Honda – well built, reliable, and reasonably priced servicing.

no one makes a bad car.
opinions are based on heresay and one off experiences.

you see just as many german cars at the side of the road with the bonnet up as you do french, japanese and any other nationality or make.

one person can say "ive never had a problem with my beemer, but my renault was always in the garage" and the next (a colleague of mine) "would never buy another german car, had a beemer, a VW and an audi and had nothing but grief off all of them, never had to touch my c5 and its on well over 200k"

FWIW IMO, french cars are the coolest, summer in paris says so. german cars are dull and driven by berks. the new renaults are loooverly and pretty, and an HDi drives 100x better than a TDi or a JTD.

but of course thats my opinion and not based on anything (apart from personal comparison of the three engine types)

Has edukator taken his meds today then?

FWIW IMO, french cars are the coolest, summer in paris says so. german cars are dull and driven by berks. the new renaults are loooverly and pretty, and an HDi drives 100x better than a TDi or a JTD.

Until they hit their 3rd birthday 😉

The idea that French cars being flimsy/unreliable comes not only from past experience, but also because they tend to do very badly in reliablity/satisfaction surveys, while Japanese cars tend to do very well.

Obviously, there are many, many owners of French cars out there that never have a major problem with their car while they own it. However, statistically, you are more likely to have a trouble free experience with a Japanese car. Ask any mechanic.

I think anyone wanting to argue that French cars are as reliable as anything else is either i) trying to justify their purchase, or ii)not capable of looking beyond their personal experience. Same as Skoda owners really. Skoda are good value, moderately built cars with average performance. Nothing special at all, but the owners are so paranoid about the status of the badge (a Skoda is still a Skoda to alot of people) that they have to constantly justify them.

I however prefer petrol cars

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

😯

But seriously, as for French cars – I sat round a table with about 5 peugot owners and all but one had had major fundamental problems with their cars. Like, suddenly cutting out on the motorway, that kind of thing.

As for which car to buy – make up a random short list based on whim and a few things you consider important (fuel economy, bike space etc) and then test drive that list. Don't go mental.. there are no bad cars any more so there's not much point in trying to find the best possible place for your cash out of every motor out there.

I like my Passat, but I've never driven a Mondeo or Avensis or any other car in that class for that matter. But who cares, I get in my car I smile. If I've never driven any of those other cars then I don't care about them 🙂

(goes back through memory). Nope I've only ever owned one French (no Italian) car. That was a Dyane6 😀

PS You can get a fully kitted out 56 plate Prius for £6k ish I believe, might be worth a look 🙂 Not sporty, but nice to drive and own.

I used to have VWs – an old square shape Passat was a fave, and had a few Golfs. But VW are a bit too up-market for my taste now – just a little bit too poncy and not that nice utilitarian quality they used to have. They have another brand that sits in that place now – Skoda. +1 for Oktavias.

Only drawback with driving a Skoda is people automatically attempt to overtake you, regardless of how fast you're going. My wife calls it Skoda rage.

Only drawback with driving a Skoda is people automatically attempt to overtake you, regardless of how fast you're going. My wife calls it Skoda rage.

The same people that will ask you at a party what you drive (so they can 'assume' how good/successful/worth knowing etc).

Such drivers/people arent worth bothering with.

Only drawback with driving a Skoda is people automatically attempt to overtake you, regardless of how fast you're going. My wife calls it Skoda rage.

Interesting – we have recently fitted a roof rack to our Mazda 3 and I see exactly the same mentality from other drivers that wasn't there before it was fitted.

Only drawback with driving a Skoda is people automatically attempt to overtake you, regardless of how fast you're going. My wife calls it Skoda rage.

Had the exact same experience in my girlfriend's old Citroen ZX. People would still tailgate like hell through 30mph limits. Disappeared as soon as I was out of them, as a ZX is quicker than it looks…

It is interesting (in an annoying way!) – there's a whole subconscious web of judgement going on when it comes to cars. To be fair it is the same process which gives me a certain reaction when I see a 4×4, or worst of all a BMW 4×4!

With the Oktavia I have literally been forced to jink my car and flash the brake lights to stop cars attempting to pass into oncoming traffic.

Probably goes for bikes too I guess!

Pugeote 206/7 SW,

Great car as long as you;
– dont like going round corners (trackign needed re-doing every few hundred miles)
– are not epileptic, the dashboard will be permentanly flashing a warning at you telling you to go and spend another £400 at the garrage.

Apart from that, french cars are exceptionaly well build IME. Ohh apart from the ex's 206, none of the interior electrics worked on that, and every other pugeote I've sat in where the interior comes off in clumps.

we have recently fitted a roof rack to our Mazda 3 and I see exactly the same mentality from other drivers that wasn't there before it was fitted

Put a pair of muddy bikes up to and that's make the situation even worse 😉

Put a pair of muddy bikes up to and that's make the situation even worse

I wish – full of baby things and no time to ride 🙁

At the weekend we were waiting to turn left onto a main road at a crossroads. From our right a car was indicating right and almost stopped so we pulled out as the cars behind couldn't proceed. As soon as the car had turned, the car that had slowed behind it speeded up as quickly as possible then overtook us as we were accelerating to traffic speed, swerving in right in front of our car then had nowhere to go as we were in a queue of traffic.

I have no idea if he would have done the same thing had the roof box not been fitted, but it is indicative of the type of behaviour we seem to see more now.

I would recommend that you don't worry about mileage and age. Instead, you should go for a 10 year old Nissan Primera. The GT model handles really well, has a good engine, is extremely reliable and last for ages. These cars run as Taxis and you see them still going strong living a hard life. It comfortably takes bikes in the back. I have one of these and I can get over 40mpg out of it with careful driving. Not bad for a 2litre 150bhp car.

As it happens, I have mine for sale as we're going to cut to a 1 car household with a baby nearly here…
🙂

just a little bit too poncy and not that nice utilitarian quality they used to have. They have another brand that sits in that place now – Skoda

Heh.. that's exactly why I don't like Skodas.. interiors to grim.. 🙂

Tinas – Exceptional build quality apart from all the shocking things that go wrong.. I think a lot of cars fall into that category!

Each to their own eh? I like the "honesty" of nice quality mouldings with minimal fuss. Can't see how the addition of a little fake chrome strip here or plastic wood there makes the interior more acceptable. Mind you I do like a utilitarian car – to my mind virtually all cars have been quiet and comfortable enough for at least ten years.

traildog – Member

I would recommend that you don't worry about mileage and age. Instead, you should go for a 10 year old Nissan Primera. The GT model handles really well, has a good engine, is extremely reliable and last for ages. These cars run as Taxis and you see them still going strong living a hard life. It comfortably takes bikes in the back. I have one of these and I can get over 40mpg out of it with careful driving. Not bad for a 2litre 150bhp car.

As it happens, I have mine for sale as we're going to cut to a 1 car household with a baby nearly here…

Traildog- mail in profile please

Can't see how the addition of a little fake chrome strip here or plastic wood there makes the interior more acceptable.

I can. Not JUST a bit of fakery tho, but nicely designed, nice lighting and whatnot. Too much smooth bland grey in my mate's Skoda for my liking.

Mind you I do like a utilitarian car

A van, you mean? 😉

Mine is way scruffier than the typical builder's van.