Best supermini with a "vanity" wishlist

WobblyDog

MX5huggy wrote: »

Parking cameras! Seems a bit OTT in a super mini which offer it? Sensors seem enough to me although I have never used cameras.

The tiny rear windows in the current 3-door Fiesta are designed to look good from the outside, but make it very difficult to see where you're going when reversing. Hopefully fashion will swing back towards big windows soon.

custardy

ecgirl07 wrote: »

Ideally looking for a website that says these models across manufacturers have these features. Ive looked into most cars today and the fiesta seems to be the only one with heated windscreen. Clio mazda 2 yaris come with 0% finance.

Probably a nearly new fiesta titanium ticks the most boxes.

The not red was a reference to it being the seemingly standard free colour!

Parking sensors/cameras open to all suggestions

Given its a (for now) Ford only feature,its not really a shock.

jimmy_cricket

custardy wrote: »

Given its a (for now) Ford only feature,its not really a shock.

I've got a heated front window on my Mini Cooper

custardy

jimmy_cricket wrote: »

I've got a heated front window on my Mini Cooper

If thats the case then its good news the Ford patent has expired.
Never understood why they didnt licence the tech rather than hold onto it.
They would have made money where I doubt they sold many cars just on the heated screens.

ecgirl07

custardy wrote: »

Given its a (for now) Ford only feature,its not really a shock.

Parking sensors were just on the list of modern tech to kinda future proof the car!

I only found out during internet research yesterday ford hold the patent, would have thought other companies would have found a way around that!

Strider590

ecgirl07 wrote: »

Parking sensors were just on the list of modern tech to kinda future proof the car!

I only found out during internet research yesterday ford hold the patent, would have thought other companies would have found a way around that!

Ford are taking a leaf out of Apples book, patent trolling to control the progress of technology and drip feeding to maximise profit.

AdrianC

Strider590 wrote: »

Ford are taking a leaf out of Apples book, patent trolling to control the progress of technology and drip feeding to maximise profit.

Given that Ford have had those windscreens in production since the mid '80s, if there were any leafs being taken, it was t'other way around. My old man had a B-reg Mk3 Granada with one.

The patent itself, though, was a decade before that:
http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US3903396
...which would suggest that patent expired in the mid '90s.

A Japanese glass company had a later patent refining the technology:
http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5798499

Tiddlywinks

ecgirl07 wrote: »

Parking sensors were just on the list of modern tech to kinda future proof the car!

What???

Look, just decide for yourself the features that YOU really don't want to do without. There's no point in thinking further than that.

Also, get to grips with what the features actually do - you started out saying you wanted cameras but now are saying sensors... there's a big difference between the two.

Cruise control - what type of driving are you doing? If it's mostly around town then it won't be that useful to you.

You also need to consider, as a newly qualified driver, the insurance group of the car - that will makes big difference to the running costs.

Plus, the cost of the road tax will differ depending on engine performance.

What are your priorities?

AdrianC

And, to expand on Tiddlywinks' comment, do NOT believe any salesman who says that you must have some option you don't think you want, because it'll improve resale...

Sure, if you buy the £500 option it might improve resale by £250. Which means you just spent £250 for an option you didn't want or need... If it improved resale by £750, then you'd have made £250 by having it, but that ain't going to happen...

bigjl

Mini, Fiat 500, DS3 and Clio (because I like Clios)


If I wanted a reversing camera on any of them and it was not fitted to the one I looked at I would simply fit and aftermarket one.

From a resale point of view the Fiat 500 and Mini seem to have strong residuals.

Even an early "New Mini" will set you back £1500, sometimes more if it is a really nice one.

The Mini was only discounted when I bought the Picanto because of Insurance concerns as my daughter is learning to drive and they were two years older than the Picanto for £1000 more. The Fiat 500 was because there were none available on the day that fitted the bill, the TwinAir one we liked had no Service History and the only 1.2's were again two years older than the Picanto.

To be honest I should have just bought the Mini, but having a 5 year Manufacturers Warranty left was what really swung it, and the fact the Picanto is a reliable car.