[Closed] What "family" car for about £7.5k

You should get past the name. It'll make buying cars a lot easier if you aren't worrying about what looks like a girls' car or what makes people think you are a rep or wear M&S underwear, or that you like Radio 3 or some such nonsense.

Skoda are just a cheaper way of buying VW. Try Seat for the same effect with a nicer interior 🙂 There's the Altea and Toledo.

There are tons of cars around - you might as well ask 'what bike'. Best thing would be go to a big car dealer and walk around, then test drive some. Then ask on here about reliability.

i wouldnt bother with a diesel at that sort of milage.

you could pick up a nice new model passat for that money .

or a later vectra.

wouldnt bother with a bora as they are just longer golfs and dont hae much leg room in the back and are also saloons which makes it a bugger to get the bike in the back too.

Bora/Jetta are much cheaper than golfs tho for the same spec. Because everyone's being told not to get them, as above 🙂

I would take a Skoda over a Seat any day of the week!!! Better build quality and a tendency not to have electrical hitches (every Seat owner I know has had them)

molgrips im talking about the mk4 golf/bora.

i have no knowledge of the newer versions!

Passat
Mondeo
S-Max if you can get one at that price.
Seat

Forget Skoda unless you can put up with the badge.

My main critria for a family car would be

Reliabilty
Safety
Comfort and space
Economy and running costs
Performance

To that end if it were my 7.5k I'd buy something Japanese.

Honda Accord Estate if you can see past the backside design.

I would take a Skoda over a Seat any day of the week!!! Better build quality and a tendency not to have electrical hitches (every Seat owner I know has had them)

Mine was fine.. And surely they are the same, no? Build quality seemed the same except I find Skodas really ugly inside.

I completely fail to understand why anyone would care at all about what was written on the back of the car...?

Not wanting to sound like another "buy this cos I've got it" type person, but we've just had a little'un so have gone through exactly the same dilemma. One of our criteria was that the boot had to be big!
Test drove a passat estate - hated the e-brake and it felt like a barge (was a lovely 140bhp diesel though).
In the end I spotted an octavia on the forecourt, scoped it a bit anf thought it looked the ticket. Boot is mahoooosive! Beautiful inside (it is the elegance spec), engine's "ok" (1.6 fsi petrol - never gonna win any races, but perky enough for me now..), and drives beautifully.

I wasn't the least bit worried about the badge TBH.

THe odd thing is, I've come from a 200bhp high revving Civic Type R, and in all honesty I prefer driving the Skoda! I mean, the civic was fun, but there's only so fast you can go, and only so many times you can accelerate out of a corner like a loon before saying "ok - time to grow up...."!

So, in summary, buy a [s]hot-hatch [/s] Skoda....
DrP

I have a Skoda, as does my dad. Once upon a time, like last century, Skodas were pretty ropy, due to communist build quality, but they still won lots of rallies, and they were still better than some British cars, like Triumph. You have to realise that before the communists took over Czeckoslovakia, Skoda were a luxury car manufacturer, who built big limousines.
I test drove a Bora, W plate, with a 90Ps 1.9 TDi, £6000 from a dealer. (2007). It was horrible, it was slow, crappy gearbox, it wallowed around corners and was uncomfortable. The next day I drove a 51 plate Octavia, 1.9TDi 110Ps, £5000 from a dealer. The difference was amazing. I used to drive a W plate Audi A4 at work, and getting into the Skoda was just like the Audi, all the controls are the same, it was beautifully comfortable, went like the clappers, and I bought it on the spot. I had a Puma before, and the Skoda saved me a lot of money: tax was £110 against £175, insurance dropped from £300+ to less than £200, and fuel consumption went from a best of 33/gallon to 64/gallon on steady motorway trips. The amount of space in the back of an Octy is huge with the back seat down: I can get my Inbred 567 in with just the seat removed. For your budget you could probably get a fairly recent Octy estate, or possibly even a Superb, which is basically an Audi A4. The Octy is based on the Golf, the Mk IV in the case of mine. Get over the name thing, you're denying yourself a bloody good value for money car for no rational reason, build quality is up there with Audi, and better than some VW's.

Passats and Bora are well made but overpriced and handle like cack.

Try a Mazda 6, a lateish Mondeo, a lateish Astra (high spec) and a Honda Accord - all handle well and are great VFM.

Low miles does mean diesel not that useful BUT it will holds it's value.

