I currently drive a 3 series BMW but on a recent holiday in this country I found the space lacking for 2 small kids, wife and all the stuff that goes with it! Me thinks I need an estate but which one? My criteria is as follows:
1.I only drive about 11K a year so I believe that may rule out diesels as being a cost effective propsosal so petrol only?
2.Speed is not a concern of mine so under 2 litre will suffice.
3.Budget of up to 13K.
4.Car can be up to 3 years old.
5.Must be as cost effective as possible i.e when considering depreciation, maintenance, fuel and insurance. This is probably the biggest deciding factor for me as I hate losing 000's on cars!!
My shortlist so far:
1. BMW 318 Touring - My BMW has been extremely reliable and reasonably cheap to run.
2. Audo A4 Avant - Recommended by a friend.
3. Ford Mondeo - Recommended by a work colleague - I had a Ford Sierra once which was a pile of rubbish, so I would need some convincing on this one!
Any thoughts or suggestions most welcome.
Thanks
TJP32
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Probably need a guide to what you're wanting to spend in order to give relevant advice.
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Ignore me. I can't read.
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I'd consider the Toyota Verso. You could get a 1.6 one year old for the price, will run forever, low costs, all the space you'd need.
See HJ's assessment on car-by-car breakdown.
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Mondeo is light years ahead of the Sierra. Car buying doesn't really get any simpler or safer than Mondeo, they are reliable, safe, strong, reasonable to run, nice to drive dealers all over the place, and value for money is fantastic.
Just make sure the clutch is ok though, they're a bit costly to replace.
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The A4 Avant will be no roomier than the BMW. Rear leg room is pretty miserable in both. The Mondeo is a big estate and a really decent car if the hire hacks that I have been driving are anything to go by.
The Honda Accord is pretty big, I don't like it but that doesn't make it a bad car.
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Toyota Avensis Estate - low on image, but all those Brummy taxi drivers can't be wrong!
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> Rear leg room is pretty miserable in both.
Probably not an issue yet whilst the children are small.
If you currently drive a 3-series, and think that a 3-series estate will do nicely for you, do *you* REALLY want to be seen dead in a Mondeo?
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Local Vauxhall dealer has their demonstrator Vectra 2.7?? with every option, it would seem, 'cos list price is over £27,000!!!!
They want £14,995, but I'm sure we can come to an agreement , sir!!
But in real life, how about Mazda 6, if you can find one??
VB
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Interesting comments so far!
I don't particularly want to go down the MPV route as I only require that additional 'holiday' space once or twice a year and also prefer the feel of a decent saloon so that rules the Verso out. Besides the wife drives a Honda Jazz so that department is kind of taken care of already albeit on a smaller scale.
My BMW has been a geat car to drive so to 'downgrade' to a mondeo may be a shock but I doubt it as I would like to think that I'm getting sensible in my old age!
My main deciding factor is COST. How much would the Mondeo depreciate against a BMW or Audi? How fuel effecient is the Mondeo against the german marques? What about the volvo S40 estate - worth considering?
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We've had an A4 saloon and avant and TBH we found that the avant offered no more baggage space than the saloon, indeed it often seemed to be slightly less accomodating. When we test drove the 3 series the touring was definitely less accomodating in the boot than the saloon as the suspension made the already shallow bay very narrow.
The honda accord is genuinely big and really nice to drive but I'd imagine busts the budget. I had a Mazda 6 as a hire and it was sharp handler but I couldn't hack the plasticky interior. I reckon if you're going estate it has to be the Mondeo for space, value and driving enjoyment, and though you aren't doing big miles I'd probably still go for a tdci as IMO they are much better engines to drive than their petrol counterparts.
I know it's a bit left field but if you want stay classy, drive a great car and have enough luggage space for holidays I'd consider a 2002/2003 exec like a 5 series, e-class or even an A6 saloon or avant, in that order. The boot capacity of these things dwarfs the A4 and 3 series estates and I've found the 5 series a much more relaxing and comfortable drive than the 3 series.
Even more left field if you want newer you might consider the Octavia estate or the Superb. I've had several as hire cars and have been impressed for the money; also your family could live in the boot of the Superb and the cabin is like a cathedral.
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I´d go along with all the above.
But have you though about just getting a biggish roofbox for the times you need more space for holidays? The new ones are cavernous.
That would be the most cost effective option, IMHO.
