When looking at Picassos you will find that the HDi commands a premium of at least £1,000 over the 1.6 petrol. The 1.6 will still do 35+mpg so you need to do an awful lot of miles to get that back. Plus diesel pump failures are not unknown on the HDi and that is a four-figure replacement.
If you want air-con, which is particularly necessary on these mobile greenhouses, then you need to look at the SX model.
I have seen X reg 1.8 SX's at auction well within your budget.
If you aren't planning on doing long motorway journeys then the Scenic 1.4 16v is quite cheap to buy and very economical. Again they are at least a grand cheaper than the equivalent DCi model. My dad drove one of these to Portugal with 4 adults and their luggage and got over 45mpg.
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Thank you all for your helpful comments and in response to some points;
Machika - We've set ourselves an upper limit of £7k, however if buying a new car with a hefty discount makes better financial sense then we have the funds to go with that option. Hence the query about residuals.
OnW - Thanks, I'll put the Premacy on the list.
Stackman - Yes, A/C is a must so we looking at SX/Exclusive type models.
Andy P - The first car that came to my mind was the new shape Civic and it would certainly fit the bill perfectly (i.e 5dr 1.6 SE) but for the "height" issue.
Cheers,
Chad.
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I looked at Scenics before plumping for the picasso I just got. The new shape "Elegance" I sat in was not very nice at all. Just didn't like it and couldn't get comfrotable in the seat. The old shape Scenics they had were in horrible condition for being only a year old and equally nasty inside.
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Nissan Almera Tino? or
Toyota Corolla Verso (5 seat). The new 7 seater is out now, so values of three year old 5-seaters may be in your range. Very reliable - far more so than any European car.
Both available in good diesels.
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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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Scenic, for a family cant fault it. Had one for 4 years. It stood up to family use and abuse fine. It was comfortable, relaxing, the view was good. Tad noisy tho. Wife is small and found it fine to drive, kids love them - great view out. The handbrake was a bit of a stretch down tho.
The mid spec scenic mk 1's ( there were two types, the 1st and then facelifted model) had aircon as standard in the mid spec cars (aircon is vital - big windows gets hot) In 47k miles from new only had a failing elextric sun roof - fixed under warranty)
Early Mk1's had the battery under the drivers seat, so it would not adjust for height.
Picasso? My cousin had one, and I drove it a bit, same as scenic fabulous for families, nice to drive and quieter thaqn the scenic, the diesel engines were better too.
Look at a Nissan Tino, I didnt like it but thats a personal view you need to check it out, has nearly all the good bits of the scenic/picasso
Choose a good one of these three cars and you wont regret it.
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She will be a better safer driver in the car in which she feels the most "at home". Like RM I have a Scenic, bought new in 1998 and now passed on to the wife to use. Diesel engine is a bit noiser than other makes, but it has been 100% reliable with no faults. If you get one, make sure that all the recall work has been done though - any dealer will check this out for free. NB aircon was not standard on all models and is worth having - it is taken from the larger Laguna and is particularly effective in the scenic. Note also that the first generation scenic is not a particularly long car IIRC about 13ft6, which makes it easy to park around town. My scenic replaced a Rover 820 hatch, and proved a better bet with a slight loss in luggage space being the only downside!
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...and there I was thinking the Picasso was going to romp home! :-)
Looks wise the (facelifted mk1) Scenic wins hands down against the fairly clumsy looking Picasso. SWMBO certainly prefers it and it also seems to be the smaller car, though the real difference may not be as much as the perceived.
I'll have to get Mrs R to test drive both.
Cheers,
Chad.
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I must admit I disregarded the Tino on (assumed) lack of availability - there are always loads of Picasso/Scenics to chose from.
Similarly the Corolla Verso, which are also not much below £9-10K at the moment. Though the "you get what you pay for" theory may well apply more so in this case.
Cheers,
Chad.
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I must admit I disregarded the Tino on (assumed) lack of availability ...
I take it all back - there are quite a few available in that price range actually. So the new short list is, in no particular order -
Citroen Picasso, Renault Scenic, Mazda Premacy and Nissan Almera Tino.
Chad.
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Come on guys - confuse him some more and fill up the list!!!
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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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Dump the verso from your list. Ok its a toyota so probably reliable, but i thought it a pile of poo. Not as versatile as Scenic/picasso/tino, clumsy to drive, noisy, and sluggish.
Ok I hear the mk2 version is streets better but out of your price range I feel
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What I would suggest is that you make sure that you have a good long test drive in it, minimum of half an hour and include parking etc in it.
I have had one of every of the Scenic models and my wife finds the driving position in the brand new one the best. She previously struggled with the position of the gearstick and the handbrake was a "complete shift your body move" to reach.
However, as a car, can't find any faults with it, have 2 kids like yourselves and they love it.
Its the practicalities that you learn to appreciate most, like the room the kids have on long journeys for all their stuff, the flexibility of the seats etc etc . The list goes on.
As to how it compares to its rivals, I am not sure. If you are talking say £5k - £6k, then you are probably talking out of dealer warranty so check if you have a local garage who specialises in either brand etc.
As I say, I would definitely recommend the Scenic.
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