity the car uses for your first 10,000km/year (worst case that's ~€250/year (~€100 for nightsaver on a cheap tariff)...but every little helps).

LacticAthlete

Been looking to stay away from 1 litre engines. Have an older 1.0 litre in that corsa at the moment and its a bit underpowered. Maybe its just the 3 cylinders, just not enjoying the noise and the lack of grunt.

hence why the 1.5l mazda 2 is a strong choice for me at the moment. Agree that the i30's styling is a let down after the lovely 161/2 versions. Will not be buying until the summer so considering waiting until then, one issue with the ibiza is its nearly all 1 litres except the highest spec.

Really dont enjoy the look of the honda.

Do mazda do scrappage, couldnt find any info on it?

Thanks for all the help so far!

JohnBoy26

The new kia rio and the hyundai i20 might also be worth a look.

colm_mcm

LacticAthlete wrote: »

Been looking to stay away from 1 litre engines. Have an older 1.0 litre in that corsa at the moment and its a bit underpowered. Maybe its just the 3 cylinders, just not enjoying the noise and the lack of grunt.

Total wrong way to look at it.
These engines put out over twice as much power as your Corsa engine because they're turbocharged.
It's like saying you wouldn't put a 20w LED light in your kitchen because you had a 20w bulb in a lamp 20 years ago and it wasn't very bright.
Things have moved on. 15-20 years ago, a regular 1.8-2.0 petrol car would have been putting out the same power as these new 1.0 engines.

LacticAthlete

Yeah i was basing it off engine size but I guess i also need to get out and test drive a few cars.

Looking heavily at Mazda 2, Ibiza and the i20.

i20 seems to give best specs at the 2nd level of spec.

chicorytip

AMKC wrote:

You should also consider the new Nissan Micra not the horrid looking cheap Indian built yoke the new one think Clio size but even nicer and the new Renault Megane is a stunner and very classy. Was looking at one over the weekend it looks stunning in the metal.

That previous model Micra is still well worth considering - a very reliable, economical and good to drive little car.

JohnBoy26

chicorytip wrote: »

That previous model Micra is still well worth considering - a very reliable, economical and good to drive little car.

It's not a very nice car though

colm_mcm

chicorytip wrote: »

That previous model Micra is still well worth considering - a very reliable, economical and good to drive little car.

They're a nasty outdated misery box.

AMKC

chicorytip wrote: »

That previous model Micra is still well worth considering - a very reliable, economical and good to drive little car.

Its a terrible car that looks terrible and never should have been sold here. It was designed and built for 3rd world country's like India.

AMKC

Check out Suzuki. The Swift is a great little car. Suzukis petrol engines are really good too have been getting loads of great reviews in the press. There are boosterjet engines 1.0 litre and 1.4
Suzuki have a great range of cars at the moment the only thing there are really missing is a nice saloon.

Heres a link,

http://www.suzuki.ie/cars/swift

Dia1988

AMKC wrote: »

Check out Suzuki. The Swift is a great little car. Suzukis petrol engines are really good too have been getting loads of great reviews in the press. There are boosterjet engines 1.0 litre and 1.4
Suzuki have a great range of cars at the moment the only thing there are really missing is a nice saloon.

Heres a link,

http://www.suzuki.ie/cars/swift

The year 2006 called and they want the Swift back!