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Original poster

Small family car - what are your recomendations?

23 replies

TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 21:24

In a few months (after summer) we are looking to get a new car (through dp's work scheme) so we want to get an idea now to work out our budget.

Atm we have a suzuki wagon R - spacious inside for a small car, but are looking to change.

Renault modus looks good so far.

Any recommendations/experience?

And wtf is ISOFIX? I know it has something to do with child seats. DOes it mean we will have to replace ds's child seat?

OP posts:
Monkeybar · 28/05/2007 21:36

I got a Honda Civic last year, which is fab, very comfy, economical, loads of boot space, back doors that open to nearly 90 degrees, and back seat that flip up as well as down. It os a great car, and although the odd exterior took a bit of getting used to, I love it now.

Isofix is anchoring points on the car's seats where you can attach a compatible seat and it is supposedly very safe because in effect you are attaching the seat very firmly to the car itself (rather than to the seat with a seat belt). But you don't have to use an isofix carseat, a regular one is fine, you would just use the seatbelts in the normal way. (it's just that with an Isofix compatible car, you have the option) HTH

Monkeybar · 28/05/2007 21:37

Ihave no idea what a Renault modus is btw, so sorry if I'm way off the mark with a Honda Civic

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 21:44

ooh that's interesting - hadn't considered the honda civic.

I feel a bit dumb asking about isofix now but it's useful to know.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/05/2007 21:49

Renault Modus is tiny ! Do you need boot space ? We recently got a Mercedes A class
(good deal via a similar sounding scheme)which dh is happy with (I might be too had I driven it yet !). Nice interior height, isofix as standard and we managed a trip to B and Q with 4 of us easily.

You don't have to use Isofix if fitted , it is just a different method of fixing compatible seats, you can continue to use the adult belt instead.

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 21:51

we do need boot space.

Renault modus though was very good in crash tests compared to most others.

Are you RBS (car scheme)?

OP posts:
emwad · 28/05/2007 21:55

We have a Vauxhall Astra look here
It is great to fit a booster seat and a newborn car seat and have enough room for DD friend etc...

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 22:00

I think now I've looked at the civic and astra that they are too big and more to insure.

Not too sure about mercedes as its going to cost more and have not generally heard good things about it safety wise.

Ideally we want something at 1.4 max (our current is 1lt) and reasonably cheap insurance. So quite small.

Its a pain trying to find the balance between small and having enough space. There's only me, dp and ds though so we don't need too much space really.

Thanks for the ideas though.

OP posts:
Tinker · 28/05/2007 22:04

Consider the Suzuki Swift (new one) - cute looks, great reviews but not many around or the Honda Jazz - alos gets great reviews

LIZS · 28/05/2007 22:04

Thought the A Class did well in a recent survey . A different scheme , ours is inclusive of insurance etc.

Hulababy · 28/05/2007 22:05

Do not get a Smart ForFour is my contribution! Have had nothing but problems with ours.

Blondilocks · 28/05/2007 22:20

You can get the Civic in a 1.4 engine.

I have a 1.4 Fiesta which is pretty good. The boot is quite reasonable & it is quite roomy for a small car. Reasonable insurance too.

cat64 · 28/05/2007 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SlightlyMadSlug · 28/05/2007 22:26

Ignore isofix. It won't impact your decision as I think that all new cars are fitted with it by law now.

As others have said - you can use ordinary carseats

SlightlyMadSlug · 28/05/2007 22:28

The honda Jazz has loads of space inside if you are loking for a corsa/fiesta sized car. The back seat is a bench seat - so you can store stuff underneath it.

Very reliable too apparently (I hope!!!)

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 22:36

Jazz is what we considered before.

Under bench seating sounds good.

Unfortunately restricted to cars available through scheme and they only do civics from 1.6 and upwards.

I've always wanted a Jazz (for no logical reasons I just think they're cool).

How's it like to drive?

I think its probably going to come down to modus and Jazz - we have a couple of months so I think it will be a case of going to see them (can't do it through scheme but can find somewhere that has got them).

OP posts:
Dabbles · 28/05/2007 22:40

SmS why r u a slug today?????

SlightlyMadSlug · 28/05/2007 22:46

Cossomeone was afraid of slugs ont eh 'things that frighten you thread'....then I didnt even get noticed as Slug . Besides I have not done much digging today .

DP drives the Jazz (he hasn't let me yet and he has had it a year). He really likes it. It is easy to drive. He uses it for work as a driving instructor. Aitch has one too I think.

SlightlyMadSlug · 28/05/2007 22:47

Oh - and it doesn't actually have double decker seating ou know - it is just some where to stuff coats or small bags!!!

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 28/05/2007 22:48

no space for extra children under seats then?

there goes my child smuggling dreams then

OP posts:
SlightlyMadSlug · 28/05/2007 22:51

CAn I also say - that we have a work scheme where I can buy cars at fleet prices. I am not sure how your scheme works - but I buy the car outright in my own name etc. it is just at a preferential price.

However, in reality, we have gone to dealer with price and they have done the best deal they can, influenced by an astonishing quote from my works agent - which we have considered the price and gone with the dealer at a tiny bit more. If your scheme is at all like this and you want the civic - take price for 1.6 to dealer tell them you have this price, but really want the 1.4 - whats teh best they can do. See if you can use the work price to barter at the dealership. I got about £4.5K off my last car plus a preference price on my part ex this way.

hana · 28/05/2007 22:53

we had an a class for about 4 years, then needed something bigger when number 3 came along
has done v well in safety tests - it was when it first came out in eary/mid 90's that it didn't do so well and had to be redesigned - prices dropped and that's when we bought ( newly safely designed!) one. It was great for 2 kids, tall driving height, fairly roomy in boot and great to drive

ENTP · 28/05/2007 23:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Zadok · 30/05/2007 06:49

We bought a Modus last year, mainly for the safety aspect.

Very good things about a Modus:
Cheap to run
Reliable
Safe
Very roomy for passengers
Isofix - we got a Recaro base and Young Profi seat and clunking DD in and out is a dream
Boot can expand and contract - it never gets very big, but it's big enough for a Loola.
Double sunroof makes you feel like you're driving around Jurassic Park
Dead easy to drive and park

Not so good things about a Modus:
Little niggly things have gone wrong, like the electric windows. Fixable, but annoying.
The boot isn't that big.

Main problem with the Modus:
In spite of Renaults adverts to make you feel that this car is [i]young, hip and sporty[/i] almost every other person you see driving a Modus is flat-cap-shoulders-hunched-25-in-a-30 older driver.

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