I have been asked by a neighbour's sister to help choose her next car. She likes small cars i.e. Clio/Fiesa/Corsa size but likes a big engine for relaxed motorway driving. She only does 6K a year but most of that is motorway with one trip to France a year.
She currently has an old Clio which is a 1.4 IIRC. Although she has been pleased with it, it's on its last legs now and is a bit noisy for long motorway trips.
She has a budget of £13000, plus the old Clio - probably worth a few hundred. She is not interested in a diesel. Nothing that looks too sporty either.
I have seen there's a new Clio 2.0 petrol out now with a six speed 'box which would be quite a good car for long trips.
But what else might fit the bill?
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BMW 1 Series.
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he said a small car with big feel, not a big car with no space.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Sorry.
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We had a 1.6RXE Clio and that felt like a big car but they do suffer a lot of wind noise at speed (I think it's because the doors wrap over the roof and A posts).
Might be worth looking at Honda Jazz - although the engine is only 1350 or so, it does feel reasonably 'torquey'. Pity we don't get the bigger engine available in other markets.
What about Nissan Note? Similar sort of car to Jazz but with 1.6 engine or I imagine the 1.5 diesel would be good for the motorway work.
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Meriva or similar?
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My 306 definitely felt bigger than it was.
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My 306 definitely felt bigger than it was.
I'd second that.
The missus' 306 Sedan is a veritable Tardis that never ceases to amaze especially for rear knee room thanks to heavily sculpted front seat backs, and the size of the boot.
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actually........ with the back seats down there is plenty of room, ok the back seats are not good for adults but on the road they do feel big and really well 'planted'. Well mine does.
Anyway I'm off to the safety of the 1 series forum ......
P
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Only real suggestion I have is the Skoda Fabia 2.0 - nice car too.
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Another vote here for the Fabia - it really does ride like a car a size bigger especially on the motorway and fast A roads. I've only driven the vRS and TDI 100 PD both of which cruise well and don't bounce around like you might expect.
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Xileno, your friend was born 35 years too late - nothing has ever quite replaced the Mark 2 Triumph Vitesse.
I'd also suggest the Fabia: the 2.0 is a rarity probably because it's not that much faster than the excellent 1.4 100 bhp version, which she ought to try.
The Jazz's only major fault is that it's too buzzy at motorway speeds: it needs either a 6th gear or as someone has already said the 1.5 engine available in some other countries.
Nissan Note - well worth a look according to road tests although I haven't tried one. Stupid name - she would have to be not at all image-conscious to admit to driving a Nissan Note. If it's big enough for her, a Micra with the 1.6 engine could suit her.
That 2.0 Clio could be interesting - 3-door only for some reason known only to Renault. I'm not sure why she is against a diesel: Renault diesels are comnparatively refined and a Clio or Modis with the 106 bhp engine might surprise her.
Hope that might help.
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if you mean the Renault sport 2 liter, its got six gears but the top is pretty low. I'd agree re the diesel Renaults: much more relaxing. Sister has the Modus 86hp diesel: capable and comfortable.
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>> I'd also suggest the Fabia: the 2.0 is a rarity probablybecause it's not that much faster than the excellent 1.4 100 bhp version, which she ought to try.
The 2.0 litre is 1.7 seconds faster to 60 than the 1.4 100bhp and also has 125 lb/ft torque as opposed to 92 in the 1.4. I would imagine that makes it more relaxing to drive than the 1.4.
To put the 0-60 in perspective, thats the difference between a Zetec S Fiesta and the ST Fiesta -
I think most people would think of the ST as usefully faster and as such, the 2.0 litre Fabia is usefully faster that the 1.4.
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I have to say I really don't like small cars but the Renault Clio Sport seems quite fast and does not look too sporty. I was bombing along over the pennines last week in my Volvo S60 and had one behind me and I couldn't understand how a Renault Clio was keeping up with me - when it overtook me I saw the tell-tale sign - the Sport badge! What a sleeper car just looks like a run of the mill Clio!
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What a sleeper car just looks like a run of the mill Clio!
Last week I was seriously pressured by a Civic Type R constantly trying to overtake all the way through the 30 limit in Waddesdon. Right up my jacksy and ducking out continuously. Reaching the NSL sign, and in third gear not second in deference to a damp road, it was most satisfying to comprehensively walk away from him...... in a standard looking, debadged from new, Volvo V70 2.4T with some hidden BSR tuning ponies under the bonnet. :-)
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New Mercedes A Class. I had one for a month and really wanted to hate it because the previous model was awful to drive. Latest one is compact, spacious, very stable and comfortable on the motorway even up to 200km/h, quiet (as a petrol model anyway) and reasonably priced (at least in Germany). Dash design is reminiscent of the C-Class and it struck me as a design it finally lives up to the promise of its complexity with the double floor and almost horizontally mounted engine. Like I say, I hated the orginal A Class, the new one might be worth a look, depending on what MB are asking for it in the UK obviously.
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1.6 FSi Golf? If smaller, maybe a Polo/Clio with extras if desperate to spend all £13k lol
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1.6 Clio: the 2.0 petrol 138 is the Dynamique S model which is mildly sporty, perhaps not quite as sporty as a Fiesta ST but not far off it and therefore not quite wht she's looking for.
She can look at either the Privilege or the Initiale (£1,300 for leather and climate basically - the climate is £275 on its own).
I'd look first at buying from a broker and scrap the old Clio if necessary: she'd get more in discount than she could ever hope to get as a trade-in for the old car, albeit she could then see if the dealer could match the effective cost to change.
