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Author: Subject: Relliable second car reccomendation??
r1_pete

posted on 5/11/13 at 08:01 AM Reply With Quote
Relliable second car reccomendation??

Daughter needs to replace ger Citroen C4, its been a pile of crap from day 1, parked up one night and won't start following morning, all lights up, but the fuel pump doesn't prime, and it just spins on the starter.

I'm thinking of steering her towards Honda, Mazda, or Toyota.

Her commute is 15 miles weach way, her Husbands is 2 or 3 miles, they have a Diesel Vectra which she uses more often than not as the longer journey suits diesel better. Second car will more often than not do the short commute.

So any reccomendations, for something relliable, and easy on the servicing? I'm completely out of touch with this section of the modern car market.

Cheers.

Pete.

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clanger

posted on 5/11/13 at 08:18 AM Reply With Quote
mk4 Golf GT-TDI
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iank

posted on 5/11/13 at 08:48 AM Reply With Quote
2-3 miles is a walk not a commute I'd recommend a bike and some decent waterproofs to be honest.

For a car what about a Skoda Fabia?





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PSpirine

posted on 5/11/13 at 08:49 AM Reply With Quote
30 miles a day is not what I would call a long commute. I'd personally go for a petrol, probably Japanese. You can get something very decent for cheap, will still do 35-45mpg, and a lot less stuff to go wrong, particularly if you're looking at older stuff.

VAG TDi's as suggested are an excellent choice, but will barely reach operating temperature in 15 miles, and will have ageing DMF, turbos etc.

Depends on budget really!

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MikeR

posted on 5/11/13 at 08:53 AM Reply With Quote
for 2 or 3 miles id get petrol not diesel. the short journey will kill the diesel particulate filters.
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v8kid

posted on 5/11/13 at 09:46 AM Reply With Quote
Honda petrol boring but capable, reliable and good for 200k if not caned.

but then I'm biased

Cheers!





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whitestu

posted on 5/11/13 at 09:50 AM Reply With Quote
We've got a '98 Corolla 1.3 that has been in the family from new. It hasn't done many miles but other than routine servicing literally nothing has gone wrong, malfunctioned, failed or broken in the past 15 years.

Stu

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ashg

posted on 5/11/13 at 09:55 AM Reply With Quote
if your after bargain basement dont care what you look like motoring then i suggest a k12 nissan micra cheap and bombproof mechanically, buy a 5 door as the 3 doors rust out on the rear behind the doors.





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Davegtst

posted on 5/11/13 at 10:16 AM Reply With Quote
Any good? Can't get much more reliable than this.

Accord

[Edited on 5/11/13 by Davegtst]

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r1_pete

posted on 5/11/13 at 10:25 AM Reply With Quote
Thanks for all the suggestions and advice..

As for budget I guess bank of dad will be financing it and getting 2p a month in repayments, but, probably looking at £5-6K

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Smoking Frog

posted on 5/11/13 at 10:40 AM Reply With Quote
Would it not make more sense for you daughter to have the Vectra and the son-in-law to walk, bike or motorbike. Tell your son-in-law to sort it or else.
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r1_pete

posted on 5/11/13 at 10:57 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Smoking Frog
Would it not make more sense for you daughter to have the Vectra and the son-in-law to walk, bike or motorbike. Tell your son-in-law to sort it or else.


Absolutely, he is using a bike at the moment but she's taking him to work with the bike in the back so he can cycle home...

But, you can't tell them anything, and such conversations always end up with Pete vs rest of family, good job I like being in my garage

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Scuzzle

posted on 5/11/13 at 01:06 PM Reply With Quote
Vote for Toyota from me, I've had half a dozen over the years all older cars and nothing has gone wrong with any of them, had a Yaris for 9 years and only ever put 2x tyres on it in this time apart from the servicing.
I've been rear ended 3x times now and that's what's done for some Tototas I've owned or I think they would still be going strong to this day.

Gone for Hondas 3 times as well when I got bored with Toyotas but I've never had the same luck with them and they have always cost me money and I personally don't consider their reliability to be all it's cracked up to be although I might just have been unlucky.

Years ago I knew a guy who regularly swore his Renault 19 was ultra reliable then I got a job at the Renault dealership and saw his servicing bills, - heater matrix, ARB bushes, subframe bushes, wheel bearings etc. turns out his idea of reliable was just that is does not break down on you and leave you stuck somewhere where my idea of reliable is you never have to put your hand in your pocket for it at all.

