A car for the mother, big enough for the weekly shop without being too big??

Nine_Lives

Firstly i want to discuss the meaning of budget -

The figure i give in a minute is a budget and NOT a spending requirement. I've asked similar (recommend me...) questions on all manner of message boards - computers, cars, etc etc & it seems that people like to take your budget & recommend something either 1% under, or 100% over. It's a budget, not a requirement.

On that note...

My mum has a Nova saloon. She's not 'into' cars - she just likes simple no frills A-B motoring. This is ideal for her due to the boot size (anyone familiar will know) as it's big enough for her weekly shop.
I have a MK4 (1998-2004) Astra & she says the boot on that is also suitable.

Something like a Corsa would be no good at all. The boot is tiny (my gf has one, so we know how small it is).

Problem is, the Nova is on its last legs & so she's looking for a suitable replacement. She likes the idea of the MK4 Astra, but doesn't want to be close minded.

* budget would be £2000
* needs to have a decent boot size (think of the 2 cars i quoted)
* Nothing fast required
* cheap to run & insure (so big engine size = big tax = waste of money)
* reliable & cheap to repair

Suggestions welcome.

Strider590

Avoid French and Italian (unless mum is a petrolhead with a fully equipped garage), best tip I can offer.

Don't be closed minded about engine/size, these days smaller engined cars are at a premium, bigger = newer car for less money and what you save on the cars initial price, you'll hard pushed to spend on the extra fuel/tax/etc it uses.

Bigmoney2

Honda Jazz has good size boot, and good mpg. I get 50 ish from the 1.2L

Lum

Focus, Fiesta, Micra, Jazz, Civic. There's loads of cars that meet that description and they're all much of a muchness really.

It's a shame you don't want to go too big as you could get a really decent Mondeo for 2 grand and still have change for shopping.

CompBunny

What about something like a Suzuki Wagon R or its brother the Vauxhall Agila? Good fuel economy, cheap insurance, can easily find one in your budget, fairly reliable, with back seats folded down its like a little van! eg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-Wagon-R-1-3-GL-PETROL-/140706924074?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item20c2c9462a

Nine_Lives

Lum wrote: »

Focus, Fiesta, Micra, Jazz, Civic. There's loads of cars that meet that description and they're all much of a muchness really.

It's a shame you don't want to go too big as you could get a really decent Mondeo for 2 grand and still have change for shopping.

I know. We had a MK3 Mondeo. Ok it was an estate. It was my dads & when he died last year, my mum would've liked to have taken it, but it was way too big for her. Even a hatch is too big for her - so that'll apply to the similar Vectra C (personally i wouldn't bother touching one (Vectra)).

Fiesta is a bit small like. I don't know about the newer ones, but i passed in a W-plate one & the boot is tiny.

Thanks to all for replies.

Idiophreak

I'd recommend the Jazz, too. Plenty of space in the boot, small enough for nipping around town, easy to park and I get 50+mpg.

Lum

The Fiesta has gotten bigger with each new generation. The current gen Fiesta is approaching the size of a Mk2 Astra these days, hence why I said it might be suitable.

Does she take people with her when shopping? Personally I like to put my shopping on the back seat rather than the boot as it's softer and the bags don't slide around as much.

Idiophreak

Lum wrote: »

Does she take people with her when shopping? Personally I like to put my shopping on the back seat rather than the boot as it's softer and the bags don't slide around as much.

Great idea, until you have a thing of milk/cream that explodes all over the place

Think you'd get on well with the Jazz too, though...you can lift up the "magic seats" and put your shopping where they were in the footwell - so it doesn't slide around as much as it would in the boot

Lum

Never had that problem, probably because the seats are quite soft and the milk/cream is in a nonpermeable carrier bag.

Idiophreak

Lum wrote: »

Never had that problem, probably because the seats are quite soft and the milk/cream is in a nonpermeable carrier bag.

Only ever happened to me once..But the stink it left in the boot, I was certainly glad that it happened in there, not in the back seats