Thetownend.com

Hello.

You look very nice today.

I need a bit of help - I'm trying to help a family member who knows nothing about cars purchase a new one.  However, I don't know much more than they do.

Budget: 10-14k (ish)

Car: Automatic, 5 dr hatchback, ideally bigger than the supermini - contenders so far include the Nissan Note and the Honda Jazz.  Are there any real winners in this range?

All advice gratefully received.

does it have to be an automatic?
shite fuel economy and something else to go wrong.i hate them

Personally I agree, but they need an auto due to a physical condition.

i see.
i reckon the best idea is to shortlist a few, then test drive them

We've already booked test drives on the Jazz and the Note, thinking about the Skoda Fabia as well.  Just was wondering, as I was idling about on here, if anyone has bought something similar recently and is pleased with the deal they got?

http://www.parkers.co.uk/choose/wizard.aspx

Mazda 3, Peugeot 207?

I dont know much about cars but blue ones are nice.

Avoid French cars.

New Vauxhall Astra is a very good car and Vauxhalls are very reliable.

Can't go wrong with Honda's either.

Personaly, if I was buying a family hatchback I'd get VW Golf. German build quality is leagues ahead of anything else.

For £14,000 you could pick up a very nice low mileage Golf.

What Car gives it 5 stars...

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/volkswagen/golf-hatchback/summary/25456-5

Some examples .....

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/volkswagen/golf/postcode/ox75lq/radius/1501/sort/priceasc/price-from/10000/maximum-age/up_to_1_year_old/price-to/14000/transmission/automatic

Go for a Skoda. German build quality (They're owned by VW) and much cheaper.

Agreed. Good cars.














I'm a badge snob though :D

Cheers guys, I'll look into the Astra and Skoda options.

father in law is quite restricted in movement and has a Toyota Yaris, you can have it fully auto, or use the gear stick or use the paddles - he seems to like it

Someone said to avoid French cars, but I don't necessarily agree. I was thinking at one stage of getting a Renault Modus as a second car. I have a Renault Grand Scenic, which in its class, is cheap to run and maintain. It is comfortable, has been reliable and problem free for the last 3 years (touch wood!). Its also got alot of little extras thrown in - Especialy as I bought it from a reputable internet dealer. 

The Modus the same car as the Nisan Note (like a Ford Galaxy is the same as a VW Sharan). Renaults are cheap to run (w/r/t insurance, tax and fuel consumption). I read some road tests on line and they commented upon the car's durability.

However, in the end, I decided to go for a Suzuki Swift - basically because I saw 100s of them in Aus and NZ when I went on holiday. I thought they looked nice and when I went for a test drive in a diesel version I thought it was really nice to drive. I've been very pleasantly surprised at how good it is. If I were to change it and wanted something slightly bigger, I would possibly go for a Suzuki Splash - The only thing that puts me off the Splash is a poxy rev counter or something plonked on top of the dashboard.

Bottomline is that cars are very much an individual taste. Some people go for looks, some for size, some because of family or personal neeeds, some for economic reasons and some just for initial cost. If you are considering some specific ones, go on Ask Jeeves and type 'Car name review'. I'm sure that you'll find loads of info and also alternatives too.

Going off at a tagent it amazes me that people buy Foreign built cars. Food from Holland & Denmark, Cars from France, Water from France, etc etc. These people then complain when they lose their jobs. A good example is the Car worker who loses his job, & then goes down the supermarket & buys Danish bacon. Or the farmer who complains about people buying Irish Beef, French Cheese, or Dutch Pork yet drives around in a John Deere Tractor.
I would suggest that the first Port of call be Honda.

The Nissan Note just oozes "I don't give a fuck how big a prick I look"...  look at Seat, the Altea and Leon - part of the big Audi group so you get German reliability at Spanish prices.  My mum owns an Ibiza which has been superb....

What's wrong the French cars?  I drive a Renault Twingo GT, had it for 18 months, couldn't be happier with it!   :D

It's French !

French cars are generally poorly built with cheap plastics and the electrics are also very prone to fucking up.

As Phil said Honda are good but if it was me buying, get a Golf.

The electrics achilles heel was solved when Renault got into bed with Nissan.....

Make sure its got alloys though.

Wheel trims get nicked.

Just ask Luci.

If you want to spend 2 grand more for a car that whilst it has a lovely build quality, making a lovely reassuring thunk when you shut the door, consistently scores really fucking badly for relaibility in the Which and What car drivers surveys.

If you want something that's reliable go Jap. Mind you the new Ford's are nice. The latest Fiesta is bigger than the last one, not far off the size of the old model Focus, but perhaps a bit overpriced.

For a someone who isn't too up themselves about car image I'd think abou the Kia Cee'd. I've never seen a bad review of the car, they score well for reliability and come with a 7 year warranty.

I'm tempted to run a sweepstake on how long the new ones last.

all cars are pretty good nowadays. you dont have to pay top end prices to get a decent car.

Where was your computer made ?

The new shape Corsa quite big inside, with a range of engine sizes.
Not sure about the Transmission though.

I very nearly invested in one, good equipment for the price and decent 100,000/7 year warranty.

But then 2 son came along and the boot isn't big enough for a push chair and other baby stuff!

I've heard the Jazz recommended by a lot of people, but not specifically automatics .