Best real world car for the average Joe

MuppetCheck

I have seen everything from a Nissan Leaf to an Audi RS6 suggested recently for someone looking for a car to meet what I would call real world needs.

Supposing you commute 60km a day on main roads, do another 20 in the city a day and a 400km trip every 2 months (I'm just trying to get an average use here), have 20K ish to spend, want air con, bluetooth, "up in the years", reasonably economical, looks respectable (average wants in a car I would assume), from a dealer with a warranty and won't crucify you on motor tax - which is the best option.

I know there are many other variables but I suppose I'm asking what is the best all round car to suit the needs of the majority of Irish motorists?

I'm thinking a Mondeo diesel, octavia diesel or something like that. Just curious as to peoples opinions.

Padraig Mor

I honestly reckon the best 'All things considered' car for most people is the BMW 520d. Which is why you see so many on the road. Power, luxury, efficiency, desirability. All in one package.

OldmanMondeo

Your daily driving sound similar to mine, I have the Mondeo Diesel 1.8.Full tank more than does the week. I would do a 80 mile round trip 5 days a week and the few miles the weekend. I was doing the same in the older 2.0 diesel unit, getting around the same milage. Plenty of room in the car, the only thing I would change is to replace it with a hatch back rather than the saloon I have.

Should you decide on the Mondeo minimum spec. to get is Zetec.

Saab Ed

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I honestly reckon the best 'All things considered' car for most people is the BMW 520d. Which is why you see so many on the road. Power, luxury, efficiency, desirability. All in one package.

Nearly with you but I'd go with a 320d Touring myself.

mfceiling

I reckon the answer to every question in the motors thread should be Octavia...

My car won't start - Octavia

Need a 4 wheel drive jeep - Octavia

Caught drink driving - Octavia

and so on, and so on.......

MuppetCheck

mfceiling wrote: »

I reckon the answer to every question in the motors thread should be Octavia...

My car won't start - Octavia

Need a 4 wheel drive jeep - Octavia

Caught drink driving - Octavia

and so on, and so on.......

Feel free to give your own realistic opinion if you like, hence the reason for this thread - to get away from the usual stereotype I suppose. I personally can seen the attraction to them for a lot of people.

Doing under 24k kms with the majority of them not pootling about I wouldn't necessarily go diesel tbh..........

I'd be patient and wait for one of these to come along at a dealers...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Accord/2.0-I-VT/201234209706184/advert?channel=CARS



€570/annum to tax I think, dunno if that's considered crucifixion these days, I'd throw the €5000 left over here for 4 years ....

http://www.anpost.ie/anpost/maincontent/personal+customers/money+matters/national+solidarity+bond/


Or I'd consider one of these...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen/Passat/CL-1.4-T/5813312123844410/advert?channel=CARS




If I really wanted a diesel I'd get one of these...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Subaru/Legacy/2.0-TD/30813518577816330/advert?channel=CARS




I wouldn't consider the BMWs as for €20k you'd be worried about the timing chain issue and I really like the Legacy :pac: (not overly keen on that particular one admittedly)

mfceiling

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Feel free to give your own realistic opinion if you like, hence the reason for this thread - to get away from the usual stereotype I suppose. I personally can seen the attraction to them for a lot of people.

Sorry a bit of humour went amiss!!

Ford focus or a golf?

Focus is the follow on from the escort which was a popular motor.

Golf is timeless - everyone has had one at a stage or been in one.

Saab Ed

Accord would be a close second I'd have to say.

DeFinch89

Its actually a very tricky question!
There is just so much choice out there it be nearly hopeless to pin down just one good all-rounder car

MuppetCheck

DeFinch89 wrote: »

Its actually a very tricky question!
There is just so much choice out there it be nearly hopeless to pin down just one good all-rounder car

That was my thinking exactly. Was aiming for a general feel. I say a 12TN corolla earlier and thought there has to be a better option.

I reckon it's essential to consider that anything a random pack of gnomes at work or down the local would reckon was a good buy would be a non runner immediately :pac:

I have to listen to alot of the Insignia is the best car ever lately

MuppetCheck

RoverJames wrote: »

I reckon it's essential to consider that anything a random pack of gnomes at work or down the local would reckon was a good buy would be a non runner immediately :pac:

I have to listen to alot of the Insignia is the best car ever lately

I found them a rattly heap tbh...I'd also prefer the older legacy. It's like a backward step but it ticks a lot of boxes.

Yes, I really like the looks of the 2009/2010 Legacy as opposed to the newer one I linked to. I found the Insignia to be not too bad for what they are but very bargey to drive, only drove one for a long weekend but didn't enjoy having it.

brembo26

Have to agree on the 320d, tis a cracker of a general car in fairness.

