Which new car offers reliability, good fuel economy and space for passengers?

I am looking to buy a new car but am totally confused at the moment. I want a car with performance, good handling and comfort. My wife and I also need something with all-round ability, shopping journeys of just a few miles, touring holidays and also comfortable space in the back for two adults plus our grandson of six months. I quite like the look of the new Mazda CX-5 but I'm not sure about the claimed MPG. I'm also confused as to whether I should buy a diesel vehicle (I have concerns about the DPF) or petrol, or even be looking for a hybrid vehicle. Fuel economy is important and a decent sound system is also a must. My budget is approximately £25,000. Can you help?

Asked on 28 July 2012 by DB, Retford

Answered by Honest John

I was driving the CX-5 again over the last couple of days. The 2WD petrol model gave about 38-39mpg and the 4WD high-power diesel model gave about 42mpg, while the 4WD high-power diesel automatic gave around 40mpg. You'll probably get similar economy from a Nissan Qashqai 1.6DCI 130 and there are no worries over DPFs with this or with the Mazda because of their fast-warm engine systems. I personally still rate the Mazda 5 1.6d TS2 on 205/55 R16 Toyo J48 tyres better for ride and handling, and mine averaged 48.1mpg over 11,000 miles.

Tags: fuel economy dpf diesels reliability

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