Might be in the market for a change of car come 2018 - what to buy?

NIMAN

Yip, another "what should I buy" thread.

At present we have a 16 Golf 1.6d as our 'main' car, and a 14 Leaf as the school run/2nd car.

We did have a 08 FR-V for a few years and it was ideal when the kids were all in car seats, but we sold it as they started to get bigger and moved into boosters etc. Plus the car was just getting old and needed upgrading.

However, since then we have noticed the lack of room in the Golf when going on longer trips for the kids who are 4,6,8.

So we have been talking about changing earlier than expected in 2018, but I have no idea what to change the 'main' car to? It spends a lot of its time commuting to my work, approx 40km each way, all in top gear, 4 days per week. The Leaf does the school runs mostly when I'm off, then the Golf does the commute to the OH job, which is only approx 15km each way.

I had planned to go petrol with my next car change, but thought that might have been in 2019, so not sure if now is the time to change to petrol just yet?

Plus, the room side of things. If I went for something in the Passat/Mondeo/Mazda6 segment, would I notice much more room in the back for the kids? Or do I need to be thinking about an SUV like the Tiguan? Or maybe a car with 3 separate back seats (does something like the C4 Picasso fit this). I don't like the idea of a pure MPV to be honest.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Casati

NIMAN wrote: »

Yip, another "what should I buy" thread.

At present we have a 16 Golf 1.6d as our 'main' car, and a 14 Leaf as the school run/2nd car.

We did have a 08 FR-V for a few years and it was ideal when the kids were all in car seats, but we sold it as they started to get bigger and moved into boosters etc. Plus the car was just getting old and needed upgrading.

However, since then we have noticed the lack of room in the Golf when going on longer trips for the kids who are 4,6,8.

So we have been talking about changing earlier than expected in 2018, but I have no idea what to change the 'main' car to? It spends a lot of its time commuting to my work, approx 40km each way, all in top gear, 4 days per week. The Leaf does the school runs mostly when I'm off, then the Golf does the commute to the OH job, which is only approx 15km each way.

I had planned to go petrol with my next car change, but thought that might have been in 2019, so not sure if now is the time to change to petrol just yet?

Plus, the room side of things. If I went for something in the Passat/Mondeo/Mazda6 segment, would I notice much more room in the back for the kids? Or do I need to be thinking about an SUV like the Tiguan? Or maybe a car with 3 separate back seats (does something like the C4 Picasso fit this). I don't like the idea of a pure MPV to be honest.

Any suggestions welcomed.

I think you’d notice a lot more room going to a Passat but not all cars in that class have great rear room, eg old model Insignia seems v tight. If going for a Passat the Salon is not as versatile so I’d be recommending the estate.

To be honest the obvious option would be a Skoda Superb and you could get one with the 1.4 Act engine but really diesel is still by far the most popular fuel in this class of car

Casati

Casati wrote: »

I think you’d notice a lot more room going to a Passat but not all cars in that class have great rear room, eg old model Insignia seems v tight. If going for a Passat the Salon is not as versatile so I’d be recommending the estate.

To be honest the obvious option would be a Skoda Superb and you could get one with the 1.4 Act engine but really diesel is still by far the most popular fuel in this class of car

Question would it not make sense to do your commute in the Leaf? If you did that then your mileage on the family car would reduce greatly and something like the 1.4 Superb looks more attractive

NIMAN

Yeah was thinking maybe the Leaf could start doing the commute, but the reason it doesn't for now is that the Golf does the straight run to work, whereas I think all the short runs to school and to the shops during the day would be bad for a diesel car.

The kids get out of school at 3 different times, so there are currently 4 separate runs to drop them off and pick them all up, then maybe a run to do shopping during the day too. This is ideal for the Leaf, bad for the Golf?

Edit: re the Superb, jez, thats a massive car, nothing between the Golf and that which would provide more rear room?

Casati

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah was thinking maybe the Leaf could start doing the commute, but the reason it doesn't for now is that the Golf does the straight run to work, whereas I think all the short runs to school and to the shops during the day would be bad for a diesel car.

The kids get out of school at 3 different times, so there are currently 4 separate runs to drop them off and pick them all up, then maybe a run to do shopping during the day too. This is ideal for the Leaf, bad for the Golf?

Edit: re the Superb, jez, thats a massive car, nothing between the Golf and that which would provide more rear room?[/quote

You don’t have too many petrol options in the large family class that make sense to buy, ie no petrol Mondeo’s, Ix40’s,Kia Optima, Mazda 6 (they list a 2.0 petrol but don’t actually sell them).

