New car within the next 12 months

[Disturbedguy]

Well, I got my new car yesterday and I am very happy with it. Motorpoint were actually pretty good. No hard sales for other products etc. The pre-delivery fee: I asked for it to be removed and they did it with no questions.

The car is on a variable service plan so technically doesn't need to be serviced for ages but I have booked it into Skoda anyway. Gets the software updates etc checked and an inspection of the car.

Nice car, like the look of these.

Question though...how long before you reverse into the bench?

[=assassin=]

I quite like the look of that. I was going to suggest a Skoda Superb, but I'm 3 months too late to the thread

[GunSm1th]

Hi Folks,

Currently driving a 2010 Ford Focus Zetec 1.6. Great car. Got it in 2013 with 22k miles on it. It now has 105k. Just had a service, MOT and timing belt change. Car has never caused me a problem. I also get 63 mpg which is great and £30 tax!

I do about 17-18k miles a year for work.

However, I am looking at replacing the car sometime over the next 12 months. It will be a case of when I have the money and the right car comes up.

What I am looking for:

Tech (I love tech haha)
Diesel (Petrol just not economical)
2 ltr engine
Bigger car (I'm 6ft 6 so looking at saloon or SUV Style
Less than a year old
Under 10k miles or so
Budget - will be around £20k cash


My short lists thus far:

Saloon/Hatchback

Ford Mondeo HATCHBACK 2.0 TDCI TITANIUM 5DR
Audi A6 SALOON 2.0 TDI ULTRA SE 4DR
BMW 5 Series SALOON 520D [190] SE 4DR STEP AUTO
Mazda 6 SALOON 2.2D SPORT NAV 4DR
Mercedes C Class SALOON C220D SE EXECUTIVE EDITION 4DR
Skoda Superb HATCHBACK 2.0 TDI CR LAURIN -PLUS KLEMENT 5DR DSG (My current favourite going by balance between the kits, interior and price)
VW Passat SALOON 2.0 TDI SE BUSINESS 4DR DSG

SUV Style

Skoda Kodiak
Volve XC60
Honda CR-V
Kia Sportage
Hyundai Tucson

So much choice (which is good right?) In terms of SUV or Saloon/Hatchback - this choice will come down to test drives I guess.

Looking at loads of reviews etc the Superb is ranked very highly. I like the Audis, BMW's and Mercedes but you have to pay a lot to get the extra features of higher trims.

So all views likely. In many ways, this is early days but I like to do my research before parting with that much money.

Thanks again.

AUDI A5 S-line 2.0 AUTO.. Best car ever

[Ttaskmaster]

Ha ha - Škoda driver!!

Nah, that's quite a snazzy looking thing!

[neonplanet40]

Lol, I know the badge still has a stigma but I test drove a Passat as well as a Volvo S60 and gave the BMW 3 series a go for the laugh. The Passat was virtually identical. To get the same specs though I would have had to pay a lot more. Interior wise it wasn't THAT much better (aesthetically).

The BMW was a better engine (more refined I think) but to get the same kit on board I would have had to spend nearly double. I didn't feel that was even remotely worth it (to me anyway). The Volvo was nice, but again, specs wise and aesthetically, the Superb was much better. (Although I think Volvo are bringing out a model update soon, but then, so is SKoda (digital dashboard etc like the Audi).

I felt like the Skoda was the best I could get for the money I was paying. I didn't try an Audi because I knew I would have to pay 40k to get the same specs etc (I checked and priced it). I wasn't willing to pay that. Likewise, increased costs of ownership etc.

Also a plus note for me = only £30 tax!

As for the bench..... who knows. I'm moving it soon just in case

[DanceswithUnix]

Also a plus note for me = only £30 tax!

Car manufacturers did get pretty good at gaming the tax system didn't they.

My 2014 170bhp petrol Giulietta is £130 tax compared to ISTR £185 for the 150bhp 2005 diesel it replaced. Had I gone diesel the same 170bhp would have been in the £30 tax bracket, but I don't like diesel so consider it money well spent.

I am not convinced the real world economy is that much improved though, just the figures the government cares about

[kalniel]

Car manufacturers did get pretty good at gaming the tax system didn't they.

Tell me about it. My 150ps *petrol* Audi is only £20 a year :/

[DanceswithUnix]

Tell me about it. My 150ps *petrol* Audi is only £20 a year :/

20, that's pretty good going!

A more recent version of mine is £30 but only in automatic. Oddly if you go for a lower powered petrol engine you get one that is less advanced so the tax goes up. The extra 50ps is for the environment, honest

[Xlucine]

The amount of CO2 per litre is fixed by the amount of carbon in the fuel [1] [2] , so it's not hard to calculate the MPG equivalent emissions bands. How does your actual MPG compare to the expected?



I'm paying tax for band G, but emitting for band H on a good day


[1]: 2.31 kg/l for petrol, 2.68 kg/l for diesel per https://people.exeter.ac.uk/TWDavies...om%20fuels.htm
[2]: Yes, I'm assuming no soot

[DanceswithUnix]

I'm paying tax for band G, but emitting for band H on a good day

I'm paying band E, but I get 40mpg petrol so band G if I drive like an angel. The car thinks over its life it has averaged 37mpg, last fill with lots of traffic it was about 34.

I should get a new battery for the car which would activate the start/stop and make it run better at low revs, but I'm not sure exactly which battery I need. Might be AGM or, erm, the one like AGM but isn't AGM that you also get on modern cars. Either way I gather Halfords don't stock them so needs effort to track one down. Maybe that is the next job this everning, see if the handbook tells me which battery it is. Think it is 027 AGM but they aren't cheap so want to get it right!

[kalniel]

The amount of CO2 per litre is fixed by the amount of carbon in the fuel [1] [2] , so it's not hard to calculate the MPG equivalent emissions bands. How does your actual MPG compare to the expected?

Quite.

My A3* tested as band B, but emits band D in summer, E winter.

Conversely, my ye old astra mk4 1.7 dti was taxed at something like £185/year, while emitting band C according to that chart! I was ripped off!


*actually not my car - whatever version they could get away with as representative of the whole range with the same engine despite different wheels

[DanceswithUnix]

Conversely, my ye old astra mk4 1.7 dti was taxed at something like £185/year, while emitting band C according to that chart! I was ripped off!

Was that measured at the pump of according to trip computer?

I have known people whose cars claim 65mpg on a long trip, but are actually doing 55mpg if you measure full tank to full tank. That's two bands in outright fibbing, but then I guess you should expect such sloppiness from a French car

[kalniel]

Was that measured at the pump of according to trip computer?

I have known people whose cars claim 65mpg on a long trip, but are actually doing 55mpg if you measure full tank to full tank. That's two bands in outright fibbing, but then I guess you should expect such sloppiness from a French car

The astra didn't have a trip computer

Got 65mpg tank to tank average. Miss that car - still one of the best steering/brake feel cars, and perfect size/shape.

[hb904460]

My car is taxed at band J. Around town it is a band L, on a long motorway cruise a band F.

[DanceswithUnix]

Haven't tried it enough to say for sure, but I get the impression that using super unleaded pushed my car up one band in mpg. Doesn't feel any quicker and I don't think that justifies the extra cost of the petrol, but interesting.

[Butcher]

Mine is taxed at band I, gets band J in town, G on the motorway. It's not bad at all on fuel for what it is.
My old S3 was taxed as band G but drove as band K! Audi scam pretty hard on MPG it seems.