Bying a family car

[Ollo]

I was all set to sink some money into a 4-5 year old Volvo V70, VW Passat Variant or Saab 9-5 to use as a weekend car for the family and for picking up stuff (needs to be large).

Then a friend of mine pointed me to the new Skoda Octavia and Citroen Xsara. For less money I can get a brand new car, although slightly smaller and not as quick. That seems hard to beat, but there has got to be something I am missing here. Obviously quality is one aspect, but then again these cars are brand new and have full warranties.

Help me out here guys!

tempting Skoda (http://www.skoda-auto.com/global)

[Rallyfan]

Our family car is an Audi 100(year 1992) and i'm a bit suprized that there hasn't been NO problems with the car,although the car has been a taxi before ;)

[richard]

My wife wants a Xsara Picasso, in the UK new they are £10k which seems good value.

Skoda Octavia are used by lots of taxi drivers, which has to mean that they are reliable and good value.


New cars lose a lot of their value in the first year, so l would go for a car that is perhaps 2 years old but low milage (sorry low km ).

And the car l would go for is the Xsara Picasso :trophy: as it is a good family car.

[Florenzo]

Buy a VW Passat from 1975-1980 (i own one from 1977 and it is a very nice car without problems) for your family and a funcar for yourself :D

[Roger]

Interesting topic Ollo ;) I have been considering what to do myself. It seems to me that the options are pretty much as follows:

Buy something a few years old and very cheap (you can get a lot of car for £1000 - £1500 these days). The worry here is that you will probably buy something with electric windows, maybe a/c etc. - so repairs may soon cost as much as the car is worth. That happened to a friend of mine who bought a Laguna with all the extras - silly stuff kept costing a fortune to fix.

Buy something close to new as Richard says - should still have some sort of warranty, but will cost you more. Be much more reliable.

OR - the option I am considering is a new car. My needs are a little different as I need a car I can reply upon as I will move my office soon and will travel further, also will visit more customers by car - so reliability came high on the list.

I took a look at the Nissan Micra ( :OMG: :D - I'm serious!) - pretty roomy inside (I was surprised), very cheap servicing, lots of equipment for quite low money AND as far as I can tell from surveys etc. totally reliable. I am viewing this as something I would probably own for quite some time, so the residual value is less important to me. It will have 3 years warranty. I did look at a recent 2nd hand Micras, but the residual values are quite high compared to new (a good sign) and I can do a really good deal on the new one that is probably a better bet for long term values (A/C, electric sun-roof, intelligent wipers, alloys etc. all thrown in for less than retail). Easier decision for me because the fuel savings over the Alp will be almost half the HP payment and I will probably save most of the rest in running bills.

BTW - I did look at a 2CV (I really want one!), but after driving half way around the country in a couple of days the other week, I decided it would be a stupid idea after all.

[Ollo]

Thanks for all suggestions. Hm, I'll have to look into the Picasso, although its outer appearance doesnt exactly match my view of a nice looking car. But hey, I shouldnt let such considerations stop me - I need to have an open mind :)

I hear the Micra is a safe car these days. Used to be a death trap, if memory serves. It looks nice too :)

[Roger]

Thanks for all suggestions. Hm, I'll have to look into the Picasso, although its outer appearance doesnt exactly match my view of a nice looking car. But hey, I shouldnt let such considerations stop me - I need to have an open mind :)

I hear the Micra is a safe car these days. Used to be a death trap, if memory serves. It looks nice too :)

You know, I never think of safety :confused: - maybe it's because after motorbikes and driving the A110 ANYTHING is going to be safer. I never thought I would hear anyone say the Micra looked nice ;) - I think it's quite funky, but then again I have odd taste :P

[MaartenMLK]

I would say go for anything Japanese if reliability is an issue. I used to drive a Land Rover Discovery 2.5tdi and it was complete and utter rubbish. The gearbox was replaced twice. The gasket blew of it. Ten (10!) times the starter had to be replaced because the car wouldn't stop running, and if it stopped, you couldn't start it for more than a day. Since that day I swore never to buy anything half-British anymore. (sorry guys :mad: ) Now a drive a Nissan Almera, this year I drove it for 65000 km and it only cost me a set of new front tires.
So if you have time and mney, buy a good-looking European car, but if you just want a good reliable car with decent performance, just go Japanese. Did I hear anyone say a good petrol Toyota Camry? The break-version is huge! For a short time I drove a leased Nissan Patrol GR 3.0Di, and in 5d version it is enormous (but no way to park it around town.
So I've come out of the closet, I admit it, I'm an Almera-driver.

