Well new job in a month or two means the beloved A6 2.7 Avant will be going back (company car, no such scheme in new job) so I will need to sort out a new family car.
Has to transport a family of four with two youngish kids. Usually a few hols in the UK each year and numerous trips around the country to relatives etc, so has to be big enough to cope (decent boot space plus decent cabin size to allow for car seats, also like to avoid the need for a top box and will on occassion be used to lug DIY bits around!).
Much as I like the Audi I've no intention of paying for such "prestige" privately so am thinking 1-2 years old and something a little more reasonably priced.
Wife would love a new shape CR-V (yummy mummy snob value but she won't admit to it like that....). Whilst I don't mind it and it fits the space requirements, I'm not convinced that we need a 4x4.
Am thinking something like a 2.2 diesel S-Max. Better value second hand, huge inside (although granted don't need 7 seats, but useful on occassion).
Any views? This car will be a keeper for some time so depreciation not that high on the agenda. We could go for another estate, but I'd rather not go for something quite as long as the A6, but then it seems you need to to get decent rear cabin space.
Thanks, Nik
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If you want loads of cabin space, are happy with VAG products and would rather have a car than an MPV go and have a look at the new Skoda Superb.
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have a look at the new Skoda Superb.
Have a look at the old model and save a bundle!
Good buys are cars on the run out - last of that model
Run out models of Honda Accord springs to mind if you want brand new.
(motorpoint were doing 2 ltr petrol 3 yr lease at £200 / mth for 10K per year)
1 year old Mondeo fits the bill as well - plenty car for £10-£12K with say 10k on the clock.
Then for lots of toys get a really posh 3-5 yr old Exec car - say Lexus GS - what you pay in petrol is offset against lower depreciation than a brand new car - lots of toys and still a prestige motor. Extended warranty £20-£25 per month cover the potential BIG bill
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Skoda octavia estate. Fits the bill perfectly.
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Run outs and Octavia, Mondeo all good suggestions.
My advice re new Superb was based on what a low mileage S max through Ford Direct would cost, which seems to be £17,000-22,000. New Superb is similar money.
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Grand Scenic 1.9/2.0 dCi. £12k will get you one under 12 months old from a main dealer. Lots of room, good (but not sporty) to drive, comfy, well kitted out, and safe.
Reliability seems to be patchy, but ours has been superb, including a recent 2,200 mile jaunt around Europe during which it didn't skip a beat, and returned 43 mpg fully laden.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Mondeo had crossed my mind. Worth going for the 2.2 over the 2.0 diesel?
Octavia interesting choice and amazing how much cheaper you can get them compared to other VAG choices. Just checked on Drive the deal and you can get completely top spec 2.0 auto diesel for under £20k with discount brand new. Has to be worth a look although not sure if I'll be able to pursuad the wife! Big enough inside?
Scenic not for me I'm afraid. Been there before and not too keen on the loos or drive.
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The octavia has a facelift due not month / November. It could explain the discount.
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Renault are fine until they start going wrong when the bits get to be horrendously expensive.
I've just gone for a Octavia Hatchback. Top of the range 1.9 diesel. 2 years old highish mileage but only £7800 from an auction. Its to replace a 4 year old Megane. once you see the cost of replacement brake discs you will see why I swapped.
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We have just bought an S-Max 2.0TDCi Titanium on a 56 plate, paid £14k. Only picked it up on Monday but so far I've been very impressed. It's a good size, very spacious inside, seat layout is 2-3-2 and the middle 3 seats are all full size with independant slide.
All the reviews I read said about how it drives and handles like a car rather than and MPV - they were right, in fact I'm amazed at how well it goes. The 2.0TDCi has plently of go to it. Wife absolutley loves it to bits, build quality is good, looks nice and on the Titanium you get privacy glass for the wanabee gangster/yummy mummy effect.
Economy also looks good, I reckon the stated mpg of 45 will be easy enough to get, so far its ranged from about 40mpg with heavy right foot to over 50mpg when using the featherlite touch.
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Cheers moonshine. Be interested to hear how you get along.
On a bit of further investigation not sure the Octavia estate will be quite big enough. Am wondering Passat estate though - something like a Highline 2.0 with the DSG gearbox (had the combo in previous A3 sportback). That would fulfil another nice to have of leather interior (like the wipe cleanability with kids....) although I seem to remember VW don't do so well on here??!!
Should have also said I'm reckoning on a budget of up to £20k, but obviously the less spent the better.
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>>but obviously the less spent the better.
So how does a 100,000 mile and 6-7 year old Mondeo estate for £1,000 grab you? I bet you didn't really mean it, but if you did...
Or a 10 year old Audi A6 2.8 quattro for a similar budget? Annual running costs considerably less than the annual tax bill you used to get.
