Leon with dsg box, petrol or diesel available

Just been reading about the Civic on Autotrader. Readers wives give it nearly 5 out of 5 the only downsides being rear viz and a firm ride (oooer).

I can get a 10 month old 1.8 140 bhp 5 door jallopy that’ll do 45mpg for ~£12k. and the problems is…? Get some parking beepers fitted and a proper spare (instead of a tin of goop) and we should be ready to roll. Off to Marshall’s at the weekend for a gander methinks. Keep the ideas coming please, incase we (I) hate it. BTW, I happened accross the Type R, now that is tempting (apart from the 30mpg) 🙂

How about Toyota Corolla / Verso type with automatic gear?

I bought the former (05 model) for £5k, 32,000 miles. Yes, auto gear too.

Or ya mate is a boy racer proper so advised me to avoid VW auto / tiptronic etc because he does not understand their fancy auto gear system.

molgrips – Member
I would not discount Mazda. They have a good reputation, it’s just MF’s particular model of 323 that had a lot of problems I think.
POSTED 2 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

It was all 3s, 5s and 6s with DSC fitted around 2007/08. Mazda steadfastly refused to accept the fault was their problem. Also ALL of this mk. 3s suffer from dreadful front suspension issues causing bad tyre wear (around 12k out of front tyres driving carefully). Decided to keep ours simply because resale value is so low now.

I kind of like the Audi A4 estate.

Having said that, I drove a Fiat Punto (rented from Enterprise) for a few days last month, and I was really, incredibly impressed. I have no idea if they suffer from long-term issues, but the cockpit was really well thought-out, the fuel economy I got was excellent, and the drive was much, much, much better than the Focus I had rented only a few weeks earlier.

Hyundai i30 high spec very reliable gorgeous prob get one still under warranty do diesel engine and very reliable

Vag do a 1.6fsi (na engine). 115 bhp, which is a bit under powered when our Octavia is full up, but fine 90% of the time!
Averaging around 40mpg, but i suspect my missus has a heavy foot!
(our other car makes a ‘braaap’ at full throttle-i never make the sound, my wife complained it was ‘always making it’…..!)

DrP

@Chewk. Thanks I’ll check the Corrola (or whatever it’s called now). I think the Verso is a bit big, it’s a mini MPV innit?

@Canyonman and Saxonrider. Hyundai and Fiat? Really? One qualifies as wierd and and the other Italian… The A4 is also a bit big for a second car though I suppose we could downsize and make it our primary…

Thanks everyone for your input. In one day/night, I think we’ve chosen Mrs Boblo’s new motah 🙂

Keep em coming though please (but nothing wierd 🙂 )

Any of the VAG products should be good. They are pretty much the same underneath just with different materials and refinement in the cabins and probably different suspension set ups. The VAG have mangaed to get their powertrains cheaply and efficently across the whole line up from Audi to Seat. The Golf alone is the best selling car in Europe. They are a force to be reckoned with.

Normaly aspirated engines are harder to come by now due to the fact a big capacity is required for power. This means low fuel economy, poor C02 emissions and high tax. I believe the VAG TSI engines are turbo charged and super charged to allow even smaller capactity and reduce turbo lag.

I had an 04 plate Civic type R. Now that was a piece of engineering, did never and probably will never skip a beat. Best 6 speed box I have used day to day. Honda’s sales and servicing was also excellent. I remember taking it out for a test drive and spanking the thing pretty hard, as one has to, expecting to receive a ticking off from the salesman beside me, for him only to say how refreshing it was to see someone drive the car properly!!

When I picked the (used) car up from the dealership, they gave me a bottle of Champagne to boot. Unfortunately the fuel economy was the cars demise in the end, damm glad I sold it when I did.

Bought a used Golf GTTDI, 170 bhp diesel. Great car, awesome comfort, good mid range and returns 42mpgs average. Impressed with the build quality so far, nothing has broken. A Golf will aways hold its value too. Test drove a very similar A3, but the quattro, was expecting great things but it was uninspiring and more money.

For the record Ford diesel engines are designed in partnership with PSA, Peugeot Citreon group. On the whole they are well respected, may have just been unlucky. Doesn’t help I know!