[Roger]

I would say go for anything Japanese if reliability is an issue. I used to drive a Land Rover Discovery 2.5tdi and it was complete and utter rubbish. .

Yup, everyone I know who has had a Discovery has had trouble with it. We have a Defender 90 (2.5tdi too :confused: ) - it's great.

[alpine]

I have a 2000 Passat Wagon (Variant?) with 100 000 miles on the car Ollo, it's totaly a love hate relationship...

High Octane gas (91) -very expensive.
Merc like interior build quality
Dismal reliability
Great style
Very expensive to fix
Plenty of power and every concievable option......and so it goes.
I love living with the car- I have a lot of fun etc but in 100 000 miles , lets see-new catylitic converters (2 of them @ $2800)
New radiator,every concievable sensor, both CV Joints, both tie rod ends.
Thats my two cents...

[gram]

For a family I would really consider about safe car ;). I mean I dont think you will be able to afford Mercedes SUV or BMW SUV, but some Toyotas and Nissans are pretty good ;). We have Nissan Pathfinder which is a great car ;).

[richard]

ln defence of the Land Rover (not Discovery ) l would just like to say that for may years l worked in places like Oman, Pakistan, Libya and Somalia, and we always used Land Rovers. ln rough working conditions the life expectancy was 5 years, Land Cruisers etc that we tested never got to see the end of year 3, they just fell apart. However l do agree that if you go any place in the world you will always find a Toyota Land Criser ( full up with local gunmen in the back)
We also used Bedford 4X4 military spec. And MAN 6X6 cargo trucks which basically out lived everything. So its not a case of buying British, but what is best for the job. :P

Japanese saloon cars are very reliable.
My present car is a Peugeot 405 estate diesel :OMG: with 170,000 miles so far. :trophy:

[MaartenMLK]

I don't want to diss Land Rover in total, but with the slightest bit of electronics or sophistication it goes AWOL. So the Defender is a good car, no electronics, nothing to go berserk.
I've had a Golf III for four years (it's still in family possesion) but in 40000 km, i've had to replace the exhaust, some belts and bolts, brakes front and back (I know that's just normal) and power steering (Marcus I feel your pain) And on two occasion it just refused to start in the morning. That never happened to my Nissans...
And if you depend solely on your car as a means of transportation, it's crucial that it starts in the morning, even if it's really cold, especially when it's really cold.
Also I would like to put in a vote for diesel. Today Diesel cars are very, very good. With 16v, turbos with variable geometry and direct injection, they're every bit as good as petrol, and for a lot less fuel. Only the morning rattle you have to live with.

[FunkedUp]

Subaru Legacy, 2.5 GT model if they offer it where you live.

[Imagine]

... took a look at the Nissan Micra ( :OMG: :D - I'm serious!) - pretty roomy inside (I was surprised), very cheap servicing, lots of equipment for quite low money AND as far as I can tell from surveys etc. totally reliable. I am viewing this as something I would probably own for quite some time, so the residual value is less important to me. It will have 3 years warranty. I did look at a recent 2nd hand Micras, but the residual values are quite high compared to new (a good sign) and I can do a really good deal on the new one that is probably a better bet for long term values (A/C, electric sun-roof, intelligent wipers, alloys etc. all thrown in for less than retail). Easier decision for me because the fuel savings over the Alp will be almost half the HP payment and I will probably save most of the rest in running bills.



are you serius :OMG: that is not a family car but i love the shape/design of it ...not the new one-that one looks like a space ship...i love that one in the middle or second edition and i wanted one for my mother but he decided between Fiat punto and that Micra to buy crappy Renault Twingo :(

btw-if i remember corectly John has that first one (Micra)