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Oh ok you caught me out!!
Obviously am saving a bundle on tax but I also have little money up front for this one so will be bank loan (if one can get such a thing these days!) or similar to fund. Looking for nearly new as I need it to be reliable for family transport and am planning on keeping well past the three years of loan length.
.... if it wasn't for family requirements of reliability I may well be playing the bangernomics game with something a little more "exotic" :o)
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It is VERY unclear that your extra (borrowed!) 20k will buy you any sort of extra reliability (provided you do the necessary servicing).
These days the 2001 100k Mondeo will be as reliable as the 2007 Audi. You know it makes sense... depends on how many miles you do and where, and what the mother-in-law will think.
Nissan QX Maxima. Lexus. W123 Merc (you'd get away with that one with the neighbours). W124. S-Type Jag. All available for loose change - and for a £100 private plate, nobody would know.
If it's the foreign driving holidays that worry you, hire for them. Otherwise you're wealthy enough to afford to bin it. The savings on insurance alone (TPO) will be worth it...
And, in the current climate, who would go into a new job with a 20k bank loan? The nearly new car feels and smells great for 24 hours. The 19k-worth of holidays, kitchens etc. lasts much longer.
Edited by Mapmaker on 25/09/2008 at 18:33
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Some fair points raised there although we could go massively off topic if we get right into whether it's a good thing or not to be taking out a sizeable loan etc etc. Suffice to say I'm confident enough right now to do so if needs be.
That said perhaps yes I could look at something a little older and therefore cheaper, although don't know that I'm confident to go back to the 1990s.... (and there is definitely some snob value needed to be built in to satisfy SWMBO...)
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Just resurecting my previous thread since I've just been thrown something of a curve ball....
Bear in mind my budget was around £20k to replace current A6 2.7 TDi SE Avant company car which is going back shortly.... lease company have just quoted me £21,000 to buy the Audi from them.
Now, the car is not even 9 months old with less than 6,000 miles on the clock. Parkers quote a similar age base spec car as being worth around £23k from a franchise dealer. This one has leather plus the sat nav comms pack and a few other little bits added on. Nearest I can find from Audi used sales would be £25k+
Am I missing something here or should I be biting their hands off? I haven't even tried to negotiate a little on the purchase price yet, but certainly will if I go ahead.
Any thoughts?
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Can you count the leather+sat nav as value boosting to any great extent?
Whats the auction value of this car? That'd be the only money figure I'd be looking at since thats where the car will end up if you dont buy it anyway.
You'd still be on the steep side of the depreciation curve with that one. I'd be happier at 18K as I dont think the lease company are doing you any favours.
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Leather yes as it's my one prerequisite on whatever replacement car I get. Satnav less so.
I've no idea what this would fetch at auction but I surely have to weigh the cost up against what I could buy for similar money and it does seem good value against quoted prices elsewhere - certainly can't get a 9 month old A6 with that spec on Auto trader etc right now.
As said I would still negotiate though...
Less bothered about the depreciation curve as I'm planning on keeping this one very long term all being well. I also know the list price on this car was £35k but lease company bought it for £31k. Therefore it's already taken a £10k "hit".
Edited by Twiz on 15/10/2008 at 18:58
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If you love the Audi, try to get it for £20k, but even £21k sounds a good deal. Great car, great engine which should last a long time.
Edited by Avant on 15/10/2008 at 21:15
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Cheers Avant - yup I do love the car, but thought it would have to go back given the prices of similar ones I've seen. As said will be doing a little further negotiation since I know pretty well what profit the lease company might make on this (I happen to look after our company cars so know what they (say they) bought it for, plus what rentals have been paid to date :o)
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For what it's worth I would say that if you really like the Audi and it does everything you want and anticipate needing, it would have to be the first choice. Especially as you have had it from new. You know exactly what you would be buying and all of its history.
Strangely enough the other thing I would favour, if the Audi deal doesn't stack, would be paying a lot less, perhaps half your current budget for a nice estate car. Passat / Mondeo or something and keep the other half of your wedge for....well....anything really.
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HB - thanks for the confirmation. The fact that we've had the car from new does help.
Funny enough if this doesn't come off a reasonably new Passat was probably next on the list.
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a reasonably new Passat was probably next on the list.
How about sneaking a Subaru Legacy Tourer diesel on the list? Less money than the Passat and far less "common" to appease SWMBO. I'm completely biased as I have one. Same torque as the 170 bhp Passat TDi, smoother engine, lower VED, better mpg and with all wheel drive, Subaru quality and no VW dealers to trash the ownership experience. The Passat is a bit bigger inside, has auto available and holds value better but you don't seem worried about depreciation and anyway, both will be worth zilch if you keep a very long time.
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