Looking at a new car to replace our 55 plate zafira SRI. Its been great for space but it keeps breaking, its expensive for tyres, diesel consumption for our 8k per year, tax and insurance.

Thinking of a new smaller car in a petrol.

1 x 13 month old daughter, rarely go away but will have the odd camping trip in the summer – will leave the springer spaniel at home from now on though as he is getting on a bit.

Dog walks we will do with our old honda civic we have, thats my biking car but he may occasionaly go in the boot of the note behind a grate.

So a Note – is it big enough for the daily trip to the childminders – wife and daughter. Family shopping trips and the odd walk out at weekends?

Possibility of a new baby in next few years but that would be the end of those, no plans for more than 2.

i’ve got one, i’d say it was big enough, yu can push the rear seats right back to give you loads of leg room, does cut down on boot space though and vice versa, i do have a tow bar and bike rack though so any biking trip leaves loads of room for kit and people etc

i have an acenta R amd it is well specked, inc rear picnic tables!

No, but I had quite a long drive in someone’s petrol Meriva (the new one) the other day, and it was very nice. It might be a bit bigger than a Note, but not much, same sort of vehicle though. Deceptively big boot.

Really want to avoid another Vauxhall if at all possible – it hasnt been the best of experiences. EGR, Dual Mass Flywheel, 3 Alternators, eats the 18″ tyres, broken wiring to rear doors meaning no rear leccy windows and radio, no spare wheel but thats just irritating and worrying especially when the built in compressor is also broken and its only got 65k on it.

That doesn’t sound too good. Honda Jazz is the only other one I can think of that’s a similar sort of thing, although that may be a little smaller than a Note.

Father in law has had loads on Nissan family lease scheme. I’ve always thought they were a cracking little car.

horrible car IMO, I had one as a courtesy car a couple of months ago while my car was being serviced, tiny inside, ride was uncomfortable, tinny.

It’ll be night & day compared to your Zafira, but it’ll do what you want it to do.

Can you book a test drive? I had a 24 hour test drive from Nissan before I ordered our car.

you can’t compare the note to a zafira, zafira is a 7 seater minibus!

The zafira is great for piling stuff in and its got plenty of power but its just too expensive to run at the moment and im thinking something slightly smaller but more efficient.

Our diesel Note’s getting 62 mpg overall at the moment if that helps. Room for two bikes with the front wheel off (just) in the back. Ride and power ok, nothing great, but some decent gadgets with anything other than the basic spec.

Can I point and laugh at you if I see you parking in Sainsbury’s?

Nissan Note. Is this really the best option. There’s a whole world of cars out there. Nissan. Really? Nissan Note. Surely note!!!!!!!!! Bloody hell there must be something better for the money.

The Note is the same car as the Renault Modus.

If you want to save money doing 8k a year, move to a cheaper petrol car. You generally need to be doing serious miles to make back the diesel purchase premium and there’s a lot of complicated bits to go wrong. Your biggest cost at the moment will be depreciation.

Or just run one car. If you literally just run one car for trips to the tip, biking and putting the dog in… Will be costing you north of a grand a year just in standing costs.

I bet a Jazz has more room inside than a Note. They are fantastically designed inside. And they don’t have sill big wheels in a pretend SUV style thing.

You generally need to be doing serious miles to make back the diesel purchase premium and there’s a lot of complicated bits to go wrong.

You generally don’t as that was harking back to when diesel had to be serviced more often, they didn’t do that many more miles and weren’t particularly reliable. Now the service schedules are the same, they get ridiculous miles to the gallon and are very reliable.

Plus if you are buying second hand I don’t think the initial outlay thing stacks up either. If you are spending ten grand then you are spending ten grand. Your diesel car might be two years old instead of one but that’s not a big deal if you are going to keep it for a while.

The short trip vs long trip thing is important though. And it has to be said there is a risk of an expensive component failure but I reckon it’s pretty low.

Diesel cars cost more to begin with and if buying second hand to avoid the initial cost you need to factor in high costs for parts. My BMW diesel injectors went and BMW wanted £450 odd each, there were six of them! I’ve now got a 1.8 merc petrol and if driven sensibly the petrol consumption is extremely resonable. I will never buy diesel again .

