Its been a while since I frequented these boards with questions about what to get (its probably about 3 years....). Currently driving a Hyundai Terracan which I bought in July 2005 at a year old. Now its only got 50K on the clock and still 2 years warranty remaining, but the 26mpg it returns is not very environmentally friendly. So I'm thinking about changing it....
But - with two small children (19 months and 8 months) and a large double buggy, what car does one purchase?
My only criterion is that it needs to be:
a. Diesel.
b. Not a run-of-the-mill MPV - so please no Picasso, zafira etc..
c. less than 5years old - company car scheme
d. Okay for taking onto building sites - not necessarily 4x4, but not a lowered hot hatch!
Budget - hmmm - £10 - £15K
Any ideas?
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Drive Your Way - If anything can, TerraCan
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Maybe a Toyota RAV-4 5-door or a Suzuki Grand Vitara?
If an ordinary estate will do, you could do a lot worse than a Skoda Octavia or a VW Passat or a Honda Accord Tourer (you'd get a newer Octavia for your money). Mondeo and Vectra will do the job but when you say not run-of-the-mill I presume you don't want anything too popular.
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"but the 26mpg it returns is not very environmentally friendly"
Are you sure that's the reason? Making new cars is just as polluting as running them, and the odd 10 mpg is pretty insignificant financially compared to the depreciation you're considering. If you like it, which I assume you do, I'd hang on to it...
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As I'm not looking to buy new, and I would expect my car to continue running for the next 10 years or more, I think this is pretty neutral on the environmental impact of producing a new car.
I do like running it - but I've had it two years nearly and am getting a little tired of it - the 12weeks it spent in the garage before christmas may have something to do with wanting rid as well!
Problem with the cars suggested is that, well, and no offence meant with this, but they are all so dull - it seems most modern cars are. Just to help you out, another car that I do like is the Chrysler 300C but too expensive.
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Drive Your Way - If anything can, TerraCan
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"As I'm not looking to buy new, and I would expect my car to continue running for the next 10 years or more, I think this is pretty neutral on the environmental impact of producing a new car."
IIRC,if a new car runs for ten years and 100,000 miles it only produces one tenth of the pollution created in manufacturing it!
I wait to be torn to pieces!
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I drove a Nissan X-Trail diesel a while ago as a courtesy car and was quite impressed - even though it's not the sort of vehicle I'd buy.
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Well, if all the suggestions so far are dull (I don't think you've driven a bigger-engined Octavia), you'd better go for a BMW or an Alfa - these might have been more obvious suggestions but for your category (d).
Bazzabear has a thread called 'picking up my new car today' a few pages back - refers to an Alfa 156 Sportwagon, which seems to have been what he was looking for with reasonably similar priorities apart from the building site.
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Why not get another Hyundai - this time the Santa Fe new shape. Got a good new diesel engine, its off the ground a bit but not like a Tonka toy and looks really good. You'll also get a better px against yours at a hyundai dealer I should think.
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