Which car for €30k?

ChristyM

Hi

I have a 99 Mazda and the head gasket is about to go so I need to change it and soon.

I am looking at going new on a PCP. What I am looking at is a car in the €30k range. The ones I am looking at are

• Mazda 6
• VW Passat
• Hyundai i40
• Volvo 40
• Toyota Avensis

What do people think or is there anything else out there I should consider?

Thanks

Christy

Zurbaran

Test drive them all and weigh the deals up that are offered. The 6 probably has the best drive and looks depending on your taste but you will probably get a better deal and comfort in the Passat.

Play the dealers off each other. I would also recommend emailing dealers of the same brand to see if they can better the previous offer. There will be a fair bit of difference.

bazz26

Just to note that if your going down the PCP route, then currently VAG are offering some of the lowest rates, some at 0% while the likes of Mazda are charging 6.9%.

As for which car, I'd rule out the i40 and Avensis, especially the Avensis as it's basically the same car that was launched back in 2009 which wasn't a class leader back then either. The i40 despite a recent facelift is long in the tooth also. Volvo V40 is alot smaller than the rest too.

As for others on the list, take a look at the new Kia Optima just launched, looks similar to the old one but it's been extensively redesigned. Kia's PCP is a bit cheaper than Mazda's too.

AMKC

Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Skoda Octavia and the Opel Insignia are a some more you could look at.

MyStubbleItches

AMKC wrote: »

Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Skoda Octavia and the Opel Insignia are a some more you could look at.

Don't think the mondeo is available on PCP.

grogi

MyStubbleItches wrote: »

Don't think the mondeo is available on PCP.

Everything is. The question is for how much...

grogi

AMKC wrote: »

Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Skoda Octavia and the Opel Insignia are a some more you could look at.

Octavia in this list? SuperB would suit better...

bazz26

Insignia is ancient at this stage and being replaced at the end of this year, there would want to be some super deals and spec to be tempted into the current model.

black & white

Bought a V40 last week and love it, they are including the Style pack up to end of Feb and I specified the Winter pack as an extra. Leather seems to be standard so in total I think it was 29,150. I went for black with the cream leather interior. Didn't go PCP as I had a 4 year old car to trade and had organised a loan from the bank at a reasonable rate. Really happy with my choice.

AMKC

grogi wrote: »

Octavia in this list? SuperB would suit better...

For some do the Superb would be too big and the Octavia might suit them better. Plenty of room in an Octavia and a big boot too. Much more choice with the Octavia too. Can be got with either a 1.6 or 2.0 for under 30k and can also be had as a 4x4 for under 30k and that not basic it for mid spec.It should be as big or even bigger then the car that he currently has as well.

Soarer

Am I showing my age by suggesting buying a 3 year old version of whatever you decide for half the money you're talking about now? That way you get the benefit of someone else taking the hit on depreciation, and you should still have the remainder of any warranty.

grogi

Soarer wrote: »

Am I showing my age by suggesting buying a 3 year old version of whatever you decide for half the money you're talking about now? That way you get the benefit of someone else taking the hit on depreciation, and you should still have the remainder of any warranty.

Five year warranty just kicks in in Ireland... I think that three years ago it was only Kia and Hyundai... I think Ford started to offer it in 2014. Skoda and VW might have offered it as an extra option - but don't really remember...

It is worth remembering that majority of people who buy with intention of selling after three years don't really give a though about keeping the car nice for next owner. It will survive three years of abuse no problem - and after that it is not their problem...

On top of that, after three years you'd be hit with additional expenses - like tyres, pads, discs... With right mileage you might need to look into suspension, clutch, dmf, dpf, turbo etc...

There is still a lot of money to be saved though. But with low interest rates now and poor sales three years ago, going new right now is not as bad as it seems.

grogi

AMKC wrote: »

For some do the Superb would be too big and the Octavia might suit them better. Plenty of room in an Octavia and a big boot too. Much more choice with the Octavia too. Can be got with either a 1.6 or 2.0 for under 30k and can also be had as a 4x4 for under 30k and that not basic it for mid spec.It should be as big or even bigger then the car that he currently has as well.

For some Fabia will be too big...

However OP enquired about Avensis, i40, Mazda6, Passat - which suggests what class is considered - D-segment to be precise.

Octavia, no matter how great it is, is still a compact car, as a V40 is...

Soarer

grogi wrote: »

It is worth remembering that majority of people who buy with intention of selling after three years don't really give a though about keeping the car nice for next owner. It will survive three years of abuse no problem - and after that it is not their problem...

Surely the majority of 3 year old cars for sale would be previous PCP cars? And, as such, will need to have been maintained to get full value on trade in?

grogi

Soarer wrote: »

Surely the majority of 3 year old cars for sale would be previous PCP cars? And, as such, will need to have been maintained to get full value on trade in?

I might remember incorrectly - but PCP started to gain traction in 2014, didn't it?

Water John

I think their is a problem of the transfer of warranty on some brands.
2/3 year old PCP is a good idea. Again, me showing my age. Niece has an i40, very happy with it.

ChristyM

Hi again

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm beginning to narrow it down to either the Mazda 6 or the VW Passat.

Any pros or cons for either of them?

Thanks

Christy

bazz26

The 6 is probably better looking but that is subjective. The Passat feels a bit more upmarket and probably will have better resale value when you go to part with it. The 6 is probably better equipped but the Passat has a lower PCP rate and better resale value which means you may have more equity in it when the PCP deal finishes.

John_Rambo

black & white wrote: »

Bought a V40 last week and love it, they are including the Style pack up to end of Feb and I specified the Winter pack as an extra. Leather seems to be standard so in total I think it was 29,150. I went for black with the cream leather interior. Didn't go PCP as I had a 4 year old car to trade and had organised a loan from the bank at a reasonable rate. Really happy with my choice.

I'd say you are. Brave, but clever buy, ignoring the standard BMW, VW, Audi statement ride. Super attractive car, nothing left out as usual from Vovlo. Styling, from the door handles, the back lights, the twin exhausts peeping out is subtle, slightly aggressive, in keeping with the Swedespeed look and very very cool. Knowing Vovlo, you're going to find little extras that you didn't know about as you grow with the car. Love the way the boot opens like a whales mouth! Perfect for IKEA! They've somehow managed to design the car to look cat like on the road, as if the wheels are cambered. Great colour combo choice. Best of luck.

Soarer wrote: »

Am I showing my age by suggesting buying a 3 year old version of whatever you decide for half the money you're talking about now? That way you get the benefit of someone else taking the hit on depreciation, and you should still have the remainder of any warranty.

I'm worse. What could I get that's better than the 30k car second hand?! :pac:

Best of luck with whatever you choose OP!

AMKC

ChristyM wrote: »

Hi again

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm beginning to narrow it down to either the Mazda 6 or the VW Passat.

Any pros or cons for either of them?

Thanks

Christy

Well worth having a look at the new Skoda Superb too. They are a lovely car.