To buy a car based on mumsnets opinion today

[Claliscool]

Hi all

I need to buy a car with the following requirements:
Fuel efficient
Enough room for family of four and luggage
Looks stylish
Is reasonably nice to drive
Preferably an SUV looking thing.

I cannot decide and need to buy a car ASAP. Budget its 20k, either used or new.
Thank you!

@Shmithecat2 quite! Ours had a tantrum the other day because it worked out we hadn't used any fuel for 3 months 🤣 it then has a tantrum and will only use the engine until u put more fuel on it

Obv lockdown is the reason we used no fuel
As all our journeys were short enough we only used the battery.

VW touran is the most practical car in the world

Borrowed one to go on holiday and it was amazing. 3 adults, a lot of equipment and luggage, totally comfortable. Some days on the holiday we had 5 people traveling plus equipment and it was still comfy

Decent fuel economy and considered reliable. This one had 120k on it

@PrayingandHoping I quite like them! When I feel I can downsize on bootspace, I would definitely consider one.

Second hand Mazda CX-5. Gorgeous car and a dream to drive.

I have a Dacia Duster and love it. Can easily fit my 4 huge teenagers in it, plenty of boot space, drives well.

Another vote for the Dacia. Look at either the duster or Stepway.

We had a Seat Ateca as a hire car in Germany earlier in the year, it was lovely and I'd definitely buy one.

We currently have a Qashqai, I wouldn't rush to get another one.

Please don't commit to buying a car based on the advice of strangers on the internet.

You need to view models in person and take them for test drives before deciding if it's right for you.

Comments like this shows why you should never ask for advice about cars on MN

Why?

The only question i wasn't completely sure of was the fuel one...and actually ive remembered that We went for a petrol because i wont be driving the way a diesel should be driven

@okiedokieme

Mazda owner here, £20k will get you a suv just - very reliable in my experience, mine has lots of boot space but the model is discontinued. I was looking at them the other day but will go for a saloon instead

Is it the Mazda 5 you're talking about? We are collecting one of them tomorrow, I'm very excited to drive it. The dealer says they don't get them very often.

Ford eco sport is quite good had ours over a year and I’m quite happy with it. Has a quirky boot which isn’t for everyone but I like it. Good fuel efficiency, small engine but very powerful, comes in petrol or diesel

How do you fuel it if you don't know what it is? Genuine question.

I could say that cos we bought it at the beginning of lockdown we haven’t used it much and Dh has been driving his car more So i just haven’t filled it up yet

(That would Be close to the truth...but I don’t actually fill the car/cars up. Perfectly capable obviously...just don’t)

I have a Hyundai suv. It's diesel. Very efficient on fuel. Never had any issues with it, never needed repairs.

after having 3 Ford Kugas in a row I got a Daci Duster in March

I'm really impressed with it - it handles well, is nicer to drive, economical and roomy and cost a lot lot less than a for

@Shmithecat2 what do u have now?

We went for it because it has one of the biggest boots for the size of the car in the category.... we have 2 huge dogs and a baby! Need the space!

DaciA and forD - obviously

We have a VW Tiguan, and it’s great for our needs (but if you’re planning more kids you should go for the Touran). We have the petrol version and it’s great. Really fantastic car, and there are also seat/Skoda versions of the same to consider

I went for a Kia Sportage. Older than you could get because I just didn't have the budget. I usually do a decent amount of long distance driving and it's pretty efficient on that but short trips aren't as good. The boot space is decent I think and I like the driving position. It's a diesel and I'm spending about the same on fuel as I did for my smart forfour. It was a little car with a little engine.

Ford eco sport is quite good had ours over a year and I’m quite happy with it. Has a quirky boot which isn’t for everyone but I like it. Good fuel efficiency, small engine but very powerful, comes in petrol or diesel

And another reason not to post on MN for car advice. A Ford EcoSport is not “very powerful” in any guise. Couldn’t pull a greased stick out of a pig’s arse.

Mazda cx5 here. 2.2l diesel is in £30 tax band. You could get a 2 year old one for under £20k. Great looking car for the money and top of the range for extras.

[quote 2155User]@mencken

Do you need professional help? You seem a bit, erm, crackers.[/quote]
I don't think I've ever seen a polite post from mencken. I think they just trawl threads looking for opportunities to put other posters down or just be nasty

Dacia gets terrible safety reviews apparently. Cheap... for a reason.

www.rte.ie/lifestyle/motors/2019/0111/1022584-dacia-duster-cheap-and-cheerful-but-not-as-safe-as-it-should-be/

www.autoexpress.co.uk/dacia/duster/reliability

We avoided.

@WitchDancer

It's the epitome of style/fashion over substance, and fails to meet any brief other than being reasonably affordable for people who want to show they have imagination beyond a Corsa.

The boot is soooo small for what it is. It claims itself to be an SUV but falls short on the utility, and the sport (there's even a version I keep seeing around me that has a "turbo" badge as standard from the factory. TURBO! )

But most of all it just feels like it's trying so hard to emulate and fit in with larger vehicles that actually suit the look and design of an SUV. It's like it's saying "look, I'm also cool. Yeah I'm tiny, but I'm jacked up a bit and have a 'high driving position' and bits of sporty cladding. I too have a personality'.

^^ for those joining the thread, my comments are describing the automotive abomination that is the Vauxhall Mokka.