Time to get a new motor.
The budget is £15,000 with a possibility to go to just under £19,000 for the "perfect deal" and hoping that the car has a residual value at the end of 3 years.
Alternatively PCP or lease at £300 per month.
Requirements:
Nothing too small: Focus size up.
Trouble free motoring for 75,000 miles over 3 years.
Reasonable service and maintenance costs (no low profile tyres).
Reasonable insurance costs (incl. business use).
Automatic would be lovely but not a deal breaker.
I like "soft roaders" but its not an absolute requirement.
The more safety gear the better.
Go on folks, surprise me with cars that I haven't considered yet!
(PS looked at Mokka, CX-3, Qashqai, Suzuki SX4, Focus, Astra, Golf, etc.)
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Cactus I suppose? Might have grow an "explorer" beard though.
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>>Cactus I suppose? Might have grow an "explorer" beard though
Saw a black one* yesterday exiting the Eden Pro - looked ok.
*Car, not beard.
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Sorry zippy - just to clarify, brand new?
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>> Sorry zippy - just to clarify, brand new?
>>
Ideally, as I would like full dealer backup if it "dies on me!" as well as a warranty for the term of ownership.
Last edited by: zippy on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 11:16
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Kia's have a 7 year warranty...
75k miles makes PCP unlikely.
I have a vague idea I may change my car and I'm pretty stuck on Volvo's at the moment - V40. New maybe exceed your budget though, not sure. Packed full of safety stuff, Focus sized, D2 diesel is £0 road tax (and £0 congestion charge) and very frugal,
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Lots of deals on PCP but the advertised rate has usually a deposit & say £199 / mth - the STING is mileage is 10K per year or less.
3 years 75K miles will be a very small car to fit the £300 / month.
Suggestion - If it is to be a brand new car look for the run out model just after the "new model" has been launched. Benefits - lower buying price, mini bugs should be well gone in the life of the run out model.
For the sake of having a decent performance (75K is a long way for a car with an elastic band for an engine) The 1.5 diesel with no go, might be better and cheaper to run the 2.0 diesel as you do not rev it so hard and actually get the same / more mpg that the asthmatic 1.5! Go with real life averages not the brochure mpg.
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I'd be looking for the nicest Approved Used that my budget would fetch, with the warranty (and even the servicing) included in the deal. This is precisely the price range I've bought in (twice) before and I've been thoroughly pleased with it. I've now got two cars for which the original owners each paid £35,000 or so, and I paid less than that for the pair. One is now well into distinguished middle age (no sniggering please) and the other is a very nice toy for my own middle age; both still feel good every time I get in.
I'd also suggest that £15,000 is exactly what not to pay for a new-new car. You're above the bargain level of Citroens, Fiats and Dacias - things that allow you to limit your loss by not spending too much in the first place - and into models that are designed to be sold by the thousand to the fleet market. You don't get the fleet discount, but the car will still depreciate to near-zero and from a higher diving board. And you're still short of the level that buys you any kind of nice-to-have factor.
So I'd be looking carefully at the terms of the AU schemes of Audi, Land Rover or whatever floats your particular boat for the best and most affordable aftercare package that'll keep a two- or three-year-old car worry free till five or six and buy one of those.
Edit-and to pick up FB's point, both mine are also from the final year or so of their respective production runs. Means the gremlins (brakes, radiators, rust, clutch trouble) had all been sorted by the time mine were made, and their used values had taken the hit of no longer being the current model.
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 12:08
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I have a confession. For the last decade or so I have slagged off the BMW Mini, and heaped ridicule and distain on every hideously oversized fat turd shaped variant.
I have seen a few around of the brand new shaped clubman. Somehow (its been stretched i think and the windows lines altered) the proportions, looks and symmetry suddenly look very smart indeed.
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Zippy won't be getting a new one, though: £20,000 for three cylinders.
