£23k-ish; “interesting-looking” family car
Discussion
Evening all,
If I had any hair left, I’d have torn it out trying to find a new car for Mrs S…
Back story: she had a 2019 Mini Cooper S (3 door) until October, when she decided to make the most of the positive equity she’d accrued thanks to high used prices, and opted to get something less painful to travel in as a 3 (us two + baby). She test drove:
- Skoda Superbs of various guises: too dull; not interesting enough to look at.
- Alfa Giulia Veloce: loved this and it looked the business. She decided against it, as she’s a technophile, and lack of CarPlay was an issue, as well as the relatively cramped rear and boot opening.
- Volvo S60: she loved the gadgetry and the interior. In fact, she saw it as the perfect fit and bought it.
6 months down the line, she’s really gone off the Volvo. It’s tedious to drive (it really is: the gearbox is appalling), and when giving it a thorough clean today, she found lots of scratches etc, which weren’t sorted by the dealer (allegedly). She also can’t get on with the infotainment.
I have an X350 XJ8 for family duties, and a Tuscan for fun, so we could use the XJ8 for family trips away.
So… some research suggests she could get £23k or so from some of the car buyers. She paid £26k for it 6 months ago, but is happy to write off the loss to move on to something more interesting.
Criteria are:
Necessities:
- at least 4 doors and at least 4 seats
- interesting to look at/be in (whatever that means…)
- fewer than 40k miles
- boot big enough to hold a pram and other paraphernalia (that’s why the Mini had to go)
- less than 5 years old
- 0-60 in 8 seconds or less
- cruise control
- petrol
Desirables:
- automatic
- ambient lighting
- Apple CarPlay
- leather seat
So far we’ve looked at:
- Jaguar XE (boot opening too small)
- Jaguar XF (saloon and estate) (nearly all in resale black/black, so not interesting enough)
- BMW 4 series gran coupé (not interesting looking enough)
Her stated dream car is a current generation 3 series estate, but they’re very over budget…
Over to you PHers! Links to ads (ideally within 100 miles of Manchester) would be gratefully received.
Well done if you managed to read through all that…
If I had any hair left, I’d have torn it out trying to find a new car for Mrs S…
Back story: she had a 2019 Mini Cooper S (3 door) until October, when she decided to make the most of the positive equity she’d accrued thanks to high used prices, and opted to get something less painful to travel in as a 3 (us two + baby). She test drove:
- Skoda Superbs of various guises: too dull; not interesting enough to look at.
- Alfa Giulia Veloce: loved this and it looked the business. She decided against it, as she’s a technophile, and lack of CarPlay was an issue, as well as the relatively cramped rear and boot opening.
- Volvo S60: she loved the gadgetry and the interior. In fact, she saw it as the perfect fit and bought it.
6 months down the line, she’s really gone off the Volvo. It’s tedious to drive (it really is: the gearbox is appalling), and when giving it a thorough clean today, she found lots of scratches etc, which weren’t sorted by the dealer (allegedly). She also can’t get on with the infotainment.
I have an X350 XJ8 for family duties, and a Tuscan for fun, so we could use the XJ8 for family trips away.
So… some research suggests she could get £23k or so from some of the car buyers. She paid £26k for it 6 months ago, but is happy to write off the loss to move on to something more interesting.
Criteria are:
Necessities:
- at least 4 doors and at least 4 seats
- interesting to look at/be in (whatever that means…)
- fewer than 40k miles
- boot big enough to hold a pram and other paraphernalia (that’s why the Mini had to go)
- less than 5 years old
- 0-60 in 8 seconds or less
- cruise control
- petrol
Desirables:
- automatic
- ambient lighting
- Apple CarPlay
- leather seat
So far we’ve looked at:
- Jaguar XE (boot opening too small)
- Jaguar XF (saloon and estate) (nearly all in resale black/black, so not interesting enough)
- BMW 4 series gran coupé (not interesting looking enough)
Her stated dream car is a current generation 3 series estate, but they’re very over budget…
Over to you PHers! Links to ads (ideally within 100 miles of Manchester) would be gratefully received.
Well done if you managed to read through all that…
Edited by bobsavage789 on Wednesday 20th April 21:23
Shame she's not got on with the Volvo. I went from an XF saloon to a V90 and now an XC60 I'd agree over the gearbox the XF was the better drivers car but was inferior in pretty much every other way I can think of to the Volvo's and at the end of the day I wanted a comfortable family wagon capable of ferrying the 4 of us round and gladly a decreasing amount of baby paraphernalia.
