To ask for car recommendations ?

[tigerlilt]

Looking for some suggestions/ recommendations!
can anyone recommend a car which fits the following criteria, ideally less than £8000 for a second hand car (looking at less than 10 years old).

• ’bigger’ and ‘higher off the ground’, I currently drive a VW up and on the motorway/ at high speed it just doesn’t feel all that safe- would love to feel safer and less vulnerable on the road.
• good in non ideal weather- we live in the countryside and I am a nurse, therefore it’s important I can get to work in the event of floods ect.
• somewhat good audio/ entertainment systems eg screen/ apple play?
• nice looking?😅 objective I know
• 5 doors

am I asking too much? Haha

In my dreams I would get a Range Rover Evoque but I’ve been warned off them due to them being unreliable and it’s also over my budget really. Have considered a mini countryman or Kia sportage ect but I’m honestly clueless and could really do with some recommendations/ personal experiences!! Thanks x

My dad has a sportage and loves it, no issues with it and likes the higher up feel

Also looking at maybe a bmw or Mercedes a class, lower down I know but would you say as safe? Bit of a nervous driver as you can probably tell!

My Skoda Yeti ticks all your boxes!

I think you are asking for quite a lot really, I think you'd struggle to get something at that price point, not too old, plus mini-SUV style. I'd look at Ford (Fiesta, Focus, Kuga, Puma?) or an older VW Tiguan. I loved my Volvo XC40, hard to beat for size and reliability, but you'd need to add another 10k to your budget. I was going to recommend a Corsa, they're okay on the motorway, but not sure how they'd cope with floods.

If reliability and safety are your priorities, would you consider PCP? An 8k budget could pay a really decent car for 4 years, although of course you'd then have to hand it back (but what is a 14 year old Fiesta really going to be worth in 4 years?).

@marmaladegranny Not familiar with those, but a quick look on Arnold Clark shows even a 2015 plate is 10k.

I’ve got a low mileage VW Tiguan R with all the bells and whistles on a 65 plate but it cost me £15k, which is beyond your budget. It meets all your wants though. I love it.

Look at getting a Toyota, that would be my recommendation. Every year you have it serviced at a dealer, you are given 1 year`s extra warranty as standard until they reach 10 years old or 100,000 miles.

One of the most reliable cars on the road and bullet proof. There is a reason they are the world's best selling make and a majority of taxis use them. I love mine and would not change it for any other.

I was going to suggest a Skoda Karoq, which fits your requirements in everything, but I don’t think the price will do.

Yes Toyota

The cheapest Karoq, I’ve just checked, is around £11000 for a 2018 plate. Most are more expensive than that.

Dacia Duster - cheap to run with a massive boot.
you could easily get a 5/6 yr old one at your budget. I’ve got an older one - dh was so impressed he bought a newer one.
No apple carplay but does have Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Kia , Nissan , Skoda.
Cars are expensive second hand now. My previous car was a Toyota but that was out of my price range when I changed last summer. My current second hand car is one of the three I’ve mentioned.

Does it really matter what the car is worth if you are still driving it, though? Mine is currently worth £700 but it's 11 years old and is very reliable. My partner keeps pestering me to change it but I don't see why I should.

That's up to OP, which is who I was asking..? You do what you like with your car. Getting an old car and driving it till it dies is one strategy. PCP is another. Neither is right, both are options OP should consider. As a new or nervous driver, I wouldn't fancy driving an old banger.

I've got a Suzuki S Cross which ticks all your boxes & might be worth a look.

My dads just got a Hyundai Tuscan.

I've just got a Skoda Kamiq.

Both good cars but no idea of second hand prices as these are both 1 and 2 years old!

We both had Citroen picassos (C3 and C4 models) that were 12 and 9 years old respectively and wouldn't cost that much to buy! Mine was 6k at 5 years old but car prices have risen a lot since I bought it in 2017!!!

Winter tyres are absolutely worth it if you can store them. Their ability to grip in temperatures below 7 degrees is far superior to all weather tyres. I can tell the difference in both of our cars (one is RWD). Problem is storing them but we have the space for these.

No point in this country, except extreme north of Scotland maybe, for snow tyres. They are different.

Dacia Duster already been mentioned, as the new Duster had just hit the showrooms, you may now find there are more second hand available.

All terrain tyres or winter tyres make a huge difference.

My fiesta is a little star in bad weather and had gone through some extremely deep puddles and is decent in snow too. Midwife so also driving in all conditions.

They hold their value very well which may affect your ability to get a good one in budget though.

Oddly my old vauxhall meriva is the best thing I've ever driven in snow. High up driving position too. However, incapable of going up hills, accelerating and basically a tin can on wheels. Would not recommend.

I've just had a Nissan Juke. You could probably get the basic model at around a '16 plate for that sort of price

Don't get a Fiesta. At 1p years old a hefty nill got cam belt. 1200 pound i gave been told. I won't be getting another

Anything Skoda. The Octavia won the award for safest family car. Mine was 3 years old when I got it, one prior owner, 28k, but there’s older models that are still just as safe as the new models for cheaper prices (I only spent the money I did because I plan on running it into the ground over the next 15 years/however long it lasts, so looked at it as an investment)