October 2012
I have a budget of up to an absolute maximum of £9000 (but would prefer to buy something more around £7000-8000) and need to buy a spacious and reliable estate. I know next to nothing about cars and we're also trying to save up some money to buy a house, so reliability and low running costs are top priorities. In addition, because the car will be mainly used by my wife to go to work and for school runs with my 2 kids, high safety standards are another top priority.
In summary, I need something that has decent space for my two kids in the back seats, a reasonable boot space, safe, reliable and with low ownership costs…in other words what most dads want for their family. For the kind of mileage we do (~5-6000 mi/year), petrol should do the trick, but it seems petrol estates are not very common these days on the used market, so might have to go for a diesel.
I've had a good experience with Toyota in the past, so my first thought was a 2009 Toyota Avensis Tourer (newer facelift model as I don't really like the looks of the older generation) which you can find used with relatively high mileage at £8-9000 for the higher spec models. It seems that for the same amount of money I could also get a 2006-2007 Audi A6 Avant (with high mileage) which has plenty of spec, or a 2007-2008 Volvo V70 (high mileage again).
So given the choice of Avensis, A6 and V70, which one do you think it would be the best choice if I keep the car for, say, five years? I really like the A6, but iI'm afraid I'll end up with huge maintanance/repair bills. The V70 is safe, but I'm not sure it would be cheaper to own than the Audi. The Avensis seems a sensible choice, but could get more of a car for the same money with the other two options. God, I hate buying cars!
Anyway, apologies for the long post, but would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Many thanks.
Mark Read more
thanks to the insane obsession with mpg that seems to cloud most people's judgement.
Whats insane about worrying about petrol at £6.26 gal or diesel at £6.40 ish gal ?...
I have a 54 plate Focus (I think it was the last before they changed the shape slightly), only about 41k miles and have owned it the last 5-6 years.
There is a noise, that I can only describe as a creaking sound, that appears to come from the mid to rear part of the car on the drivers sound. It only appears to happen when turning right. The car appears to drive fine.... Read more
Hi
I am new to cars, Please can any one help me with two noise related issues with my Ford Focus Lx 1.6 (Petrol 2007). I bought it as a used car with warranty in January 2012. A full service has been done in June 2012.... Read more
When you have owned cars for a few more years you will find out that:
1 All cars make noises...
For the 5th time (in 9 months) the engine cut out as I slowed to approach a roundabout. On four occasions the car had travelled more than 40 miles, on the other 1 mile. This is most disconcerting and dangeroius as traffic behind me is not expecting me to stop. As the gearbox is automatic, it takes a while to engage neutral/park in order to restart the engine. The engine fires straight away and gives no problem until the next occurrence. The car has been main dealer serviced on time and a full diagnostic check carried out - with no problems showing up.
Any suggestions for an explanation and a cure? Read more
Thanks for helpful suggestions - difficulty is it has only happened five times in as many months. Do you think it would help if I went into manual mode in town or when slowing down?
where is the fuse for windscreen washers .i have looked in fuse boxes under bonnet and behind glove compartment and cant see anything relating to windscreen washers? Read more
thanks for all your help
Hi all,
I've noticed my new (to me) Kia Sportage 2.0 diesel has a sort of 'biting' or vibration sensation through the clutch pedal as you pass through the bite point. Its not severe and the clutch operation is fine (no slipping, juddering and no rattling noises at idle etc) but I've never noticed it on any other cars. Its literally only at one point of the pedal stroke - roughly just before the biting point.... Read more
I tried this on my commute and I can't feel a noticeable difference in vibration before the bite, it feels the same at speed as it does at idle. Its only on the actual biting point the sensation is noticeable.
I guess I'll have to wait until it develops into something more noticeable!
Hi, does anyone know what the success rate is at getting paid or suing the council in 2012 with all the potholes about..
2 days ago I damaged my vehicle on a badly repaired pothole (council paint still on the repair)... Read more
thanks for that advice, much appreciated, I went back and asked the lady of the house nearby
and she advised me it was xxxxxx.Water that dug the hole only the previous day, so it didnt last 24 hours, on a main road too....so will be following that up, and will advise how I get on...regards...F.G
I bought and replaced a new serpentine belt in June(2012) and have covered just 200mls since and now the belt has snapped. A mechanic has looked at the tensioner and pulleys that are fine and rotating freely.
I contacted the supplier who didn't seem interested in replacing it until it has been sent(by them) to the manufacturer and tested. In the meantime they suggest I buy another from them and await the result of the tests. Is this the correct way to go? Do I have any rights under consumer law to demand a replacement immediately?... Read more
Are you sure that there isn't a problem on your engine? Why did you replace the first belt, did that snap too?
Yesterday my daughter and partner called, I noticed that two bolts were missing from the front left wheel!
He said he'd had it serviced and MOT'd a couple of weeks ago and not touched anything, so presumed the bolts had fallen out since then.... Read more
Update for info - daughter's partner went back today, garage will supply and fit a new set of Nissan locking bolts and wheel key (one of the missing ones was the security bolt) - will ensure emphasis is put on correct procedures for critical items.
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Paul, i was confused as to which site to go to when buying my used car, the best site i found that gives you a comparision as to what you get is .carcheckdirect.co.uk. tells you exactly what you will get