The XF was a funny one. Externally it looks really big but the boot I found pretty small with the openning impractical. Rear space was also pretty poor, a pre requisite for me now is something I can have the seat right back in while having space for a child seat behind with leg room.
If you're looking at the XF I'd concentrate on the estate.
The XF was a funny one. Externally it looks really big but the boot I found pretty small with the openning impractical. Rear space was also pretty poor, a pre requisite for me now is something I can have the seat right back in while having space for a child seat behind with leg room.
If you're looking at the XF I'd concentrate on the estate.
Evening.
How about an Audi A4 Avant?
There’s one here with decent spec, 2019 diesel auto, 30k miles.
Audi A4 Avant
2019 (68 reg)
2.0 TDI 35 Sport S Tronic (s/s) 5dr
£22,790
https://www.riversidemotors.co.uk/used-cars/140512...
……
We’ve had quite a few used & new Mercs but never again due to shoddy build quality and issues, our daily drivers are now Audis and Mrs loves her Q5 which is also good for transporting kids etc…
How about an Audi A4 Avant?
There’s one here with decent spec, 2019 diesel auto, 30k miles.
Audi A4 Avant
2019 (68 reg)
2.0 TDI 35 Sport S Tronic (s/s) 5dr
£22,790
https://www.riversidemotors.co.uk/used-cars/140512...
……
We’ve had quite a few used & new Mercs but never again due to shoddy build quality and issues, our daily drivers are now Audis and Mrs loves her Q5 which is also good for transporting kids etc…
a311 said:
Shame she's not got on with the Volvo. I went from an XF saloon to a V90 and now an XC60 I'd agree over the gearbox the XF was the better drivers car but was inferior in pretty much every other way I can think of to the Volvo's and at the end of the day I wanted a comfortable family wagon capable of ferrying the 4 of us round and gladly a decreasing amount of baby paraphernalia.
The XF was a funny one. Externally it looks really big but the boot I found pretty small with the openning impractical. Rear space was also pretty poor, a pre requisite for me now is something I can have the seat right back in while having space for a child seat behind with leg room.
If you're looking at the XF I'd concentrate on the estate.
Thanks: that’s useful to know. For some reason they nearly all seem to be in the rather uninspiring ‘portfolio’ trim.The XF was a funny one. Externally it looks really big but the boot I found pretty small with the openning impractical. Rear space was also pretty poor, a pre requisite for me now is something I can have the seat right back in while having space for a child seat behind with leg room.
If you're looking at the XF I'd concentrate on the estate.
RedLightGreenLight said:
Evening.
How about an Audi A4 Avant?
There’s one here with decent spec, 2019 diesel auto, 30k miles.
Audi A4 Avant
2019 (68 reg)
2.0 TDI 35 Sport S Tronic (s/s) 5dr
£22,790
https://www.riversidemotors.co.uk/used-cars/140512...
……
We’ve had quite a few used & new Mercs but never again due to shoddy build quality and issues, our daily drivers are now Audis and Mrs loves her Q5 which is also good for transporting kids etc…
Thanks, but I’d forgotten to mention that it needs to be petrol; original post is now edited.How about an Audi A4 Avant?
There’s one here with decent spec, 2019 diesel auto, 30k miles.
Audi A4 Avant
2019 (68 reg)
2.0 TDI 35 Sport S Tronic (s/s) 5dr
£22,790
https://www.riversidemotors.co.uk/used-cars/140512...
……
We’ve had quite a few used & new Mercs but never again due to shoddy build quality and issues, our daily drivers are now Audis and Mrs loves her Q5 which is also good for transporting kids etc…
bobsavage789 said:
Thanks: that’s useful to know. For some reason they nearly all seem to be in the rather uninspiring ‘portfolio’ trim.
I'm sure is will be age dependant and the Jags have maybe had an update the infotainment on the XF I had felt dated. The Volvo system is a bit marmite. Like I say on the saloon the opening is quite narrow and your Mrs would have to lift something like a buggy quite high to get it in the boot and wrestle with it to slide it in. When we still had a pram it was a squeeze to get the wheels in and then the seat section you'd be knackered trying to get shopping in etc too for example.Saloons of any variety just aren't hugely practical I guess. After my recent holiday hire car which was an over sized Berlingo type things the practicalities of sliding doors, and a boot that you could put the buggy in without having to collapse and having room to spare is appealing to me, but wouldn't meet most people's definition of 'nice looking'
CLS400 in knutsford https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202082...
