Is a SUV/Crossover suitable?

toby2111

Wife has a 2008 Avensis,she's done 115,000 miles since Sept 2013 so thats about 21,500 miles per year(34,600km). She does a mixture of motorway,primary and secondary roads so needs a comfortable, strong , reliable car which the Avensis has been. She went looking around some local garages yesterday and she likes SUV/crossover i.e Sportage, ix35, Qashqai. Her budget is about €14,000 and hoping for €2000 as a trade in(2 dealers offered that already)so €16000 in total. So she might be able to get a 2015 with decent mileage. However, she called to an independent car dealer who advised her to stay clear of SUV's as they are not suited to her driving.He recommended a 2 litre diesel like a Skoda Superb. Whats peoples opinions?Anyone here do above average mileage on primary,secondary roads in a SUV?

Renegade Mechanic

toby2111 wrote: »

Wife has a 2008 Avensis,she's done 115,000 miles since Sept 2013 so thats about 21,500 miles per year(34,600km). She does a mixture of motorway,primary and secondary roads so needs a comfortable, strong , reliable car which the Avensis has been. She went looking around some local garages yesterday and she likes SUV/crossover i.e Sportage, ix35, Qashqai. Her budget is about €14,000 and hoping for €2000 as a trade in(2 dealers offered that already)so €16000 in total. So she might be able to get a 2015 with decent mileage. However, she called to an independent car dealer who advised her to stay clear of SUV's as they are not suited to her driving.He recommended a 2 litre diesel like a Skoda Superb. Whats peoples opinions?Anyone here do above average mileage on primary,secondary roads in a SUV?

A diesel crossover will consume more fuel than a diesel car. Well worth looking at are the tyres, a lot of yokes now have them practically painted on. So the thinnest tyres will be the least comfortable across a similar class/value of vehicle, car, crossover or SUV.

Ideally, crossovers would have softer suspension and higher profile tyres, but only some models/specifications have high profile tyres - the rest have "stylish" massive wheel rims and tiny tyres - and most have harder suspension to combat the increased inclination to body-roll.

SUVs go further with comfort by simply having big tyres to go with their big rims and softer suspension - and warning stickers on the sun visor - but none of the vehicles listed are SUVs.
Things like iX-35, Sportage, Qashqai or Duster are all crossovers, regardless of "marketing speak", with the Duster being one of the few vehicles actually able to effectively cross over, at the expense of it's road manners.

SUVs would be more like the Touareg, Range Rover or Pathfinder.

I would perhaps consider - if space and comfort are needed - something like the XC-70 or A4/6 Allroad.

toby2111

Cheers. Not sure her budget would stretch to an XC-70 or A4/6 Allroad. She liked the ix35,Sportage and Qashqai that she saw yesterday but if they don't suit her driving and the roads she'll be on,then we may look at a comfortable diesel saloon. I'm certainly no car expert so thats why I thought I'd ask here.....way more knowledgeable posters here.

Mike9832

I'd be looking at some scrappage deals for a brand new SUV, alot better value than a 4 year old potential lemon

Kona is a nice little car should get a decent spec one for 20k inc scrappage

Hyundai 5 year unlimited mileage warranty is competitive too

toby2111

Mike9832 wrote: »

I'd be looking at some scrappage deals for a brand new SUV, alot better value than a 4 year old potential lemon

Kona is a nice little car should get a decent spec one for 20k inc scrappage

Hyundai 5 year unlimited mileage warranty is competitive too

Simply don't have the cash for a brand new car. Kona looks nice but a bit small. We've 2 young kids also so something a bit roomy,comfortable,reliable around €16k.....if there's even such a thing!

David73

If you want space, an SUV/Crossover won't have anymore room than a medium hatchback.

Want loads of space, get a Skoda Superb

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/152-skoda-superb-1-6-tdi-new-model/20718787

Mike9832

toby2111 wrote: »

Simply don't have the cash for a brand new car. Kona looks nice but a bit small. We've 2 young kids also so something a bit roomy,comfortable,reliable around €16k.....if there's even such a thing!

