Small car advice sought please

Valli

So many useful comments, thank you all.
She is also checking insurance prices, policies are coming in at about £650 so far, though with no definite car to enquire about this is only approximate.

zagubov

Spent a long time considering this. The best options were Skoda Citigo and VW up and i10. All got good space inside and roomiest boots for a small car. Eventually ruled out Skoda and VW as four-seater.

The i10 (1.2l) is brilliant. It could take 5 but if they're all adults it would be a struggle to do a long journey. VW is very pricey and the same features as the citigo.


Only niggling doubt I have is that the citigo might be more economical with petrol. I get 45 mpg on motorway but just 35 mpg in town.

I'd advise looking at both the i10 and the citigo. We bought our i10 secondhand hundreds of miles away in another city to get a good deal (had relatives who could test-drive it).

getmore4less

Try to go 5 door so much more practical than 3

vivatifosi

I have a Picanto too, bought last year. If I was doing more motorway driving I would go for the 1.2, but for local driving the 1.0 is fine.

They did have a deal on the SR7 which is worth looking into. A little over £9k for a five door. For that you get a lot of kit... air con, rear parking sensors, basic Bluetooth... the radio is a bit of a let down, but other than that have been v happy.

Seven year warranty and three years fixed price servicing for £99.

zagubov

These small cars are a doddle to park. Feel deceptively spacious when you're in them. The i10 only comes as a 5-door and having driven 3-doors before, I'd never go back.

If deciding between the Skoda and the Hyundai, don't be swayed by the Hyundai 5-year triple care warranty. It only applies if you use expensive Hyundai parts and their own dealers (ie if you break down their breakdown service takes it to their dealers) and it excludes wear and tear which is surprisingly broad. You'll no doubt have seen other threads on this forum discussing the dubious benefits. I think that applies to all and any warranties, TBH.

I'm not sure if Skoda comes with similar warranty. On the other hand, the skoda/VW car design is slightly more cramped for passengers (a fourth adult might feel cramped) - some people have said it's a 3 1/2 seater!

DKLS

Valli wrote: »

Why tha Abarth?

Because its a total hoot to drive, the 500 abarth is so not me and whilst initially mortified at when shown the courtesy car I fell in love it.

Unlike the hyundai i10 which has to be the most godawful car with the wheeziest engine possible.

zagubov

My first car was a FIAT. Let's just say there can never be another for me.:)

Nobbie1967

getmore4less wrote: »

Try to go 5 door so much more practical than 3

I think that depends on what you use it for. If you don't have a family to transport then a 3 door can be better as the doors are larger to get in and out of. I rarely have passengers and almost never in the back, so my 107 has the rear seats folded down to make a decent sized boot. It's amazing what you can fit in there if you try:)

Valli

She doesn't need a 5 door, being a single girl;)

Thanks for all your input, we've found a low mileage comes-with-a-warranty 107 with a high spec.

bigjl

vivatifosi wrote: »

I have a Picanto too, bought last year. If I was doing more motorway driving I would go for the 1.2, but for local driving the 1.0 is fine.

They did have a deal on the SR7 which is worth looking into. A little over £9k for a five door. For that you get a lot of kit... air con, rear parking sensors, basic Bluetooth... the radio is a bit of a let down, but other than that have been v happy.

Seven year warranty and three years fixed price servicing for £99.

I got the 1.0 City, three door only but very similar spec wise to the SR7.

The stereo is certainly not the best, a bit odd not having speakers in the front doors!

I think the City was just over £10k new back in 2013/14.

Seven year warranty was a big draw for myself aswell.

Just had the second year service for £129.99, the third year service (or 10k miles) has been quoted at £149.99.

I don't think you can get the same service deals if you buy used outside the Kia network.

I also noted that Kia dealers near me use 5w30 rather than 5w20, perhaps to save money?

I just wish the ride comfort was a little better over poor surfaces.