Minis can indeed look very smart outside. The only one I've ridden in, though, felt surprisingly cheap inside, certainly no match for the Audi A3 it's priced against.
(Not sure if we have any A3 owners here; or whether they'd like to tell us why they chose it.)
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 15:55
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Would be interesting to see what HJ's 'car chooser' comes up with...
www.honestjohn.co.uk/chooser/
zippy?
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>> Ideally, as I would like full dealer backup if it "dies on me!" as well as a warranty for the term of ownership.
If you buy Kia approved cars, you will get full 7 year warranty from date of your purchase!
So you might consider Kia Ceed/Optima, Hyundai i30/i40.
Optima auto comes in diesel only but Ceed auto is available in both petrol (until 2015) and diesel.
Mine is 2014 Kia Ceed DCT (petrol auto) bought as approved used.
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Bet you don't do 25,000 miles a year in it, Movi! That's 625 hours at an average 40, or about 1 in every 9 waking hours in the car. I'd want something properly comfy for that.
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I gave it '5 star euro NCAP', 'raised driving position' and 'excellent dealer service', whereupon the 'up to £17,000' option vanished and it offered me a Mini Countryman for £25,000.
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>>Would be interesting to see what HJ's 'car chooser' comes up with...
www.honestjohn.co.uk/chooser/
It suggests a Hyundai IX35, Santa Fe and Toyota Rav-4.
Base Rav-4 diesel is £18,180 on DTD.
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>> Zippy won't be getting a new one, though: £20,000 for three cylinders.
Can get a brand new cooper clubman on the road for 19,200 at any mini dealer with no haggling.
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Still £200 over his stretch-for-something-special budget.
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>>I have seen a few around of the brand new shaped clubman. Somehow (its been stretched i think and the windows lines altered) the proportions, looks and symmetry suddenly look very smart indeed.
Do they, um, come in cream I wonder. Don't ask me why, but I have the hots for a cream-coloured car. I've seen a few pics of 'em in the local paper and they look quite nice (don't ask me what cars they actually were!)
My 2nd car back in the mid 70's was a Zephyr 4 Mk 3 ... with leopard skin seat covers.
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Have you driven one Zero. Our little Clubvan is a fine little beast. Loads of poke, decent handling (and ride thanks to higher profile van tyres)...
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Interesting point, very well made by WdB: there isn't very much available new between £15k and £20k except basic models of the Focus class. If you want, say, a Mokka, Qashqai or CX-3 you'll have to go used.
A Suzuki dealer could be a fruitful source of ideas: presumably the Swift is too small, but you can look at the Vitara as well as the SX4.
Citroen Cactus - perhaps, although what state it would be in after 75,000 miles......
If it were me, a Ford C-Max would be high on the list. I thought about one for myself, but I want to go back to an automatic and I suspect that the Powershift is no better than VW's DSG in terms of reliability and long life. But could be a good choice if you don't mind a manual, as they're quite heavily discounted and one with a reasonable engine and spec could be within your reach.
The above might also be true of the Mokka - I didn't look!
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>> Interesting point, very well made by WdB: there isn't very much available new between £15k
>> and £20k except basic models of the Focus class.
Well... you can get a Focus 1.5 EcoBoost (150ps) Titanium for just over £15k from Drivethedeal, or a 182ps Titanium X Navigation for £18k. Not much in the way of prestige, but supposed to be a great drive, and decent toys in those specs presumably.
EDIT: and not that it would be any good for zippy but a Fiesta ST is <£14k ...
Last edited by: Focusless on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 16:26
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Probably, but add three years and 75,000 miles and your £15,000 Focus becomes - what? a £5,000 Focus? S'pose that scrapes under his £300 a month alternative budget.
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Qashqai / Kadjar / Honda HRV??
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>> Well... you can get a Focus 1.5 EcoBoost (150ps) Titanium for just over £15k
...although I can see in zippy's opener that he's 'looked at' a Focus, which I guess means looked at and rejected?
