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hatchback car - Rog46

Hi guys, im after a family car doing about 15k a year, max 7k budget.

I probably would replace after 1/2 years.

I narrowed down to mondeo 2.0 tdi, octavia 1.4 tsi(maybe dsg), i40 diesel and at a push passat.

Which would serve best reliabilty and resale value. I currently have a civic which will stay,new purchase being the main car hopefully acheiving 40/42mpg.

Thanks

hatchback car - badbusdriver

Given your modest mpg requirements, I'd go with the Octavia, but definitely not the DSG. Too much potential for failure, and at this price point you are unlikely to have any warranty to fall back on.

hatchback car - SLO76
If you want an auto then none of the above as all three use complex and trouble prone automated manual gearboxes which no manufacturer has managed to make reliable in the longterm, even the Japanese gave up try
hatchback car - badbusdriver

Pretty sure the i40, certainly of that age, has a t/c auto. We had a 2014 i30 turbo diesel before the Jazz and it definitely had a t/c, which was one of the reasons I went for it.

hatchback car - SLO76

Pretty sure the i40, certainly of that age, has a t/c auto. We had a 2014 i30 turbo diesel before the Jazz and it definitely had a t/c, which was one of the reasons I went for it.

Right enough the i40 did use a conventional torque converter set up, it was the post 2015 i30 which has the automated manual. I read the OP’s requirement for a hatchback and thought i30 instead of reading correctly as the i40 is a saloon. That said even the i40 and older i30 are quite prone to gearbox issues both auto and manual according to HJ’s reviews.
hatchback car - badbusdriver

Pretty sure the i40, certainly of that age, has a t/c auto. We had a 2014 i30 turbo diesel before the Jazz and it definitely had a t/c, which was one of the reasons I went for it.

Right enough the i40 did use a conventional torque converter set up, it was the post 2015 i30 which has the automated manual. I read the OP’s requirement for a hatchback and thought i30 instead of reading correctly as the i40 is a saloon. That said even the i40 and older i30 are quite prone to gearbox issues both auto and manual according to HJ’s reviews.

Sadly the i40 now also has a dual clutch gearbox, though not sure from when. While we only had our i30 for 3 years, we never had any problems with the gearbox. The only things whic h irritated me about it were the really slow 'manual change' via the gear selector. Like the old tiptronic, you slid the lever across then pushed it backwards or forwards to go up or down, but it was so slow in its reactions, there was absolutely no point in using it. Also, the gearbox seemed to have been programmed for a high revving petrol as if you activated kickdown from say 50mph, the gearbox would pick a ratio too low, so the engine would be revving at a speed past where there was any more power to be gained.

This is where the Jazz's CVT comes into it's own by comparison. The reactions are so much quicker, and being such a high revving motor, there is always more to come when you activate kickdown.

hatchback car - SLO76
If you want reliability then you want something Japanese and preferably petrol powered. A Toyota Avensis 1.8 either manual or auto should give no problems at all other than possible issues with the automated parking brake. The Honda Civic 1.8 petrol is also fine in manual or auto again ditto the Toyota Auris 1.6.

I really wouldn’t recommend buying a DPF equipped diesel that uses a highly complex automated manual gearbox like Ford’s Powershift or VW’s DSG as you’ll be buying right at the stage when hugely expensive failures are lurking.

Always remember, when shopping on a budget keep it simple.

Edited by SLO76 on 16/09/2018 at 16:19

hatchback car - Engineer Andy

Additionally, if, as it appears, the OP wants a larger car, at least the Civic in its last two versions has a big boot, bigger than most C-segment cars like the Focus, Golf or Mazda3.