car for mum. renault?

cantdecide

hello all

my dear mum is driving a fiat at the minute. she's looking for a new car but doesn't know what.

as she has a very bad back, as a result of an accident, i think she could definitely benefit from an MPV or small SUV so that she wouldn't have to stoop down to get in. automatic would be at least a real benefit, if not essential.

i have two cars in mind at the moment. Honda HRV or maybe a Renault Scenic. i think there's a question mark over Renault's reliability at the moment though.

re-sale isn't the biggest problem as the folks are pretty flush but i know they'll gawk if it goes near 2l as it's just a runaround. diesel is not essenial as mileage is pretty low and there's a definite limit in the size she's comfortable driving. Papa often likes to give his 3l a break so nothing too girly.

any ideas

cantdecide

ah go on. i find it hard to believe no one has an opinion here:D

blastman

My mum was in an identical scenario, driving a Seicento when the timing belt went. She has a bad back too, but was adamant she didn't want an automatic, and wanted to spend 4.5-5K on a replacement.

She ended up with an imported 99 Micra. Grand car, suits her perfectly and you can get automatics easily on the import models. It's tall and high so it's easier on her back, too.

eljono

Have you considered the Nissan Quashqai?

cantdecide

their budget is 15k to 20k (absolute tops). the likes of the quashqai would be ideal except for the budget constraints. rav4 is still prety costly but i suppose toyotas always will be

ROVER

I can vouch for the Honda HRV as my wife drives one. Solid Reliability nippy 1.6 engine. I would say you could buy from 2003-2005 on a budget of
15-20k

ninty9er

ROVER wrote:

I can vouch for the Honda HRV as my wife drives one. Solid Reliability nippy 1.6 engine. I would say you could buy from 2003-2005 on a budget of
15-20k

The HRV is probably grand for reliability, but the neighbour bought one about 4 years ago brand new and had to take a 3k depreciation hit 3 weeks because his wife had a bad back from a car accident and wasn't able to stick it any longer. they got a Laguna, and wished they never sold their V40. She's got an E-Class now which seems to be quite comfortable.

for your budget though maybe a Camry 02-03

Marcus.Aurelius

ninty9er wrote:

The HRV is probably grand for reliability, but the neighbour bought one about 4 years ago brand new and had to take a 3k depreciation hit 3 weeks because his wife had a bad back from a car accident and wasn't able to stick it any longer. they got a Laguna, and wished they never sold their V40. She's got an E-Class now which seems to be quite comfortable.

for your budget though maybe a Camry 02-03

Camrys are lovely lookin cars, but the 2.4 is crap, should have been made a 2.0 V6 or a 2.5 V6, VVTi eats oil. I know she only wants a runaround, but if she wants decent comfort and good poke, go for the 3.0 V6 auto, really quick and not too shabby on economy, around 25-30 mpg. If its only for low mileage, why bother getting a small car??

If your mother would like an Avensis, the newer type, you may get a D4D (Diesel, exellent engine & reliable) for her. Mazda 6 2.0TD is a screamingly good engine if you get the higher end 134 bhp.

If she prefers the smaller car, might I recommend a Toyota Corolla D4D, nice cars and there are a good few about.

Stay well clear of the euro makes, incl VW and others, a few threads lately point to poor second hand value for money and lots of garage repairs. Stay Jap if you can manage it.

cantdecide

you'd see my mouth water if i thought i could get her to drive a camry but i know she will refuse to because of it's size. believe me, i've tried. the ould fella will freak if he has to pay adult sized road tax ggrrrrrr.

ninty9er

Maybe an Audi A2, fairly high, good driving position, solid car and baby tax. even in 1.4 TDi. Might have to go over the water to get a decent one though but reswale would be no bother

old boy

diathsu terios, they are badged toyota at home, low tax, high seat, auto.

colm_mcm

I have a nice low milage 06 HR-V Si, if youre interested

eljono

Ok, this suggestion might get some flack but how about a '04+ Peugeot 307? I did over 10,000mls in one and I really liked it. It had the 16v 1.4 engine (2004+) and was a very enjoyable car to drive. It has space, comfort, spec and nice handling. It's not going to set your pants on fire but I enjoyed my time with it. It has a very wide door aperture and the seat and wheel are adjustable so you can get the right driving position. Loads of headroom too.

Edit: You can get an auto with the 1.6 engine. Smooth enough to drive and I think they are all XT spec which is like the comfort version.

ninty9er

old boy wrote:

diathsu terios, they are badged toyota at home, low tax, high seat, auto.

You could do a lot worse, resale will be slightly difficlut and I'd have safety concerns, but I'd say it's a damn site better than the Fiat

BrianD3

How about a Renault Modus? 1.2 engine, supermini size but a bit higher than average, 5 star NCAP rating etc.

junkyard

cantdecide wrote:

i have two cars in mind at the moment. Honda HRV or maybe a Renault Scenic. i think there's a question mark over Renault's reliability at the moment though.

Go with the Honda or any Japanese car but don't buy the Renault. The only good thing about the Renault are the seats and you'll need them when your waiting for the AA to tow it.:) Seriously though, the Honda's very hard to beat and you should consider an automatic too, they're way easier to drive for people with disabilities or as they just get older.

unkel

ROVER wrote:

I can vouch for the Honda HRV as my wife drives one. Solid Reliability nippy 1.6 engine. I would say you could buy from 2003-2005 on a budget of
15-20k

I'd go HR-V. Ticks all the boxes for the learner drivers. It's auto and 1.6l

Wossack

panda?

cantdecide

modus and panda are a little on the wee side for papa. a neighbour has a 307 and there's a 'feck the jonses' attitude round my way, there's no way! thanks for the suggestions.

ninty9er

If it's feck the Jones', you could go all "environmentally friendly" It's got Sat Nav too

junkyard

What about a Smart car? they're nippy enough and a good height to get in and out of and automatic too.

Guy:Incognito

The idea would probably be good if the panda is too small.