Help buying mum a replacement car

[sleepyhead]

Budget: Max £4500

Requirememnts:
- Small (definitely no bigger than a Civic, her previous car)
- Easy to maintain (this is my mum we are talking about...car savvy she is not)
- HAS to be automatic (rheumatoid arthritis has main gear changing a pain, literally)
- Rear seats HAVE to accomodate 1 child seat (0-4 year old) and 1 booster seat (4+ year old). Booster seat would ideally mount in a car with rear headrest.

Basically after suggestions as to what to start looking for. I'm not confident of selecting cars regarding the last point (baby/kids seat).

Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
Whist viewing autotrader, saw a couple of cars. Owners please share the good/bad and ugly. I can try and sort things out with my sister regarding the seating bit but any help is greatly appreciated.

Renault Clio
Pug 206
Another Civic
Skoda Fabia

[SteveL]

Why not pop along to the NCAP web site, and take a look at the rating for supermini's. As good a starting point as any.

Steve

[directhex]

why is the civic being replaced?

4.5k will buy an automatic 2003/2004 honda jazz (http://tinyurl.com/6bkgct http://tinyurl.com/65srm6 http://tinyurl.com/6rw9lv) which is a car suitable for mums and old people alike.

[kalniel]

Yup Honda Jazz would be ideal - Clarkson's mum agrees. I would avoid the French cars you've listed for reliability/simplicity concerns.

[sleepyhead]

why is the civic being replaced?

<snip>

The Civic is a write off after an accident. £4500 is the very top band of what we/she can afford taking into account insurance and road tax. Infact £4000 is probably a better figure as I have no idea what kind of rebate she will get from both Road Tax and Insurance.

Honda Jazz sounds like a good car but got to find one in the region she lives in.

What do you think of the Skoda Fabia in terms or simplicity/reliability?

Also I think the Golfs fall into that price category but no idea if there are any in auto.

The NCAP site is a great place to start. Thanks

[directhex]

avoid french & italian if you want reliability. hondas stay at the expensive end of the used market because they just don't break down, ever.

german? yeah, i suppose so.

[sleepyhead]

What about a Ford or Vauxhall? I see the Jazz has the ISOFIX thing too. Just not too keen with CVT (unless that is a level of trim by Honda and not the transmission type).

[greencross]

How about a Yaris 1.4 Diesel?
It's got the ISOFIX thingy, 62mpg, no congestion charge - (all official figures).
As for its looks, that is subjective...

[directhex]

How about a Yaris 1.4 Diesel?
It's got the ISOFIX thingy, 62mpg, no congestion charge - (all official figures).
As for its looks, that is subjective...

toyota's diesel engine is pretty good. is it within budget though?

[Vimeous]

When you talk about simplicity I read servicing, oil water etc.
To me no servicing is a simple task for anyone with arthritus. Even if she can check the oil getting the filler cap off to add more would be a nightmare.
Can you do that for her?

Fabia's are universally popular for both old and young because of cheap insurance, good value and reasonable reliability.
The Yaris and Jazz are better suggestions simply because they are more likely to be reliable. They're also better shaped for putting children in/out of cars with tall sides and similar doors.

The only reservation I'd have with the Jazz (and I love Honda's) is if the ride is too firm for an arthritus sufferer. It's worth testing it.

I am going to make one French suggestion.
As a rule don't buy French if you want reliability BUT the Renault Modus is small, tall and has a 5-star NCAP rating. They are also cheap so you can spend less for the same age or buy newer and hope it lasts a while.
OFC you didn't see me suggest that


EDIT:
Just checked the Modus is too new to be truely cheap but still possible.

[sleepyhead]

Nice pointers there Vimeous Thanks.

The simplicity of maintaining a car refers to items such as, the diff doesn't need an oil change every 2000 miles, gearbox oil every 10,000 miles etc. IE low maintenance car that can be fixed for cheap if something minor crops up. I live about 180 miles from my mum so it'll be mainly down to my sister and bro-in-law to try and kep the car relatively tip-top (and even they are not much better than mum).

A friend suggested a Fiesta as a fairly good simple auto car to get. Also he re-affirmed my suspicion with the Honda Jazz having a CVT auto box...expensive piece of kit that I'd rather not have my mum driving around in. Also the Yaris has some neat little quirks that I didn't know about like you can raise the seat height (she is a short lady my mum).

Glad to see lots of choices being thrown at me. Just means more to choose from the 2nd hand market.

[finlay666]

Yup Honda Jazz would be ideal - Clarkson's mum agrees. I would avoid the French cars you've listed for reliability/simplicity concerns.

Given the issues with my megane I would say so!

Seems every few weeks a new issue pops up with my car....not a good thing

Newish style VW Polo?

[sleepyhead]

Just an update, we managed to buy a 51 plate Yaris with 73K on the clock. It really suits mums needs with exception to the weird speedo view pod thing; it freaks her out. lol.

Thanks for the suggestions

[Vimeous]

Fine choice of motor.
Hope she has many happy years of motoring with it

[Zak33]

yes. nice car.

Once she;s used to that speedo pod, she'll love it

[greencross]

I knew you were going to make the right chioce.
Dont forget to flash your lights if you see another.
OK, may be not, the fuzz might not like it.