Are there any simpler cars around now?

[Regular.Cyclist]

I'm glad my new van doesn't grab the steering, it just bongs at you and flashes a warning. All the assists are turned on but could be disabled, but fortunately none have been intrusive. If the lane assist did grab the steering it would be a right pain on twisty Welsh roads.

I drove a pool car the other day, for the first time, doing a trip from Dumfries to Stranraer. It was an MG4 EV. I hadn’t even got out onto the main road before I was searching where to turn off lane assist. Horrible grabby thing that it was.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

As long as you remember to count slowly to 10 whilst letting the engine idle, before turning it off

If you've been gunning it to your door/parking place, yes. If simply driving normally, switch off and walk away.

 

[Alex321]

As long as you remember to count slowly to 10 whilst letting the engine idle, before turning it off

Any reason you might want to do that?

It is many years since any have been produced where that is necessary or recommended.

My last 5-6 cars have all been turbo diesels, I have never done that, and haven't replaced one at under 200K miles.

 

[presta]

It was an MG4 EV. I hadn’t even got out onto the main road before I was searching where to turn off lane assist.

MG4 lane assist is the one that provoked hundreds of complaints to Which last year. They claim to have fixed now it apparently.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Any reason you might want to do that?

It is many years since any have been produced where that is necessary or recommended.

My last 5-6 cars have all been turbo diesels, I have never done that, and haven't replaced one at under 200 miles.

I'd hope not.

 

[Time Waster]

Any particular reason? There are some decent second hand EVs now at around the 10k mark.

Yes there are particular reasons. I would rather not debate them here as it would dilute the good advise being put forward with a topic that can be debated on a thread for it if so wished.

 

[Time Waster]

We'll be looking at petrol only BTW so from what I have seen most Skodas are diesel. So that is why I am not looking at them and besides we think they are mostly ugly too. Not a main criteria but if there are about 3 or 4 cars that offer us what we need then the ugly ones are a good way to cut the list down a bit more.

We do like estates but there are less and less of them around. It does seem that not many get sold up here and most of them seem to be Skodas, see above. It is a shame that the SUV and before that the MPV came out to take away the old family favourite of the estate car. They are a lesser product IMHO but you can only buy what is available to you when going secondhand.

 

[Jameshow]

How about a Berlingo or partner.
I often see them with 200,000++ miles on and the engines are pretty basic?

 

[briantrumpet]

The worst thing about my 2003 Nissan Almera is its electric front windows... wish they were manual. Other than that, it's like cars used to be.

The most unpleasant car I've driven was a hired 'manual' Ford Fiesta last year - I think I counted well over 50 buttons available to the driver's fingers in various places.

 

[icowden]

We'll be looking at petrol only BTW so from what I have seen most Skodas are diesel. So that is why I am not looking at them and besides we think they are mostly ugly too. Not a main criteria but if there are about 3 or 4 cars that offer us what we need then the ugly ones are a good way to cut the list down a bit more.

Might be worth having a wander around a car warehouse type place and just see what takes your fancy (as long as you can dodge the predatory salespeople!). I'll be doing that with the youngest once her GCSEs have finished. She's fancying a beetle at the moment...

 

[Bonefish Blues]

We'll be looking at petrol only BTW so from what I have seen most Skodas are diesel. So that is why I am not looking at them and besides we think they are mostly ugly too. Not a main criteria but if there are about 3 or 4 cars that offer us what we need then the ugly ones are a good way to cut the list down a bit more.

We do like estates but there are less and less of them around. It does seem that not many get sold up here and most of them seem to be Skodas, see above. It is a shame that the SUV and before that the MPV came out to take away the old family favourite of the estate car. They are a lesser product IMHO but you can only buy what is available to you when going secondhand.

Dacia Jogger 1.0 petrol. Remove the third row of seats and you have a cavernous estate, pop them back in if you ever need to carry 7 people.

 

[Jameshow]

Dacia Jogger 1.0 petrol. Remove the third row of seats and you have a cavernous estate, pop them back in if you ever need to carry 7 people.

Not for 10k.

Also a 1L in a big people carrier no thanks after 5yrs!

 

[Dadam]

As long as you remember to count slowly to 10 whilst letting the engine idle, before turning it off

Only if seconds ago you'd just been ragging the tits off it and come to sudden halt.

Every car I've owned since 2003 has had a turbo and only with the first one (a stage 1 remapped Leon 20VT) did I even think of that, and then only if I'd just been ragging it. Usually you're manoeuvring slowly for at least a few seconds prior to switching the engine off.

 

[Time Waster]

I think all my cars have had turbos for maybe 20 years (4 vehicles I think) had a turbo and we stopped and turned off. The only one with an issue was the van and once a new turbo was put in they found out it was actually the engine that went (or rather the oil pump) first anyway. I think that ten seconds must be an old hang up from early turbos or something.

Not one garage has warned us or told us this at all and a couple were big on giving out tips to get longevity out of cars. Unusually keen on it. I wonder if that was because they did not like working on our SEAT Altea!! They do have pain in the neck locations for things that go wrong I believe. A £2 switch probably did for the climate control. That was located behind the dash (as in take the whole thing off in a whole day and then some labour) or it was somewhere out front and you had to take apart the whole front nose of the car. Overall costing more than the car so we saved our money and used the old fashined AC, we opened the windows!!!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Not for 10k.

Also a 1L in a big people carrier no thanks after 5yrs!

It's not 'a big people carrier', it's a stretched medium sized estate car* - kerb weight +/- 1200kg. Small turbo'd petrol engines have come a long way in recent years. Parkers says:

Petrol engine
The Dacia Jogger’s lone petrol engine is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged unit – badged TCe 110. It produces 110hp and 200Nm of torque – not particularly impressive numbers, but perfectly adequate for the car’s light 1,200kg-ish weight.

It's chain driven, too, unlike the wet belt petrol engine in the Berlingo you mention (although that is a mighty 1.2 litre lump, I accept )

c£12k sees a low miles 2022 model on the OP's drive - meets the criteria laid down, and also has very good residuals.

*ETA
The Dacia Jogger is built on Dacia's modular CMF-B platform, which is also used for the Dacia Sandero. This platform is also found under other Renault-Nissan vehicles, such as the Renault Clio. The Jogger utilizes a unique rear module to extend its length, making it the longest model in the Dacia range.