What new car to buy - €29,500 budget

laurpat wrote: »

Folks,

I'm in the middle of changing car with a budget of €29,500. I have been searching around and have struggled to find anything I'm crazy about. I have thought about the following:

Skoda Superb Ambition 2.0 Diesel 170Bhp

Kia Optima 1.7 Diesel 136Bhp

Nissan Xtrail 1.6 Diesel

I'm coming out of a 132 Octavia (1.6 Diesel). Great car but the older model (had previously a 2.0 Diesel 2011) was a much better drivers car. Torsion beam suspension was a huge step backwards and that 1.6 engine... It's awful.

Ideally, I'd love a VRS but I can't get the figures to work... Any other suggestions guys? I'll be entitled to fleet discount, the car must be new and suitable for two kids.... I've no concerns about residual values.

Why does the car have to be new? There is an amazing choice of car out there with that budget if you don't care too much about the numbers on the reg plate.

I hope to be in the market myself in about a month, what I am going to buy will be my "forever car" as due to my age it will prob be the last car I buy.(,hope it lasts a long time:)). I am seriously looking at the new C4 picasso as the running costs are really good, low emissions, roomy, good mpg and comfortable on a long journey.

I have the Superb Elegance 170, got it last November has almost 70k on the clock and have to say its a great car, great power for overtaking also great mpg and having 3 kids a lot of room. You wont get a better car for the money imo

Stella Virgo wrote: »

well thats a conversation/thread stopper if i ever saw one.....:eek:

Not really. My dad is in the market now too, he's 'only' 72, but being realistic he knows that he's only got about 5 years driving left in him before he has to hang up the keys due to age. His father stopped driving at 75 after a hip replacement.

Sorry for going OT but I see where the other poster is coming from.

You'll be hard pressed to get better value for money then the Superb, alright.

The 3 is nice but would it suit the OPs needs?

ba_barabus wrote: »

I see no reason it wouldn't. Can be gotten in a hatch, lots of power, good handling, very well equipped, looks great etc etc.

The Superb is a huge car but its nothing like a VRS in the handling department if that's what the OP seems to want.

I know the OP mentions "drivers car" - but is it to do with ride or handling he or she doesn't like the new model Octavias rear suspension with the torsion beam????.

A number of reviews ive read suggest that the new Octavia when fitted with torsion beam suspension (not all do - like the VRS or anything above a certain bhp level) have a firm ride.

The Mk 1 and 2 - ime - tend to ride very well - so an owner may well be less then impressed with the new one - if the reviews are correct.

laurpat wrote: »

In fact it's not ugly it's Fugly....

I think the estate is quiet nice if you'd consider that.

smcgiff wrote: »

Extra €5 per month? What's that, €180 total over 3 years?!?

Hand over your licence now! :pac:

I would make your average scot and Cavan man blush. I refuse to pay extra for what is basically my tool box.

The Giulietta isn't any bigger than a Mazda 3.

What about the new Ford Mondeo?

new passat op? you arent far from entry level 3 series money at that stage, they start at 35k ish...

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/volkswagen/passat-saloon/2015-volkswagen-passat-review/1316432

Another vote for the 184hp Leon FR here OP

laurpat wrote: »

What about the space for two kids. I'm strugling with an Skoda Octivia at the minute - Can really manage any smaller....

The back seats are fine, have had baby seats in mine without issue. There's
an estate too that would swallow everything anyway.

My understanding is that with the move the new platform in the last few years - the Mk 7 Golf platform - rear legroom is a lot better then on older Leons/Golfs/Octavias

Mazda have just taken €1,000 off the retail price of the Mazda 6. Exec SE 2.2d now retails at €30,795 + €525 for metallic (or €675 for Soul Red) + Delivery. Should be able to get hold of one of them for €29,500.

Rear seat space is almost as big as the Superb. Boot is very, very deep but hampered a bit by the aperture for larger stuff going in. 150ps engine is a very good engine, and gives pretty good economy. It's also a great looking car, slightly let down by the interior not being quite up to European standards, but it's a big improvement over the cabin of the older model.

There is a facelift in the pipeline, hence them taking money off at the moment, but that won't hit Ireland until July next year. It's mainly (so I'm told) interior changes - will be getting a new infotainment system and more interior storage, which is a good thing as there's no door pockets on the driver/passenger doors.

Based on criteria given, as long as stuff will go in to through the opening of the Saloon boot, it seems like the best solution.

Idbatterim wrote: »

R.O.R even with the 1,000 off, residual wise, unless the facelift is more expensive, the 1k off seems fairly meagre, given that the one out in July, will have better residuals?

I looked at one this week and was told as the price waa dropping by 1000, that the cash discount would also drop by 750 to 1000! Still a nice car and a minor facelift won't change resale value

New Ford Mondeo - should come in at around that; http://www.ford.ie/Cars/NewMondeo

laurpat wrote: »

They seem crazy money for what you get.... Seems very over rated...

There isn't as much commotion over this one compared to the predessor though. Even looking at the Uk boys' review, they aren't exactly over rating it.

captainspeed wrote: »

Ford have really mucked up the prices of the new Mondeo. €36k for a 2.0 TDCi Titanium is mad money for what you're getting.

I also don't like the fact that on the Zetec model, it's nearly €3k more expensive to get a proper sized engine (the 2.0), and there is no saloon option available.

I can't see them shifting too many with the absence of a four door model (really ironic considering this car was designed for the US originally) and the sky high pricing.

Not sure if ford rely on the lease market heavily. There was a time when every salesman on the road and his buddies had a Mondeo. At those prices it goes way over the limit for most that market.

The current car of choice is base A4 (if you get lucky), mid to high spec superb and mid spec insignia. Very few mondeos as the current model is ancient and this will not help. I would have jumped at the new Mazda 6 but the lease price is silly.

When you start reaching 36 for a car, you begin to look further up the chain and ask serious questions. If ford think they are going to compete with the higher end of the market, they are fooling themselves.

Have you looked at the new Passat? The 105bhp 1.6 Tdi has been boosted to 120bhp. The prices haven't gone up from the previous model either. The PCP offerings look good too. Unusually the interest rate on the highline is lower than the trendline and comfortline at 1.9%. There was a VW magazine in Saturdays paper with all the details. The new passat looks very nice.