New car options

djcla

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My focus is 3 years old now and it time to trade up.. Looking for suggestions on a family hatch mainly used for commuting. I fancy a change and miss the power of the e46 BMW 330d I once owned . Diesel is my normal go to for mpg/performance but will consider hybrids etc. I'm open minded about makes / models etc..

I'm currently looking out for a well specced bmw 120d sport / m sport. My issue is I like tech and my focus has all the toys including keyless entry which I love.

So any suggestions?

Budget 20k tops really

Edit focus 1.6d 115bhp
 
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If you want something more powerful than the focus it would be helpful to know which engine your car has. The most powerful diesel focus is less than 20bhp off the earlier E46 330d so I presume you have something less powerful.

What about the Mazda 6? You'd need to go for the estate if you wanted a hatchback style boot but it's not a particularly big one. All the bells and whistles are a couple of grand out of budget, but you can certainly pick up a brand new SE-L Nav 150ps Diesel Tourer for £20k.

I think you can forget plug-in hybrids on a sub-20k budget and unless your commute is stop/start driving then non-plug-in models are likely to be worse than diesel.

Are you after sportiness or just power? There are plenty of high riding cars with 150hp+ engines and gadgets but many of them won't be set up for a sporty drive.
 
I've edited my post to reflect engine. Sporty is not essential just want it to look good.
 
In your price range you'll be looking for the previous incarnation of the BMW1 Series. Even the new car would seem a bit of a squeeze when compared to a Focus. When I looked at one it didn't seem that much bigger than my VW Scirocco on the interior and certainly not as well screwed together either.

Like EndlessWaves I like the Mazda 6, especially the estate. A car of that size would be the obvious step up spacewise from a Focus. But if you want a bit of fun then look for the Skoda Octavia VRS with 184 bhp diesel engine. The estate looks better than the hatch and both have a massive amount of luggage space. For your budget of £20k you can pick up a low mileage year old car.
 
Have been considering a mazda 3 too but would like to see one. Good kit levels and not ridiculous money.
 
The real life mpg on the focus isn't great I don't believe well mine isn't anyway.. The mazda is out as it doesn't appear to have dab radio :(

I may look into the focus st3 diesel as that's a viable option if the mpg isn't too bad compared to the claimed figures
 
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The real life mpg on the focus isn't great I don't believe well mine isn't anyway.. The mazda is out as it doesn't appear to have dab radio :(

I may look into the focus st3 diesel as that's a viable option if the mpg isn't too bad compared to the claimed figures
Apparently they are fetching strong money just now and are in short supply, might be hard finding one good luck though.
 
You aren't kidding not many about, I'm looking at a st-3 estate on autoebid and it's coming in just under 20k, 2k cheaper than the hatchback. Interesting just never used autoebid before and would want a final price before commiting on that one. Would like to test drive one somewhere too if I could find one
 
The real life mpg on the focus isn't great I don't believe well mine isn't anyway..

Your only option if you want accurate MPG figures is Subaru and they tend to be £20-30k. The Impreza hatchback is under budget but no more powerful than your focus and while you could wrangle a 150ps XV or 200ps BRZ for 20k, both petrol, they'd be the base spec and the BRZ isn't particularly practical.

Honda are probably second place. You'll only get 85-90% of what's claimed but their new 1.6 diesel is a very efficient engine in practice, it's commonly reported to average 65mpg+ in the Civic & Civic Estate.

Most other manufacturers are hovering around 75% at the moment.

Generally for that size of car you're looking around 45mpg petrol and 55mpg diesel. The most efficient cars & engines are 5-10mpg better. Expect a little less from a more powerful engine. High forties for diesel, high thirties for petrol. Anything actually hot or a sportscar will be even less. Once you get into serious hot hatch/sportscar territory then you're looking at 30-35mpg. A Diesel Focus ST should do 35mpg and stands a good chance of getting over 40mpg but I wouldn't expect it to hit 45mpg.

Sporty is not essential just want it to look good.