The last petrol I had as mahesh car the injectors went on it, it cost me £1200 that was 15 years ago. So your point is?

Quite obvious really, diesel parts are much more expensive than petrol.

Thanks for feedback all, Ended up looking at note after looking at the qashqai I thought the note will be a cheaper all round car but still useable for family duty.

Others Ive though we’re golf tfsi but prob too small or Octavia estate but I reckon resell woul be poor as most people want diesel estates.

I have a friend and family code for Nissan discount.

Is a Note really bigger than a Golf or does it just look bigger?

Personally I’d say get the Honda Jazz. At least it doesn’t have anything French on it. Its indifferent to drive and the Jazz does it better.

I think the Jazz is an amazing car. I’d almost certainly have one if there was a diesel.

Is the Jazz not smaller than a note? It looks it.

I would imagine not.. the Jazz is deceptively big.

It’s worth getting a Jazz for the flip up rear seat alone.

I really like the look of the newshape Jazz. Its not ungainly looking anymore. Really nice.

Octavia estate 1.4 TSI SE very good value on buyacar.

Well nailed together too.

Mind you, how long will it take to make a saving on your outlay as you’re only doing 8k a year. Better off stick with the Vauxhall.

However if you’re doing so few miles a year and you do buy, a diesel won’t make sense.

Its getting too unreliable mikertroid – the wife was left stranded with the baby when the latest alternator died – no battery light came on – she just came away from shop to find the car totally dead.

However ive just discovered a fabia estate 1.2 TSI SE 105 is the same price as a note.

8k a year? I wouldn’t touch a diesel. I’d get a small capacity petrol.

Those small VAG estates are great I reckon.

Btw there is also a Jazz hybrid. You won’t like the cost but it’s a nice car and 60mpg.

Is a Note really bigger than a Golf or does it just look bigger?

We have a Golf and my father has a Note. IMO the Golf carries more kit and in much more comfort. I found the Note terrible to drive, very noisy and tinny. Also the brakes were shocking for a newish car. I wouldn’t touch a Note with a bargepole.

EDIT – my father is 70, this image will come with the Note, don’t forget the tartan rug!!

My brother in law had a Fabia 1.2 estate and drove it into the ground 120k in 3 years, 2 kids and it was a great little car. No major issues and easy to fuel.

Golf too small? I get lost at this as I’ve had one for about 6 years now, it they’ve been used for carrying a baby with toddler and all their gear on days out and holidays. There’s more than enough room.

Quite obvious really, diesel parts are much more expensive than petrol.

are or can be. It only really comes into if things wrong anyway.

for 8k a year diesel is a mental choice.

unless all 8k are done on the motorway.

if tootling round town with the kids is your cars primary function then a petrol will serve your needs much better.

diesels do not like that type of driving.

Golf s 1.2 TSI 105 £18k
Fabia Estate Se + 1.2 TSI 105 £14k

With my days of being a brand snob numbered i think i’d take the Fabia

Bear in mind that if you start going for VAG TFSI petrol engines they are pretty complicated too. And not that cheap either afaik,

Golf residuals good. However, the octavia is unbeatable for size and value.

We looked at the Note as a small run around, and decided it was too big – ended up with a Fabia. Also, the interior quality felt a bit low rent after looking at Fabias, Ibizas, 207s, Clios and on and on and on…

We were really impressed by the Roomster, though again, a bit bigger than we needed, but great versatility as a family/bike transporter for a small car. Plus, you can’t actually see how ugly it is from the inside! High roofline impacts a bit on fuel consumption/tax though.

peugeot partner tepee urban spec 1.4 VTI 95bhp

12795 OTR.

bargain , good size – basic , cheap to service and proven cheap to fix for me. – i have the older 1.0d van version(with 68bhp so dont think the above will be slow) with 70k on the clock now.

Golf s 1.2 TSI 105 £18k
Fabia Estate Se + 1.2 TSI 105 £14k

There is no way I’d spend 14grand on a Fabia. The name for a start.

Then there are its looks.

At least the new Polo is better to look at.

For that money there are better IMO.