If you like the Golf maybe you’d consider a Golf SV. Okay maybe not the best looking car but they have a lot more room than a Golf and are a small premium on the standard Golf

NIMAN

Casati wrote: »

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah was thinking maybe the Leaf could start doing the commute, but the reason it doesn't for now is that the Golf does the straight run to work, whereas I think all the short runs to school and to the shops during the day would be bad for a diesel car.

The kids get out of school at 3 different times, so there are currently 4 separate runs to drop them off and pick them all up, then maybe a run to do shopping during the day too. This is ideal for the Leaf, bad for the Golf?

Edit: re the Superb, jez, thats a massive car, nothing between the Golf and that which would provide more rear room?[/quote

You don’t have too many petrol options in the large family class that make sense to buy, ie no petrol Mondeo’s, Ix40’s,Kia Optima, Mazda 6 (they list a 2.0 petrol but don’t actually sell them).

If you like the Golf maybe you’d consider a Golf SV. Okay maybe not the best looking car but they have a lot more room than a Golf and are a small premium on the standard Golf

Is the Golf SV any more spacious, I always thought there was just more headroom in them?

Edit: did a quick search and I see I was thinking about the Gold Plus......it would appear that the Golf SV is a completely different beast. I'll look into that one for sure.

Casati

NIMAN wrote: »

Casati wrote: »

Is the Golf SV any more spacious, I always thought there was just more headroom in them?

Edit: did a quick search and I see I was thinking about the Gold Plus......it would appear that the Golf SV is a completely different beast. I'll look into that one for sure.

Yeah is massive in the backcompared to the Golf, more legroom and it’s wider too and much easier to fit car seats. The 1.2 TSI would have about the same power as your 1.6 TDI

Wailin

Skoda Octavia is bigger than the golf, although it is built on the same platform. Boot is huge compared to the golf, especially if you go for the estate. Saloon is has plenty of room too though. Superb is massive and a huge jump from the golf.

NIMAN

Don't see myself making the move from Golf ---> Superb, too big.
Octavia class maybe, as long as there is room in the back.

drunkmonkey

NIMAN wrote: »

Don't see myself making the move from Golf ---> Superb, too big.
Octavia class maybe, as long as there is room in the back.

Check out the new 5008 thread, good few of us going down that route now that it doesn't look like a mini van (picasso etc). Huge amount of room in it.

NIMAN

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Check out the new 5008 thread, good few of us going down that route now that it doesn't look like a mini van (picasso etc). Huge amount of room in it.

I will for sure.

Only thing that would scare me off it, is the lots of time I am driving it on my own. Too much space!

Unless I could get a petrol one and that could do the short runs, with the Leaf doing the commutes.

drunkmonkey

NIMAN wrote: »

I will for sure.

Only thing that would scare me off it, is the lots of time I am driving it on my own. Too much space!

Unless I could get a petrol one and that could do the short runs, with the Leaf doing the commutes.

It doesn't feel that big and jeepy behind the wheel...it's very light for its size. Looking at the 1.2 petro ourselves finding it hard to justify the diesel.

bazz26

NIMAN wrote: »

Don't see myself making the move from Golf ---> Superb, too big.
Octavia class maybe, as long as there is room in the back.

The Octavia is in the same class as the Golf though it is a good bit bigger.

Wailin

The octavia would be very familiar to you since you have the golf. They have practically identical interior and infotainment system so if you didn't mind that it would be a sensible choice. Petrol would be best option for your mileage and the 1.0 litre 115bhp should be economical and cheap to run. Personally i would go for the 2.0 litre but much higher running costs and obviously a lot more expensive to buy.

NIMAN

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It doesn't feel that big and jeepy behind the wheel...it's very light for its size. Looking at the 1.2 petro ourselves finding it hard to justify the diesel.

Is it a 7 seater?
Cos I just got rid of a 6 seater as it was no longer needed. So unlikely to even consider a 7 seater.

I'd be more interested in a 5 seater with 3 back seats that are more individual or else shaped in such a way that the centre one isn't difficult to sit a booster on.

drunkmonkey

NIMAN wrote: »

Is it a 7 seater?
Cos I just got rid of a 6 seater as it was no longer needed. So unlikely to even consider a 7 seater.

I'd be more interested in a 5 seater with 3 back seats that are more individual or else shaped in such a way that the centre one isn't difficult to sit a booster on.