Mondeo would be top of my list, if you have any prejudices about them then do try to put them aside too.

Honda Accord 2.2 CDTI

Love mine

Forget Skoda unless you can put up with the badge.

Do people really still worry about their image when driving a Skoda? Didn't Jasper Carrot stop making jokes about them 20 years ago?

Honda Accord estate but at 5000miles pa you should get the 2.0l petrol. Great engine and super relaible.

At least twenty years ago. I think I used to crack Skoda jokes when I was at school. I'm fifty five now, you'd think people would have realised that the jokes are no longer valid. Toyota jokes, on the other hand, are perfectly justified.

VW Touran - very 'family' friendly.

I was thinking of a Touran but now think a bit too big and am eyeing up the Roomster now as the varioflex seating sounds fab...oh it's a Skoda...!

Even Stevie Wonder would find a Roomster ugly and it's gutless

The looks are growing on me and they seem to hold their value quite well.

Edric,none of the above are going to win any beauty contests.There's plenty to choose from. Very odd that folk are still bothered about badges.Stuck in the past?

People do worry about the Skoda image, because it portrays them as poorer than VW drivers, who are poorer than Audi drivers. Basically what you are saying with a Skoda is that you are poor.

*I own a Skoda**

**Top of the range Octavia 😉

I would be happy to own a mundaneO, its a perfect family car, that & they are more 'exclusive' than a 3 series.

Honda Accord Boring but the sensible choice.
Jaguar XJ12 saloon much more fun http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1994-xj81-Jaguar-XJ12-Standard-5994cc-Petrol-/320516292513?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4aa0427fa1 and the change on an LPG conversion.

No young Dave Riley I will drive anything .I would even consider a Berlingo for putting bikes in its just an ugly car I would still buy one though at the right price

Either pay less and buy an Exec or pay more and buy something almost new from the Far East (Korean?).

Either way at 5k miles fuel cost is less important than other costs.

What about a C-MAX?

*I own a Skoda**

**Top of the range Octavia

Snap, and I love it.
Can fit 2 in the boot with the seats up, wheels off, and all the biking gear you can imagine. Awesome car

Touran is very handy. Albeit a bit van like. The older Merc A classes are surprisingly roomy (more leg room than an E-class merc in the back) in the long wheelbase format and can be had for a song now. Wouldn't bother with diesel at all.

Couple of observations that perfectly fit the stereotypes...

I would be happy to own a mundaneO, its a perfect family car, that & they are more 'exclusive' than a 3 series.

Errmm - if you want "exclusive" you do NOT buy a Mondeo. And why try and outdo a 3 series (that wasn't even mentioned)? This is typical of the point scoring rep wannabee. It may fit the OPs requirements but I'm sure he couldn't give a stuff how common the car is.

**Top of the range Octavia

Here's another one - Skoda vRS owners overjustifying their "sporty" cars. Yes the vRS is a decent enough car but it's not road burner. I find a lot of vRS drivers being very aggressive, tailgating and generally being a PITA - the reason? They have to justify that badge. Doesn't matter to me but to the owners it seems to be very important that their vRS is seen to be a "real" drivers car...

Skoda Roomster was mentioned - very good car. As is the uber cool Yeti.

£7.5k gets you a lot of car these days and loads are in that price bracket - unless it looks like a bargain (and then still haggle hard) walk away.

I've an Octavia estate, it's brill. Recently had a newer mondeo as a hire car, that was better. Bigger engine though: 2.0 diesel mondeo compared to 1.6 petrol octavia.

Anyway, what do you care about car badges, you live in Edgeley!

I would strongly recommend you take a look at the Honda FRV. I don't have the best history for sticking with cars, usually getting rid after 18 months or so when I get bored but I have have my FRV for 4 years now and in my opinion there is still nothing on the market to beat it for practicality. I have 3 kids ranging from 3 yrs old to a 6 foot plus 14 year old and this car does it all. It can seat six, the boot is reasonably sized and I have carried 5 adults and six bikes on it in comfort (3 on a towbar rack and 3 on the roof) without a single problem.

I have the 2 litre petrol as I found the 1.7 a little under powered. And obviously, it's been ultra reliable - it's a Honda!

