I'm sadly thinking about getting rid of my 2006 Nissan X trail, whilst it's been good to me, and I'm very sad to consider letting it go, It is becoming a bit of a money pit.
I'm after either a 4x4 or an estate, nothing older than 2010(preferably newer), up to 80k miles, and around £6-7k.
My garage recommended looking at Kias, any other ideas?
Thanks
I'm after either a 4x4 or an estate, nothing older than 2010(preferably newer), up to 80k miles, and around £6-7k.
My garage recommended looking at Kias, any other ideas?
Thanks
In reply to Post #1
VW Passat or Audi A4, I've had both in saloon form from brand new and stuck a 100k on both and they never missed a beat.
Had a Passat estate courtesy car, boot was massive.
VW Passat or Audi A4, I've had both in saloon form from brand new and stuck a 100k on both and they never missed a beat.
Had a Passat estate courtesy car, boot was massive.
In reply to Post #1
Along with our other 12 service engineers, i was given an Octavia estate. Each car did circa 35k a year. Had them for 3 years without a breakdown. One needed a wheel bearing changing.
We are now on Superbs, equally as reliable, and have massive boots. OEM batteries are a bit weak.
I hated the idea of a Skoda, but 9 years later, I'll probably buy my Superb at the end of the lease
Along with our other 12 service engineers, i was given an Octavia estate. Each car did circa 35k a year. Had them for 3 years without a breakdown. One needed a wheel bearing changing.
We are now on Superbs, equally as reliable, and have massive boots. OEM batteries are a bit weak.
I hated the idea of a Skoda, but 9 years later, I'll probably buy my Superb at the end of the lease
In reply to Post #3
Skoda's are great cars if you can get over being a badge snob as they are a VW in different clothes
Skoda's are great cars if you can get over being a badge snob as they are a VW in different clothes
In reply to Post #1
Ive just bought a new Ford Puma (wish I hadn't, not because of the car but because of coronavirus) and sold my 2010 VW Passat estate, had 86000 miles on the clock and I had it for six years, never went wrong once, best car ive ever owned, got sod all for it really (£2200 trade in) and we buyanycar offered me about £1800, to be honest I only sold it because of the demonising of diesels and its age but like I say it was faultless, would have needed a new belt this year which is minor but tons of room with the seats down and they layed flat unlike my previous estate (Mondeo) anyway if you don't mind diesel and go for a three or four year old Passat i'd say it was the perfect fishing car and still good as a family car, also I got about 55 mpg with a mixture of town and motorway driving
Ive just bought a new Ford Puma (wish I hadn't, not because of the car but because of coronavirus) and sold my 2010 VW Passat estate, had 86000 miles on the clock and I had it for six years, never went wrong once, best car ive ever owned, got sod all for it really (£2200 trade in) and we buyanycar offered me about £1800, to be honest I only sold it because of the demonising of diesels and its age but like I say it was faultless, would have needed a new belt this year which is minor but tons of room with the seats down and they layed flat unlike my previous estate (Mondeo) anyway if you don't mind diesel and go for a three or four year old Passat i'd say it was the perfect fishing car and still good as a family car, also I got about 55 mpg with a mixture of town and motorway driving
In reply to Post #4
Bomb proof. Just have to look how many taxis are around.
Bomb proof. Just have to look how many taxis are around.
In reply to Post #4
I think out of the two I would go for the Skoda over the VW, basically because it would be better value.
Over the years German car manufactures have built a well deserved reputation for outstanding design and built quality.
However standards have slipped and many people in the trade consider that many modern German cars are now no more reliable than a lot of the cheaper Korean or Japanese offerings.
In ascending order of costs I've known problems that shouldn't have occurred with VW, Skoda, Mercedes and even the newer Porsches, so being German made doesn't necessarily guarantee a reliable car.
I think out of the two I would go for the Skoda over the VW, basically because it would be better value.
Over the years German car manufactures have built a well deserved reputation for outstanding design and built quality.
However standards have slipped and many people in the trade consider that many modern German cars are now no more reliable than a lot of the cheaper Korean or Japanese offerings.
In ascending order of costs I've known problems that shouldn't have occurred with VW, Skoda, Mercedes and even the newer Porsches, so being German made doesn't necessarily guarantee a reliable car.
In reply to Post #7
Spot on, geman engineering ain't what it used to be...
Spot on, geman engineering ain't what it used to be...
Thanks for the replies, bit of a minefield. My head says a Skoda I just need to get over the badge!
Don't worry about the badge, Skoda's are very good, I've had a Superb estate and an Octavia Scout 4x4, both great. Ironically, I now have an X Trail.
In reply to Post #1
Everyone I know that has gone down the Kia route has regretted it. My mother ended up taking the Kia dealer to court over the people carrier she had from them as the engine management light kept coming on at random intervals yet the dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong! It then decided to go into "limp home" mode on the way back from the dealers - who again said they couldn't find anything wrong, reset everything & a week later, it done the same again. Another friend had a Kia SUV, which decided to leak oil from various parts of the engine after 6 months & 3000 miles! All gaskets replaced, Yet would still need topping up every few days. His dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong & had no idea where the oil was coming from! In the end they rebuilt the engine for him & it was fine for another year before the same happened all over again. He handed it back then and got 50% of the money paid for the lease back. He went to Toyota & has had no issues with his RAV4 since.
