Go to one of the car warehouse places to have a look at lots of things and see what you like. Sounds like you are looking at Mondeo/ Vectra size cars. Obvious things to look at would be those two plus Mazda 6 (Mondeo based), Octavia, Legacy/ Forrester, Laguna, C5. Also Passat and V70 (though no 5dr options I don't think). Bigger cars tend to have better build quality than small ones so less to choose between "basic" and "premium" manufacturers. A4s and 3 series are quite small relative to the above; 5 series or A6 is a better comparison.
As an aside, have you considered an estate? Probably better than a hatch for biking and dogs and there doesn't seem to be a downside apart from a few hundred quid more (but money well spent IMO). I got a Focus estate five years ago and wouldn't consider a hatch or saloon again, just so much more space and flexibility.
If you're going for a car that size IMO a 130/140 brake TDi would be the minimum; anything less would feel a bit gutless. They are big, and so heavy cars and take a lot to get them moving and a bigger engine will make for a more relaxing drive.
Finally have a look at honest john website for specs and issues, seems to be a good, unbiased source of info.
Oh, and Edukator, go and have a look at the forum guidelines and see what it says about "negative use of the forum", and then have a good hard look at your posts.
I agree with Edukator. Ban everyone that posts on threads about cars.
bikes,kids,dogs what you need is vw touran 2.0 tdi job done
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[/b]I'm not the one posting a car thread on a bike forum.
Edukator - MemberI push it outside when it rains and brush the glass bits.
Edukator - MemberDab the brakes a couple of times with the throttle open and you lose the brake servo. Virtually no brakes, no key, no clutch and a locked box - you're stuffed. Attempting to spin the thing using the handbrake or pendulum is all I can come up with.
Edukator - MemberFrom the linked report the only way the driver could have avoided a controlled or uncontrolled carsh would have been to hold the start button down for more than three seconds. I didn't know you could stop a car with card/button ignition by holding the button down for three seconds before reading the report - how many of you did?
Edukator - MemberBecause it won't let you lock the wheels which you'd have to do to stall the engine. If you try to decelerate faster than the sytem is programmed to accept it kicks in and modulates the Brakes. Old autos could be shifted to neutral but now they have fuel-saving lockouts I very much doubt you can at speed.
I was surprised that someone said that is you brake in a Passat it automatically cuts throttle. I've been able to left-foot brake in every FWD car I've ever driven with no effect on power.
Edukator - MemberLupo or C1
Edukator - MemberWinter tyres will allow your humble FWD hatch to cruise past 4x4s on summer tyres for somewhat less cash. It'll stop and steer better too.
Edukator - MemberI had to drive a landy for work and it was quite the worst vehicle I've ever used on snowy roads. 4X4 doesn't improve braking a jot, and the combination of stiff suspension and unsuitable tyres made it a liability.
Edukator - MemberHow would the gearbox help? The best way of stopping on soft snow is to lock all the wheels and if there's enough space put the vehicle sideways. Even ABS is a handicap (but pulling a lead off any of the sensors has disabled it on the cars I've owned).
Edukator - MemberThe only way to stop in really slippy conditions is to keep the wheels turning fractionally slower than you are moving
On mud maybe but on ice your best options are locked or limit of adhesion with the brakes. Once you've got any kind of slip angle at all you have much the same resitance as locked so wehlls moving at slightly less than road speed won't do better than locked. Unless you have 3 x LSDs what happens is some of the wheels turn at road speed whilst others spin uselessly at varying speeds - you have the braking force of the wheel with the least grip rather than the wheel with the most grip. LSDs improve matter but you're still better off dosing the foot brake. You can feel for the limit of adhesion with the brakes but you can't with engine braking.
Edukator - MemberOn the sideways point: Just putting the vehicle slightly out of line gets you four wheels attacking fresh snow rather than two rears following on snow compacted by the front wheels. Sidewalls offer a squarer edge which ploughs snow better and offers more resistance when really sideways.
"Clutch down and steer" are words to remember when you think all is lost.
That's the way I roll on a Saturday night. I love my crazy social life.
edukator, having seen your contribution to another thread, a few minor points cars are a nuisance, but due to the world we live in there isn't a lot of option. i would much rather travel by train than drive, but many of the places work asks i goto can not be reached by public transport. and yes you will get stuck in traffic jams, yes there will be pollution, yes cars do break and need to be fixed but all i ask of a car is that it gets me from a to b in the most relaxed manner. i do not want to be constantly changing gear, i do not want to have back ache from some badly designed seat and control layout, i do not want to spend my time wondering what is in my blind spot, As i said earlier i found the mondeo a nice place to be and the insignia was not.
Finally this is not a bike forum, this is a chat forum, for non bike related topics.
A 911, you know what people assume about men sitting in 911s don't you? Quite apart from the obvious fact they are posers.
