Reliable site for car reviews.

Nerro

Hi,
My Dad wants to buy a second hand car and asked my help in choosing one for him.He wants something bigget , something like Opel Zafira as he has serious problems with his back and at a stage where getting out of a small car became a challenge.
To be honest I don't know a thing about cars, which models are reliable which tend to brake or which engine diesel of petrol is better in model in question.So would anyone suggest a good site for car reviews that I could do my homework? Of course we are going to bring the car to a garadge before he parts with the cash to double check the state of it. But I don't want for him to get one that its known to brake so any help is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Guy:Incognito

As far as his back goes he's going to have to try a few different cars. What could be really comfortable for one person could be crippling for another.

ironclaw

Given his medical reason for choosing a car, I actually recommend he goes out and gets in and out of a few different models. Sounds stupid but petrol / diesel / reliability should be the last on the list for the moment. Find a car to suit him and then expand from there. For instance, getting out a Yaris is different from getting out of an A3 which is different again to getting out of say a Range Rover. But he might find it far easier to step up from an A3 as opposed to down from a jeep. Or he might prefer a Yaris where you are pretty much level getting out.

Nerro

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

As far as his back goes he's going to have to try a few different cars. What could be really comfortable for one person could be crippling for another.

Thanks for your reply.
Yah I know, we are at a shopping around stage.But any help in filtering cars that its not even worth looking at would be much appreciated. At the moment I am looking thru what car.com but maybe someone knows a better site?

ironclaw

Every car has problems, but there are few cars in that bracket that fit the 'do not buy' category. Any review will be biased. I remember there was a while here when everyone was saying don't buy and A4 or A5 because of a timing chain issues etc. Yes the issue existed but it wasn't as wide spread as people made out to be and was fairly limited in the models it affect. It could also be rectified. As with the VW Toureg, there is a known water pump issue, but it wouldn't stop me buying one.

Anything turbo generally gets a 'more hassle than its worth' tag by most. But again, a complete non-issue if you respect and service a car. It doesn't come down a bad car, its generally bad maintenance in my experience (Excluding of course known engineering faults by the manufacturer)

biko

Threads from boards about "cars for bad backs"
www.google.ie/search?q=cars+for+bad+back+site:boards.ie

Start there and once you have 4-5 contenders, go check them out and let your da make the final decision.
There's also lots of reviews on youtube

Murt10

Once you have looked at that have a look at honestjohn, Parkers and reliability index

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/

Nerro

Thanks guys, your answers are really a great help for me!

Bigus

A couple of smaller cars with high seating position are honda jazz, Ford fusion, Toyota Prius has high seats too.
Volvo are renowned for the best seats, for bad backs.
The back shop in Wicklow street might be worth a visit too for real advice.

rovoagho

2nd recommendation for Honest John, great place to start.

Stavros Murphy

Carsurvey.org. I find it good.