Plenty around at 7.5k ish.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/honda/fr-v/postcode/m113ba/radius/40/price-from/6000/price-to/8000/sort/priceasc

Bregante - not a bad idea. Our friends have one (they have twin 3 year old and a 1 year old) and swear by it. Fugly though.. 😉

Has bigbikebash been along to suggest buying his Integra yet? 😆

Meanwhile, this is mildly amusing video on the subject: http://jalopnik.com/5552529/asking-a-forum-fan+boy-for-car-buying-advice-is-useless

The vrs isn't top of the range. Its the laurin and klement. The vrs is the most powerful. But mine has lots of toys

Ok my bad. Mine isn't top of the range. Oh well

The Touran is based on the Golf and has the same footprint (wheelprint?).

Surf-Mat - Member
Bregante - not a bad idea. Our friends have one (they have twin 3 year old and a 1 year old) and swear by it. Fugly though..
POSTED 41 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

arsed?

Oh yeah, FRVs look brilliant, I really want one despite only having one small child 🙂 Two rows of three seats works out much better than the Touran/Galaxy type layout, because even with 6-up you still get a decent boot.

I'm off to the Honda garage at lunch to have a peruse. The missus likes the Honda Accord Tourer.

NBT - it's Alderley Edgeley, (I've raised the profile)

Errmm - if you want "exclusive" you do NOT buy a Mondeo. And why try and outdo a 3 series (that wasn't even mentioned)? This is typical of the point scoring rep wannabee

Errmmm - I suspect that it's more typical of someone pointing out the irony that the 3-series shifts more units than the Mondeo annually in the UK, despite the former being perceived as more 'exclusive' i.e. it was a recommendation for a worthy family car without getting tied up in badge snobbery, rather than someone passing judgement about other cars and their drivers...

I'm still not buying a Skoda, end of.

Errmmm - I suspect that it's more typical of someone pointing out the irony that the 3-series shifts more units than the Mondeo annually in the UK, despite the former being perceived as more 'exclusive' i.e. it was a recommendation for a worthy family car without getting tied up in badge snobbery, rather than someone passing judgement about other cars and their drivers...

Anyone buying a 3 series to be "exclusive" is very stupid and blind. They are "prestigious" (more or less) but not "exclusive." Mondeos are brilliant VFM and handle well but are still FWD and have rather unpleasant interiors and the engines are falling behind. I like them a lot and I love the lack of badge "baggage" but I hear too many owners bleating on about them being better than a 3 series - there's no need. Anyway I'd seriously consider an Insignia - Ford do better chassis and handling but really are rather pricey - Vx do better engines IMO.

Hoops - anything from the HUGE list that catches your eye? I knew loads of Skoda owners would step in an defend their cars despite you stating clearly that you don't want one!

Any sort of size, age, brands you like/dislike/etc? As I said this is a very crowded price point in the market. You can get anything from a high mile prestige motor to a nearly new hatchback.

Anyone buying a 3 series to be "exclusive" is very stupid and blind.

You just can't help yourself can you? 😀

You just can't help yourself can you?

A sniping 2.0 A3 TDI owner? What a surprise.

I notice you jump in on thread after thread about cars spouting your "opinion" yet get ignored. In fact I don't think anyone can claim to have started as many threads that have got no replies.

Jog on laddio 😆

My sister sneered at Skodas despite everyone telling her they were good. Then she had one as a courtesy/hire car, and she came away saying 'no really it was great'.. We'd been trying to tell her they were totally unrelated to the old cars apart from the name, but she'd not listened in the slightest.

Stupid girl. Maybe therealhoops should get in touch, they might get on well? 🙂

The latest Skodas (Fabia, Octavia, Superb, Yeti, Roomster) are all brilliant but some people just don't WANT one - I think that's fair enough! Doesn't mean people are stupid (well not all the time)...

Anyone buying a [s]3 series[/s] car to be "exclusive" is very stupid and blind.

Fixed that for you.

Mol - ermmm - so what about an Aston Martin or a custom specced Veyron? Or countless other hyper cars (as well as niche cars like Ariels) Methinks they are rather exclusive... 😉

A sniping 2.0 A3 TDI owner? What a surprise.

I notice you jump in on thread after thread about cars spouting your "opinion" yet get ignored. In fact I don't think anyone can claim to have started as many threads that have got no replies.

Jog on laddio

You're not TJ in disguise are you? I think he's the only person on here I've ever managed to have a dispute with (not a great claim to fame I admit...).