It's only a couple of cm longer than the 5 seater, the middle row has 3 individual seats which are all movable, it's got a huge boot with the back 2 seats down and there removable if you need extra depth.
Were going for it as we need 3 isofix in the middle row and it seem to be the only car besides the minvans that have the 3 isofix.
3008 might be worth a look also it is Irish and European car of the year if you don't need as much boot space.

NIMAN

Did a bit of reading last night about the 3008, and it looks like the kind of thing that might suit my needs.

Any other car like that which I should also consider?

ABC101

I would tend to be biased towards a Japanese car, have you looked at any of the Suzuki range, Vitara etc?

NIMAN

Yeah last night I ended up being directed to the Suzuki Vitara SUV too, looked a decent car as well.

Heebie

I love my Toyota Auris hybrid.

Staplor

I got a Touran, I never use the seats in the boot, just use it as a 5 seater with a whopper boot.

NIMAN

Heebie wrote: »

I love my Toyota Auris hybrid.

Can't see that having much room in the rear seats tbh.

NIMAN

Staplor wrote: »

I got a Touran, I never use the seats in the boot, just use it as a 5 seater with a whopper boot.

I want to avoid buying something this big tbh.

Heebie

NIMAN wrote:

Can't see that having much room in the rear seats tbh.

I've carried 5 adults. One was on the small side.

kifi

I've been doing a lot of research and the Renault Megane keeps coming up. Positively so

NIMAN

Heebie wrote: »

I've carried 5 adults. One was on the small side.

Yeah I could carry 5 adults in my Golf too, but it's tough to carry 3 kids with car seat and boosters.

They take up more space than an adult.

Wailin

NIMAN wrote: »

Yeah I could carry 5 adults in my Golf too, but it's tough to carry 3 kids with car seat and boosters.

They take up more space than an adult.

You can get a car seat and 2 boosters in the back of a Golf?! I'm impressed.

NIMAN

It's tight!

Turbohymac

Like. Casati has said earlier I would move to a passat TDI check out boot size. As the boot of a passat saloon will be double the size of your golf.. if you need more space. Go with estate and the 2litre is by far better than 1.6 . Wouldn't consider mondeo..
Best & cheapest idea before deciding would be to visit vw dealer with your family & a few minutes will tell all.
Top marks for vw.& they will always hold value like toyota.. avoid some others brands.

NIMAN

Funnily boot space isn't really an issue. I'd rather have a smaller car than a Passat as long as it seats the kids.

We did an airport run during the summer with all the suitcases we needed for a week abroad, and the golf took them all. Would likely never fill the boot in a Passat.

cros13

NIMAN wrote: »

Did a bit of reading last night about the 3008, and it looks like the kind of thing that might suit my needs.

Any other car like that which I should also consider?

There is a 300-400km range (EPA) electric 3008 on the way. But PSA are in panic mode at the moment trying to get Opel's fleet emissions down so we may not see it until 2019.

Turbohymac

Well if bootspace not an issue you Will do very well with passat saloon.. unfortunately you will need to go up to this size of car for extra width .. the kids will get bigger so as the earlier post visit a few car showrooms with the family &a measuring tape.. do the homework first mistakes are hard &costly in this department.. My wife also has a touran but you don't need the large bootspace &passat would still be wider. Also if trading golf then another vw might be cheaper than changing brand. Although the dealers never give true value of trade in.vehicle. I usually sell private and cash is king when purchasing however I usually don't purchase brand new as there's very good savings on 12 to 18 month old vehicles
Best of look with whatever you buy

Casati

The more I think about it the Golf SV is perfect for you, but either way Is head to your dealer and have a look at the cars there and see what kind of deals they will offer. If you shop around a few VW dealers you should do okay on the trade-in

NIMAN

Casati wrote: »

The more I think about it the Golf SV is perfect for you, but either way Is head to your dealer and have a look at the cars there and see what kind of deals they will offer. If you shop around a few VW dealers you should do okay on the trade-in

My first quote is €5500 to trade a 161 Golf 1.6HDi highline to a 171 Golf SV comfortline.

I thought it was a little bit much, but not sure on the pricing for the SV's.

Heres Johnny

My first quote is €5500 to trade a 161 Golf 1.6HDi highline to a 171 Golf SV comfortline.

I thought it was a little bit much, but not sure on the pricing for the SV's.[/quote]


That's not that bad to be honest for a 1 year old car to a current year one. That's about the level they drop, it's about 20%.
But it's still 5500 euro which is a lot of money.
Changing year on year is expensive business so make sure you get exactly the right car for you.

