You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Help me choose a car STW!
I'd like to replace my ageing Astra. I asked the garage for something so slow, and so boring, that it would be a breeze to insure my children on it.
They came up trumps with my Astra, which fits the bill perfectly, but now 3 years on, and children having no use for a car (what use is a driving license if you will never be allowed to drive anywhere that young people would want to go?) I'd like to get something to replace it.
But, with the advent of lockdown, I can no longer wander around car dealerships, and I certainly can't go for a test drive. So I will need to just buy something with nothing more than STW's advice.
Not diesel.
Needs space for two dogs in the back.
Needs to be able to fit a towbar to put bikes on. Not actually going to tow anything.
Needs to be able to tell me when I'm breaking the speed limit. I'm tired of getting letters telling me I've gone too fast. Again.
Could be electric, but I'm not buying anything made in China unless I can be a bit more sure it didn't have slave labour involved in its construction. Or is that all a myth and it's fine?
Ford focus petrol estate seems to be the obvious, boring, predictable choice.
Probably got about £10k-15k to spend.
I just bought a grey sel version (diesel) really pleased with it so are the 2 labradors
Just picked up a focus active estate at the weekend and it’s lovely
Tow bar and all
Went for the petrol hybrid
My girlfriends TT.... please please please buy it!!!
Leon ST (estate) with the 1.4TSi engine in it, or the 1.8TSi for more grunt.
Not petrol, but I got the 2 litre diesel FR in July. I love it. I think the 1.5 TSi is similar performance.
Look for the facelift version, as it comes as standard with Android Auto or the Apple equivalent.
The FR has firmer suspension while the Excellence has more kit as standard.
£11k or perhaps a bit less will get you a 17 plate with ~30k miles on. Get nearer £15k & you'll be looking at 19 plate with 15k-20k miles on.
Not quite as big as an Octavia, but probably big enough depending on the dogs & nicer looking imo, with a nice flat load lip and the seats drop with the pull of a lever (same as in the Octavia).
I was gonna see if I'd stuck a pic of mine on flickr, but then found this one which is virtually the same (different engine)....
You got it right the first time, turbo petrol estate Focus.....
Or a Leon/Octavia estate.
Or a petrol Kuga with cruise control?
lol @ Tom-B. I think the dogs would be a bit sad squished in the back of an Audi TT. They always look so mournful as it is.
If you really want to treat the dogs get a Skoda Superb estate. At top end of budget you could pickup a 2 litre turbo petrol one - or for a couple of grand less the 1.5 petrol turbo (150bhp) one. Enormous boot, plenty of legroom in the back for passengers / nice cabin. It’s probably what I’m going for next when my company car is up for renewal.
Golf R estate. Go on live a little. Reckon you’ll get one at 15k
Mazda 6?
Mondeo?
Volvo?
In typical STW fashion just recommend what you have, Seat Ateca, seems to tick your boxes. It’s also the same as the skoda karoq (and VW Tiguan if you want to pay the premium for VW badge) so should be plenty of trim/engines to pick from.
THe wife has one of the fangled new Focus's, it's a nice car... Not as nice as the Mondeo for comfort, but nice though. Goes well for a little tiny engined thing.
I’ve just swapped my diesel X3 for a petrol Skoda Karoq.
Boot seems a little smaller than the X3 but it still fits everything I need it to. The rest of the inside is nicer than the X3 - newer design I guess.
No CD player 🙁 you need to have a device with Bluetooth or a USB connection.
1.0l petrol engine is surprisingly nippy in such a big car
Doubt you’d get one for £10-15k though
Seat Ateca
Currently stoopid cheap on lease - sister just ordered one 15k miles, £800 down and £179/month for 3 years, service plan for £159(i think). That is £7.5k for three years motoring...
Needs to be able to tell me when I’m breaking the speed limit. I’m tired of getting letters telling me I’ve gone too fast. Again.
There's probably an app for that. My old Garmin Nuvi would bong incessantly when exceeding the speed limit, it's now redundant though as I use my phone though the Bluetooth for Satnav (Google maps) and music (Spotify).
Nissan leaf, or is that too obvious?
the answer is anything from focus sized up (or even a fiesta sized thing depending how big your dogs are).
