What car?

AndyRubio

Hi,

I need a new (to me) car - what to get?

Criteria:

1. I need to be able to bike into boot. Removal of front wheel is not ideal but might be ok.
2. Needs to be comfy enough that a drive to the Alps doesn't result in loss of fillings and / or permanent pelvic damage.
3. Must be less than £18k.

Putting bike on roof or rear-mounted bike rack is not an option. I use the car mostly for travelling up to 5 hours to TTs and sportives.

I considered a Citroen Berlingo but I think they violate rule 2.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Andy

Gizmodo

Jaguar X Type Estate Diesel.

team47b

What to get?

A train?

covers one and two, not sure about 3, I've heard about rail prices in the UK

Don't think they let you put them on the roof either.

not being much help am I?

AndyRubio

Gizmodo wrote:

Jaguar X Type Estate Diesel.

Would fit the bill: big n comfy, but it looks like they don't make them any more

Flexisurfer

Audi A6 Avant. I've had one for the last 3 1/2 years, super comfi, S Line sports pack, cruise control, sat nav, 560 miles on a tank. I took it from Ipswich to Gwithian in Cornwall last October for a kitesurfing weekend. It had 3 surfboards, 3 kites all the other bits needed ie wetsuit and harnesses, weekend survival kit all inside the car. It took me 6 1/2 hours to get there and to be honest I felt really fresh when I got there no stiffness or aches. I know the model I have is now discontinued as there is a new version so there should be a few like mine knocking around at dealerships.

dw300

There are tonnes, you need to tell us about what you're prepared to pay for running costs, service costs, insurance, and what age of car you want.

AndyRubio

Hmmmm part of the problem is that I'm (clearly) not a 'car person'. The Audi looks good - very nice indeed - but is above my price bracket - even 2nd hand they seem to be >£25k. Dunno about insurance etc.

dw300

I own a BMW 330d Sport .. for what you want I'd recommend a 335, 330 or 325d Touring (Estate) .. couldn't beat them for build quality and those engines are perfect for motorway driving. I've got 52.5 mpg driving from Belfast to Dublin in a 3 litre 6 cylinder turbo. If you like going fast the 335 has 286bhp and will well over 300 remapped.

Here's the Sport (firmer suspension, slightly different body shape) ..



You'll find loads for 10-15k for what is a 25-30k car new.

robklancs

I have a newish (6month old)Kia sport age, easily takes a bike in the boot, seats lie flat if needed, it's a suv thing, kind of thinks it's a bigger car but is only a 1.6 so petrol costs not too bad, I find it vry comfortable as does my pregnant wife. ALSo very well equipped for the price and a 7 year warranty.

ilm_zero7

This might surprise you, but I chose a VW Passat CC. Exec cruiser and very comfortable 4 adult sweater, but drop the back seat and it is a cavern that takes a bike without removing wheels..

dw300

ILM Zero7 wrote:

This might surprise you, but I chose a VW Passat CC. Exec cruiser and very comfortable 4 adult sweater, but drop the back seat and it is a cavern that takes a bike without removing wheels..

Those things look fantastic too!

AndyRubio

TBH I hadn't considered estate cars - I didn't even think they made them any more. I have much to think about now, I appreciate your pointers. Yes the VW does look very nice indeed mmmm.....

Andy

beverick

dw300 wrote:

I own a BMW 330d Sport .. for what you want I'd recommend a 335, 330 or 325d Touring (Estate) .. couldn't beat them for build quality and those engines are perfect for motorway driving. I've got 52.5 mpg driving from Belfast to Dublin in a 3 litre 6 cylinder turbo. If you like going fast the 335 has 286bhp and will well over 300 remapped.

Here's the Sport (firmer suspension, slightly different body shape) ..



You'll find loads for 10-15k for what is a 25-30k car new.

The problem with the 3 series tourer is that the bootspace is very poor even when compared with the saloon and indeed coupe version of the same car. There's a wide rear lip (which as a painted plastic surface is just asking to be scratched), a relatively narrow gap between the rear wheels means difficult loading and the rear wheel drive and comples suspension means a high bootline. Also, as they have a fairly narrow and angled roofline and the more recent 3 series tourers have 'unique fit' roof rails they aren't the best car for roof storage if you do decide to go that route in the future. Ironically, and assuming the vehicle has the fold down rear seats, it's actually slightly easier to get a road bike into the boot of a saloon or coupe than it is the tourer.