Civic 1.8 SE Plus for £15.7k?
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The dash on the Focus is really "odd". Otherwise it is a good choice.
Will have a look at the Civic as well.
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This is what I am trying to hammer out a deal on at the moment
tinyurl.com/z7rjp2b
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>> This is what I am trying to hammer out a deal on at the moment
>>
>> tinyurl.com/z7rjp2b
I wouldn't be throwing 4 grand down the toilet
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201602090855642?
Edit opps saw your one is an auto so I would be saving 3.5k on this
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201602100884617
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 17:27
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>> Edit opps saw your one is an auto so I would be saving 3.5k on
>> this
>>
>> www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201602100884617
>>
I'd rather pay the extra and have the pre reg one.
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I assume that since it is the 2.0 HDi that it has the TC autobox. PSA fit that to the C4 Grand Picasso with the same engine. I had one for a day, easy to drive but I found it no smoother than the automated manual in the 1.6HDi Berlingo.
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This one has the EAT6 (?) 6 speed box. I have driven a 208 with the same box (petrol engine though) and it was the smoothest auto I have ever driven. EGC or EGS are awful !
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New Astra is getting good reviews, and can be had on some very cheap lease deals ATM
Even at 25K a year you can have this Elite Nav spec 1.4 for £275 a month over 2 years
www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/Vauxhall_astra-new-model-1-4t-16v-150-elite-nav-inc-metallic-paint-69219.htm
Just seen the diesel version is only a couple of quid a month more - must be worth it at your mileage
www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/Vauxhall_astra-new-model-1-6-cdti-16v-elite-nav-inc-metallic-paint-69235.htm
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Or if SUV / crossovers are more your thing then the VW Tiguan can be had quite cheap now.
A smidge over your budget at £304 for a 2.0 Tdi Match and only over 2 years
www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/Volkswagen_Tiguan-2-0-tdi-bluemotion-tech-match-edition-150-2wd-70416.htm
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Don't ignore the two extra months' rent in advance; that adds £23 overall, so we're right on Zippy's £300 limit. Then there's maintenance: six services at, say, £200 each. So we're at £8,350 for two years with a 1.4 Astra. Still good value?
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>> Don't ignore the two extra months' rent in advance; that adds £23 overall, so we're
>> right on Zippy's £300 limit. Then there's maintenance: six services at, say, £200 each. So
>> we're at £8,350 for two years with a 1.4 Astra. Still good value?
>>
Fair point, I did ignore the initial rental, but Astra service intervals are 20K so over 2 years he might only need a 20 and a 40K service.
I couldn't really see much else of that spec level / performance, but the reality is any new car will drop quickly if you start putting that level of mileage on it.
As you mentioned before, some of the used approved schemes are pretty good - I picked up the Lexus at 2 years old, but the approved warranty was almost identical to the new car one. Its almost up and they have just offered to extend it by 2 years for £495 with no mileage limit, MOT insurance (not really sure what that covers) and full European breakdown cover for both of us in any car - looks like a no brainer really
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There's far more cars than there are buyers for new cars on the whole, especially in this class, so I'd be tempted to go nearly new as we did with our A3). I've had all of the following as hire cars in the last 12 months, all bar the Seat multiple times. And I'd 'd spend my own money on all of them...
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201602161072757
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601099932330
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201602050749834
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201509156938048
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603222203307
Edited to add, I've had a few Mokka, Tiguan, Kugas as well, and unless the easier access of them is important then 'normal' hatches are better - much nicer to drive and better ride/handling on the whole as well
Last edited by: PeterS on Thu 24 Mar 16 at 21:41
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The main thing I've learned about choosing cars is to ensure that whatever you end up with that it does all the things you need a car to do for you, while being something you really enjoy driving.
I've bought or chosen cars on the basis of their outside appearance before now that ultimately proved unsatisfactory. The only view you really need to enjoy is the one through the windscreen from the inside.