Good spec, you'd have to fit carplay though
Good spec, you'd have to fit carplay though
bobsavage789 said:
Evening all,
If I had any hair left, I’d have torn it out trying to find a new car for Mrs S…
Back story: she had a 2019 Mini Cooper S (3 door) until October, when she decided to make the most of the positive equity she’d accrued thanks to high used prices, and opted to get something less painful to travel in as a 3 (us two + baby). She test drove:
- Skoda Superbs of various guises: too dull; not interesting enough to look at.
- Alfa Giulia Veloce: loved this and it looked the business. She decided against it, as she’s a technophile, and lack of CarPlay was an issue, as well as the relatively cramped rear and boot opening.
- Volvo S60: she loved the gadgetry and the interior. In fact, she saw it as the perfect fit and bought it.
6 months down the line, she’s really gone off the Volvo. It’s tedious to drive (it really is: the gearbox is appalling), and when giving it a thorough clean today, she found lots of scratches etc, which weren’t sorted by the dealer (allegedly). She also can’t get on with the infotainment.
I have an X350 XJ8 for family duties, and a Tuscan for fun, so we could use the XJ8 for family trips away.
So… some research suggests she could get £23k or so from some of the car buyers. She paid £26k for it 6 months ago, but is happy to write off the loss to move on to something more interesting.
Criteria are:
Necessities:
- at least 4 doors and at least 4 seats
- interesting to look at/be in (whatever that means…)
- fewer than 40k miles
- boot big enough to hold a pram and other paraphernalia (that’s why the Mini had to go)
- less than 5 years old
- 0-60 in 8 seconds or less
- cruise control
- petrol
Desirables:
- automatic
- ambient lighting
- Apple CarPlay
- leather seat
So far we’ve looked at:
- Jaguar XE (boot opening too small)
- Jaguar XF (saloon and estate) (nearly all in resale black/black, so not interesting enough)
- BMW 4 series gran coupé (not interesting looking enough)
Her stated dream car is a current generation 3 series estate, but they’re very over budget…
Over to you PHers! Links to ads (ideally within 100 miles of Manchester) would be gratefully received.
Well done if you managed to read through all that…
I was in very similar situation If I had any hair left, I’d have torn it out trying to find a new car for Mrs S…
Back story: she had a 2019 Mini Cooper S (3 door) until October, when she decided to make the most of the positive equity she’d accrued thanks to high used prices, and opted to get something less painful to travel in as a 3 (us two + baby). She test drove:
- Skoda Superbs of various guises: too dull; not interesting enough to look at.
- Alfa Giulia Veloce: loved this and it looked the business. She decided against it, as she’s a technophile, and lack of CarPlay was an issue, as well as the relatively cramped rear and boot opening.
- Volvo S60: she loved the gadgetry and the interior. In fact, she saw it as the perfect fit and bought it.
6 months down the line, she’s really gone off the Volvo. It’s tedious to drive (it really is: the gearbox is appalling), and when giving it a thorough clean today, she found lots of scratches etc, which weren’t sorted by the dealer (allegedly). She also can’t get on with the infotainment.
I have an X350 XJ8 for family duties, and a Tuscan for fun, so we could use the XJ8 for family trips away.
So… some research suggests she could get £23k or so from some of the car buyers. She paid £26k for it 6 months ago, but is happy to write off the loss to move on to something more interesting.
Criteria are:
Necessities:
- at least 4 doors and at least 4 seats
- interesting to look at/be in (whatever that means…)
- fewer than 40k miles
- boot big enough to hold a pram and other paraphernalia (that’s why the Mini had to go)
- less than 5 years old
- 0-60 in 8 seconds or less
- cruise control
- petrol
Desirables:
- automatic
- ambient lighting
- Apple CarPlay
- leather seat
So far we’ve looked at:
- Jaguar XE (boot opening too small)
- Jaguar XF (saloon and estate) (nearly all in resale black/black, so not interesting enough)
- BMW 4 series gran coupé (not interesting looking enough)
Her stated dream car is a current generation 3 series estate, but they’re very over budget…
Over to you PHers! Links to ads (ideally within 100 miles of Manchester) would be gratefully received.
