Replacement car - opinions

[tigersaw]

Originally Posted by embee

My take on cars (having worked in the car industry for 20+ years) is that I want reliability above all else. I run a Yaris.

I had a Yaris when the first came out, might go back to one this year, when I retire the Citroen.
I disliked several things, the spare wheel, the awful speedo, could not change the stereo, and rubbish boot space.
Other than that, it was a totally relaible and cheap little motor.
Have they addressed any of my niggles yet?

Thanks for the replies folks, some good opinions being shared there.

Basically, im looking to reap back from the 5 between £6.5 and £7k. From this im looking to only spend up to about £4.5k for the next car.

I dont know whether its worth me buying a diesel - mileage 12-14k a year diesels cost more however they'll also return more when selling.

The 5 returned about 30mpg regardless of what i did - usually motorway type of driving so it wasnt that economical. On the other hand, WRC what year is your 5 on?

In an ideal world, and with the money, I'd really like a new Diesel Civic. Reckon it would suit my driving and my needs perfectly however i aint got 15k+ so its out of the window for the moment

Reliability has to be high on the list, but i also like a good looking car and something that is not boring. Oh and preferably more than 35mpg

Originally Posted by robchester

On the other hand, WRC what year is your 5 on?

1996 or 1997 - I can't remember, it belongs to SWMBO - who I think you might have already spoken to over on MXOC...

Small world.

Am i right in saying that its red, 1.8 with a new roof?

[embee]

Originally Posted by tigersaw

I had a Yaris when the first came out, might go back to one this year, when I retire the Citroen.
I disliked several things, the spare wheel, the awful speedo, could not change the stereo, and rubbish boot space.
Other than that, it was a totally relaible and cheap little motor.
Have they addressed any of my niggles yet?

Don't have any first hand experience of the new Yaris, it's a little bigger than the original which may help.
What's the problem with the spare wheel, normal space-saver.
I like the "projected" speedo, but it's a marmite type thing I suppose.

You'd do a lot worse than to look at a Honda Jazz, I talked a neighbour into getting one and I've been very impressed. Car mag reviews criticise the ride, OK it's firm, but the body is very stiff and doesn't object to road-humps and potholes too badly. Warranty problems are virtually unheard of.

Originally Posted by robchester

Am i right in saying that its red, 1.8 with a new roof?

Indeed you are. And it's a little cracker, I'll be sad to see it go.

Originally Posted by embee

Don't have any first hand experience of the new Yaris, it's a little bigger than the original which may help.
What's the problem with the spare wheel, normal space-saver.
I like the "projected" speedo, but it's a marmite type thing I suppose.

You'd do a lot worse than to look at a Honda Jazz, I talked a neighbour into getting one and I've been very impressed. Car mag reviews criticise the ride, OK it's firm, but the body is very stiff and doesn't object to road-humps and potholes too badly. Warranty problems are virtually unheard of.

i've got a yaris too

I know with diesels they only pay if you do a lot of miles so you have to add that up yourself. However depending on the diesel you also have to consider that they can feel quicker than a petrol version so it can be cheaper than buying a bigger petrol engine.

I had a Clio DCi 80 as a courtesy car and pulling out of junctions it felt as quick as my 2.0 182hp petrol! It was doing 65mph on average and that was driving it briskly at times and not deliberately going for economy (I could have kept it in the mid 70's). More expensive than the 1.2 or 1.4 petrols but a hell of a lot better to drive as it felt like a 2.0 unless you revved it high.

I've had 3 Clios and not had any problems in fairness. A mate of mine had one and it was in and out of the dealers a dozen times due to warning lights coming on.

I was looking at the new Yaris as a cheap replacement. Would go for the diesel. Only 90hp but as I say they feel a lot quicker because they have power where it counts. So yes it costs more than the entry level petrol but you are getting a car that feels a lot more punchy and doesn't have to be revved all the time. After owning a hot hatch I could never tolerate a 1.2 or 1.4 petrol but I could easily live with the diesel.

My bro had the old shape Yaris and the quality and dealer service were top notch.