That's highly subjective, some people even think Audis look good. Anything in particular you want to avoid? Crossovers, Gangster wheels etc.

How about the Peugeot 308 SW GT? £20,615 on Autoebid. That'll get you a 180ps diesel and plenty of toys (massage chairs, keyless entry, dynamic cruise control) above and beyond the usual leather & satnav. Unfortunately it does have lowered suspension and big wheels without being the sporty GTI so whether the half way house suits you I don't know.

If you don't mind a stiffer suspension then there were some big deals on the outgoing Citroen DS5 which is a very gadgety car inside, although I don't know if they're still available (DSign, DStyle & DSport are the old model's trims, Elegence, Prestige and 1955 are the new revised DS-branded model).
 
Cheers, I'm not really after a family estate... Just a hatchback focus size is fine. I actually looked at a volvo v40 today and a 2013 1 series 118d m sport in black with red leather (which is probably my dream combo) ... I do love the 1 series and quite fancy a 120d or 125d. I need too look at a civic though as I love the shape just want a bit more power. Im not against sporty looks etc just don't want too boy racer and more understated.

One downside to the bmw is lack of kit and expensive bills.

The v40 was nice just the centre console was a little retro
 
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That's highly subjective, some people even think Audis look good. Anything in particular you want to avoid? Crossovers, Gangster wheels etc.

How about the Peugeot 308 SW GT? £20,615 on Autoebid. That'll get you a 180ps diesel and plenty of toys (massage chairs, keyless entry, dynamic cruise control) above and beyond the usual leather & satnav. Unfortunately it does have lowered suspension and big wheels without being the sporty GTI so whether the half way house suits you I don't know.

If you don't mind a stiffer suspension then there were some big deals on the outgoing Citroen DS5 which is a very gadgety car inside, although I don't know if they're still available (DSign, DStyle & DSport are the old model's trims, Elegence, Prestige and 1955 are the new revised DS-branded model).

Yes it is subjective im just not a big fan of dull boring cars which is why im looking to move away from the Focus . So ill probably discount Pug's although the one you mentioned is ok tin the pics ive seen. I can see I need to make sacrifices on kit if I want a premium make :(
 
One downside to the bmw is lack of kit

Was back in a BMW at the weekend, a mate borrowed an X1.
It was shocking to see how little kit you get, now that I'm used to manufacturers that give you more toys.
 
yep its poor and the options are all pricey which is probably why people don't kit them out when new. The overall feel quality of the cabin though is superb imo.
 
Yup, no denying the general air of quality to the cabin.
And the X1 isn't even known as being a particularly good example of a BMW.
 
I'd avoid any BMW with a N47 engine, due to the timing chain problems.
 
I'd avoid any BMW with a N47 engine, due to the timing chain problems.

There is a quality of life fix being rolled out, no official recall yet though but if its had the fix or been replaced then you'll be fine. Bit of a ticking time bomb if not.
 
yes I could google it, but feel the whole point of a discussion thread is to discuss these things rather than blanket statements without any detail.
 
I tested Golfs, Focuses and a 1 series. The 1 series is noticeably smaller in the back than the other two thanks to the rear wheel drive. I can get 3 adults across the back of the Golf - I've done that in my friends 120d but it was seriously uncomfortable even for a 15 minute hop.
I do like the 1 series but if this is the family car you might find it too small?
 
Went to look at a vRS the other day and it's very spacious in the back, loads of boot space also.
 
When I say family car I just need to fit to child seats in the back, it's mainly a commuting vehicle... We have a suv for actual trips where there is loads of stuff to take etc
 
Test drove the 118d today and it's a nice drive, but the back seems seriously crampt, quite hard to climb in the back too. So not sure getting 2 young kids into child seats is practical. I'll think on it but despite loving the car I'm not sure it's right choice. If it was a 120 or 125 I'd be happier to make compromises. Another thing the average mpg was at 45mpg and obviously this has a lot of variables but did seem a tad low
 

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