The 1.8 Civic are fine cars, although a little noisy. When we were looking for cars last year we drove quite a few but MrsG preferred the MKVIII 2.4 accord auto (not everyone’s choice since it’s a bit thirsty but it’s only done 6-7k in a year. Like the normally aspirated 1.8’s it’s got a great reputation for reliability. Feels extremely well built too.

Buy her an auto.

Buy her a bike more like (or a bus ticket) 🙂

In principle the 2.0l TDCI Focus is a peach. Good handling, plenty of power, cheap and mid 50’s mpg…. Shame all the diesel economy savings are being offset by the high maintenance costs. I may well have been unlucky but that doesn’t help stp the wince when yet another repair bill rears its head. I’ve had enough, time to change.

boblo you can have certain elements that create this problem removed…….google

(No not your wife- the DPF etc issue!)

mate got one of these….

Skoda Yeti, its lovely, inside is a little bit dull looking though.

OP, are you definitely sure the latest clutch wear isn’t down to your wifes driving style?

It just seems to be too much of a coincidence that 20k on. DMF failing THAT regularly? Hmmmmm

Does she ride the clutch? Drive with odd footwear? Get her to wear gym or ballet-style pumps for driving. Does she cover the clutch pedal even when making progress?

Is the clutch pedal to high for her (does she have?) small feet? hence she tends to rest it on there?

Is the DMF showing signs of failing again?

I just think its odd thats all. To change to another car and potentially repeat- with all the associated costs etc. After all, I think the 2.0TDCI is a better car than a Yeti IMO.

Why not Skoda? Get past the badge and they are very good indeed. Skoda Superb (crap name) is actually superb and VW quality or better. Anyway, that’s too big for you so how about the Skoda yeti? Get a decent spec

Well an Octavia would be appropriate, though I bought a Roomster for it’s flexibility – more appropriate for me than a Yeti though maybe I’ll get one of those next time. Skoda’s are my brand of choice these days taking over from Ford. I have an aversion to brands with snob value though.

i bought a Honda civic last month, got the 2.2cdti as i wanted the mpg.

Positives:- Looks good, excellent layout on the dash, great rear seats that fold up fitting a bike in perfectly. Great mpg (avg 63 on a 220 mile round trip). Rear visibility not too bad.

Negatives:- Ride not as good as my old audi a4. doesn’t feel as solid either, supposed issues with clutches so may not be the best choice.

Antony

@Hora I’m really not sure as I don’t drive with her all the time. The only thing I can say, is this is the first car we’ve had an issue like this with and I’m not aware of her (or me) changing style/shoes etc.

Not sure about the DMF but the clutch is slipping again. Top gear, 70mph, boot down = more revs (rapidly) and no more speed 🙁

‘Usually’ when they cry ‘clutch’ they add all the other bobbins in as well which means £££’s. BTW, I’m NOT buying a Yeti… She’d want a balaclava and new Ray Bans to avoid being recognised in that (wierd looking not cos it’s a Skoda)

The current choices are: Petrol Civic, Petrol Golf, something else I haven’t thought of/seen yet.

Just noticed this.. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1098538&mid=70159&nmt=Please+help+Warranty+Claim+trouble+with+Honda%21

offset by the high maintenance costs

I wouldn’t call that maintenance costs. It’s not like you’re meant to replace the clutch every 20k miles. Reliability is more of a lottery than high maintenance. You might be lucky and be trouble free, or unlucky like you.

I’d suspect some kind of alignment issue in that particular car, to be honest.

PS petrol cars also have clutches 🙂

molgrips – Member
I’d suspect some kind of alignment issue in that particular car, to be honest.

PS petrol cars also have clutches

Or his wife is either riding the clutch at traffic lights or using gears which are too high and labouring the engine (might explain the DMF failures too). Just a thought.

Possibly.. driving around at ultra low revs might not cause an issue in a petrol car.. then again you’d not be going anywhere and boblo would surely comment on it if she drove like that.

Seriously – a Nissan Qashqai because:

Its built in Sunderland.
Is a really good size bang in the middle between: small car / big estate / 4wd.
Its cheap which means you can get the one with built in satnav and cruise control etc.
I’ve got one and its ace.
It’s the most popular car in the uk for these reasons.