Happy hunting anyway,
barchettaman
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You'd be surprised about how small a child can be and still cause problems when sitting in the back of a car with not much rear legroom. When deciding on my Skoda Octavia I acknowldged that there wasn't acres of space in the back but thought that my little boy wouldn't need it. However by the time they're 2 years old and you've got them in a car seat that both raises them above the level of the rear seat and positions them several inches forward of the rear backrest they don't need to be swinging their legs too much before they're kicking you in the back. Obviously the further back you position the driver's seat the worse this problem is.
--
Matthew Kelly
No, not that one.
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As you quite rightly say TonyP, the biggest cost, barring major mechanical failure, is depreciation.So, to be cost effective, buy a three year old estate with a reputation for reliability.
Mondeo is a wonderful buy at this age, although a Legacy should prove equally reliable, and provided you keep your mileage below 20k pa and have a full NCD these expenses are outweighed by the initial depreciation. My latest R plate was purchased at 3 years old some four years ago for £3500!The plasticky interior is not to everybody's liking, but worth a test drive if you can find one at the right price-stick the ££s saved into Premium Bonds. I did. Still waiting!!
Good luck with your search.
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£13k will just about get you into a new shape Accord estate on a 53 plate.
It's reliable, holds its value well, good to drive and cavernous.
Worth a shot?
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Tony - I think it depends on how often you need the space - how often you take the family away at week-ends. If it's not very often, an A4 Avant with a roof-box will tick your boxes, particularly holding its value (though more expensive to buy in the first place).
If it's more often, A6 Avant, Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy, Skoda Octavia as suggested above, or what about a VW Passat estate? Less expensive than an Audi but solid and long-lasting. Most are reliable but if you get a 1.8T make sure it's had the coil replaced.
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How about a Mazda 6. Japanese reliability, keen pricing and something different that you don't see every day on the roads.
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Some great responses here so thanks to everyone.
I have considered the roof box but unfortunately I simply do not have anywhere convenient to store it when not in use - it would certainly be a cost effective alternative. Maybe I should ask the father-in-law if I can dump err I mean store more of my stuff in his garage!!!
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As you currently drive a BMW I assume you like a well-sorted car you can enjoy driving? Go test drive a Legacy, why do you think Subaru owners are almost evangelical about their cars? Have a look at www.subaru.co.uk and do a search on the assured used car page.
The dealers are generally very good too.
I have no connection with Subaru other than as a very satisfied customer.
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Low mileages mean that fuel costs will be the least fo your worries - 30 versus 40 mpg over a year won't add up to 2 hours labour costs!
Depreciation is mostly important only when buying new. The rapid falling of prices on 'uncool' cars makes them great value. 50% off £15K is £7500; 50% off £7500 is only £3250!!
The uncool but reliable models are therefore the ones to go for, which rules out all the over-cool expensive German ones.
Mazdas would do you well, and the Fords and Vauxhalls too. The Focus Estate is most unlikely to keep you awake at night worrying about how to pay the purchase price or its servicing costs, particularly now there's a new one out. A 2 year old top of the range model would be a bargain.
There's not much wrong with the old shaped Astra estate either.
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As you currently drive a BMW I assume you like a well-sorted car you can enjoy driving? >>
Should get on fine with a Mondeo then! Though the hatch and saloon handle better that the estate.
How about a Focus, the new estate look great, stylish, probably get a reasonable spec one for 13k from a broker.
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I´d go along with the above post r.e. the old shape astra estate! I picked mine up a couple of weeks ago, 2.5K, 83thousand miles, 1.8 CDi with all the fruit. Nowt wrong with it and big enough inside too.
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in reply to TonyP
I've got an A4 Avant diesel and its great. It doesn't drive like an estate can, ie no pendullum effect on cornering etc, like the Passat Estate for example, (which is otherwise a good car).
The nice things about the A4 are the great quality feel, very good resale values and the superb Pump Duse deisel engines.
The only donside is that the Avant isn't the largest of load carriers as an estate, but uless you are in the furniture removal business this shouldn't be a problem.
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Old shape Astra would have been the route, I'd have taken, before my Omega came along, except for...THE SEATS!!
My back was killing me, not just aching, really hurt, after a week using the Astra Club, we recently bought for Mrs V's mum n dad.
Seems unless you go for sports seating, you've got this 'fist' in your back, all the time.
& Omega is now too old, for the top end budget, you're thinking on.But if you want to spend less, well worth a thought!!
VB
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