A 911? I mean why? To prove you are the kind of real man that can master a fundamentally flawed design that is a sales succes in spite of it's qualities rather than because of them? (but proably can't). It's totally useless unless you have private track as getting anywhere near its limits on the road will soon result in a big bill and/or the loss of your licence. A 911 is all about image and you must be pretty thick skinned to not realise what people are thinking.
I ran an 06 Vectra SRI 2.2 auto petrol for 2 years and 70k as a company car.
30-33mpg average (usually going v.quick as on a fuel card), servicing was less than £150 per 20k, not so bad on tyres/brakes etc.
Good size, and plenty of room for passengers and luggage.
Handled well, no really it did.
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Why thank you Barry, so kind of you provide posts that indicate I really do know what I'm talking about if/when I chose to. I could indeed spend every saturday night correcting all the inaccurate stuff posted on this forum realating to cars.
A 911, you know what people assume about men sitting in 911s don't you? Quite apart from the obvious fact they are posers.A 911? I mean why? To prove you are the kind of real man that can master a fundamentally flawed design that is a sales succes in spite of it's qualities rather than because of them? (but proably can't). It's totally useless unless you have private track as getting anywhere near its limits on the road will soon result in a big bill and/or the loss of your licence. A 911 is all about image and you must be pretty thick skinned to not realise what people are thinking.
Half are thinking "what a c0ck" the other half are thinking "man thats nice". Quite often the half that appreciate it are quite keen to have a look and a chat which is nice. The first half i actually don't care about which means I must be thick skinned. I don;t defend it because i don;t feel the need to. I can afford to own cars like that, but if you actually knew me you'd know that i really don;t care and enjoy driving my diesel van almost as much. But then, having a private track i can access means I can drive the 911 as often as I like in a controlled environment. I always console myself with the fact that the half that hate it are the half that will never take enough risks in life to make enough dough to enjoy things like that and will plod along in their boring lives moaning about people posting inaccurate information on internet forums while one hand surfing alone on a Saturday night. I've enjoyed this as it has livened up what would otherwise be a very dull Sunday morning conference call and I had such a fantastic training ride first thing I am now off to fire up the BBQ with a group of mates before we sit in the sun and enjoy some football with a couple of beers. Best of luck, enjoy your evening.
and Edukator I know you want to so you can have a look at it on one of the other car threads posted a few days back about a F430. I mean, you are a car guru so you'll be interested to see what a 96 993 Targa looks like.
I am on my 2nd Octavia vRS hatch. I foolishly sold my first one (bought it in 2003 before most folk knew about them), had a short love affair with a MK2 MR2 and guess what I missed the Octavia so got another. Absolutely great cars the boot is 'kin huge, it is v reliable, in tdi form they are economical, there is plenty of space inside mine came with all the gizmos as standard (bar cruise cost me £120 to get it fitted)mine is 8 years old and still feels like a new car. If I ever replace it, it will deffo be another Octavia.
My old grandad used to say:
"If you've something to say,say something.If you've nowt to say,say nowt.But don't say something about nowt!"
A wise piece of advice that a poster on here could heed....
Is there any way that I can block certain members' posts from appearing on my screen??its getting boring now 🙄
who cares that the op has asked advice about cars on a bike forum.....edukator why dont you go and play on bikeradar or sdh?
FWIW.........
We have owned a Renault Laguna for 4 yrs 1.8 petrol....superb, only needed tyres, brake pads, cam belt. Otherwise great.
Bought a Renault Megane (big bum model) again excellent for the 18 months we had it .
Wife has now got a Renault Scenic.... 2 yrs so far ....no faults 1.6 petrol.
My last car was an Alfa 156 1.8TS.....high mileage with no major probs only wear and tear....brakes etc. Did need a starter motor though.
I now own a Peugeot 307 1.6 HDi which i really like, 5 door version.Even got a roof rack on top .
My point is don't listen to stereo typing, make your own choice. As you can see from the above list of cars mainly french (oh my god flimsy etc etc) have been great.
Also my Alfa which have/had a terrible reputation was superb.
I second the comment about car supermarkets the choice is much more varied and you can sample a more varied range all under the one roof.
I now own a Peugeot 307 1.6 HDi
Which is the same engine in the Focus and C-Max..
Agree. Its annual services with evidence of the big scheduled services being carried out (these can cost upto £700). If your budget is upto £6k- a big service would normally be coming upto due.
I'd love an Alfa. Really would.
Plain but solid choice would be a Golf di meets all your wants and they are decent cars. Maybe like this.
I have had several golfs over the years and they are good cars and comfy for the mileages you're going to do.
From personal experience the Saab 9-3 and Volvo V50 are very comfortable mileage munchers Saabs have the best seats I've ever sat in.
How about a Seat Altea there quite sporty and well built, my friend has one and so do his parents and inlaws and they have no complaints, the 1.9 TDI is pretty quick, and you may get a good deal on a newer model with trade in.
