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Look at the Cupra Ateca. Awesome car. 310bhp 4 wheel drive. £36k new
I was about to point you at at the Volvo V90 CrossCountry, too, but I see Munrobiker already has.
Although, if it was me, I would just get the ordinary V90 estate. It's more subtle, is still 4x4, and being lower makes it easier to get things in and out of the boot. I have an elevated Passat, and find that I never need the extra height. Does give the car a certain look, though, which I admit to liking.
If you’re not doing any serious off road, you can’t got wrong with a Q5 or X3. Lovely cars.
I’ve had an X3 (F25) for 5 years and it’s a lovely car. I’ve no intention of replacing it yet.
I have test driven the toureg and a few others but even though they were newer, were not as nice.
If I was to replace it now, I’d get another but would test drive the Q5 and little Porsche for comparison.
Family of 4 plus 2 dogs and the size is just right. Easy to park, not too shabby in the running cost dept (although more than a 5 series tourer for a similar boot size).
I have looked at the Q7 and X5 etc but they are huge and don’t want the hassle parking or the massive tyres and higher running costs.
Just to dispel the estate car boot myth
BMW X3 550 litres
BMW 5 series tourer 560 litres
5 series tourers are lovely but prefer my X3 driving position
Well, I'm back from my car hunting spree, and I am amazed at how quick simple and "relatively" cheap that was!
The Mrs and I continued discussing pros and cons, likes and dislikes etc last night. And considering some of the comments on here, all helpful tbh so thanks, including the "why" ones, as that helped us question what we were doing.
We found a few online cars that we thought would fit the bill. The Mrs was particularly keen on one, and said that we should go there first and if it was pretty much as good as the posh expensive ones, then we would just buy that! And like Julians it is more at the lower brand end.
So we went there first thing, just outside of Pontypridd, saw the model in almost the top spec trim, and she just said yep.
So we have a full test drive Booked for next Saturday in the actual top spec model, which the sales manager is knocking around in (he was out today). Assuming that goes well we'll get a car wow quote, and ask the dealer to match it, and job done.
4 week delivery, so will be in early March for the new reg.
Sweet 😎
it is more at the lower brand end.
I can see the "P" starting to fade already.. 😉
Well?
What is it then?
I do think the SUV trend doesn’t add much functionality over a good estate
Dude, think of the all-weather dogging. Can't even showcase a decent reverse cowboy in the back of an estate
Wow what a tease.
Come on man. What is it?
It's a Dacia Duster isn't it?
Tuxorn or Sportidge
Haway Hinge, have a word. We need to know what it is!?
I wouldn’t be looking to drop that much money on anything that isn’t some form of hybrid if you want to see even half your money back inside a few years.
The Lexus IS a good shout, or if you can afford the PCP, get a Tesla Model X.
Well, it does have a bit of hybrid in it.
A "mild hybrid" I think they are calling them these days.
Sure it is just something to get a tax break, appease the bunny huggers, and make the buyer feel a tad better 🙂
Lexus ?
Kia Niro?
New shape Evoque hybrid?
Can you imagine a 'more electric' Evoque to go wrong ? 🙂
Mini countryman? Or Toyota chr?
If she wants an Evoque that’s the right answer. We were in the same position and ended up with a Discovery Sport. Lovely thing it is too.
I’d buy new on pcp rather than 2/3 years as they hold their money so well and LR are keen to sell so you should be able to get a great deal. Look out for a Landmark Edition as that’s what we got. Based on the HSE but with loads of extras chucked in. See if your dealer is having a promotional weekend too as with ours we got, without asking, free servicing, free adblue refills and free something else that I can’t remember for the duration of our 4 year pcp.
Ah, didn’t read the bit above. Top spec ‘normal’ cars usually take one hell of a depreciation hit.
Can't keep it up any longer......
Kia Sportage GT Line S is winning at the moment. Got all the toys that she wants, and that she'll probably never use! But particularly leather, nav, opening pano roof.
Prices are looking good. We don't need a spirited drive, far too old for that. Plenty of room for the grandkids and all their junk.
Test drive next weekend and see if we can get a good deal sorted out. Was going with the 2.0 diesel mild hybrid, but the 1.6 d is actually more economical and a fair chunk cheaper.
Was put off JLR with the reliability stories especially around the oil dilution problem.
Plenty of time for it all to come crashing down and change our minds, but this seems to make sense for us.
