Are there any of the knowledgable car men around today?

[peckarollover]

You may have read that my car was burnt to the ground in an arson attack a couple of weeks ago

Im looking for a new car.

I have 2 kids and will probably have another within the next few years.

I am also in the process of registering to be a childminder so a 7 seater is looking likely.

BUT and its a big BUT what is the cheapest I can get one for without it being realllllly crap. Any particular models to look for?

I would also really like something that is as economic to run as possible. Are there many that are diesel?

I have bought the auto trader today but my brain is hurting already!

From my investigations today I can now say with conviction that silver ones are most prevalant.

Yeah, that's normal. Blue is a recessive gene.

Janh or anyone? Are you about?

Zafira Search Results

Have a look a few down. 02 Reg (with split seats) for £5,999. 1.6 Comfort model.

Is this good?

Hi, I don't know the Zafira, but if you CAT my mate jazzybee with a couple of cars you're thinking about, or point him to this thread, I'm sure he could say which model year might be better, or which options your buying / missing out on etc. etc.

He runs a Zafira himself.

HTH

Hi, becca! I am here now...

02 reg doesn't have split rear seat, just the seat back - they all do that. (Not sure what the point of that was, frankly, since the seat doesn't - if you're going to have to move it forward to let someone in the boot, anyone sitting on it has to get out anyway, but never mind...who knows how a boffin's mind works?)

However the mileage is OK - 02 reg is March-August 02, so the car is c 3 years old so that's c 10,000 miles a year which is average - and the price is pretty good for that age I think. But not sure how powerful 1.6 is (but YG has a newish one and I think hers is 1.6 and she said it was OK) and it is petrol, not diesel.

HTH (doubt it though!) Did you email Honest John???? He is real and genuine!

For another grand there is this one - higher mileage but it is diesel. OTOH at 60K miles certain things tend to wear out.

I thought I definitely wanted diesel until I saw that one for 1.6 (rising petrol costs is a big concern as were a bit skint and going from a clio to a 7 seater). The insurance is a 6 which is good too isnt it? The 2.0 diesel is a 9 I think.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I will email honest John and ask him! Does he have patience for girls with no car knowledge?

Jazzybee has chosen not to be mailed from mumsnet! Never mind - will ask John.

pecka - I'll drop him an e-mail, perhaps he'll have a look but i know things are a bit mad at work...

Have been doing some research. These are my options with my budget.

W 2000
07/04/2000 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6, 5 door Estate, Silver approx 47368 miles £5,499

51 Plate
21/12/2001 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Green approx 64755 miles £5,995

02 Plate
30/04/2002 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Red approx 50013 miles £5,999

51 Plate
12/10/2001 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Red approx 41862 miles £5,999

02 Plate
29/03/2002 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Grey approx 63678 miles £5,999

02 Plate
18/05/2002 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Blue approx 30458 miles £6,499

Thoughts?

02 Plate
18/05/2002 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Blue approx 30458 miles £6,499

sounds like the best bet. Or:

51 Plate
12/10/2001 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Club, 5 door Estate, Red approx 41862 miles £5,999

they're newer and lower mileage than the others and not a lot more (in fact not at all more for the red one!)

One thing I was thinking though, becca - driving around today with all my back seats disappeared because I had a chest of drawers in last night! - using the 3rd row of seats is pretty awkward. I wonder if you should consider a slightly older full-size MPV. The Toyota Previa (or Lucida or something like Eminem, can't quite remember but they are imported from Japan) has 8 seats mostly, and more space for Stuff, and sliding doors; easier to use in a car park and easier to get into the back, and if you want to fold away one of the back seats you don't have to move the middle row to do it. If you got a diesel one it would be cheapish to run. eg this one (Mileage is a bit suspect mind you!)

Have a look at this lot to give you more of an idea (they are all over the place I'm afraid.)

Has HJ come up with anything yet?

Hi, sorry for not responding earlier, It has been a M A N I C week at work. Anyways.... Zafiras are absolutely great cars, I bought mine new from Belgium almost 5 years ago now, a 125bhp 1.8 Auto Elegance with all the bits on it. Its now on 79,000 miles and my views are:

Good points:
Great ride - very comfortable over long distances (I've driven it to Paris and back in a day, and to Amsterdam and back overnight with no problems).

Plenty of space for my two kids, and any others that join us on our regular outings, and those frequent Airport runs with relatives.

Good Handling - plenty of grip and feel. Confidence inspiring

Build Quality - Not usually a Vauxhall strong point, but I find the car very well built - certainly better than the Mercedes ML it replaced.

I still think it looks good compared to other affordable MPVs.

Bad Points:
Visibility - although there are the small windows in the from 'A' pillars - they are useless in the real world. Always be careful turning right at junctions - look around the pillar to avoid running over pedestrians crossing the road your turning into, and cars cars coming from your left as you turn right onto a road. This is not specific to the Zafira, but all cars with a wide 'A' pillar at very accute angles (most MPVs).