Dacia Logan diesel is 16k brand new

Not the prettiest, but the 1.5DCI is a solid unit and very efficient, it would be cheap motoring for the next few years

https://www.carzone.ie/new-cars/dacia/LOGAN/15-DCI-90-ECO2-MCV-SIGNATURE/723634820171001

My thinking has always been, buy cheap or buy new, would hate to spend big money and buy a lemon, 4 year old diesel cars from any manufacturer is a risk imo

toby2111

I hear you Mike9832....but she wants a new(used) car,likes the crossover type but will go with a saloon/roomy hatchback if its more suitable. The independent dealer did recommend a Superb and said he's going to try source one for her and get back to her in a few weeks.

David73

Mike9832 wrote: »

Dacia Logan diesel is 16k brand new

Not the prettiest, but the 1.5DCI is a solid unit and very efficient, it would be cheap motoring for the next few years

https://www.carzone.ie/new-cars/dacia/LOGAN/15-DCI-90-ECO2-MCV-SIGNATURE/723634820171001

My thinking has always been, buy cheap or buy new, would hate to spend big money and buy a lemon, 4 year old diesel cars from any manufacturer is a risk imo

The Dacia Logan might be a solid unit but can still be a potential lemon with a dpf. Plus there's little to go wrong with a Dacia because there's little in a Logan. Plus they are not any where near as comfortable as a Mondeo or Superb

toby2111

So,considering the mileage she does,the roads she drives on-would she be better off going for a Superb/Mondeo/Avensis as opposed to a crossover? She likes the crossover but that dealer has got her thinking that a crossover would not be suited to her.

David73

toby2111 wrote: »

So,considering the mileage she does,the roads she drives on-would she be better off going for a Superb/Mondeo/Avensis as opposed to a crossover? She likes the crossover but that dealer has got her thinking that a crossover would not be suited to her.

That's a matter of personal opinion.

An SUV/Crossover will have a higher driving position that many people like. A crossover will likely retain more residual value. Drawback are it will cost more to fuel, tyre change and they are not a drivers car. They don't have the space either like a large family car.

A large family car will be more stable on the road, offer more interior space. It will cost less to fuel in general and drive better. It'll have a lot more leg and boot space than a crossover. They'll like depreciate harder than a crossover.

Have her test drive a Crossover then a large saloon. Does she need the space?

Eric Cartman

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-520d-2013-touring-automatic-high-spec/20799441 - savage spec

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-5-series-520d-se-touring/20539478

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-e220-cdi-7-seater-estate-2011/20900313

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-passat-hl-2-0bmt-d6f-140-5dr-a/20947567

theres some pretty amazing value in estate cars in the 16k (with haggling) bracket. Much better places to be than an ix35 or a tucson.

Eric Cartman

David73 wrote: »

That's a matter of personal opinion.

An SUV/Crossover will have a higher driving position that many people like. A crossover will likely retain more residual value. Drawback are it will cost more to fuel, tyre change and they are not a drivers car. They don't have the space either like a large family car.

A large family car will be more stable on the road, offer more interior space. It will cost less to fuel in general and drive better. It'll have a lot more leg and boot space than a crossover. They'll like depreciate harder than a crossover.

Have her test drive a Crossover then a large saloon. Does she need the space?

OP is talking about a second hand car which will almost certainly be in the 'over 3 years old' bracket, the fast part of depreciation that hits large saloons/estates harder is over, both would continue at a similar rate for a while and then any korean / jap family econo fauxby4 will devalue like a stone in the 10+ year old segment where nobody wants it anymore.

toby2111

Said she doesn't like estate cars!

Eric Cartman

toby2111 wrote: »

Said she doesn't like estate cars!

this is sadly the problem , those fauxby4s are all the rage now, hence overpaying for basically nothing. Estate cars get irrational hate here for some reason. A 5 series/e class saloon will still have a massive boot and the same carrying capacity as a lot of those tall hatchbacks, albeit its a longer flatter loadspace rather than a short tall one.

if shes stuck on that kind of car then this would be my pick, a lot of these are in rag order but this one looks clean enough, the Audi Q5 also is a good bet but finding a clean one is hard.

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/volvo/xc60/used-2012-volvo-xc60-2-0-d3-se-lu-dublin-fpa-201812173313650

David73

She also asked for reliability, that rules out the BMW's!

A 5 series/E class has a far larget boot than the crossovers, only problem is the aperture of the opening of a saloon. That's why a hatchback Superb or Mondeo is more versatile.