Genius. Yes.
In Barcelona we were in a 300,000 (MILES) Altea TDI on the way from the centre to the airport. It didnt squeek or rattle either.
I took our old one through a few countries at a fair speed 🙂
You can also dissemble your bike and leave it in the boot unseen overnight.
Is Edukator not getting any lol! Pointless rant-tastic.
Is Edukator not getting any lol! Pointless rant-tastic
He's basically right though. I know a bit about the car I own*, very little first hand about anything else and I suspect most of the stw car "experts" on here are in the same boat.
*1.8 Mondeo, so the smallest available engine in a fairly heavy car. Still don't have to come out of 5th to maintain 70 on any UK motorway hill though.
Barry Bethel - MemberDon't buy a French car, they're flimsy. Get German, they're solid.
Right, that's why my old Pug works happily 7 days a week regardless the conditions with no maintenance required whilst all the new BMW's were abandoned when snow came down.
I posted that in response to this:
What this lot know about cars could be written on the back of psotage stamp yet you post up here. Why? Is it a lack of thought, tact or trolling? There are all sort of places on the Net where people reside that can give you more than "they're German so they're solid" (despite lousy crash test results) or "they're French so they're flimsey" (despite topping crash test tables) or "they're unreliable" because a distant relative didn't replace the cam belt and it broke.
I drive a Renault, and it's ace.
He is basically ranting. The OP asked what else there is and will get the anecdotal views of a cross-section of people in similar situations to him. What else would he get other than opinions? Did he ever say he wanted more than opinions and ideas?
johnners - MemberHe's basically right though. I know a bit about the car I own*, very little first hand about anything else and I suspect most of the stw car "experts" on here are in the same boat.
He may be right, but there's no need to be a complete nobber about it. Coming on to a forum like this and asking a question is not necessarily a bad thing. It's generally populated by decent folk who will express an honest opinion. Read through the posts and people have posted their experiences of the cars they have owned - good and bad. What's the problem with that? TBH, I thought that Edukator was either an angry little twunt teenager who's mum and dad had gone out for the night, or a menopausal man-hater. 😀
FWIW OP, I have no experience of diesel cars but found my old petrol Saab 9000 to be brilliant - I PX'd it (at 300k miles) for a petrol Honda CR-V, so I could easily get my diving gear in the back; I've had it 9 years now and it's starting to get a little long in the tooth. I'm looking at replacing it sometime this year and I'm looking at a Mazda 6 estate diesel.
What else other than opinions and comparisons can you expect when asking about cars? If there was a scientific measure there would be about 5 different types of cars on the roads, only varying in size. As far as I know there is no SI or derived unit of car decency.
I like my Meriva. Ticks most of your boxes.
He may be right, but there's no need to be a complete nobber about it. Coming on to a forum like this and asking a question is not necessarily a bad thing.
True enough, he certainly went off on one a bit! But the OP has had a few opinions (informed or - more usually - not) and we've all had a bit of entertainment, so job done.
Skoda Octavia Vrs hatch.
Quick, decent handling, efficient, comfy, plenty of room, big boot, reliable.
Most family hatches are fairly grim. I had a 406 which was reputed to handle wonderfully for a car of that class, and whilst it would carry a lot of speed, it wasn't engaging to drive at all. Was a good motorway cruiser so long as you weren't in one of the rev ranges that the dashboard resonated at. As for Renault, most Meganes seem to come from the factory looking like they had a cheap accident repair.
If driver enjoyment is a serious issue, I'd go and try a BMW estate. The 2.0D can do its turbo in 50k though.
Twice last night mastilles, and you? I love the speculation and assumptions about my financial status, lack of success in business and life in general, age, lifestyle, politics and agenda. And if I was right... .
All those material things are no substitute for what you crave most NZCol.
You're right.
Does fisting one or two count? 🙂 (anyone prepared to brag clearly *isn't* getting any action). 🙂
Avensis
Funnily I test drove a 2001 1.8 petrol yesterday. full history/1 owner for 1.7k. It was tight, not a squeek and perky. I drove it over the same roads that I'd come in on and I did notice quite abit of under/oversteer compared to mine 😯
Saying that. Theres a reason why taxi drivers buy S/R/W reg Avensis's and run them to potentially stellar mileages.
I'd consider a hatchback Avensis for peanuts. No cambelt on the 1.8 either and its PEANUTS to buy/run with an interior that doesnt look tired.
Im sold. As soon as I sell my Subaru I am buying one.
For your budget i would be looking at the vectra CDTi as you will get a newer one with less miles compared to pretty much anything else. I owned one for a couple of years and they are good family cars/workhorses with a decent mix of power and economy(i averaged 45+mpg) also if you want more power they are very tunable like most modern diesels.
The faults to look out for are - EGR valves, inlet manifold issues, injector #3 fault, DMF's....
HTH
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.