Next car options/suggestions

noclaf

Looking to change my car in the next month or so and would be interested in views on the forum.
Current car: 16 yr old ford focus, bought from a Ford main dealer for just under £5k 10 years back (incl p/x my previous car which was about to throw up huge bills), it's been a fantastic servant and workhorse..also helps that it's fun to drive given how good the chassis and handling is!
The focus is getting a bit leggy now, repeated advisories for sub frame rust and just generally is a bit "tired" now after 10 years of mainly stop start town driving.
What are my options for a budget between £6-10k? The mandatory requirements are petrol only as I do 4/5k per year max, needs to be reliable and an auto gearbox as I am starting to appreciate relaxed driving now rather than having to rag a manual up and down the gears constantly. Comfortable seats would be nice too, my focus is great but on long journeys my back feels broken when I get out the car, it's not the last word in comfort.
I do need a car as am a carer for a parent and in-laws and other family are dotted across London and some outside of London.
In terms of cars I like: Volvo V40, Audi A3, VW Golf , SEAT Leon
However my head says the above options will invariably end up in big bills given those brands are known to be pricey to service and some known issues with the VAG DSG gearbox and TSI petrol engines ( I plan to keep the car for quite a while as I can't be bothered with chopping and changing).
Head also says 2015 onwards Astra's are great vfm but close family members own vauxhalls and have had far more issues than my older Focus. I quite like the newer (2013 ish onwards) Focus but boot space isn't great and not keen on 1.0 engines with worries over durability.
Apologies for the long post, any current or past owners of the above- mentioned cars would be great to have your input and any other suggestions even if a bit "left field).
P.s: trying to avoid saloons if possible due to awkward reversing to get out of cul de sac and hatchback is more practical...thinking from a family future-proofing perspective.

Grumpy_chap

You could do far worse than another Focus.  The estate has good boot size

noclaf

Grumpy_chap said:

You could do far worse than another Focus.  The estate has good boot size

Ah so I should of mentioned one other requirement....we will be chopping in wife's car as a p/X (likely IL sell my focus privately as doubt a main dealer will give me much), wife cannot drive anything bigger than a hatchback...hence no estates unfortunately but good suggestion. I like the Mazda 6 estates but alas, the boss says no

mobileron

Look at the Skoda range of cars great value for money

CasualBagger

I quite like my Hyundai i30 - it has a solid warranty and has not presented any issues so far. It's about focus-sized.

Other options could be a Kia Ceed or a Toyota Corolla?

It sounds like you want an indestructible car... in which case they say you can't go wrong with a Toyota. 

mgfvvc

I'd second a Toyota or a Honda. I wouldn't discount a Skoda either. Maybe look at Mazda as well?

noclaf

Mazda 3/I30/Ceed/Civic/Jazz are all on my radar. One of the other challenges when it comes to auto petrols and especially auto combined with n/a petrol is that the performance really drops off a cliff, granted I am not looking for a performance car but would be nice to have a bit of go when you need it. This seems to be where the VAG group cars with DSG tend to excel with decent performance figures over the Jap/Korean cars.
I tend to nitpick and overthink potential issues with cars so need to probably just accept that there is an element of luck along with the standard maintenance required for cars rather than worry about what could go wrong!
Any thoughts on using a main dealer Vs a car supermarket or is it all much the same give or take and assuming you get the spec you want and do all the due diligence and checks etc?
Car giant, Car supermarket, Arnold Clark..and the rest..any that would be recommended and any that I should stay well away from?

cymruchris

Definitely avoid the Volvo - they don't make them like they used to. I had an S40 that was a bundle of trouble, and cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road. I'd be looking at the likes of Honda/Toyota/Mazda for the type of car you're looking for.

CasualBagger

noclaf said:

Mazda 3/I30/Ceed/Civic/Jazz are all on my radar. One of the other challenges when it comes to auto petrols and especially auto combined with n/a petrol is that the performance really drops off a cliff, granted I am not looking for a performance car but would be nice to have a bit of go when you need it. This seems to be where the VAG group cars with DSG tend to excel with decent performance figures over the Jap/Korean cars.
I tend to nitpick and overthink potential issues with cars so need to probably just accept that there is an element of luck along with the standard maintenance required for cars rather than worry about what could go wrong!
Any thoughts on using a main dealer Vs a car supermarket or is it all much the same give or take and assuming you get the spec you want and do all the due diligence and checks etc?
Car giant, Car supermarket, Arnold Clark..and the rest..any that would be recommended and any that I should stay well away from?

I'd say don't trust the performance "figures" - test drive a lot of cars and get a feel for them yourself. I think we recently learned from the VAG and Daimler diesel emissions scandals that figures can sometimes be false.

I think it is exactly as you have said - it doesn't really matter who you buy from. Get someone independent with good car knowledge to check over any car - looking at brakes, suspension, tyres, engine, etc. Personally, I don't trust anyone - especially not Arnold Clark, who are the shadiest of them all. That being said, they are who I bought my last car from in full confidence it was a good deal. 

noclaf

CasualBagger said:

noclaf said:

Mazda 3/I30/Ceed/Civic/Jazz are all on my radar. One of the other challenges when it comes to auto petrols and especially auto combined with n/a petrol is that the performance really drops off a cliff, granted I am not looking for a performance car but would be nice to have a bit of go when you need it. This seems to be where the VAG group cars with DSG tend to excel with decent performance figures over the Jap/Korean cars.
I tend to nitpick and overthink potential issues with cars so need to probably just accept that there is an element of luck along with the standard maintenance required for cars rather than worry about what could go wrong!
Any thoughts on using a main dealer Vs a car supermarket or is it all much the same give or take and assuming you get the spec you want and do all the due diligence and checks etc?
Car giant, Car supermarket, Arnold Clark..and the rest..any that would be recommended and any that I should stay well away from?

I'd say don't trust the performance "figures" - test drive a lot of cars and get a feel for them yourself. I think we recently learned from the VAG and Daimler diesel emissions scandals that figures can sometimes be false.

I think it is exactly as you have said - it doesn't really matter who you buy from. Get someone independent with good car knowledge to check over any car - looking at brakes, suspension, tyres, engine, etc. Personally, I don't trust anyone - especially not Arnold Clark, who are the shadiest of them all. That being said, they are who I bought my last car from in full confidence it was a good deal. 

Whilst the market has changed given the pent up demand for cars after easing of lockdown and shortage of some models driving prices up, did Arnold Clark give much leeway for negotiating the price down or throwing in extras when you purchased you car?

DrEskimo

In predictable fashion...i'm going to suggest an EV! Can you accommodate charging one at home?

The way they drive and the fact they have no gearbox makes them great around town. Honestly better than any auto I've ever driven, largely as it doesn't have one! Relative to other small engine automatic hatchbacks, the likes of the Zoe and Leaf will provide a much superior drive.

For your budget you are looking at second-hand 30kWh Leafs, or if you could stretch to £15k, you could get a similar used 41kWh Zoe to mine (without the battery lease). The former will give you about 80-100miles, whilst the latter will do 130-150miles. Depending on your driving pattern and charging availability, this may or may not work.

The fact you are in and around London may be advantageous too? I think for the next year they do not incur CC charges (still £10 per year to register though).