If buying Jap cars like Toyota or Honda always look at the sticker on the windscreen and try and get made in Japan ones first followed by the ones assembled in the UK and leave the assembled in France ones.

Edit = I should add my father has owned half a dozen Toyota's now as well and he's never had an issue with any of his either.

[Edited on 5/11/13 by Scuzzle]

[Edited on 5/11/13 by Scuzzle]

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twybrow

posted on 5/11/13 at 02:35 PM Reply With Quote
Build him an electric car!

2-3 miles is not worth driving IMHO - you would be better off cycling, and taking a taxi on the days you cannot be bothered due to the weather. Running a 2nd car for such tiny mileages is a false economy IMHO. I would suggest a few petrol cars, but also show them some figures to persuade the son-in-law to get on his bike and pocket the savings.

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Not Anumber

posted on 5/11/13 at 04:42 PM Reply With Quote
Save the money and just by an older Vectra. They can be picked up cheaply enough, will be famiar to them to drive and plenty of space. Not something that would set the pulse racing but sizeable and practical for reasonable money.






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britishtrident

posted on 5/11/13 at 04:55 PM Reply With Quote
Don't get a VW diesel for short journeys, they need regular longer journeys to clean the particulate filter. The petrol VAG cars are fine.

As a general rule for a small car (ie up to 1.4) doing round the houses stuff a petrol engine is a safer bet costwise


Avoid the Nissan Note and Micra, My daughters Note eats front whishbones and tyres, and one of my friends has had constant trouble with her last two Micras.

In recent years small Toyota's have engines that a a history of developing piston slap at lowish mileages, also the Aygo (and it's badge engineered Puegeot 107 and Citreon C1 sibblings ) are not exactly easy to work on.

So that really leaves Ford, Mazda, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Vauxhall and Suzuki.





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adithorp

posted on 5/11/13 at 05:10 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Don't get a VW diesel for short journeys, they need regular longer journeys to clean the particulate filter. The petrol VAG cars are fine.

As a general rule for a small car (ie up to 1.4) doing round the houses stuff a petrol engine is a safer bet costwise


Avoid the Nissan Note and Micra, My daughters Note eats front whishbones and tyres, and one of my friends has had constant trouble with her last two Micras.

In recent years small Toyota's have engines that a a history of developing piston slap at lowish mileages, also the Aygo (and it's badge engineered Puegeot 107 and Citreon C1 sibblings ) are not exactly easy to work on.

So that really leaves Ford, Mazda, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Vauxhall and Suzuki.


I'd have endorsed that but then you included Vauxhall !

If I'm asked to recommend I say don't buy French or Italian... or anything related now from Nissan/Toyota... or GM... and I wouldn't recommend diesel unless you're over 15000miles a year.

Can't go wrong with a Jazz.





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Not Anumber

posted on 5/11/13 at 05:23 PM Reply With Quote
+1 for a Jazz as a well designed, reliable all rounder.






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Irony

posted on 5/11/13 at 05:29 PM Reply With Quote
I have a 1.4mpi seat ibiza. Bought it at 68K for £995. It's now on 105K and I have replaced a tire. Serviced it myself and now it needs a second tyre.

To be honest I hate it. It slow and small. But for cheap motoring...........? Filled it up yesterday for £52 and it'll do 400miles on that.

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hughpinder

posted on 5/11/13 at 05:52 PM Reply With Quote
VW polo 1.9SDI for about 3K - post 2001 to get ABS. Only about 64 bhp, but quicker than you would expect. No turbo to break, tough as anything, cheap bits/tyres/brakes etc, group 2 insurance, ok road tax. Got one for my daughter (her insurance haveing just passed the test at 17 was £850 fully comp), she averages 60 mpg. The 2.5 - 3K spare would keep it on the road for years.
Regards
Hugh

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Simon

posted on 5/11/13 at 06:19 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
But, you can't tell them anything, and such conversations always end up with Pete vs rest of family, good job I like being in my garage


Yep, but tell them there's 100,00 folk on here who'll tell tem they're wrong and you're right.

ATB

Simon (who drives a diesel Espace 3 miles to work everyday )

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