Recommend me a family car please

Efioanaes

Hi folks, currently im driving an 06 VW Passat 2.0 TDI, very high spec heated seats, cruise control etc.
Lovely car to drive but ive had nothing but trouble with it and im seriously thinking of a change.
This year alone its cost me close to 2k :mad: ad in a set of tyres and a years tax and its over 3 k :mad:

Basically im looking for recommendations for a family car, 2 adults 2 kids.
Im not doing much mileage so i dont need a diesel although ill miss the performance.
Im thinking something in or around a 1.6 petrol.
I used to have great faith in Toyota but i heard they had a lot of callbacks recently and the new generation are not as reliable as the old corolla and avensis etc?
Was also thinking of a Skoda but they are a VW and seriously i doubt i could touch another car from that stable.
Focus or Astra also maybe worth considering?
Not sure about the French cars.

Basically i just want something reliable.

biko

What years are you thinking?
Budget?

Check out www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ and www.carsurvey.org
They have good reviews.

Efioanaes

biko wrote: »

What years are you thinking?
Budget?

Check out www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ and www.carsurvey.org
They have good reviews.

Thanks for the links, im not looking at spending too much tbh fcuking car cost me enough this year

Atlantic Dawn

How much is too much?

bazz26

Mazda 6 petrols are very reliable:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201033199231904

bladespin

Mondeo, lots of room, reliable and cheap to fix if anything did go wrong.

Efioanaes

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How much is too much?

Well i wouldnt like to spend more than 3k with my own.
My own has only 53k miles on the clock and as i say shes very well specced not sure what the going value is though.

Bazz26 i had a mazda 323f before and loved it, was literally bomb proof.
Blasespin i do like the new Mondeo, food for though guys thanks.

BostonB

Mazda or Honda?

bazz26

Also take a look at the Honda Civic IMA Hybrid saloon.

GERMAN ROCKS

peugeot 407 or citroen c5 hdi diesel of course

EPM

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

peugeot 407 or citroen c5 hdi diesel of course

Why? Seriously, your contributions are always one liners on 407s and C5s and I am curious as to why. 407s are tiny in the rear for a family in fairness

galwaytt

EPM wrote: »

....... 407s are tiny in the rear for a family in fairness

oh puhleez........as someone who has 2 kids, and drives a 2+2, and previously a cinquecento, I find that statement more than a bit sweeping.....

Plug

The Mondeo's are good and they are available in a 1.6 petrol 115HP. The diesels give trouble in the dual mass flywheel area but other than that they are great.
Go for a titanium X spec, the interior is stunning, a lot better than the passat imo.

Efioanaes

I think ive narrowed things down to a Focus,Astra,Leon,Mazda3,toyota auris.
Something 1.4-1.6 as we are not doing the miles like before.
Ill miss the bigger car but theres really no need for it,i plan on going to check out a few cars over the weekend.
Thanks all for input.

PaddyFagan

You do know the Leon is as much a VW as the Skoda.

Paddy

PS What about the kia Ce'ed - 7 year warentee, so even if you picked up an 08-09 car you'd have 5/6 years of warentee?
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201024198450933

positron

Honda Civic IMA hybrid saloons are good suggestion if you want to save on tax - they are taxed as 1.3L, but with the motor, they claim the combined effective engine size of 1.6l.

Efioanaes

PaddyFagan wrote: »

You do know the Leon is as much a VW as the Skoda.

Paddy

PS What about the kia Ce'ed - 7 year warentee, so even if you picked up an 08-09 car you'd have 5/6 years of warentee?
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201024198450933

Yep im aware of that fact but according to a few online review sites they dont give as much trouble as vw, no guarantee to be true however.

Tea 1000

What went wrong with your current car? Why not keep it if you've spent so much putting it right?

Efioanaes

Tea 1000 wrote: »

What went wrong with your current car? Why not keep it if you've spent so much putting it right?

Trust me i ask myself that everyday.
I love the car while driving it, so comfy,great performance lots of extras etc

This year ive had to replace an injector , cost me 980 euros in total, passenger side airbag went soon after 350 euro, last week i paid 330 euro to get a new motor for parking brake.
All within 6 months.
I ask myself is this just an unlucky run, then i remember there are 3 more injectors that can potentially cost 980 each then there is another motor for parking brake [one for each rear wheel], will another airbag go?

So many questions and potentially a lot more to pay out, reading on honestjohn.co.uk im getting the same issues as many report with the passat, i just ask myself when will this all stop?
Possibly not until i change.

Efioanaes

Regarding that Kia , its a decent deal tbh, i wonder just how good the 7 year warranty is and what it covers.
Ive never driven or even been in a Kia, just how good are they?

Tea 1000

Efioanaes wrote: »

Trust me i ask myself that everyday.
I love the car while driving it, so comfy,great performance lots of extras etc

This year ive had to replace an injector , cost me 980 euros in total, passenger side airbag went soon after 350 euro, last week i paid 330 euro to get a new motor for parking brake.
All within 6 months.
I ask myself is this just an unlucky run, then i remember there are 3 more injectors that can potentially cost 980 each then there is another motor for parking brake [one for each rear wheel], will another airbag go?

So many questions and potentially a lot more to pay out, reading on honestjohn.co.uk im getting the same issues as many report with the passat, i just ask myself when will this all stop?
Possibly not until i change.

Well, 3 more injectors and one more motor is the same cost as what you're about to spend on a car you won't like nearly as much. Any diesel can give injector problems. What about trading it for a petrol Passat?

EPM

Efioanaes wrote: »

Regarding that Kia , its a decent deal tbh, i wonder just how good the 7 year warranty is and what it covers.
Ive never driven or even been in a Kia, just how good are they?

My sister has a 1.4 Ceed petrol. It's a grand car, just not very exciting. Proceed looks better. Her boyfriend has a diesel Proceed and it's a very good engine.

There are a lot of terms and conditions to that warranty, should be on their website. It's not all that fantastic after reading them...

BostonB

Watch out for expensive servicing on these long warranties.

gent9662

I got a Peugeot 3008, very good car and low tax €156 a year. Looks the business and a great drive. It's also practical and very easy to get kids in and out of.