My criteria include a car that you throw about a bit while carrying large amounts of kit, but still remain comfortable and reliable day in day out on long journeys. Others would no doubt have different priorities.
Anything that doesn't at least fulfill those needs/wants wouldn't do for me.
If you're going to be spending 25,000 miles every year in it, make sure it's a nice place to sit. You're going to be in it a lot.
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Honda CRV 1.6d (120PS) SE is £18.2k new from drivethedeal.com
www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/honda/honda-cr-v-16-i-dtec-2013-review/
Decent equipment, no sporty crap glued on, plenty big enough, 50mpg in real life driving.
Honda.
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>> Honda CRV 1.6d (120PS) SE is £18.2k new from drivethedeal.com
>>
>> www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/honda/honda-cr-v-16-i-dtec-2013-review/
>>
>> Decent equipment, no sporty crap glued on, plenty big enough, 50mpg in real life driving.
>>
>> Honda.
>>
Delighted with ours. I've been keeping a full record of fuel used since it arrived new last October, and it's sitting at a smidge under 51mpg to date, with a real mix of journeys. Lovely engine, comfortable and roomy. Not the car to throw around the countryside with abandon, but not too wallowy either. Good on the motorway as well. The 120bhp has 300Nm of torque, which is more than most of the current batch of 1.6 diesels.
The 160bhp auto has a bit of a reputation for not being very frugal.
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The A160 in Peter's third link looks great. A close colleague has one and I was surprised and impressed to ride in it. Seats are lovely and there's a reasonable amount of room, and the design is more subtle (oddly) than the bigger C and E.
Or you could have a new Focus.
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>> Automatic would be lovely but not a deal breaker
Auto CRVs are either 2.0 petrol or 1.6 (160PS) diesel with 4wd.
£21.5k and £23.4k respectively.
I'd go with the 2wd version personally.
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A quick peruse of DtD (can't be bottomed to put in all my details for a quote) suggests there are 2.0d DSG Octavias to be had within budget.
I really don't get the raised driving position thing - I've had one, remember, and I start more raised than most - especially for long journeys, when the suspension compromises required to keep a tall body steady make for a fatiguing ride. A car is a much nicer way to travel long distances than a truck, and the Octavia has the wheelbase to be a civilized cruiser.
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Couldn't agree more WDB. Sitty uppy cars are OK for pottering about but are always compromised. And as a general rule, the bigger the car and the longer the wheelbase the more relaxing the ride.
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>> And as a general rule, the bigger the car and the longer the wheelbase
>> the more relaxing the ride.
I had a ride in a Panther De Ville once, bigger and longer you wouldn't get anywhere else on earth.
It was like being in a row boat in a tsunami.
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ceteris paribus, as I'm sure Humph learned at school. I dimly remember the de Ville and there wasn't much paribus about it.
Zippy could probably get one for his £15,000 - if he could find one, of course.
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>> ceteris paribus, as I'm sure Humph learned at school. I dimly remember the de Ville
>> and there wasn't much paribus about it.
>>
>> Zippy could probably get one for his £15,000 - if he could find one, of
>> course.
Whilst he could get a brace of fine Kallistas or Limas (or one of each) for his 15k, he could only get one third of a De Ville. I would recommend the middle section, less hideous than the front or back
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Panther's heyday coincided with BL having a surplus of Sprite / Midget doors to get rid of, and there were a whole lot of special-bodied cars, including one of the Panthers, which had unmistakable Spridget doors.
Zippy - i could have added the Octavia to my list of suggestions above, but I'm not sure how good a chance a DSG has of lasting for 75,000 miles. Better if it's a 6-speed wet clutch box than a 7-speed dry clutch.
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>>I'm not sure how good a chance a DSG has of lasting for 75,000 miles
Every chance I would hope, if 75,000 miles means a fair amount of cruising. And wouldn't it be under warranty?
