Advice on a new car

CUTESMILE

Staring to look for a car as ours is had it.

We need one that accommodate a wheel chair in the boot and not take it all up and there is 2 adults & 1 teenager well he's taller then us adults and has the body of an adult oh and a dog so will need to accommodate us all.

Looked at the deals on motability and seen the ford c max zetec 1.8 does anyone know what this is like or the Vauxhall zafira as they are nil advance payment.

There are so many to choose from and would rather have a diesel as OH says better then a unleaded one.

Oh and we'd like to have a tow bar fitted so would need to be over a 1.6 to pull our van.

Any advice or suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

weeowens

Have a read of the car-by -car breakdown on here.
One thing I would say that if you do not do many long runs I don't think a modern diesel is for you.If you do not get the engine etc warmed up the DPF will get clogged & cause you problems.I know Motability will sort the maintenance out but it is all hassle that you don't want.
DPF........ http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuels-and-environment/diesel-particulate-filters.html

My FIL has a Ford Cmax 1.8 petrol on Motability and is about to get his third.He loves it.He's a big bloke & is quite comfy in it.

kingfisherblue

I have a Nissan Note - it accommodates a wheelchair and the shopping quite comfortably. The roof is high, so even tall people have plenty of headroom. It seats four adults with comfort. Mine is a Tekna 1.6 petrol.

easy

What sort of mileage will you cover each year? Do be aware that unless you drive more than 12,000 miles per year, it is probably less economical to have a diesel, because diesel costs more per litre (not my figures, that of Honest John, motoring expert in ther Daily Telegraph).

Have you considered a conventional estate car to accommodate the wheelchair? A slightly lower lip on the tailgate than a hatchback makes it easier to get the wheelchair in or out.

Do a search http://www.motabilityonline.com/site/current_prices/priceList/priceListDLAByVehicleDetails.jsp?formContextKey=&formSessionId=B5270E2D4F6CE535EB9E2B57A044158E&searchAdvancePayment=2&searchVehicleCategory=&searchBodyType=Estate&searchBodyDoors=5+Door&searchNumberOfSeats=&searchManufacturer=&searchTransmissionType=&searchFuelType=&searchEngineSize=&searchMpg=&searchCo2=Bands+A+-+G%2C+all+levels+of+emissions&userAction=criteriaChange Here, tell it you are looking for Nil advanced payment, Estate, and a good long list comes up, including Ford Focus Estate, Vauxhall Astra Estate, and the Peugeot 308 SW, all of which should have room for you and your son.

Oscar_The_Grouch

I prefer the Mondeo to the Focus; even the Cmax. The Mondeo comes with more "toys" and the positioning of things like the lighter socket for pluging in the sat nav are better. I also find the seats more comfortable and prefer the driving position.

One thing I would say - get cruise control!!!!!!!! No matter which one you go for, make sure you have that for the long journeys with the van in tow.

easy

Oscar_The_Grouch wrote: »

I prefer the Mondeo to the Focus; even the Cmax. The Mondeo comes with more "toys" and the positioning of things like the lighter socket for pluging in the sat nav are better. I also find the seats more comfortable and prefer the driving position.

But you are looking at an advance payment of over £1000 for a mondeo !

cookie54

i have an exmobility cmax and it is really comfortable . I did test drive it first and loved it but beware the wing mirror are hard to angle and parking can be hard as it is hard to see front and back and it is bigger then it looks !!!!!!!!! also the seat postioning makes it hard for some of my shorter friends to drive ....................

meritaten

have a look at the KIA Ceed SW - the boot is enormous - will easily take a wheelchair and shopping and the legroom in the back is very good too.
I own a KIA Ceed saloon and its very roomy inside and with a boot which would take a wheelchair.

wazza

easy wrote: »

But you are looking at an advance payment of over £1000 for a mondeo !

Mondeo hatch starts from £295

CUTESMILE

We did have a look at a zafira and omg it was lovely at £99 advance payment for a 1.8 and the boot space was enormous

Trazy

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I have a Nissan Note - it accommodates a wheelchair and the shopping quite comfortably. The roof is high, so even tall people have plenty of headroom. It seats four adults with comfort. Mine is a Tekna 1.6 petrol.

Can second this. My parents have this car and there is lots of room for a wheelchair and 4 adults. My dad can even fit his mobility scooter in the back when the seats are folded down.

Trace