Are vans better offroad than cars ?

[Couchy]

Crew cab van and stick swivel plate in the front seats give you a dining room. Get a caravan

Can't get a motorbike in the back and i don't fancy towing a trailer with a van due to visibility etc... it's like the worst of all worlds.

You don't want to tow with a van ? lol

[weeksy]

I'll keep this in here even though the van idea has been written off. They're simply too much money with too many miles and too many hard day's.

So it'll be car based.

Unless someone inspires me, it's between these.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... R-V&page=1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403791579489 ... %7Ciid%3A1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314071843332 ... Sw4idizyMs

My thoughts and Mrs weeksys thoughts differ slightly here. But obviously we're looking at a basis on a theme.

I'm hoping you lot have a bit of real world experience to throw into the debate

[Couchy]

I'll keep this in here even though the van idea has been written off. They're simply too much money with too many miles and too many hard day's.

So it'll be car based.

Unless someone inspires me, it's between these.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... R-V&page=1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403791579489 ... %7Ciid%3A1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314071843332 ... Sw4idizyMs

My thoughts and Mrs weeksys thoughts differ slightly here. But obviously we're looking at a basis on a theme.

I'm hoping you lot have a bit of real world experience to throw into the debate

The Honda is non turbo and will prob run forever but won’t do as many mpg as the small Ford turbo. The Audi meh it’s too old compared to the others. Buy the Kuga
Or sell the focus and get a small runabout and a good family/mtb vehicle that can do mtb and euro holidays

[Mussels]

I'd take the bigger engine and put up with slightly reduced mpg in favour of a nicer drive and reliability.
Whenever I've tried driving smaller engined cars with more mpg on paper I've not noticed any better economy when I drive as normal. I just spend more time listening to a tiny screaming engine.

[weeksy]

Due to the Kuga not having service history that's now been canned.

However, due to it being a Kuga, it's far from the only one.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... posit=true

But the CRV does tick many boxes. Does it tick £1000 more boxes than a Kuga hmmm.

[Couchy]

2016- Hyundai Tucson

[weeksy]

I thought that Honda CRV looked ok?
88k miles, looks decent nick, not sure if it's enough space in the back but if it is then that's a decent compromise between reasonable family car and weekend haulage job.

I'd probably end up getting a big Nissan or Toyota 4x4, which is what I have now, I can fit four bikes in easily plus all my gear. You can't buy the one I have in the UK but it's not far off this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403501550310 ... SwYsligLUa
Mine is a 4.0L petrol, I'm not keen on diesel but it will do the trick and IME it's the most reliable thing I've owned, seven years and 120,000km's and not a peep from it, I know people with 300,000 miles on them.

TBF that one i from earlier is moving back up the list.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... on=at_cars
Bloke has had it a little while and dropped the price to £9750 and it comes with a towbar fitted which saves me £400-700.
It's a few more miles than the CRV at Carshop.
However, Googling carshop, it appears to be a shit-show

https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/carshop
1.9/5 in 300+ reviews... i mean do you really want to buy a car from a place like that.

Sure you may not need aftercare... but you may do.

Your PAthfinder is awesome potentially there yes... but i'm trying to move away from diesel as well... hence all i'm looking at is petrol (apart from when i go van crazy).

[KungFooBob]

I bought my Benzo from The Car Shop (Sheffield). It was quite a pleasant experience.

I asked them to touch up a mark on the rear bumper before collection which they did a very good job on.

When I picked it up I noticed there wasn't any mats, the advert stated mats, but I couldn't remember if there were there on the test drive or not. Anyway, they bought me a brand new set of MB mats.

The Sheffield branch used to be The Car People, who merged with The Car Shop.

Before they merged, I visited The Car Shop in Doncaster, that was deffo a high pressure sales thing. They wanted to sit you down and discuss your budget and finances before they even let you look at a car, it was the same in the Doncaster branch of Bristol Street, but worse. In fact based on that one experience I wouldn't step foot in a Bristol Street ever again.

