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Original poster

Which family car should we buy?

110 replies

ButterflyOfFreedom · 28/03/2018 20:11

Originally posted in Chat before realising there was a Cars section! (Sorry)

So...

2 adults, 2 school age children.
No dogs / bikes / prams etc. We're not campers and/or don't have excessive sports equipment etc (!!!) - the most we'd have in the boot is our weekly shop or a few suitcases when going away!

We never buy new - usually one about 3 years old and usually (though I imagine this may increase!?!) spend about £10k.

Short list so far is:
VW Golf
Seat Leon
Vauxhall Astra
Renault Megane
Peugeot 308

So, which would you recommend out of those? Or any others we haven't thought of?

Thank you!

OP posts:
FancyThatFenceEdge · 02/04/2018 07:06

"You can’t beat a Golf, though."

LMFAO.

Yes, yes you can beat a Golf.

Golf's are overrated pieces of unreliable, underequipped shit.

reddington · 02/04/2018 08:34

You can’t beat a Golf, though.

Yes, you really can. Shit cars bought by sheep who think they are reliable and well built because they have some decent soft touch plastics inside and were genuinely well built 30 years ago. Just junk like most VAG products.

Thesleepthiefbaby · 02/04/2018 08:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ as requested by the OP.

Lonecatwithkitten · 02/04/2018 08:57

I have been through this exercise in the last week to replace a similar size work car, guided by my DP who is a motor engineer seeing inside most of the car factories out there.
His advice is go Korean or Japanese because of the warranties. All cars have their issues the VW group he describes as having 'bespoke engine issues'. We settled on a Kia.

Original poster
ButterflyOfFreedom · 04/04/2018 08:50

I think our main criteria is basically something reliable, relatively cheap to run, no bigger than a standard hatchback so it is easy enough to park/ fit on the drive, with a big enough boot for maybe 4 suitcases!

The boot size of a Golf & Leon is 380 litres whereas the i30 is 395 litres...

OP posts:
piercinggelo · 04/04/2018 08:57

Not Vauxhall. Never french. Always seat/Skoda/vw - they are all Audi underneath.

CuboidalSlipshoddy · 04/04/2018 09:53

Some Vauxhall is Opel underneath (won’t be post-PSA acquisition) and those models are excellent. I rented an Insignia estate recently and it was a discount A6: well built, decent to drive. A Superb is a discount A6 as well, but there’s a million ex-lease Insignia (if that is the plural) while Superbs are relatively rare. I’m told the new Astra is similarly a Golf killer, but every time I rent “Astra or similar” I get an i30.

piercinggelo · 04/04/2018 10:00

Some Vauxhall is Opel underneath (won’t be post-PSA acquisition) and those models are excellent.

They all are. Vauxhall is just the UK branding.

piercinggelo · 04/04/2018 10:03

Also the A6 and the insignia are not the same car.

Audi is VAG. Vauxhall is GM.

CuboidalSlipshoddy · 04/04/2018 14:14

Also the A6 and the insignia are not the same car.

Apologies, I was unclear: "as good as an A6, but a lot cheaper". I complicated by mentioning the Superb, which is much closer to an "actual" A6.

They all are. Vauxhall is just the UK branding.

They're all GM. They aren't all Opel, in the sense of "German designed and sometimes built". The Vauxhall Viva is a Daewoo Matiz, for example.

Original poster
ButterflyOfFreedom · 04/04/2018 18:46

Oh so someone has just thrown the Honda Civic into the mix!!?!

OP posts:
koalab · 04/04/2018 18:59

I love our Leon. My mum loves her i30. Sorry, not helpful, but I don't think you could go wrong with either.

Bubblysqueak · 04/04/2018 19:02

Golf or quashqai .
Loved my golf but love my quashqai even more.

pinkhousesarebest · 04/04/2018 19:12

Honda CRV. Just the most spacious, reliable, robust car ever.

Kursk · 04/04/2018 19:23

Vauxhall are GM, most cars sold as Vauxhall’s in the UK are sold under the Buick brand in the USA.

Don’t know if you get them there but a Ford Expedition EL is the best car I have ever had. Has a reasonable amount of space. I can seat 6, plus 3 huskies and still have space for Luggage. It has power and is fuel efficient. I would recommend the 5.4L over the 4.8L and opt for 4x4

MumOfTwoMasterOfNone · 04/04/2018 19:30

Realise it isn't on your list but we have a 320D 'shitty' BMW but I really like it. It was a pain with a big pram in the boot, but without that's, it's great for a family of 4.

tobee · 04/04/2018 20:28

Love my new Citroen Picasso 😍 You can slag it off all you like I don't care. Great boot space but compact altogether.

FancyThatFenceEdge · 04/04/2018 20:36

"Always seat/Skoda/vw - they are all Audi underneath."

Wrong.

Audi/Skoda/Seat are all based on VW platforms. The most popular being the MQB chassis.

All shit brands though from the ground up.

LorelaiRoryEmily · 04/04/2018 20:38

We're on our 2nd Toyota avensis, lovely family car, huge boot, reliable and economical

crazymumofthree · 04/04/2018 20:58

I had a seat Leon and absolutely loved it! Was quite an old one though! After that we got a Mini Countryman which was deceptively big and we now have a BMW 2 series gran tourer which is lovely although had 7 seats but they do do a 5 seater version too!

Having been in other peoples cars hondas are always lovely and not all plasticky!

reddington · 04/04/2018 21:00

All shit brands though from the ground up.

This x1000

Baubletrouble43 · 04/04/2018 21:05

OH has just bought our first grown up proper car ( bought second hand ancient cheap rubbish before) a 3 year old ford kuga. He loves driving it and I just love being in it.

piercinggelo · 04/04/2018 21:11

Wrong.

Erm no, because..

Audi/Skoda/Seat are all based on VW platforms. The most popular being the MQB chassis.

They are all the same underneath.

tobee · 04/04/2018 21:32

reddington and Fancy are you related? Both work for Toyota/Honda/Nissan? Have shares? You both seem over invested.

Fluffy40 · 04/04/2018 21:40

We drove a Hyundai i40 for a weekend , we didn’t want to give it back, lovely car.

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