Eric Cartman

David73 wrote: »

She also asked for reliability, that rules out the BMW's!

A 5 series/E class has a far larget boot than the crossovers, only problem is the aperture of the opening of a saloon. That's why a hatchback Superb or Mondeo is more versatile.

opinions on bmw aside.... depends on what youre loading, if youre expecting to be changing washing machines every 3 months then yeah the crossover or hatch is better but buggies, suitcases, travel baggage for 4 people , all easy to put in and remove from a saloon.

toby2111

Motor tax and mileage will scare her off that XC60!

Eric Cartman

toby2111 wrote: »

Motor tax and mileage will scare her off!

68,000 miles ? barely broken in. 750 quid in motor tax isnt a lot really.

I think the issue is that if theres a 'desireable' fauxby4 with cheap tax thats reliable, its stupidly overpriced and not a chance in budget. If she still wants the high driving but willing to sacrifice reliability and desireability you can end up with something like a dacia or ssanyong or bog spec hyundai for the budget but you'll regret every second of owning it, irish people being afraid of tax is a great way to buy a used car here, pay 250 quid more a year ( 1250 total for the 5 years youd maybe own it ) and save 5k or so not paying over the odds for a 'cheap tax' tin can, and you get to drive a better car.

David73

Eric Cartman wrote: »

68,000 miles ? barely broken in. 750 quid in motor tax isnt a lot really.

I think the issue is that if theres a 'desireable' fauxby4 with cheap tax thats reliable, its stupidly overpriced and not a chance in budget. If she still wants the high driving but willing to sacrifice reliability and desireability you can end up with something like a dacia or ssanyong or bog spec hyundai for the budget but you'll regret every second of owning it, irish people being afraid of tax is a great way to buy a used car here, pay 250 quid more a year ( 1250 total for the 5 years youd maybe own it ) and save 5k or so not paying over the odds for a 'cheap tax' tin can, and you get to drive a better car.

Ah here!

I'd rather be in a Dacia or Hyundai than pissing my pants driving a BMW 520d listening for stretched chains in a 5 series or dpf or flywheel issues.

750e is a lot in anyones pockets and nobody will want that car in a few years as the norm will be 200 euro tax. Mercs and BMWs are all 200 odd to tax theses days.

Eric Cartman

David73 wrote: »

Ah here!

I'd rather be in a Dacia or Hyundai than pissing my pants driving a BMW 520d listening for stretched chains in a 5 series or dpf or flywheel issues.

750e is a lot in anyones pockets and nobody will want that car in a few years as the norm will be 200 euro tax. Mercs and BMWs are all 200 odd to tax theses days.

we get it , you don't like bmw's , the N47 engine timing chain had an issue, lets all clap and get past that.

cars that are actually nice places to be, on top of all the things op wants, with 200 quid tax arent 16k though.

Your post complained about dpf's , how do you think the emissions based tax band was brought that low ?

Pkiernan

David73 wrote: »

Ah here!

I'd rather be in a Dacia....

Friends don't let friends drive Dacias....

toby2111

Yeh,I think an SUV like that would be wasted on her,she's not into cars,neither am I. Had a look on usedcarsni and theres a
2015 Superb,Mondeo and Avensis possibly within her budget.....which would you guys recommend? From a comfort,reliability and resale point of view.....

Eric Cartman

toby2111 wrote: »

Yeh,I think an SUV like that would be wasted on her,she's not into cars,neither am I. Had a look on usedcarsni and theres a
2015 Superb,Mondeo and Avensis possibly within her budget.....which would you guys recommend? From a comfort,reliability and resale point of view.....

the superb every day of the week, its the most spacious and most well equipped and easiest found with options, try find an elegance or an L&K model for all the toys and comfort.

David73

Eric Cartman wrote: »

we get it , you don't like bmw's , the N47 engine timing chain had an issue, lets all clap and get past that.

cars that are actually nice places to be, on top of all the things op wants, with 200 quid tax arent 16k though.

Your post complained about dpf's , how do you think the emissions based tax band was brought that low ?

I actually like BMW's, not their reliability.

I just wouldn't recommend a BMW or Mer or Audi if someone wants something reliable and economical to own.

