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Wed 4 Jul 2018 19:49
family car - Rog46

Hi need some advice on a family car. i had my heart set on a mondeo or hyundai i40 around the 2012 mark(autos) but the i40 mpg and the powershift element of mondeo is putting me off slightly, I do about 15-20k a year and i dont want to go beyond the 8k. cant really think of any other options (i dont want any prestige brand) 40mpg plus would be perfect. I think any owners of the mondeo/i40 would be useful

Thanks

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Wed 4 Jul 2018 20:47
family car - sandy56

A few suggestions- Peugeot 407 auto (very underrated) or 508, Skoda Octavia or Superb, I had a Mondeo but mine was manual. Honda Civic, Toyota Avensis.

Good luck.

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Wed 4 Jul 2018 22:25
family car - catsdad
I have had a manual Mondeo and Avensis in the past and both were OK. The Avensis has an irritating electric handbrake but is otherwise an easy car to live with. No hatchback of course. The Mondeo is really big and parking sensors are handy. Nice long distance car however.

My current car is a 2012 Civic. Its a smaller car, of course, but the boot is not far short of the Mondeo's and the magic seats offer additional flexibility. Obviously it offers less than the other two cars for out and out passenger space but our 6'3" son sat in the back for a 400 mile trip without complaint. Kids should have no problem.

The Honda auto is a conventional one.
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Wed 4 Jul 2018 22:19
family car - badbusdriver

What sort of mileage are you prepaired to buy a car with?, i ask because on autotrader there is a grand total of three i40 diesel auto's (i'm assuming with your miles and mpg requirement you are looking for diesel?) with >70k miles (one estate, two saloon's), even if that is upped to 100k miles there is only ten (excluding one insurance write off).

Alternatives?, had a look on autotrader (diesel, auto, up to £8k, up to 80k miles, 40+mpg, excluding insurance write off's). Not a whole lot, but here are some options In no particular order:

Seven Honda Accords, youngest of which is a 2013 at £7k (though i have no idea of the reliability or otherwise of the 2.2 diesel).

Two Kia Optima's (mechanically identical to the i40 and, imo, better looking.

Eight Toyota Avensis' and four Verso's (not sure about any issues with the 2.2 diesel)

There are quite a few other 'executive' marques, but as you don't want any prestige brand, not really relevant, but tbh, you are better off avoiding most at that budget anyway.

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Thu 5 Jul 2018 02:06
family car - SLO76
I'd forget anything with a highly complex automated manual box especially when shopping on such a tight budget and I'd also point you away from a modern DPF equipped diesel which would most likely be up in the miles already and heading towards big bills just as you take ownership.

Three words I oft repeat on here 'keep it simple.' Forget anything complicated and avoid prestige brands in general. If it must have an automatic box I'd be trying out a Honda Civic 1.8 to see how you get on with it. These are not only highly practical small family cars with a large boot and decent interior space but also very well made and superbly reliable. The 1.8 petrol uses a conventional torque converter box in the post 2012 model you'd be looking at and it will easily beat 40mpg day to day unless you have a lead foot.

Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20180515652...9


Your budget would also be enough to source a decent Toyota Avensis 1.8 CVT which again should run and run if looked after and touch 40mpg without too much effort. The Civic is nicer to drive and will hold its value better however.

An Accord 2.2 DTEC auto is one of the better options if you simply must have an auto and a Diesel engine together but again it'll be up in the miles, 70k plus compared to less than 20k with a Civic of similar value. DPF and other reliability worries will be an issue here despite Honda's good reputation for longevity purely because it is an older, higher mileage and much more complex car.

Edited by SLO76 on 05/07/2018 at 02:13

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Thu 5 Jul 2018 13:09
family car - TheGentlemanThug

I'll second the Civic 1.8. Your budget should get you an approved used one as well. You have to work the engine to get the best out of it and the ride can be quite hard on pre-2012 models, but economy is impresssive. I easily get 38mpg on an 11 mile commute on mostly dual carriageways, changing gear at about 4500rpm.

The 2.2 Accord is another good option but be prepared to fork out for a new clutch and flywheel within a few years. The pre-2008 model didn't have a PDF, but age-related issues will be more prevelant.

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Thu 5 Jul 2018 13:36
family car - catsdad
Each to his own but Civics will pooter around quite happily at 2-3000 revs. Doing that I get mid 40's. Yes it will shift if you hold the gears until 4500 but aside from joining motorway slip roads I seldom find it necessary. As a reference point 3000 revs is approx 70 mph in 6th and the car will pull really well from 3000 in lower gears.



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Thu 5 Jul 2018 21:43
family car - bazza

This is true, I'm getting 50mpg from a 1.8 civic driven similarly, overall average over 1 year and 9000 miles is 48mpg. IV not found it short of poke, on uk crowded roads and it's very refined and smooth riding. Negatives are a poorish steering lock but overall it's decent enough.

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Thu 5 Jul 2018 14:06
family car - SLO76
“The 2.2 Accord is another good option but be prepared to fork out for a new clutch and flywheel within a few years.“

Not on the auto which is what the OP wants.
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