Recommend me a family car?

Obukit

OP - the medium size family car market is very saturated so you have a lot of choice.

Personally, bearing in mind kids are great as destroying cars, I'd go for a VW Golf - the interior build quality is very good so it should hold it's value better than other cars, plus having been in an accident in one they are very solid cars, which is important with kids (I was hit nearside rear door, spun into a house, and walked away. If it wasn't for the rear wheel arch pushed against the tyre, I could have driven it away).

I would avoid anything French with a £3k budget, it will be getting to the stage where everything electrical stops working!

mikey72

I think a lot of the surveys show the type of customer that owns a car. Citroen, Ford, Vauxhall, there are alot that are run into the ground, because they last for years, and provide good, cheap motoring, then get fixed when they break. The only people I knpw with Hondas spend a fortune on servicing, always go to a main dealer, always have the mot after the service, and go back whenever there is a strange squeak. And after they have spent that much, it's a good reliable car, and they swear by it. If every Citroen had that much spent on it, I'm sure they would be up at the top as well. Just avoid the abused ones. I notice the op has a corsa, bottom of the list near enough as Vauxhall. If that's true, I'm sure they'll be avoiding them in future. Mine's been reliable for nearly 10 years, so I'll be taking it with a pinch of salt.

fivetide

mikey72 wrote: »

I think a lot of the surveys show the type of customer that owns a car. Citroen, Ford, Vauxhall, there are alot that are run into the ground, because they last for years, and provide good, cheap motoring, then get fixed when they break. The only people I knpw with Hondas spend a fortune on servicing, always go to a main dealer, always have the mot after the service, and go back whenever there is a strange squeak. And after they have spent that much, it's a good reliable car, and they swear by it. If every Citroen had that much spent on it, I'm sure they would be up at the top as well. Just avoid the abused ones. I notice the op has a corsa, bottom of the list near enough as Vauxhall. If that's true, I'm sure they'll be avoiding them in future. Mine's been reliable for nearly 10 years, so I'll be taking it with a pinch of salt.

Ford aren't on the list. Bearing in mind the sheer volumes they shift and the fleet useage I don't think the argument quite stacks up but of course, you are welcome to your opinion.

5t.

mikey72

fivetide wrote: »

Ford aren't on the list. Bearing in mind the sheer volumes they shift and the fleet useage I don't think the argument quite stacks up but of course, you are welcome to your opinion.

5t.

They're 8th in your list, above the C4 you highlighted. And back in at joint 10th, just below the C4. So Ford have two in the top ten most unreliable cars? Volumes just make it worse, as a percentage, the more they shift, the more there must be going wrong if you take the values as gospel. Personally, I don't, I buy cars that are fun to drive, so I've a long line of French and Italian. (2 out of 6 are French, 1 is Italian at the moment, and the 4th appears in the bottom 10 as well)

wallbash

You can take the advice of a self praising expert in French/ Italian cars , or join the long long list of people who put their money were their mouth is , and buy the Fiesta/ Focus.
Most Fiesta/ Focus.owners are repeat buyers , we are happy.

mikey72

wallbash wrote: »

You can take the advice of a self praising expert in French/ Italian cars , or join the long long list of people who put their money were their mouth is , and buy the Fiesta/ Focus.
Most Fiesta/ Focus.owners are repeat buyers , we are happy.

It's a confusing post, but I think you're agreeing there's more to reliability than numbers on a list? And that I put my money where my mouth is, and buy French and Italian, and have reliable cars? And Fords are decent as well, despite the reported figures?

grdmitro

maybe Honda Jazz, transformer rear seats, some boot space, 45/50mpg
parts are expensive, but rarely needed :P

fivetide

mikey72 wrote: »

They're 8th in your list, above the C4 you highlighted. And back in at joint 10th, just below the C4. So Ford have two in the top ten most unreliable cars? Volumes just make it worse, as a percentage, the more they shift, the more there must be going wrong if you take the values as gospel. Personally, I don't, I buy cars that are fun to drive, so I've a long line of French and Italian. (2 out of 6 are French, 1 is Italian at the moment, and the 4th appears in the bottom 10 as well)

No... you listed brands, not specific cars and that's what i quoted/responded to. You'll notice Ford are not in the top ten for poor manufacturers.


Agreed in the unreliable cars for 2010 the Focus CC is in there, and I made the point about a large number of folding soft tops in there. The S-Max I'm not as sure on but the C4 Picasso beats it hands down. Many a review noting it for not being that reliable.

Yours has done well and that's good for you but the balance of wider opinion says, don't trust the car dealer trying to shift an old Citroen

5t.

mikey72

fivetide wrote: »

No... you listed brands, not specific cars and that's what i quoted/responded to. You'll notice Ford are not in the top ten for poor manufacturers.


Agreed in the unreliable cars for 2010 the Focus CC is in there, and I made the point about a large number of folding soft tops in there. The S-Max I'm not as sure on but the C4 Picasso beats it hands down. Many a review noting it for not being that reliable.

Yours has done well and that's good for you but the balance of wider opinion says, don't trust the car dealer trying to shift an old Citroen

5t.

My only excuse is you quoted the table after I mentioned the C3, Citroen don't appear anywhere on the list, so I can stand firm in the recommendation. I've a 23 year old Renault at the moment as well, everything works, even the auto gearbox and the electric windows.

linz78

I cant recomend what you should buy but i would stay away from diesel vauxhall for definate and if you do want a diesel you should seriously look at whether it has a DPF they are a costly nightmare.