Searching for a new car

Bigwheels1111

My next car in 2 years will be a hybrid, plugin hybrid or fully electric.
depending on charging situation. ie if I have a driveway.

My brother just got an MG ZS+ hybrid on motability.
It lovely, good spec nice drive and over 50mpg.
No issues at all.
I found a huge downside, servicing.
5 years plus 3 mot’s is over 2.2k.
Year four service is over 1k.

MG electric cars service package for 5 years is £1100.

A new MGS5 Can be had for under 20k pre reg 25 plate,
Next is SE long range for 21k
Next is Trophy is 23k pre reg 25 plate & new 23.3k

I read complaints and issues with every make and model of car on the road.
It’s hit and miss.

My brother and best mate both have an MG, neither have had any issues.
one is a 25 plate and the other is a 70 plate.

moneysaver1978

Bigwheels1111 said:

My next car in 2 years will be a hybrid, plugin hybrid or fully electric.
depending on charging situation. ie if I have a driveway.

My brother just got an MG ZS+ hybrid on motability.
It lovely, good spec nice drive and over 50mpg.
No issues at all.
I found a huge downside, servicing.
5 years plus 3 mot’s is over 2.2k.
Year four service is over 1k.

MG electric cars service package for 5 years is £1100.

A new MGS5 Can be had for under 20k pre reg 25 plate,
Next is SE long range for 21k
Next is Trophy is 23k pre reg 25 plate & new 23.3k

I read complaints and issues with every make and model of car on the road.
It’s hit and miss.

My brother and best mate both have an MG, neither have had any issues.
one is a 25 plate and the other is a 70 plate.

Thank you! It sure is a minefield out there! High servicing costs is also something to consider especially if it is a condition of the warranty like MG.

Stubod

Stubod said:

IMHO it's a no brainer to go Japanese / Korean, and self charge hybrid. I ended up with a (last model) Kia Niro and love it. Does everything I need and returns 65+mpg (average). Fully auto, and adaptice cruise control, also comes with a 7 year warranty. The only other car I would consider on your list is either a Toyota self charge hybride, or a Jazz....which seem to be really good.......

...good luck with your search, it took me 2 years of looking before I decided on a Niro, and when I (eventually) change it will either be another Kia, or a Toyota....

NB read lots of (bad) reports about Vauxhall, (and Ford) engine and gearbox problems...and avoid a wet belt if you can??)

We were in Japan and South Korea recently - the cars there look so much nicer! We do have Kia Niro already on our list! Which year did you go for?

Good call about the wet belt, I need to read up more on this. I know Ford had a Powershift issue for many models but they have fixed it or have they...?!!!

I got the last of the "old" model Niro, 2022. The only one available was the level 2, ("poverty spec") model, I really wanted the level 3, but the level 2 still has the adaptive cruise control, flappy paddles and rear view camera, all of which I would want again. The other advantage is that it has the larger tyres which make for a really comfortable ride and are much cheaper to replace!

I would avoid any car that has a wet belt, a fundamentaly flawed design from an enginerring point of view, that will always been prone tofailure at some point. (Would not be so bad if you could replace them cheaply / regularly?).

I would never touch anything French, and from what I read about Vauxhall, probably not a lot better??

For me it will always been Japanese / Korean with a full main dealer service history, and the balance of the 7/10 year (Toyota) warranty.

I know of 3 people who run / have run a Honda Jazz, and they all love them, and seem to be all but bullit proof, as well as being quite practical.

Before my Kia I had a Yeti which I loved, and would probably have got another one if they still made them. I was looking for a mid sized "SUV/Estate" that had an auto box, (would never go back to a manual now). I was (very) sceptical about "self charge", but after owning one and seeing the benefits/fuel consumption I would certainly go for this option next time. Ended up test driving all the competition before droping on a "Which" article that happened to rate the Kia Niro, (until then it had not even been on my radar)...the 7 year warranty was a bonus, and my dealer offered me a service pack for around £200/yr which includes all routine servicing and MOT's...so a bit of a bargain really!!

..oh, and try avoid anything with an "opening" sunroof as it will (probably), leak at some point.....

Happy hunting...and do keep us posted as to your final decision!!

daveyjp

Easy.  Toyota CH-R.

10 warranty advice above is incorrect.  After 3 years each time you have a Toyota main dealer service and any identified repairs are carried out you receive a 12 month warranty up to the 10th year service/100,000 miles.

A totally left field option, but offering bomb proof reliability, an excellent auto box, mild hybrid, plenty of luxuries, higher driving position, rear view camera, heated seats - Subaru Crosstrek (formerly XV).  The slightly higher version of the Impreza.  From my experience the dealers are also excellent.

