Can I ask for car recommendations?

[Hayls]

Brief is we'd like 2 new cars this summer.

1. a reasonably big car for transporting the whole family about and regular long haul trips. Not a people carrier as too big (I think) but slightly bigger than saloons etc. I liked the HOnda Civic but have been put off by the price and it also seems a bit too sporty.

2. a fairly small 3/5 door mainly for whoever doesn't have dd with them i.e. to and from work and short trips.

Total budget is as small as possible but probably around 7k in total (is flexible though). Obviously we don't want a brand new one but car 1 is more important so will have more spent on it and be no more than 2 years old. NOt as bothered about car 2.

Petrol or LPG preferred and engines not too big and guzzly and not too high on insurance, road tax etc...

We have had one old car between us for aagges and I'm fed up of driving dh to and from work everyday (it's not feasbile to cycle or walk -he does it occasionally though- and there's no bus route)

Am i asking the impossible?

P.S Colour not too important but I'd like black!

What about a Kia?

We don't have one but they always seemed reasonably priced.

we have a vectra and 3 dd's it is great, love it to bits fits everything in and plenty of room for the buggy shopping etc
hth

or a Skoda. Ours is the best - and cheapest - car we've ever had.

Dh often has as skoda as hire car through work and he lvoes them...

We bought 2 Ford Focuses a year ago, both only a couple of years old and both about £6k each. I'll see if I can find the thread because there was lots of advice about safety and stuff here before we bought them. The Civic does v well in safety tests iirc.

How do you feel about Skoda or are they still considered a no go area. We have 2 and to be honest after years of having the more "popular" cars, we both feel that we have made a good choice.Very eccomonical, low emissions, lots of boot space and they have the same parts as VW's only cheaper even though it says VW on the box !

lots of people told me about their cars here

How about a Zafira, that's a couple of years old - we've just got a bargain as they've changed the shape for the 55 plate so there's loads of 'old' shape ones to be had.

Oh and I love my little Fiat Punto!

I agree Fisil

Ok, thought I'd finally decided on a Focus but I just looked at a friend's and the boot is tiny ANybody else have a focus and have the same issue or am I just expecting too much? How about the C-MAX?

Also considering a Zafira- do they all have 7 seats? (really only want 5)

i have a zafira and really like it

it does have 7 seats but last 2 arent fixed and can remain down giving really big boot

My DH has just got his new Zafira - the VXR. He loves it.

I'm waiting for my new Mazda5 coming. It's brill too (better than his Zafira IMHO hahaha.)

we've got a focus at the moment, and are just about to change, but that is because we are about to have our thrid child and it will be a tight fit to get everyone in. the boot is fairly reasonable size, i can fit a stroller in and a large weekly shop. but i cannot fit my 3in1 pram in and that is a nother reason for changing.
my mum has a c-max, and whilst the boot is a bit bigger, not that much really, it is more in height than depth. it is quite a straneg car to drive as quite high up and i felt that it was very plasticy inside, also my mum has had loads of problems with hers, radio not working, bits of trim falling off inside, lights on the blink mainly minor things but still annoying when you have paid so much for a brand new car. i'd also be surperised if you could get a c-max for less than 7k.
the zafira is similar to the c-max in size and has the added advantage of being a 7 seater if you should ever need it. and as someone else said you can pick them up fairly cheaply at the moment, same with focus pre 54 reg as the shape changed.

i have a nissan tino. think you can get one a couple of years old for arpound 5k. 3 adult seats in the back, boot is a good size (i currently have a double urban detour in there and a stroller), and its nice to drive.