I have been supporting my gran with looking for a new car. Her current car is a Suzuki swift sport. Not a bad drive for a 81yo great gran. She looked at lots of cars when he bought it, and her heart said to for the little sporty thing instead of the run of the mill car. Her choice not mine. So been looking at a small 5 door car like the Honda Jazz, Kia Rio, Suzuki swift, Hyundai i20, Toyota yaris. Or the cars that currently meet her needs for a car. But when ever I ask for info and prices on the 1.6ltr or "not"the smallest most Eco friendly car in these ranges we get told that no one wants the. And they never sell one in the 18months they have been for sale. I asked a car salesman today why the hard sell on Eco cars? His reply " the customers want the best MPG, low tax, cheap running costs etc". I said we are customers and don't want this, I tried to explain even my gran bought her last car not because it was cheap but because she wanted something that she liked and was fun. And that even the most expensive car in the dealership now gives a better mpg and lower car tax than her current car. Just seems the fun is never as important as mpg, tax bands etc... She's only changing as she wants a change after 6 years of the car, not to reduce her motoring costs. Yes I know if your going mega miles this is important but why do they think everyone wants a crap run of the mill car that everyone else does.
Fiesta is best selling car currently and the 1.6tdci is a great lump My nan was adamant she wanted a new micra so she got a 1.3 I think which wasnt that bad really
If she's going to keep the next car for 6 years I'd look at long warranties, such as Kia or Hyundai. Failing that she could always get a second hand honda civic type R.
How about going full electric? I'm seriously considering a second hand Nissan Leaf for my daily commute next time I change my second car. Although we would still keep the Altea XL that we use for weekends, school run, holidays etc. Used Nissan Leaf are less than £10K now and only cost 1p per mile to run! No engine maintenance to pay for. And the best bit? Full torque as soon as you hit the pedal - WHEEEEEE!
I can't help but see one crucial flaw in the salemans thinking that these cars are cheap to run, tax and maintain.........hmmm I can't help but wonder how long the cheap tax breaks for small gutless supposedly Eco cars will last as more and more motorists jump ship and move away from higher tax income cars intto those smaller taxed ones remember the government wants/needs every penny they can get from the motorist in fact everyone it can....well as long as its not the politicians or the bankers that is! Kinda reminds me of the so called fairer tax scheme where the vehicles were taxed on the C/O output back in 01, so folks jumped into smaller cars with lower tax bracket and what did our brilliant politicians do.....yep create more tax brackets and increase the duty for what was the best of the best Eco vehicles of the time. I kinda fail to see how most of the so called Eco friendly cars are so eco friendy to me there anything but, the engines in them are so small you have to rev the nuts off em to get em to move! This gutless ness also hinders the fact u end up with a not so efficient car as most of the fuel is unburnt n shooting out its ass as you end up flooring it just to get up the smallest of inclines in the road or have to drop a gear or two causing higher revs........whereas if you had just bought a not so tiny engined car you wouldn't have even noticed the slight incline that killed the small Eco car to a crawl!
Electric cars aren't that cheap as the batteries don't last for too many years and are bloody expensive. IIRC so companies now only rent you the batteries when you buy the car, so it is your car and their batteries
Shiny u got it spot on. I will be test riding the 2 cars she likes, the Rio and i20 in the next few days. She's asked me for my opinion and I will be giving her my opinion on which of the 2 she picked would be best for her. but my opinion is that they would not suit me. but I will not be telling her that as that's my opinion. it's not the current crop of cheap cars that get me but the all dealers feel that Customers all want cheap cars to run. Not fun cars.
She's 81 Kev! I reckon she'd be more interested in being Alive in 6 years rather than having a water tight warranty? (No offence OP!)
non taken. and why I said to her to get the car she wants. for 81 she is still working of sorts and very active for her age. Still a pain in the ass sometimes. We are off for a test ride this morning on a Kia Rio she likes. will report back on what it's like. it's a 1.4ltr so no poverty spec eco model
She's going for a 3 door Rio 3 in 1.4ltr so not the best eco car but what she wanted. was impressed with the test drive how nippy it is for a small engine car.
What really makes me laugh, is how they push cars on the issue of VED levels/emissions/mpg and the diesel slaves of this world eat, drink and sleep on their 'superior' fuel economy, but not many people seem to worry about being packaged in a tiny little tin can and getting mullered by a 4x4 at a set of lights or a junction and dying in the small, but very efficient tin can. Just my 2 bob on the subject. Most salespersons go rather quiet when you start asking about safety over economy.