Well done if you managed to read through all that…
Edited by bobsavage789 on Wednesday 20th April 21:23
Have a F57 need to swap for something fit for 2 adults + 1 toddler and pram with similar budget
I test Giulia, XE, Superb, Arteon, IS300h, and 508 so far
I used to own V60 and F36 4 series GC, not going back. V60 was so terrible in cornering, and F36 inside feel quite fate now
Currently I am leaning toward 508 GT, very
good looking inside and outside, feel quite sporty to driver, the liftback boot is quite practical, the backseat are as roomy as other rival but enough for me.
The Arteon is quick and quite good looking as well but the interior very VW very German
IS300h feel the most premium inside even it is about the same age as F36. The CVT is terrible, and if you step on it you lose the good mpg
Want to test the Q50 but no dealer in my area and I doubt many used dealer would let me test drive without dropping a deposit
OP I was in a similar situation to yourself , similar criteria, massive pram to be carried etc.
I ended up with a VW Arteron BiTDi 4 Motion.
There are 1.5 and a couple of 2.0 petrols that would get in your criteria.
If you can, stretch to R Line trim.
DCC is fantastic if you can find one with it - nice and wafty when cruising around with the child, ultra sport setting when heading up the back roads.
The advanced cruise is an option worth looking at as well for traffic jams. Set your limit and let the car drive itself in stop/start traffic/crawls.
I ended up with a VW Arteron BiTDi 4 Motion.
There are 1.5 and a couple of 2.0 petrols that would get in your criteria.
If you can, stretch to R Line trim.
DCC is fantastic if you can find one with it - nice and wafty when cruising around with the child, ultra sport setting when heading up the back roads.
The advanced cruise is an option worth looking at as well for traffic jams. Set your limit and let the car drive itself in stop/start traffic/crawls.
Tinkermantony said:
Audi A5 sportback in 2.0tfsi 252bhp configuration.
Looks good inside and out, quick to 60 and has a big boot. Mpg may be mediocre.
Came here to say this! The boot on the A5 is pretty big and the fact its not a saloon means it’s usable too. It’s as interesting as an Audi is ever going to be, but given the criteria ‘interesting’ may be at best ‘not an obvious family wagon’.Looks good inside and out, quick to 60 and has a big boot. Mpg may be mediocre.
Many thanks for all the replies thus far. To clarify/respond to a few things:
- I forgot to mention that we’d also gone to sit in a 508 SW, and the build quality was just so disappointing that we didn’t even bother to test drive.
- That shape of CLS (especially in estate form) is lovely, but no diesels, and it’s a bit too old for her.
- I think the Q50 would be an excellent option, especially with reliability and the power on offer in the 3L TT guise. Other half remains indifferent though…
- I’m sure there are many very happy Audi A5 owners, but I drove one (with the 252hp petrol) fairly recently and I thought it felt like a computer game: absolutely no connection between the controls and the road IMO.
In other developments, I’m told BMW’s estoril blue counts as “interesting”, which means a 4 series GC is once again in the running… I’ve also found a Stelvio with the Veloce engine within a good haggle of budget, which could also be a goer.
- I forgot to mention that we’d also gone to sit in a 508 SW, and the build quality was just so disappointing that we didn’t even bother to test drive.
- That shape of CLS (especially in estate form) is lovely, but no diesels, and it’s a bit too old for her.
- I think the Q50 would be an excellent option, especially with reliability and the power on offer in the 3L TT guise. Other half remains indifferent though…
- I’m sure there are many very happy Audi A5 owners, but I drove one (with the 252hp petrol) fairly recently and I thought it felt like a computer game: absolutely no connection between the controls and the road IMO.
In other developments, I’m told BMW’s estoril blue counts as “interesting”, which means a 4 series GC is once again in the running… I’ve also found a Stelvio with the Veloce engine within a good haggle of budget, which could also be a goer.
I'd go for the Giulia as someone has already pointed out adding CarPlay on a 17 model is only £300
18 Models you'll also benefit from them still having a years worth of warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204134...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202142...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204084...
18 Models you'll also benefit from them still having a years worth of warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204134...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202142...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204084...
My wife, in a similar position, chose a lightly used top spec Mazda6 2 years ago in soul red. It seems to tick pretty much all of your boxes, looks great (although the paint is a little thin), and is not a bad drive at all. I would have probably chosen a V60 T5 actually but she decided she preferred the Mazda and a holiday, and it's worked out well.
Otherwise, Golf R touring?
Otherwise, Golf R touring?
Spec seems to go with Golf R Estate? Probably a 7.5 like this one?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204204...
Almost matches the mileage criteria.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204204...
Almost matches the mileage criteria.
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