Sorry to throw something else in but you might like to consider a Volvo S80 D5. Nice automatic option available.
I've got an auto at the moment and am looking forward to going back to manual :)
Also, the wife refuses all Volvos on principle, I quite like the smaller ones, but there you go.
L
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Hi Lou,
I have both the small child and a saloon and have regretted the body style ever since I got it.
A saloon might have a big boot but you will always have all sorts of paraphenalia to get for the child that will inevitably come in odd sized boxes that are always just that very tiny bit too big to fit through the gap in the boot. I had an estate just after our daughter was born but swiched to the saloon as I wanted a Volvo and my budget wouldn't go to a V70.
Is a saloon really what you need?
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Is a saloon really what you need?
Maybe this is going to be a really tall baby who needs the massive legroom of a Superb rather the pushchair-accommodating boot of an state car?
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By paraphanalia think Cot, Buggy, mattress new furniture for baby's room, changing unit - all the things new parents spend a fortune on at Ikea / Mothercare / ToysRUs, etc.
Trust me, it never ends. My daughter is 7 now and there will always be something flippin' hard to get into the boot - especially remembering that you won't be able to fold both seats flat if baby is in the back in the car seat................
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Coming from having a Mondeo hatch at the moment, which is pretty good when it comes to practicality, I did think for a while that the saloon shape might not be ideal. I really like the look of the A4 Estate, but there's just not much chance of finding a decent one for the money I'm paying, especially when compared against, for example the Superb. I reckon the same money buys a 3 yr old Superb or an A4 Est from around 2001 or so.
This doesn't get any easier, I must have been through about a dozen different car ideas, some of them several times...
I've kind of ruled out 5dr Golf as the boot isn't really very big and there's not that much space in the back for child seat compared to others.
Octavia would be OK, except I'm struggling to find one at the right price with the right engine that hasn't done massive miles.
Superb looks good on paper as it's relatively cheap to buy for what you get but could be the wrong shape.
Accord hatch should be OK.
Maybe I've answered my own question there, can't really find anything to fault the Accord.
Thanks for the comments so far :)
L
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Just to be clear, it was the front suspension ball joint that died on my Passat (at 54K miles and 4 years), not the entire car!
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I prefer a saloon with an assymetric fold rear seat to an estate if the carrying capacity is sufficient. The Superb has a big boot, but the access hole is too small so it's no use for big objects.
Estates are a cash cow for the vehicle builders (UK image is strong) and most of them go around empty at the back. A saloon with seat fold is cheaper, quieter and more secure - most people can't be bothered with the estate's load cover. If you have only one child, you can fold 1/3 of a later Superb's seat and still fit the isofix child seat. When the kid(s) are older, there are 3 lap diagonal belts in the back.
659.
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If you have only one child you can fold 1/3 of a later Superb's seat and still fit the isofix child seat. When the kid(s) are older there are 3 lap diagonal belts in the back. 659.
Now that's more like it :)
When did this get introduced, could be just the thing. Although that means it'll almost certainly be a diesel, there are very few later model Superb with petrol engines it seems.
Thanks,
L
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See post No. 3. Model year '05. If you look at the VIN (on windscreen) the 10th character is the model year 5 = '05.
It looks as though your line of thought concerning these cars is following the one I had when I bought mine. If so, to save you a bit of time, you'll find that there is a fairly narrow time window in which you can get the folding rear seats and the 130 PS Cat III 1.9 litre AWX diesel - which for me was mandatory.
My car is 54 registration - cars to this spec will be 54 and a few 05. The engine build code is on a paper label on the cambelt cover and also on a label inside the spare wheel well.
659.
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I don't know if the Superbs have a 6-speed manual option on the PD130, on the Passats it's a great combination as you get the higher-torque engine too
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The 6 speed box on a VAG North South installation is not good. There have been too many reports of failures.
Looking at the parts list, I'm surprised a manual gearbox needs an oil pump and cooler. This suggests to me that the bearing loadings are too high, probably because the pinion bearings are closer together in order to accomodate the 6th speed. Admittedly, the 6 speeder probably has - theoretically - a higher torque capacity to suit the later diesels.
The 5 speed box is reliable even with remapped engines. The torque spread on the diesels is so wide that 6 speeds are academic - especially as the top gear ratio is almost the same. Cynic as I am, I think the 6 speeder was originally a marketing sop for Audi which has now filtered down to the Skodas as time moves on. The gearchange is not brilliant anyway, so 5 of them will do.
659.
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A saloon might have a big boot but you will always have all sorts of paraphenalia to get for the child that will inevitably come in odd sized boxes that are always just that very tiny bit too big to fit through the gap in the boot. I had an estate just after our daughter was born but swiched to the saloon as I wanted a Volvo and my budget wouldn't go to a V70.
My S80 fits our large pram-type pushchair nicely, plus just over half the price of the same V70.
Not sure about odd boxes, we fit in LOADS more stuff into my car compared to my father's Almera when I moved recently, fold-flat boots, and the internet is very handy these days for buying things like washing machines - no need to put in the back of the car. You can use the £3k saving to pay for delivery fees in the unlikely event something won't fit (not a problem I've had yet).
Used estates, just too expensive, not worth it, not necessary unless you need the space EVERY DAY, and for a pushchair that's not the case, any pushchair will fit in a large saloon just fine, plus room for baggage, shopping, etc.
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All true Flunky. My S60 boot is huge, the only problem is the access to it.
Perfect examples are I have a TV to move from one house to another - old type 28" wide screen CRT. Would not fit into the boot of the S60 nor into the back seats or even with the front seat folded flat as none of the openings to the car would let it in. Washing machines similar problem, table and 4 chairs I want to get to the car boot sale, fridge I want to take to the council tip, the list goes on.
There are many times I have cursed replacing a Mondeo estate for a saloon. In all other respects the S60 is a blinder and I love it to bits. It would be a superb choice for Lou - very safe too.
I just think of every time I have looked at a box, looked at the car and thought "oh pink fluffy dice"
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But there's absolutely no rear legroom in the S60. I have the use of one of these cars occasionally - perfectly OK as a car but what did they do with all the space? It's a reverse Tardis.
S60s hold their value well. It's the lemon status of the Superb which makes it a used bargain - as long as you have its future mapped out.
659.
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But there's absolutely no rear legroom in the S60. I have the use of one of these cars occasionally - perfectly OK as a car but what did they do with all the space? It's a reverse Tardis.
S80s are cheaper than S60s (old shape S80s), and will have the legroom.
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