Try
www.ukcarbroker.co.uk/renaultclio.htm or
www.motorprovider.uk.com/products.php?cat=173
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My wife ahs a new shape 1.3 (petrol) Yaris and it really is the biggest small car I have ever driven.
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New model Corsa. Feels like a car from the Astra class. Mind you, I was surprised how comfortable my Ibiza felt at 85 on the motorway yesterday and thats only a 1.2 3 cyl jobbie.
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Thanks for these replies. The Clio I was suggesting was the 2.0 petrol 138 Dynamique S. This has a six speed 'box and is the latest Renault/Nissan engine with balancer shafts. Meant to be a bit of fun...
I don't know why she doesn't want a diesel - I will enquire. Maybe she thinks they're noisy. A quick drive in my 1.5dCi should put that to rest. Modus hasn't been selling too well, there may be some good deals around. Modus also showing very good reliability results, maybe Renault's long awaited star has finally arrived...
Fabia sounds interesting. Does this have a six speed 'box?
What about a 206? They are supposed to be ok aren't they?
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As a 206 owner myself I couldn't really recommend one, but seeing as a Clio is on your short list the 206 should be too.
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Is there anything particularly wrong with the 206? I thought it was the 307 that was poor.
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New Mercedes A Class. I had one for a month and really wanted to hate it because the previous model was awful to drive. Latest one is compact, spacious, very stable and comfortable on the motorway even up to 200km/h
That would be about 125 mph? Which A Class model was this?
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It was a petrol model, an A170 if memory serves correct.
Obviously this was the indicated speed (but why spoil a good story) and it took a while to get there. Played hell with the fuel economy as well as it involved driving absolutely flat out.
I wouldn't have dared try this in an old A Class, above 110km/h they felt like they were going to fall over!
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It's not quite what you were asking, but my daughter has a Hyundai Getz, and squeezes three little ones in it. I put her on my insurance for the occasional times when she hasn't the use of their Getz. She was nervous when I had the Mondeo, and didn't really like driving it. However, she loves the Astra 1.6 (mine). It's a little bit bigger than the Getz, but it a much more enjoyable ride, as would be expected. She has no worries about parking it in small spaces. On a more worrying note, she reports that the Astra is a flier, and a lot quicker, and quieter, than the Getz.
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206 feels like a small car - light, agile, nippy, but supposedly lacks refinement...if you wanted a small car with a big feel you'd be better off looking at the 207.
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The latest Ford fiesta felt big to drive when i test drove one, compared to a Ka of course ;-)
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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206 is a small car, light it isnt, agile it isnt, nippy it is.
Focus is much nicer & lighter to drive.
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Try a Nissan Note 1.4 or 1.6?
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The Mark V Golf isn't all that small, compared to the Mark 1. I think the current Polo is bigger than a Mark 1 Golf - so try one of those - or for better value go for a Skoda Fabia, which was where we came in!
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My Mk 5 Golf feels enormous to me but then again I'm not a large car man.
I would think, however, that most of the new small superminis are being made to be larger than their, usually, inferior predecessors - the new Clio being a typical example of this tendency to make the newer model wider, longer and more bulbous than the one before, which does have its problems - at least for me however - Can't garage it comfortably.
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I took her for a spin in my Megane dCi and after checking the insurance I let her take over the wheel. She found the car itself too big for her but was very impressed by the engine, commenting on how quiet it was. So maybe she will consider a diesel afterall. We shall see...
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I'd go with a Mk IV/V Golf, just as roomy and comfortable as a Passat up front.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Just noticed on the that they're doing the 2.0 engine in the Clio Privilege and Initiale also now - although it's only listed on Broadspeed's site amongst brokers I tried, and their discounts aren't very competitive on Clios.
It is on the Renault website though - list is £15,180, so £1k over the 1.6. That should eventually translate to a broker price of about £12,100.
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Just noticed on the that they're doing the 2.0 engine in the Clio Privilege and Initiale also now
I imagine the depreciation would be horrendous. We had a 1.6 Clio from new and couldn't shift it at 5 years old - the sort of person looking for 5 yr Clio doesn't want the insurance cost associated with a big engine (in practice the insurance isn't much dearer on the 1.6, but I 'm guessing would be a step up on the 2.0).
You're also (even at 3-4 yrs old) bumping up against the price of nearly new more basic Clio's.
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BP is likely to be right about depreciation - unless somehow the 2.0 is particularly good to drive and gets to be seen as desirable.
Its nearest rival is probably the 106 bhp diesel Clio. Looking in What Car, although the bhp of the diesel is less (106 bhp as against 138) torque is 143 lb/ft playing 177 for the diesel. I suspect the diesel will be more popular and hold its value better. (Yet What car doesn't put residual value of any Clio after 3 years at anything above 37 %.)
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What has happened is Renault brought out the 2.0 Dynamic S in october 2006 and have only just introduced the 2.0 Intialial and Privilage models range this year (I think). The 2.0 Dynamic S can olny be had in 3 a door version, but I know the Privilage and intiatial models were only available in 5 door versons before the 2.0 models came out. Therefore I stongly suspect that you can get a 2.0 in a 5 door version in either privilage or Intialtial trims.
Good thread I have been doing a lot of miles recently and I am just waiting for my first real perment job before I replace my P reg 1.2 Clio with something beter. I would also like refined cruiser but in a small package. - the new clio looks just the ticket. On this front WhatCar says the new corsa is very refined - but I hate car journalists. Half of them critisize qualities the other half praise and then they often say contracdictory things about the same car in the same report! GRRR.
Sorry I can't spell, perticualarly intialial. (if you know the clio's trim levels you will be able to understand what I mean)
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Torque means nothing without RPM
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