Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 14 Aug 2013 12:40
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - AngieS

I'm driving an 04 auto Toyota Corolla but find it hard on petrol and really prefer the control you get with a manual, with that in mind I'm looking for a solid, safe, economical family hatch, have peanuts to spend. I've been told mine is worth £2000 p/x so could add about £500 / £1000 to that.

Any advice on what I could / should get....I'm a single mum to two kids, lots of work and school runs and roads not great where I live so would need something that can withstand potholes, gravel, roundabouts....!

Have been advised a Yaris 1.3 by HJ but that seems way too small , also expensive used so not an option for me.

Thanks

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 12:46
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - thunderbird

If the Corolla is reliable keep it and spend the £1000 burning a hole in your pocket on fuel.

Simple maths, if the Corolla does 30 mpg and the replacemnet car does 35 mpg over 7000 miels a years the £1000 would last you approx 5 years.

Fact, replacing your car simply to save money on fuel rarely works.

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 12:56
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - AngieS

Thank you, makes sense! but I'm missing the feel of a manual, the Toyota is reliable, milage 75,000 now though (I only bought it 4 months ago) and wonder if I got the right car for me and could have done better, I was getting desperate as my old Astra was costing me loads to maintain so took an auto as it was a Toyota (relaibility) at the right price.

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 13:16
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - mss1tw

If you like everything about the current car except the transmission (Good choice, autos suck!) then how about a sideways move into a manual version of the same?

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 13:24
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - Bromptonaut

You'd get a 5-7 year old Berlingo or Partner for that money. No cachet at all but a brilliant family car.

The best are diesels. More recent ones, 06 and post, use the HDi engine. Should get you over 40 to gallon and provided it's properly maintained good for at least 200k miles. The 75hp version's performance (or that of the pre 06 1.9D) is best described as stately but the HDi 90 is nippy enough. Kids love the rear space and sliding doors, three full rear seats and a flat floor plus loads of stowage for their stuff.

Carrying capacity of a Mondeo on a footprint slightly smaller than a Focus.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 14/08/2013 at 13:25

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 13:33
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - AngieS

Just had a look for Berlingo's, none available anywhere near where I live....Haven't heard of Partners...what make are they? thanks

*found out it's Peugeot*

Edited by AngieS on 14/08/2013 at 13:42

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Wed 14 Aug 2013 14:01
Solid medium family hatch £2,500 - £3,000 to spend - mss1tw

You'd get a 5-7 year old Berlingo or Partner for that money. No cachet at all but a brilliant family car.

The best are diesels. More recent ones, 06 and post, use the HDi engine. Should get you over 40 to gallon and provided it's properly maintained good for at least 200k miles. The 75hp version's performance (or that of the pre 06 1.9D) is best described as stately but the HDi 90 is nippy enough. Kids love the rear space and sliding doors, three full rear seats and a flat floor plus loads of stowage for their stuff.

Carrying capacity of a Mondeo on a footprint slightly smaller than a Focus.

Thanks Bromp, I was going to post the same but didn't want to sound like a broken record.

For the cash (Or lack of) they are hard to beat. Looking back, I'd go for 1.6 petrol though as it turns out it makes more torque than the 1.9, is less complicated and petrol is cheaper.

Can't comment on the HDi but I sold my 306 years ago based on horror stories of lift pumps breaking up and sending swarf into the expensive bits.

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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?