Any - Need to make a shortlist | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Thu 10 Aug 2023 19:15

Any - Need to make a shortlist - J0HNuk

My Focus is in the garage and I probably will want to replace it when/if it ever gets fixed.
It's a nice size for me, I use it for commuting to work 90% of the time and weekends away with other half 5 or 6 times a year.
My new house has a narrow drive so I thought about a slightly smaller car. A hire car I've just had was a Corsa. It was surprisingly good. Spacious and fast enough. Only problem is the drivers space. A bit too tight for XXL me. Also the pedal area too small for my big feet.
Are there any cars in the same bracket that have more space in the front? The Honda Jazz seems to make good use of it's space, and it's on my shortlist, but I'm not keen on it's looks.
My next thought was a small SUV type, such as the Ford Puma. Presumably more space in a car with similar width. I like the looks of the Kia Xceed so thats on the list.
Jazz, Puma, Xceed. Any others?
I'm probably looking at two year old cars, although if I get mugged with the Focus, I might be looking at spending as little as 15k. Any thoughts?
Am I wrong to think there would be more space in the drivers seat, in a Puma than a Fiesta? It could be the same just higher up?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 10 Aug 2023 19:35

Any - Need to make a shortlist - Adampr

Is your above-average size vertical or horizontal?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 10 Aug 2023 20:53

Any - Need to make a shortlist - J0HNuk

Horizontal I'm afraid.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 10 Aug 2023 20:55

Any - Need to make a shortlist - SLO76

Despite being told that Ford’s 1.0 Ecoboost has been fixed, I’m not convinced. A bad design is rarely made into a tough long lived one. The costly to change timing belt in oil bath is very off-putting also. Its reputation has killed it for me so I certainly wouldn’t buy one used or recommend one.

The current Jazz Hybrid is to me overpriced, but it’ll certainly be reliable. I think I’d favour the cheaper and more plentiful Toyota Yaris myself, but I’m quite short and thus can fit in anything.

A used Mazda 3 or CX-3/CX-30 with the bombproof 2.0 skyactiv petrol motor would be high on my shortlist for certain. These are good to drive, robust and decent on fuel.

Not much wrong with Kia or Hyundai either, though in sunny Scotland they do tend to be showing serious underbody rot earlier than rivals. In warmer climes of exotic Engerland however this isn’t as much of an issue. I’ve noticed loads of elderly Kia Rio’s on my current excursion to Lincolnshire, a car that has largely died off due to rot in Scotland.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 10 Aug 2023 21:16

Any - Need to make a shortlist - Adampr

I'd be tempted to.look at something like a Citroen Berlingo - really any van-based MPV. They tend to have the gearshift up on the dash and the commercial versions have three seats in the front, so they're pretty spacious inside.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 11 Aug 2023 19:13

Any - Need to make a shortlist - J0HNuk

@SLO76

CX-3 is a great idea.
I'm not sure of they will fit the drive better than a Focus, but i do like the looks of them, and read some good reviews.

They don't seem that powerful for a 2.0 maybe I read the stats wrong.

Yaris.. I love these but they are just too small. I love the Yaris Crossover but I think it's too new to be in my price range.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sat 12 Aug 2023 11:51

Any - Need to make a shortlist - John F

Nearly 4yrs ago we replaced our old Focus with a Peugeot 2008 1.2 EAT6 130bhp. V happy with it. It's slightly narrower than a Focus and good rear access; the no-lip load area about the same level as Mrs F's kneecap (an important criterion as it mainly serves as a motorised shopping trolley). But my BMI is only around 20.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sat 12 Aug 2023 13:02

Any - Need to make a shortlist - Engineer Andy

@SLO76

CX-3 is a great idea.
I'm not sure of they will fit the drive better than a Focus, but i do like the looks of them, and read some good reviews.

They don't seem that powerful for a 2.0 maybe I read the stats wrong.

Yaris.. I love these but they are just too small. I love the Yaris Crossover but I think it's too new to be in my price range.

The CX-3 in 2L SA-G form (120PS) is fine, no peppy car in terms of performance, but like all modern Mazdas, excellent handling and decent looks. I test drove one (a 2L Sport Nav auto) and I liked it more than the equivalent engined (gen-3 [2017]) Mazda3.

The downside was that the rear visibilty (like many modern cars) isn't great, and thus you need at least the rear parking sensors, plus the car is based on the (2015-) Mazda2 and is quite cosy inside.

The boot is a reasonable size but ONLY if you get the SE-L Nav spec or below, because the Sport and 4WD versions use part of the boot underfloor area and reduce the boot size to under 300L from 350L. In my view, the SE-L (Nav) is the best compromise / value for money, and drives well (with a smoother ride) shod on 16in rims rather than the 18in ones on the Sport/4WD versions.

Similarly with the newer designed CX-30, but as that is based on the Mazda3, the boot and interior is bigger and better. According to one person who wanted a new car and asked for advice here discovered, there is apparently some electrical issues with some of them, although that may have down to factors outside of Mazda's control and possibly down to previous rental firms owning the cars.

The 2L SA-X is better performance wise but you'll pay £2K - £3K more for the car. Obviously the bigger/heavier CX-30 won't match the performance of the CX-3.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator