SAFE hatchback/suv for under £3500 ish...

[Johnfj]

I will be travelling up the motorway once or twice a week and wanted a cheapish hatchback/suv that of course will be reliable ( if any cheap motor is .. ) but also feel safe and solid on the motorway

Amended: PETROL not DIESEL

I have narrowed the list to the following ( purely on price and what seems reviews on autoloader )

Hyundai I30

Ford Focus

Chevrolet cruze

Honda civic

Kia proceed

Mazda 2 and Mazda 3

Dacia Sandero / Duster

I expect different answers but just interested what people think.. thanks

Edited by Johnfj on Tuesday 7th June 09:58

[mikeyr]

How far is your commute John? If long I'd be tempted by an auto but they are thinner on the ground.

Don't think a Duster is feasible - any Duster near your price range will have high mileage so is a no go. Sandero seems a nice little car.

[Johnfj]

Thanks

Happy with an auto but when I have looked on this forum I often see avoid autos in certain cars

[DrFeelAverage]

The KIA Cee'd and Hyundai i30 are good cars for the money, the Cee'd slightly more substantial feeling. Also the Honda Civic (spaceship version) seemed to get good safety reviews, I recall Fifth Gear saying the facelifted car was a good 5 star NCAP used buy (although that was a while back). The diesel Koreans are reliable I believe, and cheap to run, but you can get clutch issues on the Civic diesel, so maybe check out the petrol running costs.

[redandwhite]

for safe & solid i would be considering volvos

[Johnfj]

redandwhite said:

for safe & solid i would be considering volvos

Which Volvo ?

cheers

[LightningBlue]

Johnfj said:

Which Volvo ?

cheers

They didn’t do a proper hatch until the V40 in 2011 but doubt you’d find one in your budget. The closest alternative would be the S40 and previous V40. There is also the smart C30 hatch/coupe but that’s not very practical.
I reckon the best in that budget would be the original S60, there’s still a lot on the roads and you probably can’t feel any safer than in one of those, they’re a lovely cosseting barge and very well screwed together. The petrol engines are fairly thirsty being 5 cylinder units but you should be able to find a D5

[VS02]

Johnfj said:

I will be travelling up the motorway once or twice a week and wanted a cheapish hatchback/suv that of course will be reliable ( if any cheap motor is .. ) but also feel safe and solid on the motorway

Amended: PETROL not DIESEL

I have narrowed the list to the following ( purely on price and what seems reviews on autoloader )

Hyundai I30

Ford Focus

Chevrolet cruze

Honda civic

Kia proceed

Mazda 2 and Mazda 3

Dacia Sandero / Duster

I expect different answers but just interested what people think.. thanks

Edited by Johnfj on Tuesday 7th June 09:58

The Cruze is a dreadful car
The Dacia Sandero and the Mazda2 would feel out of their depth on the motorway

Personally out of those, I would go for the Hyundai i30, the Kia Ceed or the Ford Focus

[Johnfj]

Thanks

Are they all ok in auto guise

[VS02]

Johnfj said:

Thanks

Are they all ok in auto guise

I am not sure on the Korean cars but the “PowerShift” automatic transmissions in Ford cars in your budget are very unreliable

[Silvanus]

VS02 said:

Johnfj said:

I will be travelling up the motorway once or twice a week and wanted a cheapish hatchback/suv that of course will be reliable ( if any cheap motor is .. ) but also feel safe and solid on the motorway

Amended: PETROL not DIESEL

I have narrowed the list to the following ( purely on price and what seems reviews on autoloader )

Hyundai I30

Ford Focus

Chevrolet cruze

Honda civic

Kia proceed

Mazda 2 and Mazda 3

Dacia Sandero / Duster

I expect different answers but just interested what people think.. thanks

Edited by Johnfj on Tuesday 7th June 09:58

The Cruze is a dreadful car
The Dacia Sandero and the Mazda2 would feel out of their depth on the motorway

Personally out of those, I would go for the Hyundai i30, the Kia Ceed or the Ford Focus

The Dacia with the right engine is perfectly happy on a motorway, you will also get a much newer and better equipped Dacia compared to the others. My Logan (Sandero estate) has the 0.9 turbo and will comfortably cruise up and down the motorway. I'd highly recommend a Sandero Stepway for the requirements.
A bit of a left-field option, thats become a bit of a bargain, is a Chrysler Delta. Very comfortable, pokey 1.4 turbo engine and very well equipped. Distinctive looks too which is obviously a subjective thing.

[Back2theFuji]

Don't laugh too much but I've been driving Kia Ceeds for 14 years now and they've been great. Just watch for inside rear door rust in anything made before 2013 (same for Hyundai).

[Mrtank]

We have civic and i30 in the house. Definitely go for 1.8 civic (2015-2016). Fantastic quiet motorway muncher, 1.8 can get 50mpg on the run if you don't go over 70mph. Hyundai was better on diesel but had a few issues ( clutch and sticky steering rack) also you get magic seats on civic. Hyundai and Kia gearbox is not as slick as honda.

[rider73]

another vote for the civic - we have the 5 door 2.2 diesel and £20 road tax - its can shift when you need it, well put together, pretty quiet, and get the right model to give you leather/good audio/parking sensors all round - although it might be out of budget. we got a more basic model at 4K with 100,000 fsh. rear seat folding options are awesome!


keep an eye on the drivers seat though, can be prone to wear on the bolster.

[imck]

Ex 2008 Ceed 1.6D Manual 115BHP
Sold to a Colleague 5 Years ago.

Has just died with 220K on the Clock. Neat Oil in the Expansion Tank.
Possibly fixable but his Mechanic not keen on fixing. Original Clutch on it's last legs.

Comfortable enough and goes OK. Would recommend as a Commuter.
Don't think the Auto is very economical. 4 Speed TC I believe.

[ZX10R NIN]

Johnfj said:

I will be travelling up the motorway once or twice a week and wanted a cheapish hatchback/suv that of course will be reliable ( if any cheap motor is .. ) but also feel safe and solid on the motorway

Amended: PETROL not DIESEL

I have narrowed the list to the following ( purely on price and what seems reviews on autoloader )

Hyundai I30

Ford Focus

Chevrolet cruze

Honda civic

Kia proceed

Mazda 2 and Mazda 3

Dacia Sandero / Duster

I expect different answers but just interested what people think.. thanks

Edited by Johnfj on Tuesday 7th June 09:58

For me the Vauxhall Astra is the pick especially if you want an Auto, they're robust reliable & good in terms of running costs:

Elite:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205256...

Manual Elite:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205115...

1.6T SRI 180 with longer gearing than the N/A 1.6 above that'll make motorway journeys more relaxing:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205175...

1.6T SE:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205175...

Focus Zetec S:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204234...

Kia Ceed 3:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205236...

[Johnfj]

Wow..thanks so much for that..I'll go and try and find some locally

One other popped up on the radar with I hear is safe not he motorway

Volvo C30 ?

Any good

[Silvanus]

Johnfj said:

Wow..thanks so much for that..I'll go and try and find some locally

One other popped up on the radar with I hear is safe not he motorway

Volvo C30 ?

Any good

Volvo isn't as practical as the others, its more of an unusual blend of hatch back coupe. Saying that, they are really good cars, quite a good range of specs and colour options too. If its practical enough for you they are a great choice. Dare I say it, they are actually pretty cool

[Johnfj]

Space is that important really

What about the old debate Petrol vs Diesel.. especially nowadays..as I know Volvos are quite good with diesels

[Silvanus]

Johnfj said:

Space is that important really

What about the old debate Petrol vs Diesel.. especially nowadays..as I know Volvos are quite good with diesels

Thats a totally personal choice that no one will ever agree on, too many variable to give a definitive answer (there is a current thread running where people are insulting each other over this very topic). I had a C30 R-design with a 1.6 petrol for a short period of time (was offered more than I paid for it). I was a great car and felt a lot more special than what I paid for it. I considered the diesel but it was more expensive to buy and I wouldn't have made the money back on the mileage I was doing at the time. I would definitely have one again.