MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Open to suggestions.
Mrs Jay is a district nurse, she does about 7k miles a year, but it's pretty much all 1-2 mile trips, 8-14 a day. It's not great on Cars and a diesel would be a disaster. Occasionally she might drive 30 miles to her Sisters and back, but for the most part it's 'work only' as we go everywhere together in my car.
£5k Max, used of course - but ideally less than 3 years, 60k miles.
Must haves:
Decent sized boot, no smaller than the last shape Astra (which she has). Can't be an estate and has to be completely closed to anyone walking by.
Petrol.
Not massive. - Golf / Astra / Focus sized, unless there's a smaller car out there with a bigger boot.
Totally reliable, as as close as possible. Economical around town.
Nice to haves would be Auto and reversing sensors.
I'm clueless, but without at least an option of what to suggest for what we have in savings, she'll be off to the dealer for something brand new on the never-never and I don't want any more debt at the moment.
Links to actual cars for sale would be great.
1.0 ecoboost Fiesta?
Brown Macan?
Golf / Astra / Focus sized
hora - Member1.0 ecoboost Fiesta?
🙄
Honda Civic should be high in the reliability stakes
Not massive. - Golf / Astra / Focus sized
1.0 ecoboost Fiesta?
Absolutely awesome.
Civic
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RX-7?
When somebody doesn't know what car they want or need, invariably the answer is always a Golf.
Sorry for me the Fiesta ticks 90% of what she needs.
What she wants though is known only to the Gods.
Sorry for me the Fiesta ticks 90% of what she needs.
Boot space?
Focus would be better I'd have thought. The new ones are lovely.
Fiesta might be okay, I'd have to check the boot. I like the idea of them. Golf's are great, but you don't get much for your money these days.
Biggest issue there is that for a given space my Mrs will start by thinking of every item in the know universe, then start subtracting until it fits in that space, you should see the crap I have to haul on holiday! So if it's 1cc smaller than her Astra it'll be completely unusable, even if everything she actually needs would fit. I'm sure she doesn't need 4 boxes of gloves, but at least it's handy for working on my bike.
A tadge of boot space off but for the package it's great. Long distance making progress, nimble, easy to place. Economical.
As with my car, percentage wise how many of the seats and boot do you use most of the time?
Very little I bet.
Skoda Fastback?
Boot is full, 100% of the time - she has to carry pretty much the same dressings and equipment Nurses use on wards - larger stuff gets delivered but the rest we carries.
Back seats almost never, at most, most of the time she's alone or with our 2 year old, maybe 1-2 times a week with both kids - 1-2 times a year we all go in her car.
The Fiesta is a VERY highly rated car. That is all.
Splitfold seats - why not hire one for the weekend?
Mark Ford salesman 😆
Can't drop the seats for more storage - it all has to be out of sight and secure.
Clio williams
Japanese or Korean .
All petrol. 1.3 to 1.6 litre engine. Get 5 doors if possible.
If you buy an automatic change gear box immediately regardless.
Toyota automatic - Auris, Yaris, Corolla. (plenty of automatic around)
Honda Civic automatic if you can find one.
Mazda 2 or 3. (not sure if they do automatic)
Hyundai i10 or i20 (not sure if they do automatic)
Focus would be better than a Fiesta in every way (except marginal ease of parking), without reducing boot space, which is one of the few specific criteria the OP specified :wink:.
Fabia Estate, 1.2 Tsi elegance.
Wow, that seems less sensible than Hora's suggestion, or the RX-7.If you buy an automatic change gear box immediately regardless.
tthew - Member
If you buy an automatic change gear box immediately regardless.
Wow, that seems less sensible than Hora's suggestion, or the RX-7.
POSTED 1 MINUTE AGO #
RX7 was a joke I expect. Unlike a the 1.0 fiesta suggestion ...
Focus or golf fit the bill
nissan note and honda jazz both have large boots for the size of car (~400l which is the same/bigger than an astra) - however the boots tend to be taller (thus smaller floorprint) than cars the class up. would probably be worth a look though - as they tick all your other boxes. The Jazz is available as a cvt hybrid, which suits in-town driving well, the note has (from memory) slidey back seats to make the boot bigger/smaller
Jazz is a good call as it has hondas magic seats in the back too i think.
Not sure a particularly economical Civic petrol exists although it does have a superb sized boot. Very nice cars though.
Staying with honda, maybe even an Insight?
How about the Ford B-Max? Based on the Fiesta platform, but mini-MPV format, it's an excellent car, has all the handling charm of the Fiesta, but much more room in the back, and it has sliding doors in the back, like a van, allowing full access to the interior without having the doors obstructing the road or footpath, and also has the big fifth door in the back.
I've found several just over your budget:
http://www.parkers.co.uk/ford/b-max/estate-2012/for-sale/
Drove one from Westbury to Bridgwater along the winding roads around Chew and Blagdon lakes, and it was a delight to drive, really enjoyable.
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Mazda 3. Mrs muz loves hers and cheaper than a focus.
The bmax is a very good suggestion but not sure you'll get one for £5k as they only came out a few years ago
The sliding door is great, and there is no pillar just a single large opening when you have the front door open as well. Super practical for sprogs.
The boot is pretty big, definitely more than a fiesta even though that's what it is based on.
We opted for a cmax though because of the rear seats having more options folding etc and a bit more leg room inside. Both great cars.
If you'd compromise on the 3 year aspect, you can get a nice BMW 1 series for £5k.
[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201609147764799?atmobcid=soc3 ][/url]
Honda Civic, Toyota Auris or Kia Cee'd would be worth a look. Although I suspect your age/mileage & budget requirements will be a squeeze....