I've owned a 54 plate Superb Comfort PD130 for just under a year and I'm thinking of moving on.

I traded in an Octavia 1.8T to get the Superb because I was doing 12-13k miles a year and the Octy was costing petrol wise, plus it had mods and remap and the insurance quotes were getting ridiculous. Anyway, I'm actually doing more like 7k a year now for various reasons and I don't see the need for a diesel necessarily, especially with diesel costing 10p more per litre, although I'm not opposed to oil burners.

I have 2 kids – 5 and 8 months – so need some space in the back, plus a decent boot. The Octy was actually a good size but I've got used to the bigger car now, but could downsize back.

Long story short, what family size car would everyone recommend with a decent drive, bit of poke, reasonable insurance and tax, and a budget of about £5k, maybe £6k :S

I wait with baited breath

Id stick derv and get a mondeo st! Hell of a car for the money!

Or theres the petrol st 220.... No idea on ins costs etc though

Any petrol superbs about?

Mondeo ST are very nice especially with the 220 petrol or 200 diesel. However I'd consider a newer Modeo Estate Titanium-X!!! There beautiful Cars with a brilliant spec however as you've an upper budget of 6k the st is more inside of that

Honda Accord Estate? They do some nicely spec ones and again a lot of car for the money.

An older BMW 3 series estate?

Volvo V70 Estate or Hatch

Passat...

Hope this may give a few ideas???

Cheers everyone.

I was thinking about the Volvo V70, but I hadn't considered a Mondeo ST derv. Interesting… But I imagine the insurance will be stupid.

I'll go on Auto Trader right now and have a look

Just stick with what you have an add a few mods.

I've just been looking at Mondeo STs and I'm quite excited.

I'll have to check insurance but tax seems OK. I'll still be paying diesel prices but the petrol ST will kill me in tax and insurance.

Hmmm, I'm seriously tempted though :yes:

Does anyone know anything to look out for with these? A few reviews say that the gearbox ain't great – a bit notchy and 1st and 2nd next to useless, but most reviews seem pretty positive, and it's a Ford so parts and servicing should be cheap.

Any extra info appreciated

Just stick with what you have an add a few mods.

Yeah, I've thought about that but a remap and new suspension will cost nearly £1000 and I'm not convinced it'll turn it into the car I really want.

If you like the space then you might be better with another superb?

Or if you can cope with something a little smaller an Octy Estate.

A bit out of budget except for high mileage examples is the A6 avant but is is massive.

If your looking at mondeos, have a look on the honestjohn website, and take the list of issues to any car.

Every car i looked at had one or other of the expensive issues (most common being the rear bumper that doesn't hang correctly)

If your looking at mondeos, have a look on the honestjohn website, and take the list of issues to any car.

Every car i looked at had one or other of the expensive issues (most common being the rear bumper that doesn't hang correctly)

Cheers Snail. I've been reading around today and there are a lot of potential pit falls to the Mondeo, but I suppose that's the case with the Superb as well, or any car.

I'm still umming and aahhing and it might be better the devil you know, but I just have this itch to scratch

So after a rethink I've got about £7k to play with.

The choices:

1. Mondeo ST TDCi (test driving one tomorrow)

2. BMW 520d

3. BMW 320d

4. Saab 9-3 TiD Vector Sport

5. Audi A4 or A6

6. Stick with the Superb and get it remapped, new suspension, and alloys refurbed

What does everyone think?

If you seriously are looking at BM's then go and view / drive them but don't make an offer until we have had snow for at least a week, it's about this time that they can't give BM's away (they are ALL hopeless is the snow - even the X3, X5 .....)

Personally I would keep what you have, or maybe 'swap' it for an Edition 100 (if you like black cars)

Just do the usual water ingress checks 1st

If you seriously are looking at BM's then go and view / drive them but don't make an offer until we have had snow for at least a week, it's about this time that they can't give BM's away (they are ALL hopeless is the snow - even the X3, X5 .....)

.... unless you pop some winter tyres on them, in which case they're fine

Chris

No votes for any Audi then?

I'm really struggling to make a decision. After a look around, £7k doesn't seem to get you much BMW or Audi, i.e. it gets you about a 2006 model at a push with over 80k miles, but then I still think they're overpriced.

On the other hand £7k can get you a lot of Saab or Mondeo, and it could go a long way to improving the Superb, too, but then the Superb's nearly 8 years old so is it really worth it :S

Is Saab a total no no with the current situation? I would have thought parts will still be readily available due to GM's massive parts bin, but will there be any places to service and fix it?

God damn

Personally, I'd stick with the Superb.

If you want to stick with derv, you'll love the Mondeo ST TDCI!

Saab 9-3 2.2 tid - comfy cruiser but slow and not economical (39.9 mpg on a 150 mile run at 70mph). Oh, and the dashboard is hideous and the boot sounds like you are deploying the ironing board when you open it. Will an early pre FL Octy vRS in petrol or diesel guise not fit your needs/budget?

I had a 9-3 until recently - worst car I've ever owned

If you want to stick with derv, you'll love the Mondeo ST TDCI!

The Mk3 is a barge and drives like one. Quite sloppy road holding IMO.

I'd stick with the others on the list personally.

SWMBO and I are thinking of selling our caravan a little later in the year and if so I won't need my Octavia as I don't do enough milage to justify a diesel. Having said that for me to change to a petrol equivilent would be a waste of money with depreciation/purchase costs etc

Personally, stick with what you have, you might find in 12months time you need to travel further for work and would like a diesel again

I'm off to test the ST TDCi in a bit so I'll report back my thoughts.

Cheers all

So, went to the wrong garage I'd arranged with (don't ask ) but luckily I could still test their ST.

I didn't like it :(

I don't know if it was just the roads I was on (pretty rough and didn't get a chance to really let go) but it felt lumpy and cheap. The 18" Team Dynamics wheels probably didn't help either because it tramlined and pulled all over the place. It also had the infamous Mondeo droopy rear bumper.

After a 10 minute ride the engine hadn't even warmed up, but it sounded OK and everything worked, including the heated seats which burned my ass off in about 2 minutes.

I just wasn't excited by it though. The driving position is too high, with the seat all the way down, 1st and 2nd gears are too close so you hit 3k revs without even pressing. Maybe it's just different and I'd get used to it but it was a relief to get back in the Superb.

I'll maybe test another to make sure, hopefully for longer on better roads, but I think I'll be striking the Mondy off the list

I've dabbled with many of the alternatives that have been mentioned so speak from experience which has resulted in my coming back to a Superb II as nothing else gives the same kind of quality mixed with VFM and low running costs.

My suggestions would be:

Superb I V6 Tdi Elegance

Any Superb II

Or if fuel consumption is now less of an issue for you, go Superb I Elegance 2.8 V6 as long as it's mint and extra extra cheap so you can easily afford to get the suspension modded to do justice to the lovely engine. But do buy so cheaply that there's no depreciation, which will offset your higher fuel costs.

Thats a shame.... :(