Funqi

Fix your Nissan note! Look around, there's still absolutely tons of them, even from mid 00s still in great nick, still on the road. They're bloody well built cars.

My mum has one, a 2007 1.4 manual. We spent £1k replacing a door, a mirror, new clutch, new tyres, some other minor repairs and a service. As an asset, the car isn't worth it, but we did it because it should easily last her a few more years yet. Everything works, it still drives flawlessly. 

I on the other hand, bought a 3 year old car and have nothing but trouble with it. Expensive trouble at that. As others have said, definitely void anything with a wet belt engine!

Stubod

daveyjp said:

Easy.  Toyota CH-R.

10 warranty advice above is incorrect.  After 3 years each time you have a Toyota main dealer service and any identified repairs are carried out you receive a 12 month warranty up to the 10th year service/100,000 miles.

A totally left field option, but offering bomb proof reliability, an excellent auto box, mild hybrid, plenty of luxuries, higher driving position, rear view camera, heated seats - Subaru Crosstrek (formerly XV).  The slightly higher version of the Impreza.  From my experience the dealers are also excellent.

...so by any other name a 10 year warranty then...????

facade

Stubod said:

daveyjp said:

Easy.  Toyota CH-R.

10 warranty advice above is incorrect.  After 3 years each time you have a Toyota main dealer service and any identified repairs are carried out you receive a 12 month warranty up to the 10th year service/100,000 miles.

A totally left field option, but offering bomb proof reliability, an excellent auto box, mild hybrid, plenty of luxuries, higher driving position, rear view camera, heated seats - Subaru Crosstrek (formerly XV).  The slightly higher version of the Impreza.  From my experience the dealers are also excellent.

...so by any other name a 10 year warranty then...????

Suzuki offer the same- 12 months service activated warranty with each manufacturer service, AIUI, you can get almost 11 years warranty by having the 10th year service a week or so before it's 10th birthday, you still get 12 months warranty if it is less than 10 years old at activation.

Suzuki do the Vitara which might be worth a look, they produced a crippled version that is FWD only.

facade

Be careful with the Mokka, the 1.2 is the dreaded Puretech engine, you won't find many people with anything positive to say about them.

The later ones swapped the wet belt for a chain (hooray!!!) but kept the direct injection and the massive oil burning problems of the earlier engines (boo!!!)

I don't know when the Mokka changed.

daveyjp

Stubod said:

daveyjp said:

Easy.  Toyota CH-R.

10 warranty advice above is incorrect.  After 3 years each time you have a Toyota main dealer service and any identified repairs are carried out you receive a 12 month warranty up to the 10th year service/100,000 miles.

A totally left field option, but offering bomb proof reliability, an excellent auto box, mild hybrid, plenty of luxuries, higher driving position, rear view camera, heated seats - Subaru Crosstrek (formerly XV).  The slightly higher version of the Impreza.  From my experience the dealers are also excellent.

...so by any other name a 10 year warranty then...????

No, an annual warranty.  The difference being if it were a ten year warranty there wpuld be a requirment to have the vehicle serviced every year or at set mileages, miss a service and the warranty is void,

With the Toyota/Suzuki annual warranty there is no requirement to demonstrate it has previously been serviced.  After a main dealer service a new 12 montn warranty will be put in place.

I have used it on a 7 year old Toyota and the warranty claim was approved.

Goudy

Have a look at the Toyota Yaris Cross.
You should find plenty of decent ones at your price point.

You can still tap into Toyota's extended annual warranty with every dealer service, so that could be another 8 or more years of warranty.

There are very few reported faults with them, the hybrid system has improved with every version and it perhaps one of the best and most proven system on the market.

The newer Li-on battery lasts far longer than the older NiMH ones (even those tended to last 150,000+ miles).
The drivetrain has been improved with a new direct drive system, so will basically drive on the EV motor in lower "gears", so far less CVT mooing as the CVT gearbox only handles transmission at higher speeds.

They actually drive really well.
I was never much a fan of Toyota suspension, they always felt a bit hard to me but they have obviously tuned these for our roads.

I've been jumping in and out of one of these Yaris Cross's these last few weeks and initially I didn't like the look of it. I'm not usually interested in jacked up hatchbacks, but I do now like the look, feel and how it drives.
Apart from a few bits of trim feeling cheap in the back of the car, I can't fault it.

After a fairly hideous drive last week I got out thinking there's nothing special that stands out about the car.
I looked back at it and it was just another greyish car in the car park, but a very good one.
A buy with your head, you know it makes sense type of good.