As far as a mid range estate's concerned, I'd suggest either the VW Passat or its Skoda Octavia cousin a long way ahead of the 3 series. Both have substantially larger boot areas than the 3 series, are easier to load and don't suffer the BMW's poor 'run flat induced' road manners at high speed (the front wheels begin to get a life of their own on poor road surfaces much above 50mph). Also, of the four 3 series I've had over the last 14 years all of them have suffered electrical problems from the beginning - usually around the central locking (especially the over complex rear tailgate locking system), the ECU or at least one of the many sensors (ABS, exhaust emissions and tyre pressure sensors are the favourite to fail).

You'll actgually find that a mid-range hatchback (such as a Golf, Astra or Focus) will have plenty of space with the back seats folded down and will give you both sufficient performance and comfort. The Golf is a more than capable carrier and I dare say you could get a bike in the back stood up by clamping the front forks into a suitable carrier (which may mean you could retain at least one of the rear seats).

Or, as a slightly odd ball selection, how about the Skoda Yeti? One of the neighbours gets two mountain bikes stood up in the back of theirs.

Bob

airbag

Focus or Mondeo estate? Fairly spacious and a decent ride. Or, as someone else has said, most boggo family hatchbacks will do with the back seats folded.

BelgianBeerGeek

Or any people carrier, eg VW Sharan/Ford Galaxy. Loads around second hand. Remove some or all of the seats and you basically have a van capable of lugging loads of kit/bikes etc.

edhornby

if you take the front wheel out you can lay a bike down in a hatchback no problems - I do this for my bikes in my focus

a mondeo or octavia estate would be spot on I reckon for that price bracket

jordan_217

For the ultimate in practicality and value then a Skoda Octavia would be worth a look. Doesnt' have to be the estate I had a vRS hatch and it was still uber practical, comfortable and covered ground quickly. Though don't expect more than 39mpg from the 2.0T, petrol variant. The 170ps CR diesel should get 51 mpg. I've owned two Octavias, the vRS and a 140 TD PD Elegance and they were constantly visiting the dealers. Mainly for small electrical issues such as airbag sensors, temps sensors and issues with the climate control system. The last one, had a DSG gear box (automatic) and that started to go just outside it's warranty. I got rid of it at that point. So hugely practical and good value but I'm not sure where their reliablity reputation comes from ?!

I now have the forementioned Passat CC and it's simply the best car I've ever owned - practical, well built and spec'd, comfortable cruiser and IMO is the best looking 4/5 door mainstream car on the road.

rolf_f

3 or 4k on the car, the rest on bikes. 18k is madness to spend on a car!

Otherwise - if reliability is key then Japanese is hard to justify against. And modern diesels appear to be sh1te. And avoid anything from Germany called 'Sport' unless you really mean it. The rides are harsh enough on the non sporty variants without stiffening them up any further and fitting expensive and very vulnerable ultra low profile rims to them (if you ride an Orbea with 50mm rims and 20mm tyres you'll probably be fine! ).

garrynolan

What about a different Citroen? I have a C4 Grand Picasso 1.6 HDi with the auto/manual gearbox. Drive as an auto or clutchless manual - uses paddles like a Ferrari in manual mode. Long trips at 100km/h gives 4.4l per 100km (63-ish mpg). I'm 5' 4" so can get my bike in upright in one piece! Have had 3 people plus bikes in it. Went to Cork last year with me and 3 others, bike and luggage inside. Worth a look and probably get loads of change from 18 grand for something less than a year old. Good luck.

ilm_zero7

one of these pretty things - bike capable cars don't come much better looking than this

rolf_f

ILM Zero7 wrote:

one of these pretty things - bike capable cars don't come much better looking than this

Looks a bit of a moose to me - one of those cars that almost looks like it doesn't know if it's coming or going! Headroom in the back looks claustrophobic but maybe looks are deceptive?

BigJimmyB

Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic LWB doublecab.

Comfy, 6 speed, 35+ MPG, 6 seats, shedloads of room in the back (out of view and thus more secure).

jordan_217

Rolf F wrote:

ILM Zero7 wrote:

one of these pretty things - bike capable cars don't come much better looking than this

Looks a bit of a moose to me - one of those cars that almost looks like it doesn't know if it's coming or going! Headroom in the back looks claustrophobic but maybe looks are deceptive?

Really? :shock: I think you may be getting confused with a Boxster

They do have a low roofline but still have adequate head room and more than enough leg room. Very comfortable sitting in the back. They only have two seats in the back which means the kids have lots of room, the usual middle seat area is a strorage tray/cubby box. Though you can spec a third, middle seat if you wish. The V5 for mine actually has the car type listed as a coupe which is what 'CC' stands for - comfort coupe. This years model has also dropped the Passat model prefix so it's now just a CC.

A 3.0 Audi sourced diesel would be a good edition to the range

laurentian

I can't see why you need a car that large or expensive (BMW, Passat, Mondeo estate etc.) or why you would compromise on drive quality or aesthetics with a van.

If the criteria are to get a bike in the boot with or without wheel off, get you to the alps comfortably and be less than £18k - get a Golf.

I've got one (GTD) and regularly get bike in boot (with seats folded - no need to take front wheel off - you could twist bars if you want or remove front wheel for more space). You'll easily have room for case(s), an economical and reliable car.

Cars are much larger than they used to be - Why on earth do you need a cavernous expensive estate if you just want to transport you and a bike to the Alps?

AndyRubio

What's a GTD? Is that a model?

ilm_zero7

AndyRubio wrote:

What's a GTD? Is that a model?

Andy its a golf turbo diesel - but if you can find one of these babys do it - its the GTI (it has the red 'I') diesel which has more power but still returned 53 mpg - at least it did when we sold it after 7 year with 40,000 on the clock.

AndyRubio

i]drools[/i very nice!

laurentian

AndyRubio wrote:

What's a GTD? Is that a model?

Yes, its a model but GTD only refers to the engine and specification. All Golfs (of the same year) are the same size and there are zillions of engines and equipment levels available. Great cars.

hoolio

Subaru Outback - if you're driving in the alps the 4 wheel drive won't hurt (in fact it could be pretty useful in the UK given the recent winters). I've driven one from UK to Slovenia and at motorway speeds it's very comfortable, easy to drive, and will easily cruise at 80 to 100 through the unrestricted parts of Germany if you want to hack along at that pace.
Having said that, I think my next vehicle will be a twin cab pick up, maybe a Toyota Hilux. The fuel economy isn't stella, but five seats with plenty of load space and a high cargo weight limit mean it'll be hugely versatile (going to the tip, diy materials, camping). Estimate how many miles a year you do and work out the diesel cost per year, and road tax cost per year. A thirstier vehicle might cost you an extra £500 a year to run, but then that extra utility might be worth the cost.

beverick

laurentian wrote:

AndyRubio wrote:

What's a GTD? Is that a model?

Yes, its a model but GTD only refers to the engine and specification. All Golfs (of the same year) are the same size and there are zillions of engines and equipment levels available. Great cars.

GTD refers to a specific model with one engine choice - it's the diesel equivalent of the GTi and, as such, it's a high powered model. WIth the death of 4 wheel drive variants in the late 90's high powered Golf's don't really make sense as, even with traction control and the car moving, most of the power is spent ripping the tread from the front wheels.

VW's selections can get very limiting and, in my experience, the best way to select a Golf is to work out which engine you want and see which model it fits into. They are also a bit confusing (borderline bizarre in fact) with their model range and associated configurations. In general only certain engines are available with specific models and, in some cases, with specific trim levels or even extras. They even vary country to country (for example, grey interior right hand drive GT models are available in Ireland but not the UK).

To me, the GT (ie not GTi/D) tend to be the best spec'd and most flexible regarding the ability to spec' extras. I've had the 160ps 1.4ltr petrol and 140ps 2.0ltr diesel models - the latter engine is perhaps the engine best mated to the Golf in my opinion offering decent performance, good economy and low emissions. Bluemotion offer the best fuel economy but, together with the S models, can be a bit utilitarian when compared with current trim levels for other manufacturers.

If you're looking at Golf's two alternatives spring to mind:
1) The Golf Plus has a higher roof line and, although it doesn't really make sense when compared to the 'standard' model as the additional space is unusable as it's above your head, it could be a good option for carrying a bike upright. They're also fairly unpopular so second hand models depreciate faster (which is less of a problem as the car ages and its value falls of course).
2) The Tiguan is based on the Golf but has a larger body and stretched running gear. The main advantages of the Tiguan over the Golf is that it has a high seating position so gives good vision and the four wheeled drive system is still available. To me that could well be an influencing factor if you're likley to be doing much work in the Alps - certainly if there's much snow around.

Bob

ilm_zero7

beverick wrote:

laurentian wrote:

AndyRubio wrote:

What's a GTD? Is that a model?

GTD refers to a specific model with one engine choice - it's the diesel equivalent of the GTi and, as such, it's a high powered model.

Bob - but the GTI with the red 'I' is also diesel, and higher output than the GTD