We’re going to need a new car soon. Our Jag XF is lovely but the boot space is getting to be a problem and it’s a Euro cat 5 diesel, which means we’ll get clobbered for the new London emissions surcharge before too long.
So we’re thinking medium sized estate. Volvo V60, BMW 320 touring or Audi A4 Avant look the favourites so far. Definite wants:
automatic
not massive so no Skoda Superb, 5 series or V90
decent level of kit: sat nav, parking sensors, Bluetooth, heated leather seats.
newish (say not more than 2 years old)
budget of up to £25k.
We only do 7k miles a year so I guess we should consider petrol rather than diesel this time?
Thoughts?
Comments
I don't have experience of their current petrol engines but they are VW/Audi so will probably be very good in all respects.
Our 2008 diesel estate is the best car I've ever owned. I only sold it because I didn't need a car that size anymore, but I want one again.
Otherwise, Octavia VRS? Huge boot, not slow, sensibly priced, decent kit.
The Leon estate drives nicer than the Octavia as you feel a bit more connected to the road.
If you’re not after out right performance our 1.5 TSi would be my choice.
I had a look at Honest John reviews and the Outlander doesn’t look that great in real life. £130 road tax after the first year. It also weighs two tonnes and the real life mpg is nothing like the manufacturer’s claims...mid 60s rather than 145. We get 55 out of the Jag at the moment and that’s a 3 litre v6. The driving experience isn’t great either with a noisy unrefined engine and so-so interior.
Part of me can't help but wonder if this is all a cynical ploy to keep the underclass in their place by essentially pricing them out of activities and hopefully pushing them out of London.
Assuming I don't have to pay out for repairs (so the cost of the vehicle, tax, insurance, fuel, annual service) costs me £6.26 a day (based on chucking £30 worth of fuel in a week). How can they justify charging people an extra £100 a day?
I can see the point, because older vehicles are the most polluting, but you’re right in that it’ll price out people who aren’t in a position to replace their cars/vans/lorries. It’s going to kill a lot of small businesses. No doubt London shop prices and rents will go up to compensate too. I guess the hope is that commuters will switch to public transport but a) that’s not feasible for everyone and b) it really affects businesses who have to work in the ULEZ.
They really are worth a look at, driving aides are above pretty much anything on the market, their engineering is second to none - no i don't work for them
lots have had fires but most importantly once you decide to accept the plasticky interior fittings and that you have to go top of range to get satnav etc (which is the most non user friendly on the road) the big disappointment is that the mileage and range claims are a big fat lie .........they achieve about 50% of the claimed range under normal use.