Another help choose a car thread?

[Blondeinlondon]

I have decided I want a car
We live in London and it will have to be parked on the street
I don't want something too small - needs 4 doors & reasonable boot space
or too big - gotta park the thing

Open to all suggestions please...

sounds like you need a medium family hatchback, something Ford Focus/VW Golf/Vauxhall Astra/Audi A3 sized.

I have a 4 door Ford Focus 1.8 and I can't fault it, easy to drive, easy to park, good boot space, fits my family of 5 very well (me, DH, 13.5 year old DS1, 12 year old DS2 & 3 year old DD). I know it's never going to set the world alight but it fulfils it's family workhorse brief very well. We also have a Mercedes estate (DH's) for when we need that bit more space but TBH, we've not really needed anymore space than the Focus provides. I have

I have a Fiesta. I knows its a small car, but incredibly roomy for a small car, and has a boot big enough to fit ds's pushchair in, plus some shopping. And they are pretty cheap.

if you live IN london I'd get a Prius (hybrid petrol/electric) or the new hybrid honda civic. No congestion charge payments, in many boroughs free parking, very low road tax and unbelieveable fuel economy. And, obviously, good green credentials.

I'd do it for the no congestion charge alone, frankly!

Princess - how I am supposed to charge it up??

you don't charge it up! it charges itself up when it drives on petrol and then turns itself to electric when it is more economical to do so. You just drive it like a normal car but only fill it every 200 miles or so.

But I only fill my "normal" car up every 200 miles or so. PPH I suspect you are not driving a normal car. But do agree sounds a very good idea.

blimey I only fill my normal car up every 300 miles ( its a Passate estate BTW)

I was thinking that bozza ! It doesn't sound all that economical to me ! I drive a 1.8 petrol Focus and I can get around 300 miles out of a full tank....

I'd second the vote for a Focus. I had one for 3 years (mine was the 1.6 Zetec hatchback) and was a great car, really economical (even tho' mine was automatic) comfy, terrific on the motorway and easy to park and manoevre in town.

Changed a few months ago for an astra, and really regret it.

sorry I actually meant to type every 2000 miles or so, in an exaggerated fashion. that didn't work!

they reckon you easily get 80 - 90 miles to the gallon in city driving

actually just looked at the website and they say "up to 650 miles between fill ups"

sounds good to me!

Prius is a bit pricey too, so unless you are going to cover a lot of miles, or travel thru the congestion charging zone a lot, then the savings on running costs won't add up to the extra cost of the car.

There is an article on running a car in today's Times. In london apparently you can join a club, where you can hire a car whenever you want one (even just for a supermarket run) without having the full costs of owning.

If you do buy, will you buy new or second hand? In the days when I bought my own, I never bought new, always ex-demonstrators or 1 year-old, low mileage, cos that way you don't take such a vast hit on depreciation.

Unlikely to travel in cc zone that much
Probably buy something under 2 years old

I already looked into streetcar, car share thing
but what I want is something parked in the street with the child seat permanently fitted

I already have the use of my brother's car which is parked 6 streets away but it's just not convenient enough