Following my recent berlingo thread I am still looking for a new car but thanks to some good news my budget has increased.

Looking for some suggestions of what I should be looking at, requirements are;

£9k max
Enough room for 2 kids in the back
Preferably bike friendly (able to fit a bike inside the car/boot easily)
New as possible 4-5 years max

Insurance is the biggest issue still being 22… So looking for practical and cheap to run/insure rather than speed/looks.

New shape berlingo still very much in with a shout as is pretty much the cheapest car to insure I have found, but just looking for other options as not sure about getting a frenchie as want this to last a while as no idea when I will have this kind of money to spend again.

Cheers

Do you really need a van based car? I used to have a Ford Focus, which will take a bike in the boot quite comfortably.

Don’t need one… But focus, Astra etc are all more expensive to insure and usually to buy as well

just choose any mid size mainstream estate looking at insurance ratings due to your age. Or a Blingo.

Do you really need a van based car? I used to have a Ford Focus, which will take a bike in the boot quite comfortably.
Takes 3 kids in the back too.

Just picked this up today and I’m chuffed to bits with it.

As a family car it is perfect.

A 4 year old Zetec will be in your budget. Insurance is no higher than my old Vectra.

This might help choose a cheap to insure one: http://www.carpages.co.uk/car-insurance-groups/group-1-1.asp

If you submit to using a bike rack (many good ones around, not like the faffy crap you used to get) then you have a far greater choice of better car.

1.6 Volkswagen Touran for £3k.

Put the other £6k to the extra insurance and something useful.

Civic…we just got an 09 one and we knew it had the clever rear seats where the bases fold up, but didn’t realise that they sink down as you fold them forward which means you get a flat/low floor above the seats, and because the bases sink down rather than fold forward you still keep the full length of the car.

All our previous cars we had the choice of fold the bases forward for a low boot but lose some length, or keep the bases down but lose height.

Due to my wife being a bit precious about her shiny car we have been using our huge DHB bike backs, they stack in the boot easily with nearly as much spare space as our old Mondeo estate.

22 and you’ve got two kids AND time to mountain bike?!?!

I’m an old man trapped in a 22 year old body really…

Insurance wise berlingo is 400 for a top spec vtr or xtr model a basic focus estate is nearly £600 so not a huge deal but over thr next 5/6 years it will add up.

I live in a small flat with no shed/garage for bike racks and stuff so being able to not need one will be usefull. Will look into the s max a seems decent

In all seriousness I think I have the ugliest looking car in the world!

But, and I’ve been in a position to replace it for a few years now, I can’t find anything near it for practicality, insurance, mpg. I’ve looked at Toureg, Volvo V70’s, Vito’s, Transporters, and all that gumph but there’s just too much that can go wrong, or just too basic for the price.

It swallows fully built bikes, trailers, tag-a-longs, and pretty much anything else you want to stuff in the back. But like I say, it’s not pretty but 150K trouble free motoring can’t be faulted. I thin the Belingo would be a good compromise though; seems like a roomy boot in there too.

My mate just got a Citreon C3 Picasso and it takes the kids and the bikes no problem. Is also extremely frugal on fuel and it’ll never get nicked coz its fugly! 😀

Don’t need one… But focus, Astra etc are all more expensive to insure and usually to buy as well

Last month I bought a 2008 Vectra SRi 1.9d 150bhp auto for £5k with 55k on the clock – immaculate.

Insurance for me was £161 comp c/w business, no idea for you young ‘uns.

I bought it last month, 1.9d 150bhp auto for £5k with 55k on the clock.

Skoda Yeti?

ok it’s high mileage but still only 3 years old. Rear seats can be removed completely to make a van when needed. Or “tumbled” forwards to make an almost-van-like space

cheapest insurance for me would be about £200/year. 48 yrs married male home owner with 22 years full licence and 12+ years NCD

Last month I bought a 2008 Vectra SRi 1.9d 150bhp auto for £5k with 55k on the clock – immaculate.

Want some roof bars to go with it?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/atera-roof-bars-for-vectra-c

Want some roof bars to go with it?

No thanks, and rather stupidly I only sold a set of feet last year that had been gathering dust, from a previous company Vectra.

The C3 is another option seems good insurance wise also.
Hopefully will have a new car within a month, been without one for a few months so not even been to bike park Wales yet (20 mins up the road by car!)

Cant understand why he wouldnt want a van based car.

Haters gonna hate but its a very versatile option with a metric **** load of uses, even comfortable to drive z- much more so than the 02 golf we had…..

Only thng mines would be chopped for is a bigger van.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310299511427/postcode/NP108WE/radius/1501/price-from/500/price-to/9000/sort/ageasc/page/1/desc/1

Would probably buy this if I had the money now, 5k miles and nearly new!

As long as I can find a decent one still think berlingo is best for what I want.

I live in a small flat with no shed/garage for bike racks and stuff so being able to not need one will be usefull. Will look into the s max a seems decent

Are you intending to keep your bike in the car ? Seems a guaranteed way to get it knicked if so.

No, the bikes live in the flat but dont have much space so roof bars and bike racks would be in the way. Plus the appeal of not having to faff about and just chuck the bike in the back is another reason to go for something more van like. Don’t have much spare time with work/kids so faster the better when it comes to loading up the car and getting out for a ride.

What size car do you actually want, C3, Berlingo and S-Max I’d quite a wide range! Small hatchback to large MPV is a big difference in both size and running costs!

Commute to work on my bike so running costs aren’t the biggest issue as will only be used a few times a week, not looking for a specific size car as long as is big enough for a bike and kids stuff and insurance is decent price. So just keeping my options open as depends what is for sale within a reasonable distance really.

tbh at you age you ought to looking at insurance quotes along with cars, just put all options into confused etc

I would suggest something Japanese but insurance is still relatively high in comparison to others. You might try farmers union for insurance btw, my daughters are with Quinn and quite good price for 1.3 Yaris, so perhaps you could go for a Verso (Corolla one) or similar, not so exciting but practical. Otherwise Ford/Vauxhaul plentiful and practical, Astra/Zafira/Fiesta/Focus

Gonna go have a look around a big car supermarket place this weekend to check out some of the cars up close, don’t seem to be many berlingos for sale around here bit loads of c3 Picassos…. So might be one of them if I can’t get a decent berlingo.