Or his wife is either riding the clutch at traffic lights or using gears which are too high and labouring the engine (might explain the DMF failures too). Just a thought.

+1 plus some cars you can get away with it some will suffer more, quicker. You can ride/kill a clutch <1 day and you can gradually wear one down over many many thousands of miles. You can be somewhere inbetween. Early morning/cold starts- I’ve ridden my clutch a few times when tired for instance.

OP – just get a DSG Golf.

It’s the most popular car in the uk for these reasons.

Where do you get that from? I think just into top 10. Fiest and Focus are top the selling cars.

Test drove a very similar A3, but the quattro, was expecting great things but it was uninspiring and more money.

I have an a3 quattro.

drives just like a golf until you turn off the traction control…

So when i say most popular i meant to say 9nth most popular but only because the people buying the top 8 have no imagination.

http://www.motoringspy.co.uk/1087/top-10-best-selling-uk-cars-aug-2011/

Fiesta is a good car, feels cheap in some parts but I was pleasantly surprised. I bet it isn’t far off the interior space of a mk1 focus either.

Its well overpriced though.

So when i say most popular i meant to say 9nth most popular but only because the people buying the top 8 have no imagination.

Ha ha…well possibly no-one buying a popular car is using much imagination?!

Oi! Stop arguing at the back… 🙂 This threads about my dotty wife and her bad clutch habits… 🙂

I hear all the calls that it must be the operator, it’s just a bit wierd that the operator (same types of shoes, same legs, same technique etc) hasn’t had any issues in the past.

I hadn’t thought of too high a gear. She doesn’t drive around in top like a minicab driver but I don’t know just how marginal the clutch is in our fire breathing Focus… Might be a relatively torquey engine mated to a bit too much high gear work, I dunno.

I think that reference to the Nonda clutch issue was the 2.2 diesel? High torque engine again?

Anyway, I’m almost mated to a 1.8 vtec, just haggling over the last few £££’s. 🙂

If it’s your first diesel it could be the torque thing, if she’s plonking her foot down habitually whilst at low revs all the time. I’ve driven with quite a few people who did this.

Dunno Moly, we’ve had diesel donkey’s for ~25 years (and loads of petrols in that time). None with a clutch issue… I had a 2.5 Omega from new to 140k miles … nada a 2.5 v6 passat to 100k same etc etc…

I don’t ‘get it’… I’m just putting it down to experience.

Then I go back to my original idea of an alignment issue or some other fundamental thing with that particular car.

I’ve given up on the ‘why me?!’ sobbing and moaning and reverted to solving the issue with the application of cash 🙂

For anyone interested (Guys? GUYS? 🙂 ), I’ll share our post negotiation findings about the Civic (assuming we get that far). Is this the first car bought by STW consensus?

Good choice. Hope you like it. If you get it from Honda I reckon you will get good sales service and a good product.

The Ford shouldn’t have given you so many issue’s even if your wife isn’t the best driver. Durability testing should take account of poor technique and a lot more so the thing is robust.

Over on the Honda Forum as of today. Petrol faults forum 197 messages, Diesel faults Forum 3755 replies (clutches, turbo’s, DPF, DMF). A 1.8 Civic seems very sensible to me.

1.8 vtec

Nice car. 🙂

Update for anyone interested…

April ’11 Nonda Civic 1.8 vtec SE with ~7k on…. Now part of the Boblo stable for £7k and a wonky Focus. I’m a happy bunny and Mrs Boblo will hopefull shower me with sexual favours to show her grattitude 🙂

Thanks everyone for their input, makes a nice change from arguing about coffee makers 🙂

Earlier this week, Whatcar Magazine announced the 2012 Best Small Family Car of the year, as the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Match

http://www.whatcar.com/awards/small-family-cars/volkswagen-golf-award-winner.html

The Golf seems to fit the OP’s requirements. 122bhp, less than £20K and they also do the DSG gearboxes. That might save your clutch!

Volkswagen also won the 2012 Whatcar Car of the Year Award for the Volkswagen Up. Although I suspect you wouldn’t get a mountain bike in one of those!