New Suzuki Ignis or used Honda Civic?

HQvhs

Hello all,

Long time lurker, infrequent poster, but I could do with some advice!

Looking to upgrade my car (an ancient Toyota Starlet, which has served me very well!)

I have a budget of about €15,000 (plus the old car to trade-in)

I mostly commute by bike, so the car is for longer drives (including regular Dublin - Galway trips) and anything I can't use the bike for (plus bad weather!)

I'm inclined to get something relatively new which will last at least 4-5 years and hopefully cause minimal hassle with servicing etc.

I've narrowed it down to either a new Suzuki Ignis or Hyundai i20 (they offer €3500 scrappage), or a used Honda Civic (a 2012/13 goes for about €13-15000)

However, I have fairly limited knowledge of cars, so I would appreciate any advice from Boardsies who are more knowledgeable on motoring matters!

colm_mcm

The new ignis is really the Alto, they called it the Ignis (the previous model was a much bigger car) here for some reason.

I'd have the i20 every time as Hyundai have a better warranty (3 years vs 5) and a much better dealer network.

Resale on Suzukis is never that good. I can't see there being big demand for used ones down the line.

Much as I like the civics (I have a 1.8 for the last 5 years and it's been great) they're expensive for what you get, and the 1.4 isn't much fun. In your case a cheaper to run and insure city car would be better.


While they're a long way from being class leading, a Dacia Sandero for €10500 (list price) is hard to ignore. They've added spec to them recently as well. Even a high spec one for €12k is a lot of car for the money. I think they do an optional 5 year warranty too.

projectgtr

colm_mcm wrote: »

The new ignis is really the Alto, they called it the Ignis (the previous model was a much bigger car) here for some reason.

are you sure ? AFAIK they arent the same at all,they have different roof line, ignis looks bigger too, i seen one in person and they look far from a kei car. They are a strange car, kinda weird looking but kinda cool.

colm_mcm

projectgtr wrote: »

are you sure ? AFAIK they arent the same at all,they have different roof line, ignis looks bigger too, i seen one in person and they look far from a kei car. They are a strange car, kinda weird looking but kinda cool.

You know I might be wrong, it happened before once.
They're certainly very small.

AMKC

The Ignis is not a bad little car but you might want to take it for a good test drive first as the ride quality on it is supposed to be very bad on rough roads and over speed bumps.
For 15k you might get a new or nearly new Dacia Duster. A Kia Rio is another car you could consider.

Nuw

From the bunch you mentioned, and your usage, I'd go for the Civic any day. If I understand correctly you'll be using it for longer trips and the other two will simply not be as comfy. They'll be better in the city, but that's not why you're getting a car for.

On the other hand, considering you won't spend that much time in it, is it worth forking 15k of your hard earned cash into a car? A used Civic (which is pretty much bomb-proof so shouldn't be any hassle to maintain), a bit older, in 1.8 form, you should be able to source a good example for less than 9k, would be the way I'd go myself. With the savings, you'll be able to fuel it for a good few return trips to Galway as well as pay for insurance for a few years... just my two cents though and I fully understand the want of a newer car, especially if you have the means.

Another model I'd look into would be the Suzuki (to stay with the brands mentioned in the OP) Baleno, it doesn't look as funky as the ignis but it should fare a lot better on the motorway I suspect.

HQvhs

Cheers, thanks for the advice!

I've taken both the Ignis and i20 for a test drive (albeit on city streets, not motorway or country) and they're both nice to drive. Ignis is a big higher, and Hyundai is a bit smoother to drive.

I suppose I just think the Ignis is a bit different(!) and about €1500 cheaper even after the scrappage deal.

Unfortunately for older cars with larger engines (like a 1.8 Civic) the insurance and tax is a lot more expensive for me having looked at a few quotes.

But perhaps the sensible choice would be something like the i20, especially with the scrap page deal on offer at the moment? Or should I broaden my search further to other cars?

Nuw

I see where you're coming from but think of it this way, how many years of tax can you buy with what you've saved buying an older car? Insurance on the civic 1.8 is actually not that far off the one for the 1.4 so it's worth getting a quote for it before dismissing it.

If you're set on something smaller, the i20 is a good buy. A friend of mine got one and is quite happy with it. I was with him in it a couple of times and it feels a lot smoother to drive than its size would make you think. However it will run out of puff at motorway speed, unless you drop down gears, which is not really a deal breaker but will make for more tiresome journeys than necessary (in my eyes).

Before you part with your money, I strongly suggest you take each model you look at for a drive on the Mway to make sure this is what you like. Every car these days (bar a few) are at least decent in town. It's at higher speed that you'll know which one you prefer. Especially considering it'll be its primary use.

colm_mcm

Insurance is def on the high side on the 1.8 civic. I'm paying €585 this year and thats after shopping around like mad, most were around €800 and some were €1500-1700, that's 35 with 10 years no claims, and no points.

Nuw

No Civic is easy on the insurance, and I can understand the want for something else solely on this basis. My point was that the 1.8 is not that more expensive to insure than the 1.4. On the other hand, the extra you'll spend on insurance will most likely be saved from the maintenance and fuel budgets, especially compared to the equivalent golf or even focus...

Phil.x

Tax is €380 I think on the civic 1.8 for 08 on.

colm_mcm

Yep on most of them. Some 3 doors are more

ShadowHearth

projectgtr wrote: »

are you sure ? AFAIK they arent the same at all,they have different roof line, ignis looks bigger too, i seen one in person and they look far from a kei car. They are a strange car, kinda weird looking but kinda cool.

I sow one in flesh in petrol station and I loved it. Cool little car that has some character, not bland Hyundai for sure.
I am no expert, but I am pretty sure those will be cars easy to sell, its really fresh and unique.

Op, did you look in to those vw up, seat mii or skoda version of it?

HQvhs

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I sow one in flesh in petrol station and I loved it. Cool little car that has some character, not bland Hyundai for sure.
I am no expert, but I am pretty sure those will be cars easy to sell, its really fresh and unique.

Op, did you look in to those vw up, seat mii or skoda version of it?

I agree, think it looks interesting and has character, whereas the i20 is a bit bland (although it is a very nice car all the same!)

I looked at the VW Up and Skoda versions but felt they were a bit too small, but did look at the Polo too and it's a nice car.

Thanks for all the advice re the Civic. I got a few insurance quotes and it is significantly more expensive (1200 vs 700€) plus the increased tax and running costs. So even with the savings it still works out rather expensive.

I suppose my main question at this stage is would the i20 be a much better (I.e. More reliable, better quality) car than the Ignis, or is there no clear answer?

Nuw

We don't have a lot of feedback on the Ignis yet as it's pretty new. But, it being a Suzuki, it should be fine. The i20, we know now, doesn't usually give trouble.

If it's down to these two, test drive them both again and do include some motorway in your test drive, see which one you like most. I don't see any of them being a 'bad' buy tbh.