TRS30

RoverJames wrote: »

Doing under 24k kms with the majority of them not pootling about I wouldn't necessarily go diesel tbh..........



€570/annum to tax I think, dunno if that's considered crucifixion these days, I'd throw the €5000 left over here for 4 years ....

Tax on that Accord is €750 a year.

DeFinch89

MuppetCheck wrote: »

I say a [/12TNB] corolla earlier

12TN?? are you going by reg plate? ha
I think ya mean the '06 to present generation corolla (chassis code: E140)?

I personally wouldnt go near a golf or ever wish to own one.

TRS30

TRS30 wrote: »

Tax on that Accord is €750 a year.

Oops, thought they were under the 170 for some reason

TRS30

RoverJames wrote: »

Oops, thought they were under the 170 for some reason

172; which is a killer as 3 less and would be nearly 200 quid less to tax.

Wendolene

Hey OP,

[Disclaimer : I do not work for Skoda, or any organisation in any way connected to Skoda. My opinions are truly my own, based on solely personal experience of c. 100k of driving in 4 years.]

Many may mock the humble Octavia, but I tend to regard them as being like Alex Ferguson : if you're not a serious contender to ManU, then he doesn't bother with the mind games

Anyway, back to cars : my Octavia has never ( and I mean never ) let me down in 4 years of ownership ... and I can't say that about any other car I've driven for any appreciable length of time.

For instance, during the harsh winter of 2010, I wasn't flailing around on the snow and ice like a few of my rear-wheel-drive neighbours

FWIW, it's the 1.9 TDI 105 bhp Elegance ... which means it has climate-control, bluetooth, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear parking sensors, cruise control, MP3 connector, multi-function controls on the steering wheel, does c. 55mpg on an open run ... and was all mine for €23k at the time.

Now, the badge boys will take umbrage at anyone who's in any way tardy at kneeling before the alter of <Insert_Shiny_Badge_Here> and giving the worship that they feel is so duly deserved. So, what you get is a recital of their own sense of reflected self-worth, rather than realistic treatise of the criteria you set out.

Of course, when you dispel the chatter and chaff, you're trying to understand what a particular car is like to live with over time. To that end, you might take a look at the 2012 JD Power UK Vehicle Ownership Survey ( http://autos.jdpower.com/content/press-release/4adBkt4/2012-uk-vehicle-ownership-satisfaction-study.htm ), where both the Octavia and the Superb do rather well for themselves in their respective categories.

So, despite my verbosity, that's my €0.02. HTH

Littlehorny

Most models ever sold, bland and boring as fook but when your talking average joe or person who knows very little about cars its the Toyota Corrolla. Maybe a Kia or something will take this mantle in the next 20 or 30 years.

tu2j2

Give me the 20k and I'd spend half of it on a Range Rover and the rest on tax and fixing it when it breaks.

If your going to do boring as hell driving in a car then you at least want something comfortable with a few toys.

squod

It's still the Focus OP. Certainly the best car in it's segment. Cheap to buy & maintain and they're generally reliable. Way ahead of most cars in the ride and handling stakes.

Even the standard yokes have heated windscreens, in this weather it's invaluable.

TheBazman

Any interest in a Mk 7 Golf? - you'd probably need to throw a few grand with your budget or wait a few months. You'd have a brand new car, solidly built, the spec you require ( I think), v low tax.

Bpmull

Completely agree with wendolene our 2 octavia's never let us down. At the end of the day they are a standard car. But they tick all the boxes cheap to buy cheap to run 55mpg, comfortable. They are no 520d but the newer ones in elegance spec are not as basic as everyone thinks our newer one has everything you could want all electrics parking sensor full integrated European sat nav. They are 22k new and I can't see any new car on the market which can compete on price. That's my opinion from actually experiencing the octavia and living with it on a day to day basis.

solas111

I had been considering the same question recently and my conclusion was the Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel Deluxe.

Along with the things you have mentioned there were many other considerations, among them reliability and ease of servicing etc. so I narrowed it down to a few makers. I had not initially intended to spend as much but with a combination of various factors such as savings on fuel and road tax etc. spread over a number of years and Hyundai offers, buying the i30 1.6 diesel Deluxe made as much sense as the other cheaper models I had considered.

Apart from a high spec car, the Hyundai Service plan and 5 Year Triple Care plan are pretty attractive and consist of the following:

Hyundai Complete Care Service Plan
• Free 3 Years Servicing (Limit on 3 year plan is 3 years or 60,000kms, whichever is first)
• Extra Two Years Servicing for €200 (Limit on 5 year plan is 5 years or 100,000kms whichever is first)

5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty
• Unlimited Mileage
• Covered throughout the EU

5 Year Free AA Roadside Assistance
• Free AA Cover
• Coincides with your 5-Year Warranty
• Covered throughout the EU

5 Year Free Vehicle Health Check
• Five systems are checked – engine, transmission, steering, suspension and brakes.
• Free annual inspection, independent of any service obligation.

