New car:must be easy to park,a/c, 2 toddlers and not be a people carrier

I shouldnt be saying this but peugeot 307. I have one and its great, one toddler but loads a room for buggy, shopping etc. Get alot of extras, and id say if you haggled enough you could get a good discount. I had a 206 in the past and i can tell you that the 307 is a million times better than the 206. Get your wife to test drive, im sure she would love it.

And, from what I hear the new 307's dont have any problems. Mine is a 02 nearly done 100miles and it has never let me down. Its only a 1.4 turbo diesel but quick enough for me. Fuel economy is great also! Forgot to mention loads of airbags, great safety rating. I know the pillars either side can be hard to see out of but she would get used of them!

Now dont shoot me now!!!
 
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I know you said you don't like Opel, but I'd recommend the Opel Agila, not sure what country Opels are from. I'm on my second one, love it, and it's my fourth Opel (all have been reliable and have never broken down) it fits 3 kids under 6 in the back and the car is high up so I can see everything (as in traffic on all sides) and it's really really simply to park which was your number one criterion and mine too. As it's compact I'm very close to the kids which is also a consideration - tissues, tears and tantrums etc. I use my husband's people carrier for my weekly big shop but you'd be amazed how much you can fit in the Agila. I also keep a small buggy in the boot for the baby of 1 year - guess you don't have a buggy as you've toddlers. No idea of the price of it in Ireland.
 
Re: New car:must be easy to park, 2 toddlers and not be a people carrier

xavier said:
I would recommend a new Octavia. They start well under your budget and 23 or 24k would easily sit you in the top spec one which will have dual control climate control. You'll also have a massive boot for carrying around all the stuff that 2 kids entail. There is plenty room in the rear for 2 kids in car seats and they are sturdy and reliable. For the money you'll struggle to find a bigger car with as much equipment.

I have a 99 1.6 one which has never let me down and I've put nearly 100k on it from new.
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Twas only a matter of time until someone mentioned an Octavia.

Badge snobs step up to the plate please :D

p.s. They are good taxis.
 
Re: New car:must be easy to park, 2 toddlers and not be a people carrier

RS2K said:
Twas only a matter of time until someone mentioned an Octavia.
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Well I saw the opening....I had been surprised the thread had gotten so far without them being mentioned.
 
Don't buy an Octavia....otherwise when people are being polite about your car you'll be saying things like they're really good and really a VW and really good value...but in truth they're a poor mans VW and you'll get FLEECED at trade-in time.

There...badge snob reply #1!
 
Firefly said:
Don't buy an Octavia....otherwise when people are being polite about your car you'll be saying things like they're really good and really a VW and really good value...but in truth they're a poor mans VW and you'll get FLEECED at trade-in time.

There...badge snob reply #1!
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I agree...it'll always be a Skoda :D

Beisdes that I don't think saloon is the way to go for the OP.
 
aircobra19 said:
You must have got lucky, the 307 gets slated in all the surveys, Top Gear, JD Power etc. Never had one one myself.

http://www.topgear.com/content/carsurvey/2006/
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I think I did get lucky hehee :D. To be honest when I looked through that link, it didnt say anything that bad about the 307. Just another option for the op's wifey to have a look at, oh and yes that was 100,000 MILES

My spelling and typing is dreadful today i think its the sun going to my head!!!
 
I had a Mazda Demio once, great car, A/C, slightly higher than your average saloon, and a panoramic view all around. It's long since been replaced with the Mazda 2 which is not dissimilar (but the new boot layout couldn't fit the golf clubs so I didn't go for the 2!). Think they go for about €18k new.

Also the Suzuki SX4 might be worth a look, €19/€20 k, air conditioning, as it's a bit higher there's a clear view for parking etc.
 
blinkbelle said:
I think I did get lucky hehee :D. To be honest when I looked through that link, it didnt say anything that bad about the 307. ...
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....didnt say anything that bad???? Ranked 150 out of 152 :eek:

150 Peugeot 307 No area of fit, finish or reliability ranks above awful for this heap
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I know its only Top Gear but still?
 
I have had two Mazda Demios .I thougth they were a great little car never let me down .I choose the last one in preference to the just then introduced Mazda 2 which is basically the same as I preferred the squarer shape also the discount. I think the Mazda 2 or Demio fit the specification here pefectly.
The main thing you want with toddlers and child seats is four doors and ease of access to the rear compartment. I passed my last Demio on to my daughter whose need in this regard was greater than mine and I have replaced with a Seat Altea - my main concern these days is a high seating position. The Maxda was quite good in this contxt. I find the Altea outlook visability restricted and parking quite difficult by comparison also a lot of gimicks which I fear may mall function at some stage - the Mazda was very basic - no bad thing.
 
Micra is waaaaaaaaaay too small for me (and I don't have any kids). Had a Nissan Note as a hire car after an accident and loved it. Not a people carrier but loads of space and a little height. Not the sexiest car out there but it is a lovely drive.
 
Surprised that Honda Civic hasn't been mentioned?

Not the current version (great, but not really suited for the job)
The previous Civic hatch would suit for a number of reasons:

Very roomy in the front and back together with fairly big boot
Easy to drive/park with good visibility
Extremely reliable

Together with the Golf, the Civic keeps it's value better than any other car in it's class. Even this version (02 - 06?) is desirable when it comes to resale (was regarded as conservatively styled)

The Honda Civic has consistently been one of the highest rated small hatches for years

In fact the only thing I could say about this car (aside from the styling which traditional Civic fans didn't like) which might be a little offputting for some is the dash mounted gear - for me, it only took about 5 minutes to get used to and it's location adds to the overall feeling of roominess and airiness in the cabin - but some mightn't like it.

Bit pricier of course than the average hatch - but this is a consequence of it's great resale value

worth considering anyway...
 
Thanks Guys for all the comments.

Probably going to head for the Ford Focus once I get released from Port Laoise. They have let me out of the cage but not the prison. :D
 
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