Family car - impossible

[Girlswithflowers]

So we are four people- tall teen dds. We like to camp.

I'm fed up of diesels which seems to dominate the large spacious family car market - i think their value is going to crash and our driving style with (normally) daily short runs and the odd weekend isn't great for these engines ( i have dpf issues in the past).

Looking for used max 5 years old and no more than £14k and reliable. Why is this so very hard!

@FartingInTheFence you seem angry at them almost though. The cars, not the people 😂

I'll admit that I'm living in the past and they are less reliable than they were. I think I said earlier in the post that they were least reliable manufacturer this/last year. But it's peugeot that topped the list, to everyone's surprise. I had just chosen my 1series over a 508 as well 😫 but they're still on my list 🤪

Angry?

Nah no chance. Happy as can be, all things considered. I just dont like the hype around German cars.

I wouldnt have any German car even for free. Others though, are welcome!

We have a 2020 Subaru Forester (our 4th Subaru) and it sounds perfect for what you want. Ours have all be incredibly reliable and well made.

Just the way I read it then. There is a lot of hype, that's true. I don't get the Audi hype. But I love a beemer.

I had a BMW a long time ago. It was great fun to drive but ate me alive in very expensive repairs when it hit 70k miles. That was my last non-Japanese car.

I can recommend Skoda Octavia estate, I have the 1.4 petrol -it's really quick, lots of space in the back and a massive boot (we also like camping!) ours has been really reliable too.

SamanthaStripyPants

Yes, speaking from personal experience and family/friends. They’re not the most reliable things in the world. I take it you have an M140i? You could easily have afforded an Arteon as an alternative although I’m not sure why you’d want one in preference.

@Elai1978 no I work for a lease co and the deal was on the outgoing 1series. Almost 40% discount so I pay next to nothing for it. There are deals on arteons but nothing that makes it almost free.

And no. It's too of the range as in the trim level, not the launch missile unfortunately. I was feeling particularly tight at the time and thought the petrol would bankrupt me. A huge regret as I'd have had so much fun. My colleague got one. Only difference was the twisted alloys, climate control, silver mirrors from memory. (Excluding the engine)

• But hey, if the BMW X3 is not "frumpy", then I guess that somehow trumps reliability, even if it is unreliable and ends up as a money pit ”

Nothing is a “money pit” if you lease it.

Always under warranty and if there is a problem you just phone the leasing company.

Personally I think it’s a bit nuts to buy a car these days.

Leasing all the way

We've got the Qashqai and I'm surprised you think the boot is too small - we v comfortably fit 3 dogs in the boot of ours! It also has an extra underfloor boot storage space that is really useful. It also meets all your other criteria re cost/age/SUV...

We had almost identical requirements and bought a Skoda Superb. The boot is VAST, fits our camping gear. We've had two 6'5" men in the back with plenty of leg room on a long trip.

Nothing is a “money pit” if you lease it

....apart from the money you piss away on said car and not even own it.

"Oh look, I got a shiny new car< i'll pay £-hundreds a month and still not own it after 3 years....."

Very clever. 🤦‍♂️

I like touran and Tiguan. Both VW. X

@FartingInTheFence but then you get a shiny new one again!

Leasing is the best way to literally get a pit and throw money into it.

You pay loads, you'll never see it again, it's never yours, the only person getting the benefit is the leasing company and then you have to pay for any damage and excess mileage. 0/10 would not recommend.

I'm grateful that my car has sat on the drive for the last three months as I will now have done the miles I said I would rather than the miles I was actually doing.

I only did it because it was through work and I won't be doing it again.

We went for a kia ceed estate for the boot size, larger than sportage but car quite compact overall. Similar shape to focus estate.. Would i recommend it.. umm. Good warranty which is a good job as it needed a new clutch at 4 years old, and now more hefty repairs. Warranty covered it, but im worried for when it runs out.

As our 2nd car we have tye mazda cx3, 16 plate. Lovely car, but i find some of fhe controls a bit annoying. Voice recognition and sat nav for example. Probably improved on newer models. We will look at the cx5 to replace the kia which is soon out of its warranty.

'm grateful that my car has sat on the drive for the last three months as I will now have done the miles I said I would rather than the miles I was act

Then you did it wrong. Most people know how many miles they do a year and take out a lease accordingly.

If you aren’t fussy about colour etc and don’t go for optional extras you can often have a brand new car, full warranty, full maintenance package (including tyres etc) for three years for from about £180 a month for something small to about £280 a month for something like the OP is talking about.

Even at £300 a month that £3600 a year including all maintenance, no unexpected bills, and a brand new car.

Compare that to depreciation on an new or nearly new car, plus servicing, plus tyres etc and it’s not expensive.

If you prefer to drive an older cheaper car and run it into the ground you can probably do so for less money - unless a gearbox goes, or a head gasket, or you need to replace an exhaust, brake pads and discs etc.

Works for some not for others. Has always worked out much cheaper for me but then I like to have nice things and no stress about if anything goes wrong with them

Do your research on X5 and don't discount older models, I ran the same one for 12 years no problems whatsoever. Last one paid £55k (with £10k discount) in 2016, it's now worth £24k having only done 18k miles. BMWs drop in value drastically, let someone else take the hit. If we wanted to replace ours I'd be furious, but we will keep it forever.

I'm not leasing.

• £300× 48 months - nothing Vs £14k on a car I can then run for longer if I want.

I've been looking at cars on my walks - handy there are so many outside house atm! I thought the Tucson was bigger so now not sure about that.

No, my mileage changed unexpectedly. I've been in company cars for a while and looked at my annual mileage for that time and then added some. However, being miles from my family and some stuff kicking off I had to go to them. 200 miles each journey. I wasn't about to pay an extra £50 just in case. My excess mileage is minimal at 5ppm and is far cheaper to pay the excess than reschedule.

Mine is over Two years which was cheaper than three as it hit that sweet spot where the OTR and RV weren't too different. There really is no point paying for maintenance on a leased car. You should just pay for the one service it will need. Far cheaper.

@Thisbastardcomputer I'm glad you've said that. I would love an x5 but they are so much to run and at 10k for an 09, I would be nervous to part with the cash.

All big cars like that depreciate quickly, not just BMW.

Me again... @Girlswithflowers what about the Santa Fe?

Honda Civic mk9 tourer? Quite rare but the boot is apparently mahoosive. I’ve got the hatchback and it swallows two mountain bikes with the wheels on.

Reasonably nippy, good mpg and probably more reliable than just about anything.

I'm going to suggest that you buy a smaller petrol hatchback type car and then hire a 4x4 or whatever for any big family trips you make. If you are predominantly driving in town/short distances then get a car that is best for that. I bought a 4 year old Clio last year for £7k. You would be able to get something much better for, say, £10k and then use the difference to pay for rentals when needed.