What do you recommend to replace a Volkswagen Golf?
My in-laws, who are in their 70s and live in rural Scotland, recently had a car crash in which their 2014 Volkswagen Golf was written off. They are now looking for a smaller car than the Golf but one that suits my six foot six father-in-law. The car also needs to be economical and ideally an automatic.
So far I've narrowed it down to: Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Kona and the Nissan Micra.
So far I've narrowed it down to: Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Kona and the Nissan Micra.
Asked on 17 February 2022 by afcdons123
Answered by
Russell Campbell
All of the above are solid choices, although the Hyundai Kona feels very similar in size to a Golf so that's worth bearing in mind.
I've not driven the Yaris Cross, but the standard Yaris is an excellent car and I'd expect the Cross to feel very similar. The Yaris I drove got brilliant fuel economy even on long motorway runs up to Scotland, which you'd expect wouldn't favour its hybrid engine. Toyotas use proven parts that are very reliable and they're dealers consistently score highly for customer care.
If you do pop down to a Toyota dealer, it might be worth waiting a couple of months for the new Aygo X. It replaces the current Aygo and has mini-SUV looks that should translate into excellent front seat headroom. It's based on the Yaris, but will feel significantly smaller than your in-laws' Golf. The only things that might be an issue is its 72PS engine which feels pretty weedy, although it does suit the optional automatic gearbox.
I'm not sure how the Micra would feel for your father in-law, best for him to try it out in person, but from memory it wasn't overly spacious in the front seat. I'd describe it as a grown up small car, though, it's very comfortable and quiet.
Another car I would suggest having a look at is the Volkswagen Polo. It's surprisingly big inside, is very easy to drive and is cheap to run. It's available with a 90PS turbocharged engine, which has a handy slug of extra power for driving out of town, but returns 55mpg all day long. I'm always surprised how comfortable it is for a relatively small car. The only problem may be the DSG automatic gearbox that can be jerky during low-speed manoeuvring, it's a little disconcerting if you're not used to it.
Hope that helps, we have full reviews of all the car's mentioned, below:
Yaris Cross: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/yaris-cross-2.../
Aygo X: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/aygo-x-2022/
Kona: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/hyundai/kona-2017/
Micra: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/micra-k14-201.../
Polo: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/polo-vi-2.../
I've not driven the Yaris Cross, but the standard Yaris is an excellent car and I'd expect the Cross to feel very similar. The Yaris I drove got brilliant fuel economy even on long motorway runs up to Scotland, which you'd expect wouldn't favour its hybrid engine. Toyotas use proven parts that are very reliable and they're dealers consistently score highly for customer care.
If you do pop down to a Toyota dealer, it might be worth waiting a couple of months for the new Aygo X. It replaces the current Aygo and has mini-SUV looks that should translate into excellent front seat headroom. It's based on the Yaris, but will feel significantly smaller than your in-laws' Golf. The only things that might be an issue is its 72PS engine which feels pretty weedy, although it does suit the optional automatic gearbox.
I'm not sure how the Micra would feel for your father in-law, best for him to try it out in person, but from memory it wasn't overly spacious in the front seat. I'd describe it as a grown up small car, though, it's very comfortable and quiet.
Another car I would suggest having a look at is the Volkswagen Polo. It's surprisingly big inside, is very easy to drive and is cheap to run. It's available with a 90PS turbocharged engine, which has a handy slug of extra power for driving out of town, but returns 55mpg all day long. I'm always surprised how comfortable it is for a relatively small car. The only problem may be the DSG automatic gearbox that can be jerky during low-speed manoeuvring, it's a little disconcerting if you're not used to it.
Hope that helps, we have full reviews of all the car's mentioned, below:
Yaris Cross: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/yaris-cross-2.../
Aygo X: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/aygo-x-2022/
Kona: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/hyundai/kona-2017/
Micra: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/micra-k14-201.../
Polo: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/polo-vi-2.../
Tags:
buying a new car
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