SUV £16k- £20k

balky12

balky12

balky12

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6 Oct 2011
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All,

Looking to get a car in a few months when the lease on my existing one is up...

Needs to be automatic and petrol. Will plan on running this into the ground so something newish would be favourable. SUV because my girlfriend has recently passed her test and she is tiny... so would quite like the driving height... ultimately I want something she feels comfortable driving in so she actually does drive.

We will most likely get a second car down the line when kids come along so I will then satisfy my want for something more powerful/ sporty/ saloony. As we don't have kids a massively spacious SUV isn't a must.

On my radar currently;

Audi Q2/Q3
Seat Ateca/Arona
VW Tiguan/ T-Roc
Toyota CH-R

Would love a Jaguar E-Pace but i think they are beyond my budget.

Anyone have any experience/ opinions/ alternatives?
 
I quite liked the F25 X3 we had.

It was comfortable, went well and handled far better than an SUV has any right to.

Ran that until 165k miles without a single issue.
 
I'd throw in a XC60,Rav4 and Mazda CX5. I dont see the point of baby suv, so a mid size one would be the minimum i'd look at imo.
 
If you want something small then perhaps something like the Quashqui is a better bet? It has some ride heigh but is about the size of a Golf hatch, which would be nicer for a newer driver.

Also the XC60 is pretty big as well, normal saloon sized, the XC40 is out soon, which is pretty much designed for what you want (small SUV for a young gouple with no kids).
 
ash_scotland88 said:
That's what I am eyeing up next, or the 35d.
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Personally I would avoid the 35D they are not as strong or reliable as the 30D engines. Same in petrol 330i much better engine than 335i

Stick with a 30D solid engines, my old MD had a 2009 530D that he done 240k miles in. Odd oil leak but nothing major
 
I’m not 100% sure on the latest engines coming out not but for example the 335i is direct injection (high pressure petrol injected into a already compressed cylinder) this meant the inlet valves and manifold coked up really badly over time as no fuel to clean them. (I had this happen on a mini jcw direct injection engine) and it had to go for a “walnut blast” where they actually blast walnut shells into the inlet ports to clean them as it kills the performance/fuel economy and rough running. I’m not joking on the walnuts. Apparently this is also a given on 35 engines as they get to 70k miles. Where as 30 engines don’t have this issue.

Apparently the 35 was also a older designed block and not the same block maybe that’s changed on recent engines.

A friend who works as a BMW tech told me when I was looking for my car avoid the 35 engines as they come in with faults a lot more often than 30 engines. I am talking 3/4+ year old cars not up to speed if this has changed on new stuff.

On both diesel and petrol variants the 30’s I was told are stronger engines.
 
I'm biased, but I quite like the Kia Sportage. BMWs will of course give a level up of comfort and refinement, but you'd certainly get a much newer Kia than a BMW and the 7 year warranty is a nice touch if you're keeping it long term. You'd not need to spend all your money either. None of these cars will particularly excite the senses so you're looking at interior toys and comfort over 0-60 times. It's another option and I would definitely get the last of the previous shape because the front end of the new model mings! Surely nothing can be as bad as an Audi Q2 right?
 
tom_nieto said:
None of these cars will particularly excite the senses
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Whilst this is completely true, some have managed to maintain a level of driving dynamics that makes it possible to push on and dare I say it, even have a bit of fun down a twisty road.

This is something that I found true of the F25 X3 but certainly not true of any of the Jap SUVs I tried, which mostly felt like old 4x4s to drive.

Of course there are trade-offs, but giving up trying to drive something decent because you think they'll all drive like arse is foolish.
 
mikehhhhhhh said:
Whilst this is completely true, some have managed to maintain a level of driving dynamics that makes it possible to push on and dare I say it, even have a bit of fun down a twisty road.

This is something that I found true of the F25 X3 but certainly not true of any of the Jap SUVs I tried, which mostly felt like old 4x4s to drive.

Of course there are trade-offs, but giving up trying to drive something decent because you think they'll all drive like arse is foolish.
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Completely agree. Our Sportage doesn't encourage or reward any sort of spirited driving, but with a new baby in the back I don't need to be encouraged either! What they do offer is a lot of metal for the money with cheaper running costs. Worth a look for someone who isn't particularly bothered about B road blasts and potentially looking at a second more exciting car in the future. If you could only have one car then a more premium brand might be worth the cash, but it really depends on individual circumstances and how enthusiastic a driver you really are.
 
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