My Next Car

[Richard A Thackeray]

I think thats a great point v4v ... Buy a Skoda .... Excellent vfm

Couldn't agree more, I (we) run an Octavia estate ('11' plate Tdi) & it's a great car

In the past we had a Fabia estate ('03' 1.4MPi bought new) & I still maintain that it's the best small car I've ever driven - barring the present shape Fabia
(although, I've not tried many of the present small hatchbacks)

The 'VW parts' arguement works both ways; you'll find the Skoda badge on VW parts too (& SEAT too!)


In the past though, we had 3 new Fiats (2 Unos, & a Punto '89-'95), & the only problem we had on any of them was a faulty alternator that cooked the battery (that was the Uno D)

 

[fossyant]

SIL had the older model Punto (before current ones) and that was very problematic - electrics. My niece has a 500 and that was troublesome to start with, but seems OK so far.

Toyota or Nissan person here, and can highly recomend the Yaris if you are after a small car.

 

[Hicky]

We've had a skoda Fabia, superb car....went onto a 407sw 1.6hdi( needed the extra space)ok for three years then sneeze and all the faults lights would come on, in and out for diagnostics never really ran properly afterwards.
We swapped for a civic!

 

[Matt1705]

Another vote for a skoda. We have a W reg octavia 1.9 tdi. Nearly 200k miles and just passed another MOT :-D

 

[Globalti]

Mrs Gti has just bought a SEAT Ibiza and underneath the rather subtle body it's actually a Polo. Everything works as it should and although the 1.2 diesel engine isn't the smoothest I'm sure it will give reliable service and good MPG once it's run in.

(My passat B7 Tdi is now at 23,000 miles and it's remarkable how the MPG is improving; I'm getting 49.6 overall now and regularly see 55 on long A road runs.)

 

[asterix]

SIL had the older model Punto (before current ones) and that was very problematic - electrics. My niece has a 500 and that was troublesome to start with, but seems OK so far.

Toyota or Nissan person here, and can highly recomend the Yaris if you are after a small car.

Pleased to hear that as have recently got a Yaris. Very happy so far. Did a 400 mile round trip in it not long ago. Prefer it to the Civic it replaced.

 

[fossyant]

Pleased to hear that as have recently got a Yaris. Very happy so far. Did a 400 mile round trip in it not long ago. Prefer it to the Civic it replaced.

Had ours since 1999 from new. Its been excellent. The original exhaust has only just been replaced !

 

[RaRa]

My first car was a 1988 white Fiat Uno. I thrashed that car half to death and it never once let me down. I'd have another in a shot.

 

[Col5632]

Wouldnt personally get a fiat just cause i havent heard good things about them and dont look the nicest of cars but each to their own i suppose, if VW wasnt so expensive i would say that would be the make to get but as most have said seat's and skodas are meant to be good these days, Mrs just bought a 54 plate seat ibiza with 54k on the clock, she loves it

 

[swee'pea99]

Unless you're wealthy, what really matters is the total cost of ownership, one major part of which is the depreciation. That's the main reason I was once advised by someone in the trade, buy German. Every time. Simply (or largely) because they hold their value.

 

[Drago]

But German.

Except that the Czech built Peugeot 107 currently holds its value better than any car on the market today.

 

[Gromit]

My last car was a Fiat Punto 1996 with 84,000 miles on the clock. I paid £250, and got 5 years of loyal service out of her, very little went wrong with it. One time I could fit all my belongings in the back, when I was moving. I miss that car lots. I accidentally drove onto a curb very early one morning and did something to the suspension, which would have cost £850 to fix, so had to retire her. I donated it to a charity and they made £150.

 

[Fnaar]

I had a Fiat with dodgy electrics, but the engine lasted for years, with almost zero maintenance from me

 

[grumpyoldgit]

An Italian car with dodgy electrics?I can hardly believe it.
I you want really bad electrics,try Maranello products.
I always thought it was Fix It Again Tony.
There used to be a long list of these,like Lotus - Lots Of Trouble,Usually Serious.

 

[screenman]

Here is one, after a dark night driving back from London Saturday I could satnd the very poor headlights on my Passat no longer. Now upgrading the main beam no problem £20 trade, upgrading the dip beam another thing completely £150 each, guess who just did the former.

Citreon C4 is another nice driver,