I'd probably wait till lockdown is over then head to your nearest car supermarket and see what they have in. budget for (and check you can fit) an android auto headunit, plug your phone into that and use the app-of-your-choice to ping speed limits (tomtom's data is pretty good)..
£7.5k for three years motoring
a £10k car would probably be worth £6k in 3 years time. £7.5k is an ok price for 3 years motoring in a new car, but for the OP its an expensive way of doing things
That is £7.5k for three years motoring…
I'm not just being a contrary bugger, but that doesn't sound a bargain to me.
Maybe I'll never really get why people lease cars though.
Another vote for the Skoda Octavia Estate. Love ours, we've got the 1.5 SE Technology and long-distance fuel economy is in the low 50s mpg even when it's cruised down to Morzine at 130+ kph. It's pretty huge and could certainly take 2 dogs, although a friend's Superb is even more enormous. Because it's a Skoda it's basically an Audi / VW / Seat for a lower price. It's been flawless and comfortable and we have it on lease at around £200 per month IIRC.
Edit: and it's got a good "infotainment" system as standard with satnav you can update via USB stick that constantly shows you the speed limit of the road you're on in the top left corner and you can set it to alert you if you exceed that limit. The newer ones have an onboard camera that reads road signs and updates that limit with the actual last speed limit sign you passed, AFAIK, so it adapts to temporary / variable speed limits too.
2.5k a year is not cheap motoring
Leon fr Estate is what I have and it will take 2 bikes easy enough without being to large. Although mine is diesel and only £20 road tax
Toyota Auris? There's one at a nearby Toyota dealer, 2018, seems OK. I've never driven a hybrid.
I asked our dogs and they both wagged their tails a lot - they seem very positive about this.
Maybe I’ll never really get why people lease cars though.
I think it must make sense for a lot of people, but I struggle with the size of the numbers involved.
My first car was an ancient £125 Hillman Avenger (twin carb!!!). It was only slightly slower than my Astra.
I asked our dogs and they both wagged their tails a lot – they seem very positive about this.
Video or it dodn't happen.
VW Touran.
We have a Leon ST which is nice, but if I were to buy again, I'd go for the Touran (or deirvative of). Loads more space and just so much more practical.
We have a small child and a Spaniel, and its ok for most day to day stuff, but one we pack for holidays it begins to feel small, and the rear leg room is a bit wanting.
When the girl grows up we'll either go full size estate (e.g. Mondeo) or go for a small MPV
But, with the advent of lockdown, I can no longer wander around car dealerships, and I certainly can’t go for a test drive.
No reason why you can’t wander around the cars outside and do a bit of tyre kicking, and I’m pretty certain there will be staff there to talk to as well. A test drive is less likely, although it’s really not difficult to decontaminate a car after someone has driven it, just spray the inside with isopropyl alcohol and wipe hard surfaces. We manage to do anywhere up to 170+ cars a day...
That budget could get you an updated EcoSport; the early ones from five-six years ago were very basic, but they were designed to be a compact crossover for emerging markets, so decidedly lacking in features. The newer facelift models, like my ST-Line, have heated screen, cruise control, semi-auto ‘box, reversing camera, satnav, DAB, Apple CarPlay and Android Drive, and the little 1.0 EcoBoost motor is a delight! Nice seats, too, and I’m of an age where getting out of a Merc or a Beemer almost requires someone to help drag me out of the bloody things - the slightly higher seating makes it so much easier to get in and out.
A Suzuki Vitara might be worth a look, or maybe a Dacia Duster... 😉
Toyota Auris hybrid.
The dogs approve, which is all that really counts at the end of the day.
£7.5k for 3 years motoring? Not cheap in my book especially with no asset at the end of that period! But if you have the money then sure!
Audi A3 sport back, you can fit 2 dogs/ your bike and being an Audi it will be dull as fuc.
Needs to be able to tell me when I’m breaking the speed limit. I’m tired of getting letters telling me I’ve gone too fast. Again.
Gah, I'm really struggling to think of a car that could do this for you.
It'd be great if someone put a speedometer in a car, maybe I'm onto something.
Newer VAG cars can display the speed limit for the road in between the speedo and Rev counter (I’m sure other makes do also), go fo the Audi. A Seat will be no good they designed the body work instead of leaving it to the steel works who pressed the sheets.
Audi s3 sport back. It’s what I’ll be getting if my old Mercedes doesn’t make it back from the garage on Tuesday!