[weeksy]

It's a tricky one isn't it... I don't mind that they want to sell cars in places, that's their job.

But i would like a vague hope that if something goes pear shaped you'd be looked after, sure you may not be... but going into somewhere with say the 1.9/5 reviews, with loads and loads of 1s, well your chances are pretty slim of being looked after.

I could buy a car and it never needs touching in the first 6 months... but i could also buy one that needs work on day 2...

Obviously me being me, i'm over-thinking it... but i do like to consider things before jumping in, i know it doesn't look like it with things like motorbikes, but i buy bikes with my heart, not my head... lol. Plus usually a lot newer and low miles.

[Taipan]

1. Honda reliability FTW.
2. Kuga
3. Audi. Really?

[Count Steer]

1. Honda reliability FTW.
2. Kuga
3. Audi. Really?

I quite like my Audi.

(But then, I liked my Volvo too).

[weeksy]

1. Honda reliability FTW.
2. Kuga
3. Audi. Really?

I've pretty much wiped the Audi out... but interested on the 'really' ?


I may be viewing something later which is a bit of a curveball.... but not much.

[Count Steer]

1. Honda reliability FTW.
2. Kuga
3. Audi. Really?

I've pretty much wiped the Audi out... but interested on the 'really' ?


I may be viewing something later which is a bit of a curveball.... but not much.

Dunno what TPs got against them but I'd say they're pretty well built, nice to be in - the seats are and everything feels pretty good quality, the information display, controls and all that are absolutely fine. Happy with the engine/performance etc etc. Only gripes are lack of interior storage and the load space doesn't configure as nicely as the Volvo...but not much does.

[KungFooBob]

I drove a new A4 about 6-7 years ago, 2l derv company car.

It was awful, I was comparing it directly to my much older BMW 3 series coupe I had at the time.

The interior was nice and there was lots of toys, it was just shit to drive, like trying to steer a blancmange.

[Mussels]

I struggle to see the attraction of Audi. Ford is an all rounder, mostly reliable, mostly cheap, mostly decent to drive. Honda is reliable. Audi is?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My experience of VW Audi group cars is that they're dull to drive, well built but prone to minor electrical problems.

My wife loves her VW Eos, it's 15 years old, done 110,000 miles, everything works apart from it thinks the air temperature is 10 degrees hotter than it really is.

I had a SEAT Leon that the engine management light came on if you slammed the passenger door

We had a load of Golfs and Passats at work, they were all a bit dull but did the job.

I think R10s might be a bit more fun.

[Count Steer]

I drove a new A4 about 6-7 years ago, 2l derv company car.

It was awful, I was comparing it directly to my much older BMW 3 series coupe I had at the time.

The interior was nice and there was lots of toys, it was just shit to drive, like trying to steer a blancmange.

Was the 3 Series diesel? (Not sure I've ever driven a diesel car. Vans yes but not cars).

Drove a biggish new petrol Audi estate recently A4 or A6...dunno. It was a bit 'remote' but not half as bad as some modern cars I've driven where the steering is totally over-power-assisted. Not a bad place to be sat at all if you're a high mileage road-warrior type. Drove a small petrol Audi hatchback too - it felt a bit 'budget' but couldn't really compare it to anything similar apart from a little old Mazda (probably a Ford in drag) and that felt like a budget mini-bread van. Drove a (top spec) Toyota Yaris/Mazda 2 hybrid recently as well. Quite pleasant but vaguely flimsy, perfectly adequate.

In terms of reliability, does anyone give stats on 60-80k and upwards vehicles? Which? seem to lose interest at 5 years.

[Mussels]

I drove a new A4 about 6-7 years ago, 2l derv company car.

It was awful, I was comparing it directly to my much older BMW 3 series coupe I had at the time.

The interior was nice and there was lots of toys, it was just shit to drive, like trying to steer a blancmange.