I'm confident my posting history reveals that I like to strike right at the heart of the important issues of the day 😉 Still, I try to offer direct experience in response to questions, rather than just 'opinion' - some seem to think that doing this to provoke a reaction is more important.

Don't worry, I don't own (and never have owned) an A3 2.0TDI. Or a 3-series...

And to avoid accusations that I'm not providing useful input, I [i]owned[/i] a Mondeo estate for 5 years and 80,000 miles. As I've said on here before it was huge, capable and cheap to run.

I don't like [s]SPAM[/s] Skodas! I also don't like Lambo's, Freelanders, Rovers and Jags. Honda is front runner followed closely by Seat then Ford.

Honda is front runner followed closely by Seat

Seat = Skoda with a different badge, but if that's important to you...

Seat = Skoda with a different badge AND interior.

Mat - those are indeed exclusive cars, but if you bought one SOLELY because few other people had one, you'd be a vain idiot. By all means get one because you like it for what it is.

Hoops - estate, saloon, hatchback? TBH choosing a car by brand isn't that useful - pretty much all brands do good models and cr4p models. TBH I'd avoid Seat though - I've had three new Seat hire cars break down on me and the interiors are utterly gruesome.

Mol - people with too much money spend huge amounts to be exclusive. Take this life-changingly shocking example...

http://www.fabulouslybroke.com/2009/11/hello-kitty-takes-a-ride-in-a-ferrari/

However some "exclusive" and/or one off cars are lovely. My Dad's had a few one offs and each one has been ace.

They do, Mat, and it's silly 🙂

That's why I ride an Orange 5 and a Kona, and love em 🙂 Also why I drive a Passat!

Oh and on Seat - why would a Seat be more or less likely to break down than a same generation VW or Skoda?

EDIT: just looked at that Ferrari, I though it was quite tastefully and smartly done until I saw the interior. Why buy a Ferrari when at heart you know you should be driving a Vauxhall Corsa?

As stated, if you are doing 5,000 miles a year why bother with the price premium etc of a diesel.

Seat - they aren't exactly cheap for what they are so why not go for a VW? Plus most Seat's look like they fell out of the ugly tree and were finished off at the bottom by five blokes with baseball bats.

Bulbous styling with a reverse-tardis interior for space.

Mol - no idea why Seat's seem worse but that's my own personal experience. One completely died after it rained (!), one got some awful gearbox rattle, the other had ECU issues - all super low mileage and nearly new. Two Alteas, one Leon. I just get the feeling that despite being pretty much VWs, they just don't quite get the same level of attention when being built.

Errmm - did you see the Kitty tailpipes on that 360?!! And the mirrors?!

i can recommend a ford cmax.
ive got a 2.0 tdci version and whilst its not the fastest thing on the road the handling more than makes up for it.

comfy, roomy, great driving position and decnet fuel economy.

ive had mine for 2 years nearly and its on 110000 miles and still runs real smooth.

big enough to get my bike in the back.

you can remove all 3 rear seats and turn it into a van and get most things in it then.

also if you remove just the middle rear seat the outer two seats slide rewards/inwards to give even more leg room.

cheers

steve

Why not a 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.0 Tourer? Av.37mpg and good tax band.

i can recommend a ford cmax.

Tell me more. My current opinion is Roomster more practical and C-MAX more fun to drive and still quite practical - seats not as flexible.

I test drove Seats when I was looking for cars, the ones I tried (2-3yo) just weren't as good as VWs being still the older generation of bodies and engines etc.

Mat, I doubt that the gearboxes and engines for the different VAG cars are built any differently to each other.

i cant comment on the roomster but all the back seats in the cmax are seperate so you can take them out one at a time if you wish.

they also fold down and then up and hook onto the back of the front seats if you dont want the hassle of completly removing them.

the front seats have aircraft style trays fitted to the back of them for rear passengers to put drinks etc on!!

my kids like siting in the back as they are higher up and can see more out of their windows compaired to a mondeo say.

id say it handles loads better than my old 52 plate passat estate(which had the sport suspesnion)and also better than my father in laws 08 vectra .

i really like mine and when i come to replace it i will be getting a newer version.

i would seriously consider one if i was in your position

cheers

steve

Anyone with a Ford - dont take this the wrong way but I can't get my head round the dash's on C-Max's or previous gen-Mondeo or Focus's. Especially the C-Max- it just looks really cheap.

hora .. in what sort of way does it look cheap?? soft plastics, nice big labelled buttons, very well laid out!

cant see where your coming from

mol - when three break down on you, it puts you right off.

