SWMBO wants a new car. After 6 happy years with her A6 it is time for a change. This is not going to be a fun time for me, the list of musts and must nots is growing by the second.
- it must be smaller than the A6 (easy);
- it must not be an Audi or a VW, neither of us likes the new A3 or the A4 and the local dealer has been useless of late;
- it must be petrol, she only does 6000 miles a year and has hated the various diesels we have owned / been loaned;
- it must not be a BMW;
- it must not be a Citroen, a salesman at the local dealer was rude to her dad;
- it must have climate control;
- it must not have leather seats;
- it must have 5 doors;
- it must be as comfortable and "high quality" as the A6;
- it must not be a 4x4;
It will take months won't it? There is no real budget constraint but when she actually finds what she wants I can negotiate like hell.
I favour a C-class Mercedes estate.
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Difficult. The only cars I've driven in the last year that would fit the bill are the Honda Accord Tourer and the new Corolla Verso. I'm not a big fan of Japanese cars but these two stood out in terms of quality and sort of fun. For a quality compromise the Scenic and Touran would come into play.
IMO, the C-class, even with the update, should only be considered if you're willing to compromise heavily on quality. Very poor interior and frankly shocking if you're coming from an A6.
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She hated the Honda, we went there first this am. I found the Nintendo dashboard a bit hard to take after the Audi and both engines (we even tried a diesel) were very boomy. Wallows around a lot too.
Also tried an Alfa 156 Wagon (I liked it, she didn't), Peugeot 407 Wagon (hopeless)and Renault Megane Sport Estate (surprisimgly good).
Moron of the morning must be the Vauxhall salesman. He said she was "stupid" for not wanting a diesel or something with leather seats. Curiously the only Vectra with climate (standard or option) has leather. Ho hum.
Quick lunch and then back to the fray. Volvo, Toyota and MB this afternoon.
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Yes, forgot about the Volvo v50. I only drove the diesel but thought it a fantastic drive and great interior build qualit, very comfortable and seemingly bullet-proof; very like an Audi in fact. Much better inside than any other current Volvo. I thought it very small in the boot and coming from someone who drives a Sportwagon, that's saying something, but otherwise very little wrong. I love the Alfa when it's on form but a very chequered history prevents me from recommending it.
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its hard work trying to find a car to suit the wife.
im in the process myself, altho the car is for me, the wife will have it for 4 days out of 14.
also she is off the prozac, and doin very well, she was on it for 7 years !
saw the alfa gt today, fantastic looking car, same boot size as a volvo v50. but not the height obviously, but you could leave the boot open !
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Would she consider a Skoda, the Octavia perhaps? They have climate without leather.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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- it must not have leather seats;
glad to see I'm not the only one with that preference!
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First the V50, definitely a cut above the other Volvos in terms of fit and finish but very cramped and with a tiny boot. Not that nice to drive and the ride is really crashy with uncomfortable seats too.
Avensis was next on the list. I thought it was gruesome, horribly ornate dashboard, poor ride and very intrusive engines.
The C-class is a huge disappointment as you warned, we did not even drive one.
Skoda is out as we do not have a dealer within 40 miles.
SWMBO is now talking about keeping the A6.
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Might be a nice idea but it has only 4 doors and the nearest Lexus dealer is over an hour's drive.
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I could have missed something here but what about a Mondeo. I don't know how much you have to spend but given you're considering a V50 I would think you have more than enough. Must be petrol - ok - there are plenty of options as well as trim levels. Go for the Ghia and you've pretty much got everything.
Absolutely fantastic car to drive - I myself didn't think so until I drove one - I pleasant surprise I must say.
That fulfills every one of your criterion. You could try and convince her to get the ST220 - then you'll want to drive it more than she does!
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Adam
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how about a Jaguar xtype estate?
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The Jaguar has the same problem of not having a dealer anywhere near us. Plus I did not like it at all when I tried the saloon, very wooden, perhaps it has mellowed in the 2 years since then.
The Mondeo was top of my list, I have had several over the years. It is still a possible but it will have to wait until next week.
The real disappointment is that Audi is unable to deliver a vehicle that we fancy or anything like halfway decent service, otherwise it would be a no brainer.
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Maybe Rover 75 estate or MG ZT-T? Well built and comfortable. Different as well, although you either love 'em or loathe 'em. Little in between!
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Mazda 6 ?
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Seat Toledo - new one out soon
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The only thing you say on size is smaller than the A6, so I dunno if there is a lower size limit in mind. Also 5 doors, but should that be a hatch or estate?
If a hatch will do, and she doesn't mind going two sizes down, it seems to me that it might be worth looking at the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Both very well made, though I think that the only Civic with climate control has leather seats.
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Up at bit late aren't you NW?
I would....*ahem*....agree with NoWheels. Civic or Corolla. I have a friend that has a Civic SE Executive so all the toys but the general shape doesn't look enough like a car for my liking - however - as NW said - well made and quite big in the back.
The Corolla was also a welcome surprise although in the back, you may struggle for space - but that's me at 6ft5.
Or of course you could go and get a Mondeo...;-)
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Adam
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We looked at both the Civic and the Corolla while in the respective dealerships and both are much too small. I couldn't live with the low rent look of the interiors either. They may be well made but they still look very cheap.
Best size is going to be around that of a Mondeo and she has a hankering for an estate rather than a hatch.
We are still on the "let's keep the A6" kick. Just cleaned it and it still looks good and the 6 year old paintwork is better than some of the new ones we saw yesterday, and it has only 44k up, and we have had it from new, and... and...
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You might well be better to keep it if it isn't giving trouble. I am sure you could think of heaps of things to do with the money you would save.
If you have a Subaru dealer anywhere near you they might be worth having a look at. They are very well built and the owners love them.
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WIERD! A new Subaru Impreza is parked outside of a neighbour's house and we just agreed to go and look at one next Saturday.
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New A Class, when it comes out?
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Subaru Legacy or Impreza. Drive one and be smitten. According to an ad in the Telegraph, Subaru are doing 24 hour test drives. So get down to the dealer quick!
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Smaller than A6, no VAG, 5 door hatch with climate control, comfy, high quality, no leather and no 4wd...
If she can get around helicopter dashboard she pro'lly wants Saab.
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The Octavia would have been my recommendation if she likes the subjective feel of the Audi. (Obviously the brand perception and lack of dealer could cause problems though). While the objective quality is very high, neither a Corolla nor a Civic has anything like the luxury feel of an Audi. Sorry NW.
Saab don't do hatchbacks any more and I'm not sure I'd fancy an old shape 9-3. The 9-5 is a bit big, too. It's a shame about your reservations with regard to the V50 though as that could have been ideal.
My only reservation about a Mondeo (apart from the usual depreciation) would be that it is not that much smaller than an A6. Okay, it is a bit but there's really surprisingly little in it between the current Mondeo and previous A6. A 3.0 Ghia X
might fit the bill very well, except for the fact that a V6 Mondeo only has leather...
Actually if the Mégane floats your boat, you may as well go for it. At £12,137 for the 2.0 Dynamique estate ( www.newregcars.co.uk ) it won't matter if it's literally worthless in 6 years' time - it'll have still a couple of thousand less than a new V50.
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Meant to say Privilège there, but the price is the same either way.
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While the objective quality is very high, neither a Corolla nor a Civic has anything like the luxury feel of an Audi. Sorry NW.
Only a suggestion - sorry it turned out not to be a useful one!
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I would back up the earlier suggestion of a Subaru.....but the larger one, the Legacy, all come with climate control, most have cloth seats if you dont have the luxury pack version. Slightly smaller than an A6.
StarGazer
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