2nd hand car choice for my old man....

terrydel

On a previous thread I enquired about the duster as I know he likes them.
Went and had a look today and I have to say that while they look reasonably well aesthetically imho, they feel incredibly cheap. Couldn't believe how cheap many of the fixtures and fittings felt. Was genuinely shocked. Not a car person myself and don't have a great deal of experience of many makes and models, but my 11 year old A3 would blow these things out of the water in terms of quality and build.
So we had a chat and came up with a few other options:

Requirements are simple enough, cheap to run (fuel economy & tax)
Reliable (who doesn't want that)
And a bit more van like than a standard car, if possible.
Budget around 10k.
Hoping to get 2010 or above

Options are: Ford C Max - this one has caught the eye http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/ford/c-max/used-2010-ford-c-max-c-max-1-8-td-dublin-fpa-170414344651582610
Seems to tick a lot of boxes, ok its not incredibly van-like but Id imagine its roomy enough?
Qasqhai - seems to be tough to find at the 10k mark for 2010. Would the diesel be as economical as the C Max (I doubt it as its a big heavy car with a small engine?). Petrol out I think as the tax would be high.
Skoda Yeti - Again not sure if 10k will cut it. How is the economy on these?

Plenty of options in the Renault/Peugeot/citreon area, but I want him to have something reliable and wont cost him fortunes, as hes not well off.

What do you think folks?
Opinions on what I've listed and any alternatives you could offer.
Cheers.

bazz26

Does your old man do the mileage to warranty a diesel or is it just the attraction of cheap tax that he is drawn to diesel? There are some low tax petrol cars out there too and his 10k would probably stretch further with a petrol if he is not doing alot of driving.

Maybe something like a Toyota UrbanCruiser:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Urbancruiser/TERRA-1.33L/171414343620563630/

Or Honda Jazz:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Honda/Jazz/1.4-I/148514259127130130/

An Opel Meriva is another option if he wants something with a high driving position:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Opel/Meriva/S-1.4/200714377314160310/

terrydel

bazz26 wrote: »

Does your old man do the mileage to warranty a diesel or is it just the attraction of cheap tax that he is drawn to diesel? There are some low tax petrol cars out there too and his 10k would probably stretch further with a petrol if he is not doing alot of driving.

Maybe something like a Toyota UrbanCruiser:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Urbancruiser/TERRA-1.33L/171414343620563630/

Or Honda Jazz:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Honda/Jazz/1.4-I/148514259127130130/

An Opel Meriva is another option if he wants something with a high driving position:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Opel/Meriva/S-1.4/200714377314160310/

Cheers. Some interesting choices there. He would not be doing big mileage by any means. I was wondering about whether diesel was a good choice in that case, as Ive heard mention that it can be problematic if you are only doing low mileage, due to DPF filter issues mostly?
Thanks for the advice.
What would you think of something like this - http://www.billgriffinmotors.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=1291114&r=
Its a little outside his budget and mileage is highish, but he does like them.

bazz26

If he only using it for short journeys or town driving then a diesel can run into trouble especially around the DPF. Also a diesel will not be that more economical for short journeys as a diesel engine takes longer to warm up than a petrol engine.

A petrol version of that model C Max is rare enough over here and it looks like a UK import. The C Max is a good car and that engine is a well proven unit so it's worth a look. Do a bit of research on the dealer though as they tend to get mixed feedback.

terrydel

bazz26 wrote: »

If he only using it for short journeys or town driving then a diesel can run into trouble especially around the DPF. Also a diesel will not be that more economical for short journeys as a diesel engine takes longer to warm up than a petrol engine.

A petrol version of that model C Max is rare enough over here and it looks like a UK import. The C Max is a good car and that engine is a well proven unit so it's worth a look. Do a bit of research on the dealer though as they tend to get mixed feedback.

Cheers mate, thanks for your insight.
The cmax does look a good car and I know a few people in the UK who have them or have had them, and all reports are good.
Was up there today, the diesel had sold, and the 2011 petrol was there, but its a bit more than we'd want to pay, and it also looks a little rough, and stank when I sat inside it! Not a good sign for me.
The dealer did not seem great on first impression either.

terrydel

Any opinions on this http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/nissan/note/used-2012-nissan-note-sv-1-4-5dr-kilkenny-fpa-171614346526163380
Hows the price, are they a good car etc etc?
Cheers.