Another of those - "which car should I choose ?"

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 24 Apr 2008 19:50
Another of those - "which car should I choose ?" - robide
So, I have a dilemma. I've recently taken a field based role in the company I work for, which involves lugging around some pretty large bits of kit for demo's etc. I have a company pool car (I intend to buy privately though), and at the moment, the car I have is the Cooper S.

Now, I absolutely LOVE the cooper. It's a cracking drive - nothing but fun (although far too easy to speed in, and I think I got busted on a dual carriage way today after a mobile camera was on the side of a 50 zone, just after it dropped from national, and I was doing 62. D'oh!). However, due to the size of the kit I carry, the boot is marginally too small and trying to get it in and out of the back is a nightmare.

So, I'm looking for something larger, which I can do mileage in and won't depreciate madly (ruling out an alpha!), and is fun and comfortable to drive. I do mainly motorway miles and on average, I'm doing about 1500 miles a month. To avoid the "big hit" I don't want something new, but probably a year or two old.

Budget: Around £16k

My thinking at the moment is:

Seat Leon 2.0 TDI
BMW 320d
Audi A4 20 TDI S line
Lexus IS 220d

I won't rule out a sports car, as long as the boot is big enough for the kit (which the hardtop convertible SLK is.... shame they cost so much!), so any interesting suggestions there would appreciated. I'm not so fussed about the MPG as I have a fuel card.

What are people?s experiences with the 3 above? Is there anything else anyone would recommend looking at?

Edited by Pugugly on 24/04/2008 at 19:54

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Apr 2008 22:59
Another of those - - Avant
If the boot is only 'marginally' too small, you should have a look at a Mini Clubman - as you no doubt know you don't get the 'big hit' with Minis. (SWMBO's Mini One was on a 2-year PCP so we chopped it in for a new Cooper a month or so ago, and after 20 months it was still worth 80 % in PX of its cost new.)

Try a 320d - I couldn't get comfortable and didn't like the gearchange, but this is purely subjective and others rave about them. Also try a Golf GTI or GT TDI - my Golf TDI estate is cheaper than a GT TDI hatch because you can have the estate in SE trim instead of having to go for the expensive Sport version.

You could have a new Leon 2.0 TDI for £16k, so try one.

Edited by Avant on 24/04/2008 at 22:59

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 25 Apr 2008 10:29
Another of those - - Mapmaker
Isn't the MINI Clubman the most unpopular car ever? (Personally I think it looks stunning, particularly in chocolate and cream; great retro look.)

Are you sure about the MPG and your fuel card? How does the taxation/reimbursement for mileage work? Sounds a bit strange to me. I THINK you will find a better MPG will earn you money.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 25 Apr 2008 11:09
Another of those - - Round The Bend
Would have thought that the Seat Leon would be the most practical of the listed bunch as it's the only hatchback. Try for the TDi in FR form.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 25 Apr 2008 11:22
Another of those - - barchettaman
Skoda Octavia vRS tdi estate springs to mind.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 25 Apr 2008 12:53
Another of those - - DP
The Leon FR TDI is a great car, completely ruined in my opnion by its brutal ride quality. The friend I know who bought it is growing tired of it already after just four months. As I said, in all other respects, it's a superb car, but make sure you take it over a good range of roads before committing to anything.

It's the constant "fidgeting" that gets me as much as the boneshaking jarring over typical British road surfaces. The car never settles.

Cheers
DP

Edited by DP on 25/04/2008 at 12:55

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.

Honest Used Car Prices

Real MPG enables you to register the fuel economy you are actually getting against your make and model of car, its engine and type of transmission.

Every time you enter an average consumption figure against your car, the overall average automatically adjusts to reflect it.

Real MPG