Looking to downsize to an efficent car - any suggestions??

Barack Obama

My dad drives a 97 Mazda 626 2l petrol which he has basically run into the ground. He used it for work for a long time but has since retired. It did pass it's last NCT though!

He surprised me the other day when he said that he was looking to get a 1l Micra and trade the car in for scrappage. He mainly drives around Dublin with the occasional trip to Sligo so I think he'd be comfortable with something slightly bigger.

I imported my own Saab a couple of years ago so I'd be happy to look at this option for him and for the price of a new micra (including scrappage) this opens the option to get a late 2008 car like a Golf, A3, 1 series, etc. Obviously diesel would be better for road tax and efficiency. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

KeelaCom

To be honest when it comes to good car realiability and small running costs you can't beat Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Mazda.
Of these makes IMHO the best secondhand one to go for would be the Honda Civic saloon (I say saloon because it won't have been owned by someone who liked to do dounghnuts on country roads) - I know the honda will be a bit more pricey but they are bullet proof. A mate of mine has had 3 civics over the lad 15 years and the most he's had to spend outside normal tyres and servicing is a new battery..

listermint

Why bigger? The new micra is a wonderful car, it handles perfectly and it is very nippy on the motor.

My gf has one and its a very comfortable drive and perfectly suited to city driving. He made a good first choice I wouldnt push in into golf territory as you are only buying the badge.

Barack Obama

KeelaCom wrote: »

To be honest when it comes to good car realiability and small running costs you can't beat Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Mazda.
Of these makes IMHO the best secondhand one to go for would be the Honda Civic saloon (I say saloon because it won't have been owned by someone who liked to do dounghnuts on country roads) - I know the honda will be a bit more pricey but they are bullet proof. A mate of mine has had 3 civics over the lad 15 years and the most he's had to spend outside normal tyres and servicing is a new battery..

Thanks for that - forgot about the Civic to be honest!

Do you know how good their diesel engines are?

KeelaCom

listermint wrote: »

Why bigger? The new micra is a wonderful car, it handles perfectly and it is very nippy on the motor.

My gf has one and its a very comfortable drive and perfectly suited to city driving. He made a good first choice I wouldnt push in into golf territory as you are only buying the badge.

You're dead right - they are a great car but my only concern was if a person had young kids with buggys etc or played golf or even needed to put on a hitch for a small trailer (maybe for dogs) then at least the civic gave them those options.

Barack Obama

listermint wrote: »

Why bigger? The new micra is a wonderful car, it handles perfectly and it is very nippy on the motor.

My gf has one and its a very comfortable drive and perfectly suited to city driving. He made a good first choice I wouldnt push in into golf territory as you are only buying the badge.

Because of the odd long distance drive to Sligo - I just figure that a compact won't be that comfortable.

KeelaCom

Barack Obama wrote: »

Thanks for that - forgot about the Civic to be honest!

Do you know how good their diesel engines are?

I don't know anything about the diesels I'm afraid.

If you check out the following site's reviews on all makes and models - you'll be as informed as anyone on particular models - I've always found this site excellent www.honestjohn.co.uk

Barack Obama

KeelaCom wrote: »

I don't know anything about the diesels I'm afraid.

If you check out the following site's reviews on all makes and models - you'll be as informed as anyone on particular models - I've always found this site excellent www.honestjohn.co.uk

Was reading through their website. No Civic diesels!

listermint

Barack Obama wrote: »

Because of the odd long distance drive to Sligo - I just figure that a compact won't be that comfortable.

My GF is from Navan and travels to dublin on a weekly basis, the odd trip to sligo is fine. Wouldnt really justify buying a big car. Micra beats them hands down specifically in terms of handling and parking and local runs etc.

I personally wouldnt put a tow hitch on a civic, I dont believe any car sub 1.8 should be towing anything, and i presume your old man isnt having fresh prams in his boot space at this stage.

Also modern diesels are not built for city driving and short runs. They need a good 'burn drive' to free up the cats on them. Short city runs can really cos havoc with them.

KeelaCom

Barack Obama wrote: »

Was reading through their website. No Civic diesels!

The diesel did come out in 2007 - the 2.2l that's in the Accord.

KeelaCom

listermint wrote: »

My GF is from Navan and travels to dublin on a weekly basis, the odd trip to sligo is fine. Wouldnt really justify buying a big car. Micra beats them hands down specifically in terms of handling and parking and local runs etc.

I personally wouldnt put a tow hitch on a civic, I dont believe any car sub 1.8 should be towing anything, and i presume your old man isnt having fresh prams in his boot space at this stage.

Also modern diesels are not built for city driving and short runs. They need a good 'burn drive' to free up the cats on them. Short city runs can really cos havoc with them.

I agree you wouldn't put a large trailer with 1/2 ton of sand on it for a 1.4 car but many people who have dogs buy the light little trailers to bring them out for a run or a light trailer to carry gardening equip/lawn-mower instead of destroying the car. Also fathers become grandfathers!!

Have to go. best of luck..

Barack Obama

KeelaCom wrote: »

I agree you wouldn't put a large trailer with 1/2 ton of sand on it for a 1.4 car but many people who have dogs buy the light little trailers to bring them out for a run or a light trailer to carry gardening equip/lawn-mower instead of destroying the car. Also fathers become grandfathers!!

Have to go. best of luck..

No need for a trailer but that is a very good point!!

Zubeneschamali

listermint wrote: »

Wouldnt really justify buying a big car. Micra beats them hands down specifically in terms of handling and parking and local runs etc.

There's a Micra with handling now? When did that happen?

Barack Obama

Thanks for the info guys -keep the suggestions\knock-downs coming!

PaulKK

KeelaCom wrote: »

IMHO the best secondhand one to go for would be the Honda Civic saloon (I say saloon because it won't have been owned by someone who liked to do dounghnuts on country roads)

Someone who likes to do doughnuts on country roads definitely will not have a FWD civic

Leonard Hofstadter

listermint wrote: »

Why bigger? The new micra is a wonderful car, it handles perfectly and it is very nippy on the motor.

My gf has one and its a very comfortable drive and perfectly suited to city driving. He made a good first choice I wouldnt push in into golf territory as you are only buying the badge.

LMAO - have you even seen the latest Micra?

May I be so bold as to provide a link to the OP from an impartial tester as to why the latest Micra quite frankly sucks? (and the car they tested is a top of the range model with a decent model rather than the usual poverty spec crap that most Irish people buy)

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsHistory/Nissan-Micra-1.2-Tekna/254966/

Sorry if this may sound harsh but I honestly cannot see anything even remotely good about the Micra. Even the things it does well, its competitors do them equally well.

OP the Micra hasn't been sold with a 1.0 petrol engine in donkeys years (even in backward Ireland), but it doesn't matter either way since everything these days is taxed on CO2.

I also disagree with the notion that smaller cars are perfectly capable of long journeys - larger machines (even Focus or Octavia size - the latest versions are nearly as big as the 626 was anyway) are more stable on motorways and generally have better seats, a more capable engine with higher gearing, which means greater fuel efficiency and a more relaxing driving experience.