Hope you are not all too disappointed 😀
Have run 2 X5 diesels. Only issue I’ve had in around 150k miles are the tyres. The big wide ones just wear on the edges and nothing seems to stop that. Best solution I’ve found is to buy and fit winter tyres, smaller wheels, thinner tyres, higher profile and it will not get stuck in a wet field with them on. Towed horse trailers and the like no bother and it’s so comfortable for the regular trip from Cheshire up to the North of Scotland.
Oh no, we've had a wobble! She's not 100% on the KIA.
After next Saturday's yest drive we will be going to look at Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5.
She really wants a pano roof, the KIA has an openimng pano roof, which I think is part of the attraction, plus the 7 year warranty, but think a bit more premium is what she is after. So we might have to compromise on the roof.
So don't give up on me yet.
Volvo, or Audi? Keep the virews coming.
God I hate buying cars! When we bought the Astra we had no car and needed a car that day, so we just said "that one" but it was only £2k.
I think I am rivaling Kryton57's indecision 🙂
I'm not trying to talk you out of the premium SUV segment, but if you want a pano roof, then surely they must have it as an option?
If you're still open to the more budget end of the spectrum,but maybe not quite as budget as a kia, then I know the ford kuga ST line x comes with an opening pano roof as standard - I know this because it what we ended up buying when we started looking at BMW x3's Audi q5, volco xc60's et al, but decided they werent worth the price premium - this was most unlike me, as for the last few years I've had BMW M3,M4 etc etc.
We ended up with a 1 year old Kuga ST line x 2.0 TDCI 180bhp , awd for £20800, which I thought was decent value.
But if what you want is a BMW/AUDI/RR etc then only one of those will do .
Before my current NX300 I had a D4SE Xc60, faultless. Comfortable, space enough for plenty of kids tat and just the two of us’s tat (when on our own) I mostly drove I on my own, and I can’t fault it.
I chose a hybrid, simply because I’d owned a string of diesels 530d sport tourings (2 in succession) Xc90 (massive wobbly, but faultless) then Xc60.
Now, I really can’t see any reason to move away from Lexus and I love em’.
So, whatever choice, the Volvos are a lovely place to sit and listen to the radio.
I know the Q5 can have a panoramic roof and I’ve borriwed a XC90 that had one, fairly sure they’d be available on the 60.
Don’t worry about resale value, if you’re on pcp then as long as you’ve got a guaranteed value, it doesn’t matter if it’s worthless when you’re done (this is why I now have my first ever pcp car)
Yes, but if the resale value is high the monthly cost will be less. Our Disco Sport is hardly any more a month tan our Kuga was.
Landmark Edition Evoque or Discovery Sport has a panoramic roof as standard 😉
Just done a "build" on the Volvo website, and yes, pano roof available!
So we are back on that.
Still going to test drive the Kia on Saturday, and book a Volvo too, then we can do a full compare.
We've never had a premium car, we can afford it comfortably, so why not. Saw a very nice black XC60 at the Dyfi Winter Warm Up today. That caught my eye.
Julians - that sounds like a good deal on the Kuga.
First PCP car too.
Chestrockwell - just too scared off JLR now with the Ingenium engine oil dilution problem. They are lovely and we would probably bought an evoque by now, but for that.
These threads are really depressing. Can't people make the connection between the 5 minute report on the news on the Australian drought and buying a vehicle far bigger, heavier and unaerodynamic than necessary which will convert about 10 tonnes of fuel into CO2 and toxins.
If you know there's a problem that's going to **** your kids don't be a part of it.
I have a panoramic roof on the E class. Makes the car look so much better but in all honesty I am not sure what benefit it actually gives me as a driver most of the time. It is very nice in the back and I do open the roof in the summer - the larger sunroof does make driving home from work much nicer but the rest of the year I am never really notice it's there. Maybe I should drive around with the roof blinds closed and see if it makes the car feel more claustrophobic. Maybe there is a benefit there I don't realise.
Not sure I would pay the £2k it was on the options list though.
What if you don’t have kids (by choice) ?
Not having kids by choice means you won't be contributing to the biggest world problem, population. So I'll cut you masses of slack and turn a blind eye to your efforts to screw up the planet.
Edukator - I do get it. We do our bit, we both work for environmental organisations by career choice. Public transport is our default work travel mode. We are both home based and use web and audio conferencing extensively in preference to travel. We have one child.
But we (humans) are consumers of resources. When they start turning the lights off in Vegas etc then I'll cut back on my little luxuries.