IMHO I would be looking at a 1.5DCI Nissan Qashqai N-TEC spec. If you want the bigger +2 with 7 seats, then they are also available ( the newer Qashqai +2 models are called X-Trail's now). I had a 2011 1.5DCI N-TEC & loved it, I hated handing it back at end of lease it was that nice to drive. Good on juice as well. I replaced that with a Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 2.0l CDTi SRI 165BHP which was a cracking drive, but lacked the refinement and dash functions of the Qashqai (the newer Qashqai was a lot more money on the lease than the older one was & the Zafira Tourer was again cheaper still). Performance was good as well for a "brick on wheels" and your German car drivers were shocked at the lights to be left there by a diesel people carrier!
After the Zafira, I went down the Toyota C-HR route. Not as much room as the Zafira of the Qashqai, but for an automatic hybrid, it shifts!!! Dash technology wise, it exceeds the Qashqai I had. I am looking at replacement vehicles myself now & was going to see if the Zafira's were still available but seems like they have stopped making them & people carriers are now becoming few & far between.
Everyone I know that has gone down the Kia route has regretted it. My mother ended up taking the Kia dealer to court over the people carrier she had from them as the engine management light kept coming on at random intervals yet the dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong! It then decided to go into "limp home" mode on the way back from the dealers - who again said they couldn't find anything wrong, reset everything & a week later, it done the same again. Another friend had a Kia SUV, which decided to leak oil from various parts of the engine after 6 months & 3000 miles! All gaskets replaced, Yet would still need topping up every few days. His dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong & had no idea where the oil was coming from! In the end they rebuilt the engine for him & it was fine for another year before the same happened all over again. He handed it back then and got 50% of the money paid for the lease back. He went to Toyota & has had no issues with his RAV4 since.
IMHO I would be looking at a 1.5DCI Nissan Qashqai N-TEC spec. If you want the bigger +2 with 7 seats, then they are also available ( the newer Qashqai +2 models are called X-Trail's now). I had a 2011 1.5DCI N-TEC & loved it, I hated handing it back at end of lease it was that nice to drive. Good on juice as well. I replaced that with a Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 2.0l CDTi SRI 165BHP which was a cracking drive, but lacked the refinement and dash functions of the Qashqai (the newer Qashqai was a lot more money on the lease than the older one was & the Zafira Tourer was again cheaper still). Performance was good as well for a "brick on wheels" and your German car drivers were shocked at the lights to be left there by a diesel people carrier!
After the Zafira, I went down the Toyota C-HR route. Not as much room as the Zafira of the Qashqai, but for an automatic hybrid, it shifts!!! Dash technology wise, it exceeds the Qashqai I had. I am looking at replacement vehicles myself now & was going to see if the Zafira's were still available but seems like they have stopped making them & people carriers are now becoming few & far between.
In reply to Post #10
Never thought about a Skoda til now. So thanks for the tips!
I currently have a Corsa ecoflex for my angling/work car. Superb fuel economy at 69mpg, 30 quid tax and low insurance group. Only the Fabia has those stats in it's class, and will probably be more reliable than the Corsa being a German.
Never thought about a Skoda til now. So thanks for the tips!
I currently have a Corsa ecoflex for my angling/work car. Superb fuel economy at 69mpg, 30 quid tax and low insurance group. Only the Fabia has those stats in it's class, and will probably be more reliable than the Corsa being a German.
In reply to Post #12
You should look at whatever Dominic cummings drives - it's good for over 600 miles on one tank of fuel apparently...
You should look at whatever Dominic cummings drives - it's good for over 600 miles on one tank of fuel apparently...
In reply to Post #12
Your Fabia will probably be made in China, Russia or maybe the Czech Republic. Your current Corsa was made in Germany or Spain. Funny thing perception.
Your Fabia will probably be made in China, Russia or maybe the Czech Republic. Your current Corsa was made in Germany or Spain. Funny thing perception.
In reply to Post #11
Total opposite for me. Had a Fabia Estate before. Terrible vehicle, unreliable, warning lights on and off non stop for no reason, EMS light stuck on, when nothing wrong. Was kinda relieved when the engine blew up on the M3 and it was finally kapuut. Now have a Kia C'eed estate for the last 3 years.. Great car, 60mpg on motorways, far better in every way to the Skoda.
Total opposite for me. Had a Fabia Estate before. Terrible vehicle, unreliable, warning lights on and off non stop for no reason, EMS light stuck on, when nothing wrong. Was kinda relieved when the engine blew up on the M3 and it was finally kapuut. Now have a Kia C'eed estate for the last 3 years.. Great car, 60mpg on motorways, far better in every way to the Skoda.