Used car , focus , golf or polo please help

[Rainbowsend1]

Hey please can I have advice
I’m looking to buy a family car I had a car years ago a little manual punto but sold it and went a few years not driving , however now I have the funds to buy a car I’m looking at getting a automatic due to manual causing me abit of anxiety etc
I had my heart set on an auto focus however I’ve read there not that reliable and must be after 2018 for a decent one.
I recently seen a golf for similar price and was told the auto gearbox is more reliable than Ford ?
does anyone know anything about cars and out of the 3 listed which would you recommend
it’s for a family of 4 and budget ideally 12k at a push ideally 10, also low road tax would be good
theres none local to me and as I’m without transport I’m looking at places online
car supermarket, cinch , cazoo etc

any help much appreciated

IF you want reliable get a Honda Civic.

I have a SEAT and, other than the grill badge saying SEAT, every other part is stamped with VW. I'd look at a SEAT or a Skoda rather than a VW.

We have a manual focus that we love but apparently Ford aren’t known for their auto gearbox (but never known anyone to have a problem). The VW ones are supposedly better. We test drove both a Ford and Golf and preferred the Ford overall.

I think Nissan are partly owned by Renault now?

I replaced my Ford with a Nissan. First and last. Awful build quality. Everything rattles, the windows don't fit properly and the automatic gear box won't let you set off smoothly. I've been on Nissan forums and they all say "it's just a Juke thing" 😡

Honda jazz! So reliable

I'm on my second automatic Corsa, no problems with either, the first one I sold when it was 17 years old and it was still going strong. My current one is 10 years old.

Not so.

"The Octavia was one of the most successful cars built by the Czech carmaker Skoda, and it used the MQB platform, which Volkswagen used for many other vehicles within the group, such as the Golf VII, the Audi A3, or the Seat Leon."

Revolution website.

Apologies above is quote from autoevolution .com

@VeniVidiWeeWee I stand correctly re: chassis but physically the dimensions of passat are much more similar to octavia.

Here is the comparison with the golf..

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-group-tests/99448/volkswagen-golf-vs-skoda-octavia-2023-twin-test-review#:~:text=Throughout%20the%20range%2C%20the%20Octavia,typical%20of%20the%20class%20average.

Golf 4.29 m long. Octavia 4.68m Passat 4.77m (sedan not estate, but estate is same length. Boot bigger)
Boot 341litres vs 555 litres vs 586litres

We have a Ford C max which is based on the Focus. Engine went bang as per the Ecoboost nightmare and we had to argue the toss with Ford to get it replaced (which they did free of charge). We were without a car for about 6 weeks and the local dealer was a cunt. That said, I do rate the Cmax in general and we’ll run it into the ground as it’s basically got a brand new engine!

Our previous car was a Skoda Octavia which was absolutely fab.

Well, that's personsplaining at it's best. "I was wrong but..."

@VeniVidiWeeWee I don't think so

I was explaining why I thought the passat chassis underpined the octavia.

The Golf is 40cm shorter than the octavia And has a much smaller boot.

@TrishTrix

And I knew all that.

But you had to explain it to me to cover your mistake.

And mn complains about mansplaining.

I may stick with looking for a focus as it’s what I originally wanted, does anyone have suggestions which is better eco boost or power shift ? I’m looking for titanium model and would be 2016 plate oldest thanks all

Golfs score poorly in WhatCar’s latest reliability survey for cars over six years old. The Focus fairs a little better but not great. The Mazda 3 and Honda Civic are (unsurprisingly) the top two. If you’re looking for reliability then they’re the ones I’d be considering.

dont get the 1.0 focus, the 1.6 is much much better and more reliable.
can’t knock them. My default is normally VAG group stuff, the focus is a good solid car.
if your struggling with finding one then yes the golf /Leon is also a very good car. The DSG gear boxes are lovely and I probably would go 1.4 over 1.2 for the golf size, fabia size I’d go 1.2. I prefer the drive of the VAG and the seating position, however that really is a personal preference.

Jukes and qashqais are an absolute laughing stock in the industry. There’s an auto box issue that nissan know about and shrug their shoulders on. Even low mileage 20k cars they just shrug.

nissan Navaro also had chassis issues that became so dangerous they were forced to buy them back. They ignored it for a long time until they were forced to act.

Yes hopefully I’ll find a 1.6 focus auto going to look online over weekend as none local so I’m looking at cinch , car supermarket etc.
also this may be Silly question but not had a automatic before so does it still need all the liquids like a manual does ? I’m sorry if this is a stupid question I plan to get it serviced once a year to keep safe etc but want to know what other stuff I need to buy thanks all

They are in short supply as the 1.0 was more popular new and ulez has made everything more difficult.

no more fluids or anything than a manual. They aren’t the clumpy stuff things of old. The servicing garage will use the correct transmission fluids in the servicing. I’d only buy a small bottle of oil for the boot and not worry any further.
good luck

3 DS's all really good economical cars
Focus 1.6
Vauxhall Corsa eco boost
VW Polo
For space the focus is incredible
With the back seats down it has the capacity of a small van and we had one as a family and all prams/ strollers plus shopping fitted in the boot

The only thing I'd query from the choice of Focus, Golf or Polo for a family of four is whether you'd have enough boot volume for shopping, holidays, etc. The flatter-backed hatchbacks of this size can offer vastly more boot volume - Honda Jazz, C3 Picasso, etc.

It's also worth looking at Dacia. The interior trim is a bit cheap, but you get a lot of car for not very much money. I had one as a loan car recently and was very pleasantly surprised. Didn't look like much, but it barely sipped fuel over a long distance.

Personally I couldn't disagree more with the poster who recommended Nissan. They used to be reliable and well built years ago, not so any more. Run a small independent garage, the most claims we have are for Nissans - and the auto Nissans drive horrendously. Avoid Juke, Qashqai, X Trail in particular. Cheaply made and not reliable.

Personally with a 12k budget you will get a lot more for your money with Ford than VW. Alternatively as others mentioned look at Skoda or Seat for a cheaper version of a VW. Yes the DSG auto gearbox on VAG cars is fantastic.

I have personally owned 3 Ford Kugas, 2 of which were autos. All were fantastically reliable and the autos were pleasant to drive. No issues whatsoever so I would probably choose auto a focus in your position.

I also wouldn't look at Dacia. They're so cheap for a reason, imagine if you will a Renault that is even cheaper than a Renault!!

A Honda Jazz is always popular on MN and I agree they're a very reliable car, the auto isn't bad at all. But my personal opinion is they're an old persons car.