Family car recommendations

Liam McPoyle

Hi.

Due to an expanding family and all the accoutrements that go with that the time is coming to buy a dad car.

Im currently driving a 2010 I30 which I love but in terms of boot space its not practicable.

I really like the likes of the Tuscon or Sportage but the SUV type vehicles are at the higher end of my price range and I would be looking for something that I could get at least 4 or 5 years out of.

Budget would be around €12,000 incl my own.

Looking for a diesel also as I will be doing between 15 and 20k KMPA.

I definitely am not interested in estates or people carrier type vehicles.

terrydel

Business Cat wrote: »

Hi.

Due to an expanding family and all the accoutrements that go with that the time is coming to buy a dad car.

Im currently driving a 2010 I30 which I love but in terms of boot space its not practicable.

I really like the likes of the Tuscon or Sportage but the SUV type vehicles are at the higher end of my price range and I would be looking for something that I could get at least 4 or 5 years out of.

Budget would be around €12,000 incl my own.

Looking for a diesel also as I will be doing between 15 and 20k KMPA.

I definitely am not interested in estates or people carrier type vehicles.

Why rule out estates? Seems like they are exactly what you need. Certainly far more practical for the needs you outline than the SUV's you've mentioned.

bazz26

These SUV crossovers are not all that much bigger than your i30 as those are the type of cars they are mainly based on. The only real benefit of them over a traditional estate car is the higher driving position and easier rear access for baby seats.

Tabnabs

The boot size in many of the SUV style cars is very poor. This is high on the priority list for any family car. A good hatcback or estate would be far more useful and family friendly.

R.O.R

If the buggy will fit in the boot:

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/hyundai/ix35/used-2012-hyundai-ix35-1-7-crdi-dublin-fpa-201808239789799

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/kia/sportage/used-2012-kia-sportage-1-7-d-ex-2-dublin-fpa-201808299937785

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/skoda/yeti/used-2012-skoda-yeti-urban-2-0-td-dublin-fpa-201807298919432

Or, there's about 6,000,000 Dacia's on Carzone that fit the budget.

Sgt Pepper 64

Business Cat wrote: »

Hi.

Due to an expanding family and all the accoutrements that go with that the time is coming to buy a dad car.

Im currently driving a 2010 I30 which I love but in terms of boot space its not practicable.

I really like the likes of the Tuscon or Sportage but the SUV type vehicles are at the higher end of my price range and I would be looking for something that I could get at least 4 or 5 years out of.

Budget would be around €12,000 incl my own.

Looking for a diesel also as I will be doing between 15 and 20k KMPA.

I definitely am not interested in estates or people carrier type vehicles.

spendng that sort of cash, if you can I would wait until nearer the next budget as there may be changes re diesel and tax

otherwise take yourself off to a large dealer with a good assortment and look at as many as you can.
babies need a lot of stuff so look at things like how easy it is to put pram\buggys etc in the boot (how high the lip is), try for leather or something easy to clean, good safety features, low tax, low maintenance cos you are gonna be broke!

the old faves like skoda octavia are a good place to start, i was looking at i30 and good car but boot space not enough as you say

Liam McPoyle

R.O.R wrote: »

If the buggy will fit in the boot:

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/hyundai/ix35/used-2012-hyundai-ix35-1-7-crdi-dublin-fpa-201808239789799

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/kia/sportage/used-2012-kia-sportage-1-7-d-ex-2-dublin-fpa-201808299937785

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/skoda/yeti/used-2012-skoda-yeti-urban-2-0-td-dublin-fpa-201807298919432

Or, there's about 6,000,000 Dacia's on Carzone that fit the budget.

The buggy fits alright but since the beginning of the month we now need two buggies, never mind our own stuff if we ever want to have a couple of overnight stays with the kids.

Interesting comments about the SUV type vehicles, I would have thought they would be roomy.

The Octavia / Superb is a nice looking motor. I also like the look of the Mazda 6, any thoughts on them?

R.O.R

Avoid any diesel Mazda 6's (or CX5's) - engine doesn't have the best reliability record.

Superb or Octavia, even in hatch form, should be able to swallow 2 buggy's and have room left for other stuff.

Getting the little 'uns in to an SUV is much easier than a Saloon/Hatch, but unless you go to a larger (more expensive) SUV, then the boot space does tend to be on the small side.

colm_c

Driving a rental sportage at the moment, boot is 1/2 the size of my estate (5 series touring).

biko

Superb have massive boots, as do Saab estates (not sure about later years)

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-9-3-1-9ttid-aero-180bhp/19278047

raxy

I've a seat leon estate. Loads of boot space & doesn't look like your typical estate car. With 2 buggies you'll be pushed for space in anything you choose.
Something else to consider is just getting a roof box for extra space when you need it for going away before buying a car big enough to fit everything. In a year or 2 you'll be down to 1 buggy & space won't be as much of an issue

Hurrache

Business Cat wrote: »

The buggy fits alright but since the beginning of the month we now need two buggies, never mind our own stuff if we ever want to have a couple of overnight stays with the kids.

Madness to rule out an estate then, it's ideal for what you want. As said, there's little regular boot space in crossovers.

Liam McPoyle

Hurrache wrote: »

Madness to rule out an estate then, it's ideal for what you want. As said, there's little regular boot space in crossovers.

