Recommend a car for new parents: main criterion: cheap to run. Budget of 9k

munkee

I'm trying to source a car for my sister, who just wants something functional and reliable and cheap to run.

She thinks it has to be post 2008, low tax, etc. I've been trying to explain that she needs to consider the total cost over her ownership of the car, say 6 years, and that you pay a premium for post 08 low tax rate cars. Also, they're typically all diesels, and they don't really need a diesel.

Cheap to run seems to be the main criterion- for this reason she was looking at a hybrid.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the following criteria?


- Cheap running costs, so ideally lowish tax and fuel consumption.

- Five door/estate, with decent boot space for kiddie accoutrements.

- Budget of about €9k

- She does about 10,000 kms per year.


Also, she wants to buy from a dealer as she has a trade in and doesn't have time/want to deal with selling herself, and I don't have the time to do it for her.

Personally, I'd be steering her towards something like a Volvo estate, with the 2.0T engine, like this

But I'm trying to set aside my own prejudices :pac:

Thanks.

alias no.9

First of all, does she do sufficient mileage to justify Diesel? They may be better on fuel but big ticket maintenance items can wipe out a year or two of fuel savings depending on the mileage she'd be doing.

munkee

She doesn't do big mileage. I've been warning her off diesels.

Moneymaker

Octavia;

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia-1-4-litre-petrol/7451440

kerten

I sense that she just wants something that will run at minimum cost without random issues.

It is a Prius then.

cadaliac

Well, if cheap to run is a priority - don't look at a volvo 2.0T. I have an S80 with that engine and cheap to run, it is not.
28 mpg average. You might get more is a smaller body but you are realistically looking at less than 30 mpg average.
Its a 5 cylinder which doesn't help mpg either.
Put a filter in to carzone with a cap of €9,000, and specify estate. See what comes up. Do the same on Done Deal, and specify "Dealer" ads.
Done Deal is better for private sales but as you have mentioned, dealers can issue a warranty and can be filtered in a search.
Depending on how long she intends to hold on to a car, a diesel might be the correct option. Lets say if she gets a low mileage diesel, with a manufactures warranty still left (kia have 7 year warranty on some stuff), she could get out of it again before the wear and tear items that cause expensive issues @ ~ 100,000 miles like DPF's and DMF's start to fail.
{by the way, they don't always fail @ 100,000 miles - some go on for longer}
So if she does about 20,000 miles a year a diesel car with 60,000 on the clock would be ok, provided she got rid of it before the 100,000 mile mark.
Its an option that you should consider if she is looking for a cheap to run car.

munkee

She doesn't really need a diesel, with her low mileage, and it seems that diesels command a premium.

The Volvo is what I would buy, not what I'm suggesting for her.

Kia Ceed and the Skoda Octavia are looking good in the bang per buck stakes, and seem to be reliable.

TheSpark156

Why not prius?
It fit all of the criterions. I had prius for 5 days before, it not so bad

bazz26

Reliable with cheap tax, Hyundai i30:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Hyundai/i30/DELUXE-1.4/61214054210677640/

munkee

I have a historic aversion to Renault, and french cars in general (loved driving them, not owning them), but they are cheap.

Have they improved at all?

toyotaavensis

If she has a trade in and 9000 euro then maybe consider the dacia logan mpv. You can get a 5 year warranty on it.

munkee

Hmm, I think the Dacia, while cheap, may just be a bit too cheap in image for her tastes.

Idbatterim

the hyundai and octavia suggestions were good. 10,000km i.e. 6,000 odd miles would be mad to go for diesel, I wouldnt want to touch one anyone, the fumes, the potential issues, how unrefined they are... If she is going for say a 1.6 or below, tax will be cheap enough, even of the older CC system...