picking used car advice - Pipsqueak83

I'm looking to replace our worn-out 2006 honda jazz which we have had no mechanical issues with in the 6 years of ownership. So would like similar reliability in our next purchase, however I would like a bigger car with more boot space having a dog and two kids things to cart around. We would like to spend around £6-7000, I tend to do short journeys so leaning towards petrol but struggling to find anything suitable that's not diesel. I've looked at Hyundai, Kia for reliability but size and price are a problem. Also would like mpg similar to jazz at 42 mpg.Is there anything out there to fill our requirements?

picking used car advice - Xileno

A small petrol estate would seem to fit the bill.

A couple of recent threads may be of interest:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=161527

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=160058

picking used car advice - badbusdriver

It will be nigh on impossible to get a bigger petrol car to do the same average mpg as a small one.

Where in the country are you?, I'll have a look on Autotrader.

picking used car advice - catsdad

If you like Hondas a 1.8 Civic will do low 40s and would be worth considering. It’s an internally spacious car considering its external dimensions. Just go for 2013 onwards example as there is an oil consumption issue with 2012 ones.

Another forum favourite is the Mazda 3 but it will struggle to beat high 30s despite its more modest performance.

picking used car advice - bazza

Honda civic 1.8 petrol, we have a 2012 version, averages about 45mpg with 50 odd possible on a run. Plenty of room for dogs and kids. Plenty around for reasonable money, some say avoid 2012 versions like ours due to possible heavier oil consumption but ours is fine, about a litre in 4000 miles.

picking used car advice - catsdad

Bazza I know Honda will tell you this is within acceptable limits but I would regard this consumption as excessive if it were my car. I do 10k miles a year and would not be happy at putting in 2.5 litres of oil. That is over half a gallon in old money.

picking used car advice - bazza

Thx catsdad, I seem to remember you having a 1.8 that started burning oil? I keep an eye on it, it hasn't increased in last 2 years. The car will probably be replaced in the next year or two, so I'm not unduly worried about it. Our older focus uses negligible, as does our ancient panda! But my previous 1.9 TDI probably used as much. I guess we've got used to negligible oil consumption, I remember cars of old using a pint every few hundred miles!

picking used car advice - catsdad

Yes that was probably me. I liked my 2012 Civic a lot. However it went from not needing any topping up between services until it was six years old to (from memory) about a litre every 10k. That’s not too bad if were to stabilise at that but it seemed to be getting worse. At that point the buying itch set in.