Car for five children? Hybrid family SUV? 2nd car buy? 1,000km commute?
May thirty one 2017 Two:30 AM
Aidan Timmons and Motoring Editor Eddie Cunningham team up to help readers make the right choice with their next car. Aidan visits dealers all over the country to produce a monthly guidebook on the values of used cars. He is co-editor of Motor Trade Publishers, who supply a car-valuing service to the motor trade, insurance companies and finance houses. Eddie is author of former best-seller ‘Clever Car Buying’.
I recently moved house and commenced a fresh commute to work so am looking at upgrading my car. I commute 1,000km each week (approx 50,000km/year), mainly on motorways. I’m conscious that my current car isn’t getting any better and, with enhanced mileage, the wear and rip will soon embark to showcase. I presently drive a two thousand five 1.Four Ford Concentrate which has given little or no trouble since I’ve had it (2012). It has 190,000km on the clock.
Our budget is €16k, but could spread to €17k/18k for the right car. Ideally, we would like an estate, as my spouse wants the space to transport his bike, but that’s not a deal-breaker. We don’t (presently) have children. We will be keeping the Concentrate as a 2nd car, so no trade-in etc.
Aidan: The upper end of your budget should open up to a Hyundai i40 Tourer in Executive trim on a 2014-plate. Attempt to get a 142-plate model as that way the manufacturer warranty does not expire until mid-way through 2019. You are racking up a lot of kilometres so your aim is to maximise your budget on Day One so you have peace of mind for at least twelve months. The Hyundai 5-year warranty is comprehensive as it is for unlimited mileage. Kia’s 7-year warranty is excellent too. You can leap into a 1.6-diesel 2015-plate cee’d SW (that’s the estate model) without too much hassle, so you should find something with a low odometer.
Just be aware you will likely harass the warranty before the seven years are up as Kia’s warranty also expires at 150,000km. It is a case of whichever comes very first.
Don’t write off the Skoda Octavia Combi or even a regular Mondeo in the 5dr hatchback version. If you fold the seats plane, then your hubby will lightly accommodate his bike. If possible, opt for the Two.0-litre diesel engine in the Mondeo. It will be a better servant to your mileage.
Whatever you buy, ensure that you get warranty and that the car starts out with a low odometer; ideally with less than 70,000km.
Eddie: The Peugeot five hundred eight SW is a nice car too and has a five-year warranty. Roomy and underrated. Excellent diesel.
You are indeed looking for longevity here (50,000km/year) so I’d also strongly suggest the Toyota Avensis (2-litre) Touring Sports (estate). Not many of them but a sound buy. Volkswagen diesel Passat estate is a good option too.
My playmate does about Ten,000km a year, presently driving a diesel three VW Passat with 177,000km. Our circumstances have switched and we need two cars now, so I intend holding on to the Passat for commuting to Dublin. The Passat has been amazing with no problems except regular maintenance. If I can get another duo of years out of it I’ll be glad. We have €10,000 to spend. We have three petite children so need a car with good boot space. I like the idea of a petrol but it’s difficult to find one that’s big enough and not too dear to tax. Reliability is high priority and something nice to drive preferably. Do you have any ideas?
Aidan: I agree, petrol cars with low mileage are difficult to find. But there are still some good ones out there. Without question, you should look at a Toyota Corolla 1.33-litre petrol. Leave behind specification levels. Most of them were Terra models anyway. If a pristine 2011-plate Terra from a well-established dealer of any kind falls under your radar, then go for it.
Toyota switched from the 1.4-litre to the 1.33-litre engine and the latter has a lower CO2 and therefore has lower tax.
Elsewhere, there should also be a decent selection of Nissan Qashqais for sale with the 1.6-litre petrol engine. Most models are in XE trim, which is remarkably generous given it was an entry level grade. It won’t feel like it.
Stay on top of your service intervals in both cars to ensure you don’t fall down the trap of irregular and costly repair bills.
Spending a few more euro than you might choose can have longer term benefits, as you seem to have already learned with your healthy Passat.
Eddie: I think the Qashqai is far and away your best bet with three children especially as there should be a good choice of petrol versions. I could roll off fairly a few more but it might confuse the issue. Let’s keep it ordinary.
I have a two thousand eight Toyota Avensis D4D with 200,000km up. I do 25,000km/30,000km a year. I have five children so ideally a diesel 7-seater would suit but very expensive. My budget would be €15k plus what I get for my own. Should I be looking in the UK?
Aidan: I have to acknowledge that the UK route seems attractive but you can quickly get bogged down in the logistics of organising flights, ferries, VRT payments, getting license plates made, taxing the car, putting it through an NCT; not to mention finding the right car in the UK and ensuring its provenance by purchasing a history report, and potentially not having any comeback if something fails.
This is not meant to scare anyone but those are the facts and potential pitfalls of going to a foreign market when you have no practice.
And if €15,000 is all the money you have, then mitigate all risk by staying at home and being close to the seller.
Let dealers here buy from the UK and provide you with warranty that they themselves will stand over.
Look for a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Other brands might seem more attractive but many embark life dearer than the Citroen and retain a good premium above it on the used market so your money will go further with the French brand.
Look at a Peugeot 5008, too. There is a brand fresh one arriving in July/August. A good idea is to call a few Peugeot dealers and see if they have any trade-ins lined up ahead of the fresh model arriving.
They might know of someone due to switch and that way you could get very first refusal.
Eddie: On the basis of much feedback here over the years the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso would be a standout choice for someone with five children.
There should be slew on sale here because lots were imported during the gloom times just to keep businesses ticking over.
On that basis I agree with Aidan – let the dealer do the work of importing if needs be. Sure, you might pay a bit more but have a local reference point and back-up means a lot if something goes wrong.
Ford’s S-Max is worth a look too, certainly. Families like it a lot.
People carriers (MPVs) are often shunned now in the face of our current SUV craze so you can bargain a bit on that front, I’d say.
We’re a family of two adults and three children (11, 8, Five). We have an one RAV4, 190,000 miles and a budget of around €30,000.
Our driving is mainly city but about six times a year we head down the country. In an average year we do approx Ten,000 miles.
I’m leaning more towards a PHEV or hybrid SUV. Given the age and time we have the RAV, I’d also like to avail of a scrappage scheme if possible. Advice appreciated.
Aidan: PHEV (Plug-in Electrified Hybrid Vehicles) and hybrid SUVs are infrequent. At your budget, you are basically narrowing your search to a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV or a RAV4 Hybrid.
Both are out of your price range if you want a brand fresh car but you will go close with a 171-plate ex-demo RAV4 Hybrid Luna Sport 2WD model.
See if you can hammer out a deal on one of those with your local dealer.
However, I think you will find the SEAT Ateca 1.4-litre TSi SE model suits your needs enormously well. It is not a hybrid or PHEV but it is a petrol SUV, which you can buy brand fresh for under €30,000.
Eddie: Buy the fresh Toyota C-HR hybrid/petrol if you can at all. It might mean a bit of a budgetary open up.
It’s not mad roomy at the back but it’s an ideal urban hybrid SUV for you because you’re trading in a Toyota against a Toyota and they have a scrappage deal running at the moment.
And it happens to be an eye-catcher.
WE love getting your enquiries but can’t reply to all queries in as utter a manner as this due to time and space restraints. We attempt to deal with as many as possible via email. But you can help us help you if you make sure to include the following critical elements in your query:
* Size of car required (number of seats).
* Present car (make, model, year and mileage).