Was the 3 Series diesel? (Not sure I've ever driven a diesel car. Vans yes but not cars).

Drove a biggish new petrol Audi estate recently A4 or A6...dunno. It was a bit 'remote' but not half as bad as some modern cars I've driven where the steering is totally over-power-assisted. Not a bad place to be sat at all if you're a high mileage road-warrior type. Drove a small petrol Audi hatchback too - it felt a bit 'budget' but couldn't really compare it to anything similar apart from a little old Mazda (probably a Ford in drag) and that felt like a budget mini-bread van. Drove a (top spec) Toyota Yaris/Mazda 2 hybrid recently as well. Quite pleasant but vaguely flimsy, perfectly adequate.

In terms of reliability, does anyone give stats on 60-80k and upwards vehicles? Which? seem to lose interest at 5 years.

I think almost all reliability stats rely on fleet managers keeping good records and very little effort is put into decent research, anecdotal evidence from the internet is probably more reliable for older cars.
That said I've found some good guides which accurately predict faults in older cars, Parkers used to make one available but I think they ditched it.

[Taipan]

1. Honda reliability FTW.
2. Kuga
3. Audi. Really?

I've pretty much wiped the Audi out... but interested on the 'really' ?


I may be viewing something later which is a bit of a curveball.... but not much.

I always think of Auds as expensively unreliable cars, or at least in my experience of people that have had them they have been. The few people I know with them have had expensive problems. 6k gearbox. Magnetic suspension problems. ABS modules. Fuel pumps etc. My old neighbour sold his Q7 and got a Range Rover and never looked back!

[weeksy]

I'm not sure who's more bored of all this car stuff now, you lot, @Couchy or @Welsh Muffin

I think those 2 have lost the plot and despaired but we've still not reached a conclusion yet.

Firstly i went to see this one yesterday
https://www.one2oneautos.co.uk/used-hon ... re-4289104
2007 Auto CRV.... My lad LOVES this thing.... lots of little spaces, cool features, his own arm rest.

Test drive and viewing mostly went well, but the air con was blowing warm instead of cold. He suggested it may be a re-gas, which would be fine. But then he threw in that he won't warranty the air-con.. which threw me a little... If it is a re-gas, great... if it's not, then it's a compressor/clutch and that's up to £1000. But overall i really liked it, the auto doesn't quite change gear how you'd like but it was a lovely drive.

Then we looped over to this one
https://www.a4motorcompany.co.uk/used-h ... re-4290864
That's a 2013 manual and whilst it was 'nicer' in some ways, it wasn't £4000 nicer. It was fine, nice, smooth, good... but... £4000.... Mmmm not so sure.

So where does that leave me... Heck... still without a car lol.. That's all i know at the moment. I know we're still in SUV territory for purchasing, the size, shape, etc all make sense for what we want.
I arguably prefer the Auto for sure... but you could argue the auto has worse fuel economy, well, not even argue, it simply does. The CRV is pretty hefty in terms of road tax too at £330 both for petrol and diesel. The auto/manual is 5mpg according to figures on Autotrader. I'm not sure that really brings the diesel into the discussion though.

So thoughts for the day. Well.. this.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... on=at_cars
Which is the 1.5 petrol Kuga.... better on economy, better on road tax and has things like DAB which the CRV doesn't, but lacks a Sat Nav... Boot space is very very similar on both... Obviously this one doesn't have a towbar currently, but easily can have. With only 62,000 on the clocks as well... it's certainly a contender.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... on=at_cars
This is another decent thing and already has the towbar. More miles than the Kuga with this being 75,000 and also a 2010 instead of a 2015... but i do like the CRV i have to say. It's the model/spec down which means it doesn't come with Sat Nav or leather... but i can live without both as we have a manual sat nav.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... on=at_cars
This is the last one, another CRV, the EX higher spec model on this one, but a few more miles and a bit more money...

Can't view anything today as i'm taking Mrs Weeksy to the airport to jet off for 10 days away... lucky girl !