They also consistently score worse than Skoda, Audi or VW in JD Power surveys.

although the one thing on my dash which is annoying/useless is the top cubby hole, which i believe has been removed from later models

The early C-Max scored poorly on customer satisfaction, including reliability. I don't know if this has changed. Strangely it scored far worse than the Focus. Not sure if it originates in a different factory.

I almost got to try a Roomster the other week, but my friends at Hertz at Heathrow had forgotten to check the coolant levels, so it wasn't going anywhere...

For Seat -v- Skoda -v- VW reliability issues the cars are assembled in different factories, even if many of the underlying components are common. This may account for some differences.

There are persistent rumours in the industry that Seat - as the consistently under-performing VAG unit - is on 'one last chance' before being ditched. This probably has as much to do with market position and branding as vehicle quality though.

Renton, the switchgear.

I've driven a Roomster on holiday- It was vague, slightly disconnected to the road in my opinion.

OK I'm leaning towards a C-Max but the Roomster seats can slide backwards and forwards, sideways and lie flat which I don't think the C-Max can do quite as well?

I'm leaning towards a C-Max

A big advantage of pretty much any Ford second hand is the availability of parts and servicing. In the UK you are almost guaranteed to have a choice of Ford dealers for parts and servicing, and most indepedents and motor factors will also be more than happy to deal with you. Plenty of competition helps to keep the prices down. Due to ubiquity there are also plenty of 'donor' vehicles if you ever need a big bit and don't want to pay for new - particularly as the car gets older.

Whilst many components on the Roomster are common VAG, you're unlikely to find many residing in your local scrapyard.

These may be important considerations dependant on how important running costs are to you and how long you anticipate keeping it.

Tiger - get the C Max. It'll be SO easy to live with and has a cracking chassis. As m says, cheap to run and look after.

But how about Hoops? Are we getting any closer to a decision?!

Here's another one - BMW owners overjustifying their "sporty" cars. Yes the BMW 3 Series is a decent enough car but it's not road burner. I find a lot of BMW drivers being very aggressive, tailgating and generally being a PITA - the reason? They have to justify that badge. Doesn't matter to me but to the owners it seems to be very important that their BMW is seen to be a "real" drivers car...

Fixed that for you Mat 😀

I have had 2x Octavia vRS since 2003 and not once have I felt the need to "prove a point" It's quick and I know it, I couldn't give a shiney shite what anyone else thinks. Ffs IT'S A CAR!!!! Does it go from A-B? Is it reliable? Can I fit loads of stuff in it? That's all that matters to me, I have no inescurity issues about my manhood 😀

In that case why the vRS and not a lesser model? Bet you've told loads of people how it has the same engine as a Golf GTi (that's a very common vRS owners line) but cost far less and has a bigger boot? 😆 Fast? Well it's hottish hatch territory but not exactly "fast."

As for BMW - they make everything from pretty standard repmobiles like the 118d and 320d and the odd pantaloons soft roader (ahem X1 and X3) to supercar baiting loon-mobiles like the M cars. Some are cr4p, some are very good. So I'm afraid your "amusing" edit is a little bit silly.

Mat - fast is relative. My Passat is the fastest car I've owned, but you'd sneer at it I'm sure 🙂

As for Seat, not trying to defend them (for newer cars), was just genuinely interested as to why they'd be less reliable. Different factories could be a factor I'm sure.

As above, was not impressed with later cars when I test drove. Roomster sounds good tho.

Mol - our other car is one of the slowest on the UK market - I sneer at nothing except silly claims... 😉

Going up a notch or two, I know folks (who are a bit full of it if I'm honest) who think anything that does 0-100 in under 10s isn't fast...! Even 15s to 100 is fast IMO!

If you liked the layout of the FRV, how about the Multipla?

I got an old banger one as a 2nd car and I love it.. (however my wife hates it)

You would get into a lot newer Fiat than you will the FRV for your cash.

I like Multiplas actually, shame they're Fiat. That is, if Fiat are as unreliable as I'm told.

I was going to say that you would get a newer lower milage Fiat for your money than you would the FRV, but to be honest there isnt much in it, I just had a quick squint on autotrader, I dont think the FRV was/is a very popular car making it a 2nd hand bargain.

Not popular does not make it a bad car. And its looks a great buy.

Maybe I was wrong!!