Choosing a car

dcouponzzzz

Hi All,

I would hugely appreciate your experienced opinions on choosing my next vehicle, having narrowed it down to 3 choices with a budget of 17-18k. This will hopefully be my car for the next decade, so reliability, comfort and future-proofing are top of my list.

I rarely make it on to the motorway any more, so I'm looking for a petrol engine with average+ acceleration, and will be the cart horse for all future house moves and trips to the tip, so a hatchback is necessary.

2015 Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI S Tronic - 10-15k miles (interior design is a turn off, everything else is a plus)
2016 Volvo V40 T3 2.0 - 5-15k miles (seems like an all round sensible choice)
2016 Ford Focus ST2 2.0 Ecoboost - 5-10k miles (a bit OTT but I've driven a few focus and they're a pleasure to drive)

I've considered most other cars in this price range but these 3 'do it' for me the most, although I am open to being schooled on something I may have overlooked.

Thanks in advance

neilmcl

I wouldn't bother with the V40, they are really boring cars to be in and despite the seat itself being typical "Volvo" and comfortable it's very difficult to get a good driving position in one, in my experience at least. I'd probably go for the Focus.

Apodemus

Your house moves and trips to the tip will need to be very small or very frequent, with any of these cars!

I'd spend half as much on something twice the size and twice the age! You'd probably still be ok for your ten years, but if you have only spent half your money, you could replace it in five years.

daveyjp

Audi gearbox may cost you thousands well before ten years is up.
Ford Ecoboost is still in experimental stage. Plenty of issues with the smaller output units, needs to prove itself.

Buy a Subaru petrol.

Ectophile

Ignore the sensible choice. Go for the car you like the most.

That way, you'll be driving around in the car you wanted. Everything else will be the car you didn't particularly like, but it was a sensible compromise.

dcouponzzzz

Ectophile wrote: »

Ignore the sensible choice. Go for the car you like the most.

That way, you'll be driving around in the car you wanted. Everything else will be the car you didn't particularly like, but it was a sensible compromise.

If I buy the car I like I'll be in a RenaultSport Megane coupe :rotfl: don't judge me!

Booooo

I had a focus st.

Beautiful car to drive

With a petrol pump in the boot

My best focus was the titanium , loved that car, wish I'd never got rid

Richard53

Another vote for the Focus. Best small car I have ever driven. I have no idea about the Ecoboost engine, though.

NBLondon

dcouponzzzz wrote: »

2016 Ford Focus ST2 2.0 Ecoboost - 5-10k miles (a bit OTT but I've driven a few focus and they're a pleasure to drive)

If you're using it as a carthorse - do you really need the ST? Could you get the 1.5 Ecoboost new at your price point? Of course, if you actively want a hot hatch - fine. Which is the priority though?

daveyjp wrote: »

Ford Ecoboost is still in experimental stage. Plenty of issues with the smaller output units, needs to prove itself.

Richard53 wrote: »

Another vote for the Focus. Best small car I have ever driven. I have no idea about the Ecoboost engine, though.

I've had a Focus with the previous 1.6 Ecoboost for almost 6 years now. The only thing that's ever gone wrong was a tyre pressure sensor.

sillygoose

Slight stretch to £18700 but a new base Kia Sportage with a 7 year warranty.

Or if you fancy something a bit more funky the Kia Soul has evolved into a very well sorted car and your budget would easily get a new '2' mid spec car, again with a 7 year warranty.

Herzlos

Apodemus wrote: »

Your house moves and trips to the tip will need to be very small or very frequent, with any of these cars!

Get the car you want, and get a trailer for the tip runs :j

I wouldn't touch the Audi, it'll be expensive. Volvo for comfort or Focus for fun.