Replacement car needed, advice please?

tjak

I am being made redundant at the end of September, and will need to return my company car (Prius). I am starting my own business, sewing machine workshops for children, so need to be able to transport 6 machines, plus a few crates of fabric etc. I also have two terriers, so would like to be able to put their cage into the car without the back seat going down.

I was planning to buy a car outright to avoid a monthly cost, but want something new/reliable enough that I won't be paying out all the time for repairs. Good mpg would help too.

It needs to be automatic due to my health, and I will do approx 12k a year.
I have been looking at a local dealer who specialises in ex-Motability cars, up to 3yrs old, and think I have narrowed my search down to a Focus estate or CMax.

Anyone have advice, am I on the right lines? I expect to pay about £7k.
Thanks

JonathanA

Hi. I think you need to try both cars with your equipment in them to see what will work best for you. We have had 2 CMAXs now, both have been very good cars. However, the depth of the boot is not huge, so when we have the dog cage in there, we can't really get anything else in, which means we have to use the back seats. We also run a business, and the CMAX is versatile in terms of transporting our stuff to different events. Our other car is a Mondeo estate with a much larger, longer boot. This is immensely more versatile and meets our needs much more of the time.

For both cars, you haven't said whether petrol or diesel, but if you are looking at the petrol CMAX 2.0 Auto model, they are not particularly economical. Similarly, if you're looking at ex-motability cars, some can be very low mileage and that can be a problem for diesels cars.

For your mileage, I would suggest petrol would work out cheapest overall, if the Focus estate is a 1.6, then that would probably be the one I'd opt for given the information you've outlined. As with any car, there are well looked after motability cars out there, and ones that have been abused, so do check it thoroughly.

Not sure whether seating position is an issue for you, but you do sit higher up in the CMAX. If you can test drive both, and take your equipment with you to put them through their paces, I think you should. If you're serious about buying, a dealer shouldn't object to that!

Good luck with your new business!

forgotmyname

Go up a size to a mondeo maybe, They are cheaper to buy due to the number.

Never a shortage. Im on my 3rd now. But i only spend £2000 ish on them.
And still manage to get one under 5 years old.

I found the C-Max seating very hard. Maybe just the spec on that car though?

NeverEnough

I would buy a VW Caravelle or Transporter type van with the 2.5 auto box and good service history, circa 2001 to about 2003 ish- you may even get a newer style one for that money. The shortwheel base vans fit in normal parking bays and are economical and drive like a dream. Caravelle seats clip in and out easily to give great space inside and they can be used as ordinary cars when not used for lugging goods. Exceptional vehicles and hold value really well. Worth a look -think out the box. Fitting mobility ramps etc is really easy if the need arises, on one of these vans.

funkycoldribena

NeverEnough wrote: »

Exceptional vehicles and hold value really well.

Trouble is too well,people want silly prices for these.

Dont think the c-max is going to be big enough,as others have said an estate is probably going to be better ie;Focus,Mondeo,

andygb

JonathanA wrote: »

For your mileage, I would suggest petrol would work out cheapest overall, if the Focus estate is a 1.6, then that would probably be the one I'd opt for given the information you've outlined. As with any car, there are well looked after motability cars out there, and ones that have been abused, so do check it thoroughly.

On a second hand car costing £7K, annual mileage has nothing to do with the petrol/diesel argument, it is simply down to which one is the most economic, and the diesel will more than likely cost less for road tax and insurance.
We sold a 1.6 Mazda petrol (did 31MPG) and bought an Octavia 1.9 diesel (which has done 54 MPG over 3500 miles), so we are quids in every time we fill the tank.