Family car recommendations – not too old (by our standards)

[UltraWomble]

but like most ALL people carriers it's not a looker

FTFY

 

You dont buy a people carrier to pull the birds - that horse has well and truly bolted my friend.

When you drive a people carrier, you say to the world, my loins are fertile and I can not keep my trouser snake in my slacks.

You also say that "I am attached in a very definite way and totally off the radar with regards getting jiggy jiggy with it with the young laydeez"

 

It is a sad fact of life and Im sorry to break it to you.

[the judge]

Skoda superb estate if you can get one. Like a tardis

[taxi paul]

In Poland recently we where chauffeured from the airport by a friendly taxi driver in , I think an Audi A6 estate. You could have stood up and had a dance in the back . Loads of room and rather nippy. Although that me be down to the polish taxi / rally driver.

[garethj]

The Skoda would be marvellous, but so far out of my budget it's untrue

[outlaw118]

Seat Leon. 

 

I know of a lovely* one.....

[taxi paul]

Rover 75 diesel tourer. For your budget you will be spoilt for choice. BMW engine, timing chain not belt, parts are not a problem. But clutch is expensive so one with clutch done preferable. For sportier days have a look at a mg ztt. Cheap luxury motoring.

[Bren]

Your budget should get you a good mondeo estate.

[Honey Badger]

What about a Corrolla Verso 1.8 vvt-i T sport, plenty of space inside and it should bet decent milage from the 1.8 engine.

 

When you feel like a bit of a Hoon itshould be good for that as well as it's the same engine as the hot hatch Corrolla and Celica, not the best looking mind.

 

What about a late original H-RV,decent looking with room for 3 kids in the back, 1.6 drinks a bit but should see late 30s on a run, 2.0 Accord estate would give you better empeegees vs a CR-V as well.

 

Honda Streams are underated as well, they get the 2.0 chain driven pez engine and civic underpinnings that you get with a Civic type S which are pretty much bulletproof and go well when needed.

[forddeliveryboy]

As others have said, a 4cyl A6 would serve well - the '98- model isn't as simple as its predecessor but still ok if not abused.

 

2000- V70s are frugalish, v roomy, comfy and more interesting than a small-engined A6. I know they have electronicked wiring and things have been known to go wrong with it, but they're so cheap now for often immaculate cars - frequently cheaper than the earlier square-rigged model. With the Audi 5-pot diesel in MY2000/1, at least there's no common rail bollox.

 

The earlier model isn't quite as roomy, but it's usually advised as being more reliable. And they're usually looked after in a way Mercedes used to be, which can sometimes make a decision quite easy.

[fred]

Subaru Forester ! all round goodness all round drive - all round roominess - all round cool 

[Pete-M]

Focus. That's my standard answer.

[MarvinsMom]

it depends how old the nippers are that you want to sit on the back seat.

 

teens, and then the rover 75 would be out,even as an estate there isn't as much room in the back seat as would be needed.

 

it seems there are still a few* unabused vauxhall omega's about.

 

in my experience they are a nice car or, if you could stand a motor a bit older then maybe a boggle eyed scorpio?

 

again there are examples around that haven't been driven to death, but they may need some looking for.

 

an off the wall choice would be the nissan x-trail, now that there is a new model, surely the older ones have come down in value?

 

me old man had one, and there was plenty of room for adults in the back seat of one of those, and space in the boot for luggage/doggie etc.?

 

a fella at work has a honda CRV SUV thing and his misses loves it. but it is still a newish vehicle and don't the new ones have a reputation for the transfer box screwing up?

[doobietoo]

No one has mentioned Saab yet so I will..... even the convertible seats 5 so you can put the roof down when the little darlings start playing up and they will be too busy trying not to get wet and cold to complain. After the initial roof down conditioning journeys become a lot more pleasant.

[carlo]

Yes, but nursing 30mpg from the Jaguar is really tough. I'd prefer upper 30s to the gallon, 30 is really a minimum.

 

While the Jaguar has been reliable this year it's still an expensive car if something goes wrong.

 

I wondered about an Frv, but like most people carriers it's not a looker

 

Although an unexpected £400 repair on any new car you buy would immediately wipe out the annual saving you made on 38mpg compared to 28mpg.  (Based on 10k per annum).  

 

People get too hung up on mpg compared to all the other costs.

[garethj]

Agreed, which is why reliability is the thing I keep going back to.

 

Christ, I'm middle aged

[purplebargeken]

2003 Mondeo - plenty of space, big boot, hatch. £395.

[Pillock]

Yeah, I need to run some maths.... when I need to buy a mid-sized comfy, reliable car to get to work I'm going to do about 500 miles per week. I've been hanging my nose over all sorts of semi-modern diesel toss that "promises" 55mpg or more - and we all know that probably means mid 40s on a run. (My Astra "promises" 72mpg and I've got a years worth of fuel receipts to prove 54mpg average).