Fuel Consumption - OK, I bought a Petrol Automatic - but I get 26-27mpg around town and not much more than 30 on a (albeit fast) motorway run.

The car has now started to burn oil. About a litre a month (1500 miles a month). I've taken the car to a mechanic and there is no leak, externally or internally and pressure seems fine. It does not affect the car, but it bothers me.

Spare wheel was stolen - It is exposed underneath the car, and very easy to steal. Get a lock!

Dealers - like all dealers, be wary of their recommendations at service time. They will always try to find ways of tripling the amount you expect to spend on a service.

Other reasons for current prices being low:
New model out in the next month or two. Its very nice, and the new diesel engines are miles ahead in terms of refinement, performance and economy over the old 2.0 dti.

As has b bn mentioned already - there are loads about. You can be very picky - and get a good price. Saying that - there is no real need to get a low spec 'Club' or even 'Comfort' model. The 'Elegance' gives you a higher spec for very little extra.

In the Price range discussed here £5-7k there is not much else to touch the Zafira. Serena is a terrible vehicle and should be avoided IMHO. You could get an older VW Sharan/Ford Galaxy/Seat Alhamra or a Renault Espace - these will now feel a lot older in terms of driving dynamics, they are bigger and will be more expensive to run. The same with the Previa. Others you may wish to look at include the usual japanese suspect like the Mitsubishi SpaceWagon, Mazda MPV, and Honda Stream. The Peugot 307SW is also not bad, but quite as practical. Out of all of these, the Zafira is by far the best option. If your spending more then you may want to look at the VW Touran, Renault Grand Scenic and Toyota Corolla Verso - all good cars, more or less on par with the Zafira.

BTW - I will be selling my Zafira this summer for about £5k - so if anyone is interested...

Cheers jazzybee.

jazzybee - thanks for that info its great!

From my list below do you think the 6499 is the best to go for?

Whats the difference between club and elegance?

Club usually has the 1.6 engine which feels quite underpowered, especially when loaded up with 5-7 passangers, pushchairs, changing bags, shopping etc. It does not have roof rails (may not be that important, but spoils the look of the car) as does the lack of body coloured wing mirrors and Alloy wheels. They usually have a light grey upholstery that looks very cheaply made and gets dirty very easily. Look for Clubs that have darker seat upholstery and Air-con (I think it was optional on the club). The elegance also has electric rear windows and sunroof (mine does anyway - I forgot which options I specified).

If you want a 1.6 Club, look at this :

Mine is a 52 Club and it has AC, and ABS brakes; I would have preferred roofrails too but there wasn't a Comfort or Elegance at the time (and they were doing 0% finance that weekend!) It does have body coloured wing mirrors too.

Agree completely about the light grey upholstery but again, no choice (the car is dark blue metallic).

I didn't want a sunroof or electric rear windows so didn't mind the lack of them

Mine is 2.0 DTi btw - much better on fuel than the petrol ones (though not as good as I'd heard) and not burning any oil yet (but has only done about 20,000 miles).

Here you go, becca - 5 year old diesel Elegance - £6K!

Ah - just noticed it's an Opel. They're supposed to be cheaper.

That opel is exactly like mine, same colour etc. Excpet mine is an automatic petrol... The opels look better as well!!

so, would you go for that diesel elegance over the 02 reg club?

This is a great thread guys. We too are looking to change our car and a Zafira seems to fit the bill so grateful for all the info. Only slight problem (and it's not really a problem) is that we'll be the third family in our road to get one (if that's what we go for) in a short time, but they do come highly recommended.
Is anyone doing a 0% finance deal atm for these cars?

Fiat doblo gets no mention except from me

Pecka,

If the club has a darker interior and Air-con then its not a bad deal. Although its newer, both are out of warranty now. I would take a 1.6 and a 2.0dti out for a test drive before you make your mind up.... power delivery preference is very subjective. I think the 2.0 dti would be easier to drive (more flexible/powerful at low engine speeds) but will be noisy. The 1.6 will have to be thrashed to get some speed out of it. If you have no preference, go for the newer 02 Club.

We are just about to buy one!

Have whittled it down to

02 Reg 1.6 club Black, dark grey interior, cd player, 35000 miles £6,999

or

02 Reg 1.6 Club metallic blue, light grey interior, 30000 miles £6,499

Both have air conditioning.

I prefer the black colour, the cd player and the dark upholstery, but have to decide if its worth £500 more.

The 3 year warranty is £370. If we got the cheaper one we could get one and a cd player for the same price as the black. The only difference then would be the black colour and the upholstery.

Both come with 12 months MOT and full service.

HHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Anyone?

Which would you buy?

Is it worth paying £500 for the colour you want