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Recommendations for a new family automatic please - dan65

Hi chaps,

My current car had to be sc***ped due to rust so I'm now looking for a replacement.

Budget is £13k looking for petrol or hybrid automatic. Like the look of Mazda 6 (petrol) just wondering where there are any other options I have missed?

Hatchback could work if it has magic seats not sure how common they are now.

I'm in Birmingham.

Thanks

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Adampr

You say a hatchback could work. Does that mean you're looking for an estate or a saloon? Any objection to SUV types?

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Oli rag

Mazda 6 is a great choice with a petrol engine. A Hyundai i40 or Kia Optima are also big saloons which might be suitable.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - dan65

Mazda 6 is a great choice with a petrol engine. A Hyundai i40 or Kia Optima are also big saloons which might be suitable.

Thanks Oli will check these out. Anything to watch out for one either of these cars?
Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Oli rag

Not too many problems with the Hyundai or Kia but unfortunately hardly any of them are available with a petrol engine.

The Mazda 6 with a petrol engine are a really sound buy with hardly any common problems.. diesel engined ones are a whole different story!

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - dan65
Saloon is preferred. Yes open to SUVs. Want something reliable for long term. Thanks
Recommendations for a new family automatic please - badbusdriver

Hatchback could work if it has magic seats not sure how common they are now.

Saloon is preferred.

I'm confused by the above two statements?

Any hatchback is more practical than a similar sized saloon (which is your preferred choice), so why would the hatchback need magic seats in order for it to be viable?.

But regardless, magic seats are only really a Honda thing. They moved the fuel tank from under the rear seats (where it is on most cars) to underneath the front seats in order to free up all that space when the rear seat base is flipped up. But AFAIK magic seats only featured in a couple of UK models, the Civic (7th, 8th and 9th gen) and Jazz for sure, possibly the CRV too.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - madf

Hatchback could work if it has magic seats not sure how common they are now.

Saloon is preferred.

I'm confused by the above two statements?

Any hatchback is more practical than a similar sized saloon (which is your preferred choice), so why would the hatchback need magic seats in order for it to be viable?.

But regardless, magic seats are only really a Honda thing. They moved the fuel tank from under the rear seats (where it is on most cars) to underneath the front seats in order to free up all that space when the rear seat base is flipped up. But AFAIK magic seats only featured in a couple of UK models, the Civic (7th, 8th and 9th gen) and Jazz for sure, possibly the CRV too.

Our 2012 has magic seats - still fitted to latest model Jazz,

Superb for carrying things: got four beehives - full of bees - in ours.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Ian_SW
Saloon is preferred. Yes open to SUVs. Want something reliable for long term. Thanks

If long term reliability is high up the list of priorities, a Toyota or Lexus is always worth considering.

The current generation Corolla would be just about be in budget for a 4/5 year old model, as would the C-HR, or the last of the Avensises from 2018 which would be a bit under budget. The Corolla is mostly available as hatchback or estate, though you might find the fairly rare saloon one if you're lucky.

A Lexus IS300h would also be in budget, though would be older and or higher mileage than a similarly priced Toyota.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Adampr

Or a Camry. There is one on auto trader.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Heidfirst

& with a Toyota there is the ability to bring it back under warranty (if now outwith) with dealer servicing (subject to any existing issues being fixed) until 10 years/100k miles.

but the Mazda 6 petrol is a nice car - just don't buy a diesel.

Edited by Heidfirst on 30/09/2024 at 11:13

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - dan65
Wife is more keen on a suv body shape so back to drawing board.

Are the auto boxes in peugeot 2008/3008 reliable ? Main consideration is reliability so open to any suggestions thanks . Need a petrol or hybrid can push budget up to 14k but that would be the limit.
Recommendations for a new family automatic please - Adampr
Wife is more keen on a suv body shape so back to drawing board. Are the auto boxes in peugeot 2008/3008 reliable ? Main consideration is reliability so open to any suggestions thanks . Need a petrol or hybrid can push budget up to 14k but that would be the limit.

If reliability is the main consideration, the answer is almost always to buy something Japanese. You could look at a Suzuki Vitara (like mine) but they're not the plushest, if that's what you want.

Nothing wrong with the autobox in Peugeots. Opinions on the engines differ.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - badbusdriver

In your original post, you mentioned the Mazda 6, so the obvious choice for an SUV would surely be the (Mazda) CX5. It uses the same running gear and reliability is just as good.

Recommendations for a new family automatic please - badbusdriver

Also consider the Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV and Subaru Forester. Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage also worthy contenders, but auto at that budget would be DCT so I'd be doing some investigation into how they fare next to others of that type like the DSG and Powershift!