advice on which new car to buy

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post-it

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Hi All,

This is my first post so apologies if its in the wrong forum. I have searched previous threads, but cant find quite what I'm looking for.

I have always driven cars that are 5/6 years old but now I find that I am in the lucky position of being able to afford to buy a new car for myself!! The only problem is I can’t decide on which car to buy!!

I travel approx 30 miles to work each day so would be looking for something that’s economical to run, as well as having lots of space (I have 3 kids so need to accommodate buggies / sports equipment etc...). On top of all that I would like something that has all the mod cons (e.g. bluetooth through the radio) as well as something that looks good.

Budget is approx 22K + trade in of about 4K ... I was thinking of buying a Nissan Qashqai but was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions that might fit the bill.

(p.s. - I had thought of paying the lump sum off my mortgage, but my mortgage isn't that big and I can afford the repayments so thought I would treat myself to new car instead. I don’t have any other debts)

Thanks for your advice
 
If you're buying new my advice would be to head North or over to England. The prices there are much cheaper than here. If you do this though you will probably have to sell your own car here. My own personal choice would be a Ford Mondeo or S-Max, and the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso gets good reviews too. However have a read of www.honestjohn.co.uk and draw up a shortlist, then have some fun with test drives before you make your mind up.
 
would be out of the budget?

or this

or do you want brand spanking new?

VW are doing some deals on their stock currently : [broken link removed]
 
 
Hi, Depreciation on a new car is high , meaning you will lose thousands in the first year alone. Also ,you will worry about the first scratch and how soon it will happen.

You will save thousands by buying a year old car and the only difference between the new car and a one year old will be the number plate. Likewise you wont worry so much about the first scratch.

The Ford Focus/Mondeo have very large boots,so have a look at those as well as other makes
 
I would recommend a Honda Accord. It was given No. 1 car for reliability recently and can be bought in the UK second hand for circa. €22k for a '08.
I have one myself and for the last 4 years it has never given me a moments trouble.
 
Commercial said:
I would recommend a Honda Accord. It was given No. 1 car for reliability recently and can be bought in the UK second hand for circa. €22k for a '08.
I have one myself and for the last 4 years it has never given me a moments trouble.
Click to expand...

mathepac said:
Any links to the survey?
Click to expand...
i seen that review in one of the papers during the week. something along the lines of "the japs are overtaking the germans in reliability and motoring engineering" but in a more PC way of wording it.
 
Hi all,
Thanks for the replies ... definately some food for thought there. I never thought there would be stress involved in owning a brand new car - I would really dread the thoughts of the first scratch!!!
I was talking to my local Nissan garage who are expecting some ex-rental cars due back soon... there would be 10-15 thousand kilometers on the clock and a few grand off the price .... any advice on buying ex-rental cars?
thanks
 
mathepac said:
Any links to the survey?
Click to expand...

The poster was probably thinking of [broken link removed]

The Acccord was ranked 1st out of 100 cars there for a long time although having just checked, the site seems to have been rejigged a bit and I can't find the list.
 
post-it if you intend holding on to the car for a long time then don't be put off buying new - the way dealers are offering discounts on new right now it's still well worth considering. As for ex-rentals, as mathepac said, don't! Have a look at for new cars at discount prices (from the uk). Bear in mind that VRT will apply on top of the prices here (see http://www.vrt.ie/ for an estimate of the VRT costs).
 
kceire said:
i seen that review in one of the papers during the week. something along the lines of "the japs are overtaking the germans in reliability and motoring engineering" but in a more PC way of wording it.
Click to expand...

The Japanese have been doing that for years according to Reliability Index and JD Power surveys.
Leo
 
To properly accomodate 3 kids, I would advise an MPV style or mid-sized "people mover" like the Ford S-Max, Opel Zafira, Toyota Corolla/Avensis Verso, Citroen C4 Picasso etc. Since you will most likely not need the 2 rear-most seats, you can use this space for luggage & gear but when you have to do the soccer-run, you can pop them up to accomodate 2 extra kids. Higher seating position will minimize back-strain when helping kids in and out of car-seats. You also get higher roof-line which reduces the risk of banging your head. Ford S-Max will hold it's value better due to very strong demand in the used market and is a joy to drive. Citroen is comfortable but a little under-powered with it's 1.6 engine. Toyota will cost you up front, but will last forever and never give you trouble. Not sure if I would really recommend the Opel. Good Luck.
 
If I was you I'd be looking for a 1-2 year old car and for god sake don't buy a Nissan. They are boring and are owned by a French company. A friend traded in his Qashqai after 8 months; he said it was rubbish.
 
I'm with purple, don't buy a datsun..
How about a Mitsubishi Outlander. 07-08 for around the money. High spec and green too..
 
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