 

So, mid 40s vs mid 30s, what's the cost difference to me? 500 miles per week gives 26k. That's 650 gallons of diesel per year vs 867 gallons of petrol. The diesel will cost £3179 at 1.099 per litre which I paid yesterday. The petrol will cost £4124 at 1.069 ppl - just under a grand difference.

 

Even at my large amounts of commuting mileage, the difference would be wiped clean out by a DMF or a DPF issue so reliability is going to be key. The best car would still be a diesel (that's 80 quid a month saving, which is a decent sum of money) but one that never goes wrong. So I just need to look for a reliable diesel engined car. Anyone? Yeah, exactly. Cue a hundred suggestions of an XUD powered 306

[MarvinsMom]

Rover 75 CDTi?

[mouseflakes]

I find it hard to believe you're still resisting....

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-Ssangyong-Kyron-2-0TD-2007MY-S-Diesel-4X4-/191726683009

 

 

[dave j]

My Passat has been a great car for the 3 years i've had it! I have covered about 27k and the only time it was off the road was when the alternator went. Time to get rid though as I am upgrading* to a mk3 Golf...

 

Mine: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-HIGHLINE-TDI-130-ESTATE-/201465163198?hash=item2ee8426dbe:g:S~AAAOSwwbdWQnTg

[sierraman]

For what you are spending I'd give diesel a miss, at that money people offload the money pits and stuff that wants a load spending. A 1.8/2.0 mondeo mk3 would be a good buy. Doesn't rust, engines are easy to mend and cheap. Just make sure the engine doesn't smoke.

[Lacquer Peel]

Are you sure Mk3 Mondeos don't rust? Because every other Ford of that era does.

[sierraman]

Aside from rusty doors on 03/04 plates then yes they don't rust.

[MarvinsMom]

they are like any car, a well looked after one is i think reliable, whereas one which has just been run on a shoestring or just plain been driven into the ground won't be.

 

it is finding a good one out there.

 

i've ran mine for 18 months and covered the better part of 25k in it. it is now at 116k.

 

the only ftp i've had was when the clutch finally shat itself. at 110k and that was a biggish bill. £750 i think, a guy off of the 75 forum came out and put it right.

 

other things are ARB drop links, wishbone bushes and ARB bushes, but it is a 15 year old car, you cannot expect to not have to spend some money on it, plus even a brand new car can and they do, fuck up.

[DVee8]

This

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201511118607181?page=1&postcode=dh23hx&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&radius=1501&model=sonata&fuel-type=diesel&make=hyundai&sort=default&logcode=p

 

[Tamworthbay]

I bought a 318 touring in the summer, it's fully loaded with toys and built like the tirpitz but less sinkable. Parts are sensible money and very plentiful. It's great to drive but not the fastest thing in the world and will do 45mpg on a run. Loads around at sensible money. I also had a 2000 passat estate for seven years and loved that to bits but it wasn't as nice inside.

[garethj]

A 3 series is too narrow for 3 kids on the back seat.  Only one needs a booster seat, but another is 13 and tall so it really needs space in all directions.

 

Still haven't found anything especially local that tickles my fancy.  The top spec Hyundai Sonata would be alright if it was £300 or a known quantity for reliable motoring.

[taxi paul]

Mazda MPV 2.0 td. 7 seats . Decent boot . I did look at one of these a while back. I am sure someone on here has one.

[Stanky]

Kia Magentis/Optima? They are buttons and I very nearly bought one before diverting to Vantman's Saab 9-3 - they are sub-£800 cheap for a 8 year old, 40k car. Drive it til it breaks.

 

Get a manual as the autos seem to slash the official consumption figures, but the 2 litre lump shared between them should be lively enough. The 2.5 V6 as owned by Wuvvum is a massive sleeper, even the road testers loved it at the time as evidenced by loads of interwebz articles.

 

The badge causes it have depreciated faster than a greased lead anvil, and they were cheap to begin with, but with your budget you should be able to secure a post 2008 Optima and they really are handsome beasts IMHO. Probably low miles too, and basically either just within or only just out of the warranty period too for added peace of mind.

[Tamworthbay]

A 3 series is too narrow for 3 kids on the back seat.  Only one needs a booster seat, but another is 13 and tall so it really needs space in all directions.

 

Still haven't found anything especially local that tickles my fancy.  The top spec Hyundai Sonata would be alright if it was £300 or a known quantity for reliable motoring.

jeez, are they fatties? ;-)My nipper, wife and mum fit easily in mine.