Fuel economy seems to be good and road tax for 2013 is €160. You would need to add a small bit of “ish” to your €20K but it would hopefully be more than recouped when you consider the above factors.

Voodoomelon

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I honestly reckon the best 'All things considered' car for most people is the BMW 520d. Which is why you see so many on the road. Power, luxury, efficiency, desirability. All in one package.

Whilst I agree about the car, I think it's about €20k too much for the average joe.

650Ginge

The thing that makes this decision difficult is the amount if money you have to spend, it is a very decent budget. More than most people have access too I imagine. There is lots of choice.

But 20k for an average joe car is hardly a average joe.

The problem with the bmws and other premium cars is the bills that come with them. Bear in mind what it will cost if some goes wrong.

I had a much smaller budget of max 10grand nearly 2 years ago. I made a list of must haves

50mpg average (based on real information not the on off nonsense you see posted here)
Automatic
Cruise control
Big Enough to get a mountain bike/dog in.
Max 1.6 on old tax or c on new.
Reliable
Low servicing costs

Then I sat down and researched it on parkers and what car and a few others.

I only came up with one option mk2 toyota Prius.

So do your own research, I don't think asking in here is the way to go.

ian87

brembo26 wrote: »

Have to agree on the 320d, tis a cracker of a general car in fairness.

I'm 25, owned my own cars since I was 21, and after those short 4 years I'm on car 11 and that's a 08 320d. All the car I've ever wanted. Have it 3 months and for the first time ever I haven't got the itch to change. I drive 500 miles a week at least, costs me 40 - 50 in diesel and has all the power you would reasonably need. Only for the mileage I do, it would have been something with a 6cyl engine not a 4cyl but that's just being decadent.. Granted I have one with idrive, leather, and loads of other nice toys, but if you can get one with high spec you'd be hard pressed to find something nicer.

Gary ITR

Pagani Zonda Roadster, the MPG is a bit sh1t but other than that it'd be perfect

Barry Barry

RoverJames wrote: »

Doing under 24k kms with the majority of them not pootling about I wouldn't necessarily go diesel tbh..........

I'd be patient and wait for one of these to come along at a dealers...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Accord/2.0-I-VT/201234209706184/advert?channel=CARS



€570/annum to tax I think, dunno if that's considered crucifixion these days, I'd throw the €5000 left over here for 4 years ....

http://www.anpost.ie/anpost/maincontent/personal+customers/money+matters/national+solidarity+bond/

Flippin' hell :eek: Thats fierce value :eek:

Photoshop

Barry Barry wrote: »

Flippin' hell :eek: Thats fierce value :eek:

Is it?

I think it's overpriced by a few thousand.

It's a gutless 2.0l i-VTEC with 140lb/ft in 1500kg shell, high tax bracket too and no resale value at all.

Even the 99 Accord for 1k is brisker.

Agree that 320d/520d are the perfect car, would love one myself.

R.O.R

I'd put the Skoda Superb up as a close contender against the 520d. Very hard to beat for price, specification and size.

Not especially involving to drive, but I don't think that's what this thread is about.

For someone looking for a comfortable daily hack, that isn't going to cost a fortune to run, who needs a bit of space and enjoys having lots of buttons to press, I can't think of anything else that comes close.

We've had a few in as rental cars recently, and no-one has a bad word to say about them - except for the styling, which is questionable at best.

Otherwise, Volvo V70 - more than all the car you'd ever need ;-)

Ferris

R.O.R wrote: »

I'd put the Skoda Superb up as a close contender against the 520d. Very hard to beat for price, specification and size.

Not especially involving to drive, but I don't think that's what this thread is about.

For someone looking for a comfortable daily hack, that isn't going to cost a fortune to run, who needs a bit of space and enjoys having lots of buttons to press, I can't think of anything else that comes close.

We've had a few in as rental cars recently, and no-one has a bad word to say about them - except for the styling, which is questionable at best.
)

Was looking at them with me da as replacement for his a6 but the Mondeo does the same job for less money. Probably not as well designed inside as the superb but it would drive better and is better looking. ford servicing is pretty cheap too.

spiggotpaddy

Photoshop wrote: »

Is it?
It's a gutless 2.0l i-VTEC with 140lb/ft in 1500kg shell,




Hardly call 155 horses gutless, or is that just the diesel talking?