Car for the missus...

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philhusbands

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Hi Everyone. I'd like to call on the forums collective automotive knowledge outside of the A2!

I want to by a new car for my Wife. She's currently pootling around in a Fiat Seicento Sporting. It's a 2000 W reg with low mileage. It runs just fine and is fun to drive, but since our Daughter arrived 7 months ago I've become more concerned with the cars safety record - the lowest in its class on Euro NCAP. Parts are also expensive, and as the car begins to age I'd like to get something that doesnt take such silly tires and Fiats infamous parts prices.

The size of the car is, surprisingly for the Seicento, just fine. So I think I'd like to stick to the small hatchbacks. I was looking at either a used VW Lupo or a used Seat Arosa, which of course are the same car.
However having said that, I've begun to think "are there any used bargains to be had outside of the 'small hatchback' market?". Point of reference - A chap who works for me picked up a 1993 Volvo 850 Estate 2.5 20v for £1700!! OK, its got 80k on the clock but its minted and would easily see another 80k I would think.

Would I be a mug to pay £4000 for a used Lupo or Arosa when the same money would get me something much more substantial and (can I believe I'm about to say this?!) my wife could have the A2?

I'd be really interested in your opinions!

Cheers.

Phil. TDi Sport, silver, with Climate and OpenSky.
 
I also have a Volvo V70, I mentioned to my repairer, a Volvo specialist, that they seemed very cheap second hand. He told me he had just bought a "good 'un" for 700 quid, an 850 but nearly the same. There's years of good motoring in that.
 
I'd definitely get something that your new daughter's bits and bobs will fit into. No point getting a car that won't get the buggy and all the baby things into is there? The Arose and Lupo have tiny tiny boots barely big enough for 2 week's shopping. So I'd steer clear of them even though they are good buys in essence. I guess all the bits and bobs will fit into the A2 if she was to get that?

Get the AutoExpress Driver Power survey results from the last few years to see which cars and dealers are the best out there. They don't seem to have the results online (only this from 2004: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/45197/driver_power_2004_results.html) But get some back issues.

Then you'll find that something like a Skoda Fabia is the best your money could buy. It was voted tops (or top 5 at least) by them and drivers for many a year now. The last few years the Honda Jazz won outright but I don't think you will find any for £4000. Though if ever there was a reliable "compacious" (in Micra-Speak) car out there this is it.

A big Volvo is nice yes, but also expensive to fix and run. Get something newer. But the biggest you can get. In the long run an A2 and another smaller car will cost you a LOT less per mile than an A2 and a bigger older "substantial" car with lots of maintenance, insurance and fuel to consider...

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[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.a2oc.net/pic_show.asp?picid=1572&type=1 On www.A2OC.net pictures UK160 to UK183
 
If your wife is happy driving something a little bigger then they are definitely safer, and probably a better bet if there are plans for more additions.

These days a larger car does not cost a lot more because there is demand for cars that are cheap to insure from the younger buyers. as an example we bought a 18month old Corsa for 5k last year (£1k to insure for an 18 year old) but at the same time the lease company wanted less than that for my 4 year old 1.8T Passat.

I would look at year old Focuses at the car supermarkets - reliable, handle well, decent amount of room, decent crumple zones, many have aircon and heated windscreen, and with a new model out they have already take the big depreciation hit.

Also look at the Euro NCAP web-site before you buy - some very alarming pictures, especially for those that think Freelanders are safe!

My father and brother both run volvo's (S80 and V70 respectively with several before them but only one beyond 80k) and neither have had any significant problems. At 80k it may be coming up for some big repair bills - catalyst, bushes etc which is why the price falls. They do live a long time and do high milages but they also age like anything else and need maintaining).

1.4 Petrol Special Edition, Ebony Black, grey leather, heated seats, climate, opensky, five spoke alloys for SWMBO (Replaced a 2002 1.4 Petrol SE) Honda Accord Tourer 2.2 iCDTi for me.
 
Big cars generate big bills. My wifes last car was a Volvo S40 2.0T. It was just 2 years old but I managed to get it for £5900 through a trade contact when dealer forecourt was around £8000. Ran for nearly 2 years and 19000 miles. Depreciation was £1900 and servicing tyres and repairs were £1200 (2 services 1 out of waranty fault and 2 tyres)
Insurance for 2 years was £1600 due to engine size and car size. Tax £320, Fuel £2500 Total was approx £7500.