NIMAN

Heres Johnny wrote: »

My first quote is €5500 to trade a 161 Golf 1.6HDi highline to a 171 Golf SV comfortline.

I thought it was a little bit much, but not sure on the pricing for the SV's.

That's not that bad to be honest for a 1 year old car to a current year one. That's about the level they drop, it's about 20%.
But it's still 5500 euro which is a lot of money.
Changing year on year is expensive business so make sure you get exactly the right car for you.

Yeah I just thought it was a little high, since my Golf would be a very saleable car.

I would guess that the market for Golf SV's would be limited. Maybe not? I know I have yet to see one on the roads.

Wailin

Whether your golf is sellable or not a main dealer will not give you anywhere near what you expect. That sounds very reasonable to me to be honest coming up one year to a more expensive car. Don't expect much better from here on in!

NIMAN

I know you're right.
Dealers will do whats best for them.


So my 2 offers so far from dealers, to change my 1.6 diesel Highline Golf (161) to :

171 Golf SV, 1.6 diesel Comfortline = €5500.
171 Golf SV, 1.2 petrol Highline = €5000.

Casati

NIMAN wrote: »

I know you're right.
Dealers will do whats best for them.


So my 2 offers so far from dealers, to change my 1.6 diesel Highline Golf (161) to :

171 Golf SV, 1.6 diesel Comfortline = €5500.
171 Golf SV, 1.2 petrol Highline = €5000.

Depends on the mileage etc but €5k to go up a year to a more expensive car isn’t huge money. Best to shop around and look at buying new as the dealers might have more margin on a new one, plus the current offers from VW with finance are v good on new cars

JamesM

NIMAN wrote: »

I know you're right.
Dealers will do whats best for them.


So my 2 offers so far from dealers, to change my 1.6 diesel Highline Golf (161) to :

171 Golf SV, 1.6 diesel Comfortline = €5500.
171 Golf SV, 1.2 petrol Highline = €5000.

I am very happy with my 161 Golf SV. It has great space between the boot and back seat area. I can carry as much shopping, bedding etc. going to the boat or caravan as I could in my 06 Legacy. The 1.2 petrol has plenty of acceleration for passing etc. It is high like a SUV, but not as big and bulky for the load it can carry.
Jim.

NIMAN

@JamesM

What sort of mileage are you getting from your 1.2 petrol?

JamesM

NIMAN wrote: »

@JamesM

What sort of mileage are you getting from your 1.2 petrol?

It's an automatic. It was so much better than the 2.5 Legacy that I never checked too much. I have just checked the car. It says long term, which reads 802km = 7.3 l/100km. I have only done one long trip since late September. Most of my recent driving has been around the suburbs. Driving at 120 (satnav) on the motorway, I was getting between 6.5 and 7.
For a while at the end of last year, 3 or 4 days a week, I had to drive from Templeogue to Celbridge, doing 100 on the M50, 80 on the Lucan bypass and 60 on the rest. Driving with a very light foot, I got 5.6 quite a few times.
Jim.

I should say that for most of my trips on the motorway the car had a good load.

Heres Johnny

Funny I just checked mine this evening on a late drive from Drogheda home to Lucan in an e60 2.5 automatic petrol the trip computer said 7.5 l per 100km which I was very happy with. Mainly at about 110 kmph or so.

Bring it into a bit of stop start and it's a different beast for drinking fuel altogether. Can be up to 12 if I don't get it on a decent motorway run

NIMAN

JamesM wrote: »

It's an automatic. It was so much better than the 2.5 Legacy that I never checked too much. I have just checked the car. It says long term, which reads 802km = 7.3 l/100km. I have only done one long trip since late September. Most of my recent driving has been around the suburbs. Driving at 120 (satnav) on the motorway, I was getting between 6.5 and 7.
For a while at the end of last year, 3 or 4 days a week, I had to drive from Templeogue to Celbridge, doing 100 on the M50, 80 on the Lucan bypass and 60 on the rest. Driving with a very light foot, I got 5.6 quite a few times.
Jim.

So overall you are averaging less than 39mpg.....I guess thats probably not that bad a figure. I know you'll never achieve the nonsense figures the manufacturers quote in their marketing spiel.

JamesM

NIMAN wrote: »

So overall you are averaging less than 39mpg.....I guess thats probably not that bad a figure. I know you'll never achieve the nonsense figures the manufacturers quote in their marketing spiel.

The Subaru showed 9.3 average over a few years, so I think that the SV is good compared to that. The last 800k was mostly stop/start driving and 120kph is not the most economical speed on the motorway.
Jim.