Ok, I may have to re-evaluate so.

Would there be much more boot space in an average estate vs say a Superb?

biko

If you google boot space for a couple brands it will tell you how big they are.

www.google.ie/search?q=skoda+superb+boot+space+litres

My SUV has 463 litres
Superb is 625 litres

DaveyDave

I think once you find ones that you like, even if it has a large boot by liters, you'll need to check how usable it is and make sure it doesn't have a huge load lip or narrow opening.

Can't remember what car it was but there was a small hatch with similar/bigger boot to the Golf but the opening was oddly narrow.

Hurrache

Business Cat wrote: »

Ok, I may have to re-evaluate so.

Would there be much more boot space in an average estate vs say a Superb?

A superb is a pretty big car anyway, and I've only ever accessed the boot of a Superb estate.

But estates have other benefits apart from the size, their opening is usually flat, so there's no lip to lift things over to get things in and out of like a boot of a hatchback etc, and they'll be lower than a crossover/SUV so all in all it's much easier to get things in and out of.

eldamo

dont completely rule out the people carriers either,

take a couple for a test drive, they aren't that bad in comparison to ancient old renault espaces (going to sea in an espace)

I wanted a mondeo, my wife pushed me towards the people carriers, amazing boot space, very useable space too. not the worst to drive.

We went for an extremely late model zafira b (must have been hanging around a dealer for years before being registered) and it's been genuinely lovely to drive for the past two years.

I liked the citroen equivalent too but we got an amazing deal on the zafira.

S-max probably worth a look too.

Just try them, my dad drives a lovely subaru jeep (forester) but the boot is unbelievably titchy in comparison to the zafira

Dravokivich

I've been driving Saloons primarily because of the boot space. Don't worry about access for kids seats. I'm 5 10, with a kid nearly 5 years old. And i've never had an issue with it. Just develop a good swing motion and it's fine. You only have to duck you're head in, when buckling them up.

I don't see the appeal in SUVs/Crossovers. They "look" big, but that's about it. They don't really give you anything more.

Currently driving a Saab 93 and the boot is fairly spacious. But volume isn't the only thing to look for. You need to see what way the room inside is shaped, how deep and far back does it stretch. Volume wise it may be enough for 2 buggies, but it may not be practical to use. Consider how much room do you have when the boot opens. As in how big is the doorway. (An acquaintance of mine was caught out once when they bought a car with a big boot, but couldn't use it, because something they wanted to put in, wouldn't fit through the boot doorway). With 2 buggies, and no desire on an estate, I'd advise a saloon with a hatch/liftback boot.

_Brian

At 15k km I’d say your still in petrol territory, at 20k km I’d say your borderline.

Now, if your going for larger SUV then diesel will make more sense as a petrol suv will be expensive to run.

We had a Mondeo for a few years and it proved a good car, very reliable and economical, 2.0 TDci. Changed recently for a 2.0 TDci 140bhp Kuga, which is much nicer to drive and hopefully be as reliable.

RioM

Business Cat wrote: »

Hi.

Due to an expanding family and all the accoutrements that go with that the time is coming to buy a dad car.

Im currently driving a 2010 I30 which I love but in terms of boot space its not practicable.

I really like the likes of the Tuscon or Sportage but the SUV type vehicles are at the higher end of my price range and I would be looking for something that I could get at least 4 or 5 years out of.

Budget would be around €12,000 incl my own.

Looking for a diesel also as I will be doing between 15 and 20k KMPA.

I definitely am not interested in estates or people carrier type vehicles.

Ford Mondeo hatchback. Huge boot and managed to fit two baby seats and a booster in the back.

IrishZeus

Op, was in the same position last year as we travel regularly with kids and need their stuff plus ours. Currently they are 2.5 and 3.5 years old so that includes buggies etc.

We bought a 171 Superb Estate and it is simply brilliant. It swallows everything we need. We’re just back from 2 weeks hols which included taking a large, medium and small suitcase, 2 sets of golf clubs, golf cart and 1 children’s buggy along with a few smaller random bags. Everything fit in the boot with the cover closed

For practicality, they are fantastic. We looked at the SUVs before buying but they are tiny in comparison. (My folks recently bought a Quasqai and having spent time in it, we just simply wouldn’t have been able to make it work)

We’re going to change again next year and it will either be another estate (5-series, A6 or E-class) or something like a Kodiaq if we decide to stick with Skoda. Most likely an estate to be honest and I was never a fan of them before this.

I’d highly recommend you test a few of them before ruling then out. They are the ideal solution for the scenario you are describing.

uck51js9zml2yt

I've an Octavia estate and 2 young kids.
Best car we ever had.
Between buggies and travel costs we never had a space shortage

Philb76

Won't go wrong with an Octavia or superb

Liam McPoyle

Thanks to all who replied. I'll go to a garage and check out the Octavias and Superbs.

Liam McPoyle

A few reviews Ive read have recommended the Peugeot 3008. Ive found a 2015 model at decent money that Im going to view, any opinions?

gudede

I’m currently in the same boat as business cat. Looking to upgrade to a petrol family/dad car as my annual km would only be between 10-12k.

It seems that every car brought between 2014 onwards is either deisel or a non family car. Very frustrating!

Any recommendations? Budget be around €15k, dont want a suv or people carrier.