Any - SWIMBO Car | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Tue 25 Sep 2012 14:26

Any - SWIMBO Car - paul45

Team

Need a bit of advice from the BR community.

Mrs SWIMBO has eventually decided that public transport is too inconvenient / impossible for her needs so she is going to get mobile again after 19 years away from the wheel.

First thing is that she has set her heart on a SMART or possibly Citroen C1, i.e. something really small, and it has to be an auto. I know that she is going to need some refresher lessons after such a big gap without driving so I'm trying to arrrange this in a SMART or something similiar.

However I'm up for some advice in terms of alternatives for either of these two cars, and on people's thoughts about leasing, She wants to ensure that any repair bills are covered by a warranty, and we have around £3k to put down as a deposit.

Any advice gladly received.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 15:06

Any - SWIMBO Car - tony g

Hi Paul,
I think most small autos would suit your needs better than a smart car ,

They are buzzy little cars ,with a strange gear box operation . In addition the narrow wheel base and track make them a pain to drive on anything but the smoothest roads ,they are an absolute pain on speed bumps . In addition I'm hearing that the engines are failing regularly at 70 k miles .

I would suggest looking at the new ford ka ,perhaps a fiat .

With regards to leasing ,it's a type of rental ,used mainly by companies who need to predict their spending over a given period .It tends to be expensive for a private individual .Buying a car that's pre registered by a dealer ,ie almost new .Then finance the balance using a bank loan over three years ,is likely to be better value .Occasionally dealers and manufacturers offer subsidised finance deals which can be good value .

Good luck

Tony g

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 16:13

Any - SWIMBO Car - coopshere

Have to agree with Tony on the Smart. Servicing and spares are not cheap either. Daughter in law had one until recently which I drove for short distances a couple of times. Found it most uncomfortable and difficult to control the throttle smoothly but I am used to driving large automatics. If she really likes the idea of a Smart would strongly reccommend she drives the second choice one first to see the difference.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 19:52

Any - SWIMBO Car - Drivethru

Paul, I was the same, I wanted a small car to replace my W reg Micra. I was going to get an Aygo but when tried it I wasn't keen. I eventually decided on a Ford Ka which I've now had for a year. I am really pleased with it, it is great to drive, very cheap to run, I can get 50mpg on short journeys and it is cheap to insure. I think the new ones came out in 2008 so there should be a few second hand ones around, although I got a good deal on a new one, would definitely recommend.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 20:36

Any - SWIMBO Car - focussed

Please do not let your other half drive a clown's car-a "Smart"

She deserves better protection than this chicken coop on wheels can give-try to get her to buy an average small proper car.

Alternatively, you could try to get her to test drive one on a dual carriageway or motorway when there is a stiff crosswind blowing, you will find that it will change lanes without being told to and she will never look at one again.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 21:44

Any - SWIMBO Car - daveyjp

I would only consider a proper auto, not an auto clutch as per the smart or Toyota MMT - too many potential headaches.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 21:57

Any - SWIMBO Car - gordonbennet

I would only consider a proper auto, not an auto clutch as per the smart or Toyota MMT - too many potential headaches.

Agreed, and thoroughly unpleasant in traffic or manoeuvering.

Korean cars usually have proper autos.

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Tue 25 Sep 2012 23:15

Any - SWIMBO Car - Bobbin Threadbare

The SMART car is not an appealing choice; they have surprisingly high VED and reports of the rubbish mpg are off-putting. Also, they look absurd and there's no boot space.

My mum runs an Aygo, which is the Toyota version of a C1. She loves it - it is cheap and it manoeuvres on a pinhead. It also has a reasonable amount of cabin space. It's a manual though.

Another thought is the new VW Up! or it's Skoda friend (Citigo?). I don't like small cars but the Up! is well finished and very quiet.

What about a little Kia?

Edited by Bobbin Threadbare on 25/09/2012 at 23:16

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Wed 26 Sep 2012 03:25

Any - SWIMBO Car - bear807

Should get your wife a vw up, skoda citigo or seat mii. The image and quality miles better than aygo/107/c1 drive doesn't like it class, worth a look, you might pay abit more, but they retain value well as well!

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Wed 26 Sep 2012 00:50

Any - SWIMBO Car - Avant

The Citroen C1 / Peugeot 107 / Toyota Aygo can be had with automatic: she should try whichever of these has the most convnenient dealer (if there's a choice, Toyota dealers are usually more helpful); she should also look at the Hyundai i10, which is a 1.2 and therefore a bit livelier as well as roomier.

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Thu 27 Sep 2012 01:00

Any - SWIMBO Car - concrete

The Citroen C1 / Peugeot 107 / Toyota Aygo can be had with automatic: she should try whichever of these has the most convnenient dealer (if there's a choice, Toyota dealers are usually more helpful); she should also look at the Hyundai i10, which is a 1.2 and therefore a bit livelier as well as roomier.

Avant read my mind. My niece has a lovely Hyundai i10 which is surprisingly good and one hell of a warranty so she has peace of mind. Friends have had poor experiences with Smart cars and would not go there again. Good luck with your eventual choice. Concrete

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