Have you considered an MX-5?
TZ collective, I need some advice
We are a 1 car family of 4, it's a VW Tiguan and it's been great. It's my wife's company car and I just don't need my own car (tried it last year and it just sat there)
My Mrs is going to do her pgce so we will be buying a car outright. We might change it when she is back in work but if there is no need to then we won't.
The kids are a little older now so we don't need the boot space we used to and school car parks are small so something smaller would suit.
So requirements
- 16k to spend
- ideally 18 plate onwards
- ideally under £16k
- petrol preferred
- manual preferred
- must be 5 doors
- boot big enough for a family big shop
- must have Android auto
I'd gone vanilla and though we needed a little crossover and narrowed it down to a Mazda cx-3 or a seat arona. Driven the Mazda and it was nice.
However, a hatchback would do or something i haven't thought of.
Any opinions on the ones mentioned or any suggestions welcome.
Have you considered an MX-5?
As mentioned the CX5 is a good option. But a car which also fits the bill very well and should get you a nearly new example is the Dacia Duster. They are a lot of car for the money, get good reviews and use tried and tested Renault mechanicals and underpinnings, plus would still be in Warranty. Might even get you a brand new Dacia Jogger too. Both worth a look.
I had a new shape Honda Civic and thought it was great
I have a 67 plate Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 petrol manual which is an excellent car with an awesome boot and practicality despite the modest foot print. I don't think you could get it with android auto though...
Also I will be selling it in a few months but if you are "up north" then Devon might not be practical for you!
I have owned a CX3 for four years...a 2.0 Sport Nav on a late 17 plate and put 40000 miles on it with only one small fault...the folding electric mirror are prone to stop working due to water ingress(Mazda will honour these out of warranty).
I don't think you can go wrong with the kit as i love the HUD heated seats steering wheel Bose reversing camera etc.
It dosen't come with Android Auto but it is a dealer fit at Mazda for £350 so bear in mind.
My mother liked mine so much she bought one a 19 plate with slightly better sound insulation...front parking sensors and electronic handbrake.
The boot is a little small but if you have looked then you will know.
It rides well on 18 alloys and i have averaged over 40mpg with mixed driving in that time.
The gearbox is the best in it's class as it is like the MX5(also owned one at the same time)
Would have bought a Mazda CX30 to replace it but as per the previous thread today about life being too short and which car i am 60 in January with health issues so i have bought a 3 year old Golf R(think the R stands for responsible)
Any more questions ask away.
If your budgets will stretch to it then Sport Nav Plus is the one.
None of the CX3's even the last came with Android Auto as standard and the way to tell if it's fitted is that one of the two USB ports in the centre console will have white markings.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...cation=at_cars
Thanks for the heads up. I've spent a few tedious session looking for the mark next to usb points.
The one in the link has it and looks to be a decent buy
I have owned two Renaults and mechanically they were far superior to any Audi, VW or BMW I have owned, some minor electrical issues was all they suffered, but good cars generally and the main point was to get a new/nearly new car with a warranty so it makes it a safe bet for several years.
A qashqai ? The wife loved hers putting 100k on it in 3 years, not a single issue.
Plenty of toys on them as well.
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looking at cx-3's myself though the 150ps awd version - theres not as many about though, if the boot is big enough i'd say its the best looking small suv out there atm.
if you are not bothered about an suv then give a seat leon a look, the 1.8 petrol version comes with 180ps and loads of tech and you will get one the same yr/price as the mazda.
A Class Mercedes. A lovely underrated car, overshadowed by everything else Mercedes do.
Agree, we have owned a multitude of French cars and never had a problem with them. We have two French cars atm and both are super reliable (plus a motorhome with a Peugeot engine), economical and still look and perform great after a combined 60k. Our Merc however has just thrown up a load of fault lights which isn't going to be cheap to sort. French engines are used in a huge amount of vehicles the world over. I think that those who jump on the bandwagon and criticise French autos probably know very little about cars.
The 2.0 lites petrol engine suits the CX-3 well - loads of torque for an easy, relaxing drive.
Haven’t Mitsubishi withdrawn from the UK market? Might make servicing tricky in the future and lower the residual values going forward.
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Toyota Yaris 5-door with should be doable for under £16,000 on a 2018 plate. If you go for hybrid power for the cost savings on short runs it has to be a CVT automatic.
Last edited by J J Carter; 30th April 2022 at 18:19.
We have the mk10 Honda Civic with carplay 1ltr turbo and it’s a cracking wee car, worse I can say about it is 1st gear is slightly short.
I believe that the jazz and hr-v also share the same infotainment unit.
Also consider if not to small then £16k gets you into a new Toyota Aygo, or a 2018 on Yaris