Going from car free to car lumbered.

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Had a walk with the dog this morning, and on people's driveways I saw...

3 series wagon. Nice, but a touch bigger than I want or need, so no.

VW T Crosser - being a VW I couldn't have a crossdresser. Being Jewish I wouldn't buy a car from a firm that actjvrly sought out and used Jewish slave labour, and abandoned babies born to Jewish slave Labour to die of starvation and exposure, then lie about it for as long as possible in order to minimise the compensation bill, then only come clean in 1998 when the weight of evidence became too great to refute any longer there was virtually no one left anyway. They were so complicit that the Fallersleben VW factory officially became a sub-camp of the Neuenhamme concentration camp. Then there is the more recent shenanigans where they decided allowing people to die from air pollution was an acceptable alternative to spending monehon genuinely meeting emissions targets.what a charming bunch, then and now! Shame, as its small footprint with an estate-ish body, but my conscience and heritage wont let me buy their products.

Citroen C3 Picasso - I like this. Funky, but not too in your face, squarish body maximises capacity on a small footprint. Definite possible.

Peugeot 2008 - one of these small SUVs, although aside from the slight extra ride height looks more like an estate to my eye. I know I can fit behind the wheel of a 208 OK and would presume it this is similar in that regard. Definite possible.

Nissan Juke - No, just no.

Volvo V40 - this was intriguing, as although nominally a hatch the body shape is fairly close to small estate. Definite possible.

Vauxhall Mokka - a bit too in your face 4x4 wannabe for me, so no.

Astra Estate - capacious, tough, inexpensive to buy and run, plenty to choose from. Ditto the Focus estate, not that I saw one today. A touch bigger footprint that I want or need, but a definite possible (and the Fucus too).

And that was about it. It's only a small village! I'll browse Autotrader later, see if I can add a few more candidates to the list.

One thing struck me walking about this mornings stroll, js how big small cars are. The Aygo X is a serious lump.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Shame about the no VW groups, great cars and not sure when you last used a Dsg but it's excellent, smooth etc.

Fits out rigid wheelchair in the back*, (lay down backrest).
Can pull a caravan (1.4/1.5 petrol)

Wouldn't bother with diesel the price, mpg no better than modern petrol etc.
10/15 years ago maybe.


But up to you, only real way is take it all with you and test them all out.
That's what we did.

Out Citroën Picasso was much better for transport, but no longer made.
The Berlingio is the perfect car for the job. A few companies make a similar, not quite a van-cars, and the seats in the back made it not suitable for us, if just two then I would be the choice.

SUVs we pun they have a smaller capacity for the same size car and our problem was the boots are always high up to adapt to the large wheel fettish and jacked up ride height. 29ers

*fitting the rigid wheelchair in without taking wheels off and breaking our backs was the main criteria, many cars, and all "SUVs" we tried failed this.
Hence try them all out, if it is a folding chair, that makes it easier. Trying to think of the other one that seems ok.
Could have been Dacia?
Anyway wittering now...

Cheers for the input. With my lofty dimensions the boot sill height is no issue, and yes we use a folding wheelchair when going out and about (or walking g sticks,s on her better days.)

I'm not a fan of the small SUV thing really, scoring style over substance as I do, but thinking about it the slight extra ride height might not be bad getting g in and out with my won't out bits. I swa a Mini clubman on my walk, but didn't add it to the list as I really think I'd struggle with it being so low.

Why the zarking fardwark do Peugeot not make a simple 208 estate? That would be perfect. The 206SW sold fairly well, and if there were a new equivalent I'd be lining up for one this afternoon.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Look how big a Mini and 500 have got and that's since their reintroduction, not even the original versions.

It's why there is no room on the roads and pavements now.. and why they keep hitting each other.

I've 2016ish 208 in the drive, spacious, could probably get a folded chair in the back, but the way seats fold down is a pain in the smaller cars. (only way to get our rigid chair in).
It's a 1l engine, which is terrible with Citreon/Peugeots (shite manual gearbox) compared to the new 1l fabia I drove last year. That's how much they've changed.

Lower cars are easier for my son to get into from the chair or walker.

Have fun trying some out (and laugh and grumble when you get stuck in the buggers ;-))

 

[al-onestare]

As keen readers of my ramblings know I've been car free for a while, but my nacked hip is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and some days I simply can't face riding any more.

So a modest car is in order, likely a small estate of some kind. So what do you chaps drive small estate car wise?

We had to bite the bullet because of the move out to the sticks, so we got a 67 plated Seat Leon estate. Two years in it's been faultless, has enough space for up to 4 bikes, and drives nicely. It's pretty economical so fingers crossed it stays that way because the thought of replacing it pushes all my moral buttons

 

[FluffyChicken]

Unfortunately Seat is also a VW car.

 

[al-onestare]

Unfortunately Seat is also a VW car.

With Audi parts. Yep, a shocker.

 

[FluffyChicken]

With Audi parts. Yep, a shocker.

An the Leon is based on the same Golf/Octavia platform (and audi A whatever)

 

[legrandefromage]

Looking at what comes into my workshop for electrical issues, I'd stay away from:

Anything French

BMW

Be wary around Ford, many are ok but its 50/50 as to whether you get a good or bad one

Fiat, I have a soft spot for these, easy to fix but always playing up with a niggle or ten

Kia and hyundai seem to be very good

Nissan are another hit or miss but are usually ok

Mercedes OK but can be pricey

Toyota ok

Mazda, rust rust and more rust

Vauxhall, meh....

Dacia despite their Renault underpinnings are actually OK. (rust!!!)

There are very few banger territory cars left and the tidy ones will be written off very quickly as parts become unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Car manufacturers want to sell you new and can't be bothered with older models as recent as 67 plate. The war in the Ukraine has cut off electronics supply for many as well

THEN there is the chip shortage, this has severely restricted the supply of new cats, parts etc, pushing the price of 2nd hand cars through the roof

Later equipment needs recalibration after something as simple as a new windscreen. Headlight replacement can be as much as £3k and so on...

So find something with H7 bulbs, indirect injection and a radio cassette

 

[legrandefromage]

The VAG cars

Well, yes, they share parts but electricals are made by different manufacturers between the brands and plastics are wildly different. Even similar looking switchgear can be from different factories

 

[mk one]

Had an 02 and an 03 Citroen Picasso, put over 100.000 miles on each with no issues. Both 2 litre HDI engines, though I have to say the 02 drove a lot better than the 03 because they tweaked the engine for emmisions. You can completely remove the rear seats leaving a fully flat sprung floor massive space. They drive like a car and I would have another without hesitation, though an 02, if I could find one with low enough miles, the only drawback.

Friend just bought an 08 Suzuki SX4 after writing her Polo off, just as a stop gap until the next car. I have driven it and must say am impressed with the drive, finish and space inside. She has the rarer 2 wheel drive version, cheaper and less to go wrong, but still slightly raised, great for getting in and out of with my dodgy hip. She takes her mum out in it for the same reason, she is in a wheelchair and can not get into most cars, she is fine in this and the wheelchair easily fits in the back, the seats fold down and also forward creating a flat floor space if needed. 60.000 miles and cost under 2K, not a lot to fault really.