PX for Honda Jazz iDSi SE 2 years ago, now done 20000 miles, paid £9750 brand new, I think value now is £7000 trade so £2750 depreciation £250 servicing £150 tax, insurance £450, fuel £1500.
Total cost approx £5000.

I was thinking the bargain price of the Volvo would offset the high running cost but we have been able to run a brand new car for considerably less. In fact even if I had bought the Volvo for nothing and scraped it at end of ownership it would have still cost more to run.
 
Well there you go... From solid experience the post above also reiterates what I said earlier. Those AA guys have a long list of what a car costs per mile to run. It is just a fact of life that a bigger car costs more per mile to do the same job as a smaller one.

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 4150 with TomTom+CoPilot bluetooth, rear cupholders, luggage net, fire extinguisher and floppy wiper!

http://www.a2oc.net/pic_show.asp?picid=1572&type=1 On www.A2OC.net pictures UK160 to UK183
 
a?

andy

1.4TDI SE, DIS ,Leather ,CD ,ipod ,Climate ,Road Angel ,Tom Tom Go.
 
[37]
Toyroegeot
TOYota Aygo, CitROEn C1, Peu
GEOT107
Built in Czecho to Japo standards with a Toyota designed 900 triple using Citroen sourced cheap bits.

A cracking car and very cheap starting at 6.5
The dragon will be having one.
[8D][24]

Your mind is best kept like a parachute.
A2 1.4 SE TDI replaced with a subtle, refined, pre schnoz design A3 2.0TDI DSG, the transmission of the future - today.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone, and apologies for the belated response! Been off-line for a while...

An interesting debate. Since first posting this topic, I've committed to buy a new house closer to everywhere me and my family need to be. A drastic measure to my car choice problem you may think? Not at all. We already had the house on the market.

So... My Wife now has first dibs on the A2 for transporting herself and our daughter in comfort and safety. I've decided that the very small distances that I need to travel to the gym and to work do not warrant the expense of replacing the Fiat Seicento Sporting - 'the corned beef tin'.

It's a fun thing. I'll spend a bit of cash on it though I think. First on the mod list will be new wheels. The standard Seicento Sporting alloys take a daft tyre size. I cant recall what it is, but they are shared only with the Metro gta apparently and cost about £60-£70 a piece! Ridiculous!
I'll get my friendly local (following the house move!) auto-engineer to tinker with the tiny 1000cc engine a bit to free it up a little too. The handling on the Seicento is hilarious, power steering on a car that is about 30 inches long is, well, fun! It definitely has some 'original Mini' qualities to it. Perhaps I'll get the suspension stiffened up a bit too...?

So anyway, thanks for the advice! I'm off to fit a large key to the roof to wind the sunroof back with...! ;)

Phil. TDi Sport, silver, with Climate and OpenSky.
 
Enjoy mister... Just don't crash the tincan. They don't rate very high when they meet other solid objects!

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack

iPAQ 4150 with TomTom+CoPilot bluetooth, rear cupholders, luggage net, fire extinguisher and floppy wiper

http://www.a2oc.net/pic_show.asp?picid=1572&type=1 On www.A2OC.net pictures UK160 to UK183
 
Hi Johann,

Yes, Euro ncap on the corned beef tin is appaulling, hence the missus and the kiddiwink taking the Audi. I'm waiting for a suit of armour to come onto ebay...

Phil. TDi Sport, silver, with Climate and OpenSky.
 
OK, Final solution found. The corned beef tin must have had a lasting effect on me as I seem to have developed a complete disregard for safety now...
My goal is to find the most economical way to transport just me+bag from home to the gym, work and home again, ideally whilst having a bit of fun at the same time. So, next week I collect one of these;
Gilera-DNA-125.jpg

Cant get cheaper and more fun than that I reckon! However, not 2 months ago I was in a luxurious air-conditioned Audi. Now my Wife and daughter have half-inched that and I'm on two wheels, all ready for the winter! I think I may have under-estimated my Wife's skills of persuasion...

Still, one of the main reasons I went for the A2 was its safety & comfort for the Mrs and the little one. And the bike is great fun!

Phil. TDi Sport, silver, with Climate and OpenSky.
 
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