I had a 520 and a 118d

David73

toby2111 wrote: »

Yeh,I think an SUV like that would be wasted on her,she's not into cars,neither am I. Had a look on usedcarsni and theres a
2015 Superb,Mondeo and Avensis possibly within her budget.....which would you guys recommend? From a comfort,reliability and resale point of view.....

Superb and Mondeo are nice cars

Would she consider an Octavia? It's smaller than the massive Superb but still a good size.

toby2111

Eric Cartman wrote: »

the superb every day of the week, its the most spacious and most well equipped and easiest found with options, try find an elegance or an L&K model for all the toys and comfort.

Its an SE Greenline III, 1.6 diesel not the 2 litre though.....still a good punt?

David73

toby2111 wrote: »

Its an SE Greenline III, 1.6 diesel not the 2 litre though.....still a good punt?

Any link?

the 1.6 tdi is sluggish for a big car.

What about the Octavia?

Eric Cartman

toby2111 wrote: »

Its an SE Greenline III, 1.6 diesel not the 2 litre though.....still a good punt?

I know youre not car people but i think that 1.6 is just a depressing engine to have in a car that big, wouldnt fancy driving it across the country fully loaded with luggage. theres a load of them up with the 2 litre and the options on them, the first link there is the top spec l&k and from a dealer.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-superb-laurin-klement-2-0-tdi-170hp-4dr/20786216

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-superb-2-0tdi-cr-elegance-black/19465208

toby2111

Superb- https://www.usedcarsni.com/2015-Skoda-Superb-Se-Greenline-Iii-T-lOW-LOW-MILES-ON-THIS-SUPERB-219930089?keywords=&make=28&model=1960&fuel_type=2&trans_type=0&age_from=2015&age_to=0&price_from=0&price_to=12000&user_type=0&mileage_to=30000&location%5B%5D=0&homepage_search_attr=1&tab_id=0&search_type=1&car_class=

Mondeo- https://www.usedcarsni.com/2015-Ford-Mondeo-Zetec-ECOnetic-207839752?keywords=&make=7&model=929&fuel_type=2&trans_type=0&age_from=2015&age_to=0&price_from=0&price_to=12000&user_type=0&mileage_to=30000&location%5B%5D=0&homepage_search_attr=1&tab_id=0&search_type=1&car_class=

Avensis- https://www.usedcarsni.com/2016-Toyota-Avensis-1-6-D-4D-BUSINESS-EDITION-4d-110-BHP-REVERSE-CAMERA-SAT-NAV-237998270?keywords=&make=30&model=1248&fuel_type=2&trans_type=0&age_from=2015&age_to=0&price_from=0&price_to=12000&user_type=0&mileage_to=30000&location%5B%5D=0&homepage_search_attr=1&tab_id=0&search_type=1&car_class=

Mike9832

Whats wrong with your current Avensis anyway?

Eric Cartman

https://www.usedcarsni.com/2015-Skoda-Superb-ELEGANCE-TDI-CR-237580390?search_type=1&make=28&fuel_type=2&age_from=2014&price_from=0&user_type=0&model=1960&trans_type=0&age_to=0&price_to=14000&mileage_to=0&keywords=elegance&location%5B%5D=0&car_class=

David73

Mike9832 wrote: »

Whats wrong with your current Avensis anyway?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-avensis-05/21010295

toby2111

Mike9832 wrote: »

Whats wrong with your current Avensis anyway?

Its 2008,has 121,000 miles on it.Mechanic who services our cars said its probably gonna start acting up more and more now.She does big enough mileage so she's looking around to get a new(used) one.

David73

Is the Superb too big for a woman to drive?

Ray Bloody Purchase

David73 wrote: »

Is the Superb too big for a woman to drive?

Why would it be too big for a woman?

AMKC

The Kia Sportage is a very good car. The 15 model one is very well equipped too. It comes with leather seats, nice alloys, cruise control, fogs, DRL's etc and they are very reliable and economical too. They are better and nicer inside than the IX35 too but the IX35 does have a bit of style just not as nice inside. They are plenty roomy inside too. Don't let anyone else decide check it out and decide for yourself. No worse than a hatchback just a bit higher that's all.

AMKC

David73 wrote: »

Is the Superb too big for a woman to drive?

No. That's a stupid question and you know it.