Current car is 15 years old, bought from new and used until it expires i.e. pretty soon.
Andyl - We live very close to a designated dark sky area (Elan Valley). We love stargazing. Stopping the car in the valley at night, recline the seats. open the roof 🙂 And I really miss the old sunroofs I had in my yoof!
When they start turning the lights off in Vegas etc then I’ll cut back on my little luxuries.
If everyone waits for everyone else... . I'm sorry, but I see the fashion-SUV as the ultimate I-don't-give-shit statement whatever people's carbon footprint. Even SUVs have their place but it isn't on tarmac roads.
The statement expends to the way they are driven. I did a 400km round trip to Toulouse today along routes nationales. I set the limiter at speed limit + error + allowed tolerance minus a bit, and was only rarely overtaken, by you've guessed it, German and Swedish heavy metal SUVs. There are no radars since the Gilets Jaunes destroyed them all and the gendarmes used up all their hours maintaining order so it's a speeding free for all at present. People in normal cars are carrying on as usual while the monster wagen brigade thunder along... .
At high speeds, it doesn’t matter so much whether it’s an estate or an SUV, the drag is similar. 0.29 vs maybe 0.31. Getting to that speed in the first place, maybe, but that’s a tiny proportion of the fuel.
Not that I disagree, I have a small estate car and one of the lightest EVs that you can buy.
Check out the fuel consumption of an SUV versus the equivalent capacity estate, Daffy. On French news recentlyly there was a report on how the conversion to cross over and SUV type vehicles is negating the fuel savings made with hybrids electrics and more fuel efficient engines. The 15% or so extra fuel used by an SUV/cross over and their popularity means fuel use isn't falling as it would otherwise be.
Tiguan ?
Ours is nice enough. Small petrol engine is perfectly capable, (not what you’ll hear on here though...)
Plenty of space for family of four plus (small) dog.
Looked at others but it just felt better, & came out cheaper than Skoda & Seat version. Taller driving position is nicer. It tows a caravan occasionally, & does a great job.
Looked at buying cheap, have done so for years, but can’t be done with the hassle of an older car these days. £300 a month buys me something that is always warrantied, economical & modern in terms of safety, features etc.
What I would say is, don’t be fooled into thinking you need all the bells & whistles of the range topping version, or loads of options. Most mid-spec models come with a decent level of kit these days.
Kia Sportage GT Line S is winning at the moment. Got all the toys that she wants, and that she’ll probably never use! But particularly leather, nav, opening pano roof.
Good shout. We test rode one purely for the engine (we wanted the 2.4 AWD and they didn't have that on the showroom floor in the lower spec trim we wanted) and were seriously impressed with the levels of quite for the money. We ended up getting the EX model and love it.
Check out the skoda kodiaq. We drove one then bought an edition model. All the gizmos, leather etc. Electric folding towbar! Really nice place to be with auto box. Very flexible boot arrangements for dog/ kids/ stuff. They do a pano roof. Gets better reviews than the similar Tiguan allspace. The seat version would be worth looking at as well. Much nicer inside and to drive than my sisters quashkai
So I’ll cut you masses of slack and turn a blind eye to your efforts to screw up the planet.
Thank you.🥴
Mary Hinge Subscriber
Can’t keep it up any longer……
Kia Sportage GT Line S is winning at the moment. Got all the toys that she wants, and that she’ll probably never use! But particularly leather, nav, opening pano roof.
My brother has got one of these in the last 6 months & loves it. He reckons it's the best car he's had for a long time & he's been through quite a few company cars in the last 15 years or so.
Regarding the panoramic sunroof - we've got one in our Citroen C3 Picasso. I was really keen on it, but in all honestly it's pretty pointless.
On sunny days, my daughter ends up blinded in the back so we close it. If we do have it open & forget to close the blinds, the car gets ridiculously hot.
Also, it doesn't matter to me as I'm a short arse, but you do lose a bit of headroom, so something to bear in mind if you are tall.
Daffy Subscriber
At high speeds, it doesn’t matter so much whether it’s an estate or an SUV, the drag is similar. 0.29 vs maybe 0.31. Getting to that speed in the first place, maybe, but that’s a tiny proportion of the fuel.
Drag co-efficient does not equal drag.
The co-efficient gets multiplied by frontal surface area, so two cars can have the same drag co-efficient but one will generate more drag than the other, if it is larger.
A high car (SUV, perhaps?) will be more draggy than a low car (estate car, perhaps?) if their widths are similar, even though they may have the same Cd.