Fair comment though - and much must depend on the type of use and the driver.
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>> >>I'm not sure how good a chance a DSG has of lasting for 75,000 miles
>>
>> Every chance I would hope, if 75,000 miles means a fair amount of cruising. And
>> wouldn't it be under warranty?
Skoda Warranty last 3 years / 60k miles. You can extend it to 5 years /100k for another 500 quid.
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Whilst I was looking at the manual Golf tfsi estate yesterday, the sales guy insisted that the DSG box was completely reliable, provided you changed the gearbox oil at 50k.
Right
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If I were buying a new car and keeping it for three years, I would be more inclined to get a DSG equipped car. As I shall be keeping my next car several years, and it is likely to be a 'Used Approved' I shall be giving any such box a wide berth. BMW & MB autos otoh ...
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Great ideas from all of you - many thanks and feel free to keep them coming.
This will clearly require a lot of thought.
I hark back to the days when the company car choice was either a Rover 220 or a Nissan Primera, but with the cost of cars through work's scheme being very high and BIK tax ever increasing it is now time to give running my own car a chance.
I am not convinced that one of these would be good for a trip from Eastbourne to Liverpool:
www.topgear.com/car-news/new-york-motor-show/will-mazda-build-mps-version-hard-top-mx-5
But it is ever so tempting. The soft top versions can be had from £16,745 on DTD! SWM says "No" in no uncertain terms!
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Hahahaha Zippy. MX 5 is the new "Mondeo" one of the girls in work got a new job...ended up buying an Audi Rodster @ £32k....on PCP. I suggested an MX5 at 12k less and a much better car for what she wanted....I can't do the sums in my head but it was £440 per month plus a balloon payment over four years and just checked the Mazda site for a touch over 225 per month its yours in 3 years....no brainer car wise and woman maths wise.
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>>Hahahaha Zippy.
:-)
I know - it would never happen, but SWM just mentioned that her car needs changing as well and if I got something sensible then she could have something sporty - oh the hypocrisy!
This is a real budget saver:
www.northernmotors.co.uk/new-car-offers/gtc-16-reg-offer/
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Maybe just out of your price range but I had a good test drive in a Hyunda Tucson.
It is build like a tank and easy to get in and out the car.Big boot with a full spare tyre.
The car I drove was the 1.7 Diesel Engine plenty of power on the Motorway no problem keeping up or overtaking any traffic.A six speed manual gearbox very easy to use .
In town the engine started to lug in a higher gear,not like the Citroen we have which I can drive in six gear at 35mph if needed.
This Hyunda is a good motorway cruiser about mid forties mpg.Dealership very good and friendly,manager gave me the keys and said keep and drive the car for the day.
I forgot Tom Tom satellite build in with free updates.
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"SWM just mentioned that her car needs changing as well and if I got something sensible then she could have something sporty - oh the hypocrisy!"
That was, sort of, our idea, with my Octavia estate and SWMBO's Mini Cooper Roadster. The logic doesn't quite work, because:
- The Octavia is a lot faster than the Mini.
- It's, surprisingly, slightly more economical than the Mini.
- It has more torque so despite its size it's nippier than the Mini.
- It's a vRS so both cars handle very well, at the expense of a firm ride.
But the Mini is a convertible and that's why we have it. Minis are expensive but they hold their value well and there aren't many other convertibles in the price range. SWMBO has an arthritic knee and gets in and out of the mini without much trouble, but an MX-5 is too low, unfortunately.
The Mini will have to last us for a bit. But if we could ever afford it, an Audi A3 1.4 convertible would be top of my list. Maybe that might tempt Mrs Zippy.
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Might be a 330 convertible going cheep soon....
I'm sure it would be within budgiet
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Yeah. You do know he wants a car this year?
};---)
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One of these days, or years, you'll be surprised
Not as surprised as me....
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New Car Choices - Alanovich
