Post 08, diesel 1.6 litre -> 2 litre. Young driver

Dazack

Hey Boarders,

So I'm looking to upgrade my car, I do alot of hiking, cycling and camping and I'm 6'4'' so ideally something with a bit of head room and comfort. I'm 23 so my insurance is reasonably high already, upgrading the years is actually bringing it down.

Budget: €4000-> €6000 (or up to €9000 if the car is right) Broad I know but trying to avoid loaning.

Diesel, 1.6Litre <
Mileage 15-20k, lots of weekends away with friends.

Options and opinions so far:
Kia Sportage - €6k - looks ideal, no idea on KIA?, MPG could be better Sample Here

Hyudai Tucson - €6kish - looks ideal, no idea on Hyundai?, MPG could be better Sample Here

Ford Kuga - €8kish - Looks nicer than other 2, better mpg, I like ford but I'd be interested on Kuga opinions Sample Here

BMW 3_series - €7k - Very Sexy car, amazing mpg, reliable performance? Much cheaper road tax. My main argument against it is keeping it clean all the time whilst hiking etc. Also I like the SUV height! Also whats the suspension like for kerry/wicklow/down roads? Sample Here - Also my insurance is grand which I was quite surprised at.

Looking forward to feedback
Dazack

colm_mcm

Never go for the cheapest examples.

bazz26

Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are the same vehicle but with different badges.

denismc

Ok you seem to have your mind set on a crossover/ suv type vehicle. In reality many of these are little bigger than a regular hatchback, if you compare specs many crossovers have actually less boot capacity than a regular hatchback. Their running costs will be higher as well.

I do a lot of outdoor stuff, scuba diving, hiking, cycling and have a Skoda Octavia, and I would be very reluctant to change as the boot is massive. Cheap to run also, 60mpg

Dazack

denismc wrote: »

Ok you seem to have your mind set on a crossover/ suv type vehicle. In reality many of these are little bigger than a regular hatchback, if you compare specs many crossovers have actually less boot capacity than a regular hatchback. Their running costs will be higher as well.

My mind is set but when I weigh up the expense it really doesn't seem worth it.

denismc wrote: »

I do a lot of outdoor stuff, scuba diving, hiking, cycling and have a Skoda Octavia, and I would be very reluctant to change as the boot is massive. Cheap to run also, 60mpg

I'm a fan of the Octavia's but I found the headroom and leg room to be restricting last time I was in one, though I was a back seat passenger so the same can be said for alot of cars. Would you ever have an issue with base height on the Octavia for rough mountain roads?

bazz26

If you find the Octavia restrictive for room then rule out the BMW 3 Series, they are much smaller on the inside than an Octavia and they are lower too.

Maybe look at the Toyota Rav4 and Honda CRV also:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-rav4-4x4/14388232

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-honda-cr-v-2-2-diesel-immaculate-condition/14795789

denismc

The Octavia is huge if you are in the driver seat, I am 6 foot and have no problems. If leg room is a problem then maybe look at the Superb.
As for ground clearance the Octavia is quite high, no problems on roads with grass in the middle, or even a grassy field. If you are thinking unpaved roads then yes sometimes you might have some trouble.