gangzoom Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) So after 6 years and 80k of ownership we're thinking of replacing my wife's diesel Civic with something abit more ‘premium’. The original plan was to get something like a XF or even the soon to be announced XE. The aim will be to buy new/newish (we have no interest in lease/pcp deals etc) and keep the car for the next 6-7 years, but after experiencing just how horrendously unreliable my BMW 3 series is, we are both very reluctant to spend £30K on anything German and unfortunately looking at the Jaguar the XF is no more reliable than the 3 series Which than leaves the likes of the Lexus IS300H or Infiniti Q50….However reviews for both are all mundane at best, with the Q50 getting some pretty negative remarks so am a little stuck as to what to get next for the wife. Budget is £20-30k, needs to be decent sized car (3 adults in back), preferably >50mpg, decent amount of gadgets,reliable and NOT anything with a German badge.....any more suggestions apart from Lexus/Infiniti/Jag ?? Edited August 5, 2014 by gangzoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross27 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Volvo S60? I know its German, and goes against your outline spec, however have you looked at the Passat CC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Just get an accord amd be done with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Diesel Civics are great cars. My wife has one - we sometimes think a change would be good mainly as she wants to scratch an estate car itch - she likes Volvo V40 or Alfa 159 (I know - not new), but the trusty Civic always wins her back. Best thing is just go and try other cars.. Civics are great - maybe a new spec Civic as a replacement? (save some money too) Edited August 5, 2014 by ChrisB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I've had loads of honda I've got a 15 year old honda it dosnt miss a beat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy78 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Don't know much about the new civic diesel, but the old 2.2 in S flavour looked fantastic and was pretty good mpg-wise. Hondas are so reliable... there's a reason old people buy them! It is probably the only choice if going purely with head. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRF4N Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Lexus IS300h would've been my first recommendation. Iv test driven it and I thought it was pretty good. Also tested the Infiniti which was good in some ways but not great in others I take reviews with a pinch of salt because everyone had different requirements and expectations from a car. Best thing is to drive them all and see for yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Lexus IS300h would've been my first recommendation. Iv test driven it and I thought it was pretty good. Also tested the Infiniti which was good in some ways but not great in others I take reviews with a pinch of salt because everyone had different requirements and expectations from a car. Best thing is to drive them all and see for yourself I am with Irfan . . Lexus or Infinity. I like the IS250's as well. They can also be picked up at a reasonable price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 *cough cough* http://photos.evo.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_521/car_photo_260871_7.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plebpl Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Vauxhall insignia's are surprisingly nice to be inside, there not as bad as they sound worth a look at least Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Lexus gets my vote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 my wifes XC60 is pretty nice - MPG is averaging around 38 at the moment - still new and lots of stop start etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 So after 6 years and 80k of ownership we're thinking of replacing my wife's diesel Civic with something abit more ‘premium’. The original plan was to get something like a XF or even the soon to be announced XE. The aim will be to buy new/newish (we have no interest in lease/pcp deals etc) and keep the car for the next 6-7 years, but after experiencing just how horrendously unreliable my BMW 3 series is, we are both very reluctant to spend £30K on anything German and unfortunately looking at the Jaguar the XF is no more reliable than the 3 series Which than leaves the likes of the Lexus IS300H or Infiniti Q50….However reviews for both are all mundane at best, with the Q50 getting some pretty negative remarks so am a little stuck as to what to get next for the wife. Budget is £20-30k, needs to be decent sized car (3 adults in back), preferably >50mpg, decent amount of gadgets,reliable and NOT anything with a German badge.....any more suggestions apart from Lexus/Infiniti/Jag ?? Please tell me you're not dismissing a car purely off the back of a reliability slidey chart from a website?!!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangzoom Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) Forgotten about Volos, so will have a look Shame Saab aren't around any more Not sure about the Accord seems abit too similar to the Civic. Probably will end up with the IS300h though, but the CVT transmission sounds awful, not sure I can live with it, suppose only way to tell is give it a test drive!! Ideally the XF would be the perfect replacement but reading around it does seem they are quite prone to electrical issues, and general consensus is that they are just about as reliable as BMWs, which given my personal experience with my 335i is the MOST unreliable car I've owned (including a Pegu 106), so I think a Jag is 100% rule out given we're going to run the car out of warranty for at least half of the ownership period Edited August 6, 2014 by gangzoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Please tell me you're not dismissing a car purely off the back of a reliability slidey chart from a website?!!?!?! This. That chart is utter b*llocks. Repair costs and labour costs will of course be higher, they're premium makes for a reason! And as for the 'Time off the road' scale, I've never seen such utter gumpf in all my life. I have NEVER taken a car in and left it there for less than a day unless it's for an MOT, and although they'd have worked that out I'm guessing by dividing total ownership length with total time spent off the road, that's still massively misleading. £180 p/h for labour is a joke as well, you'd never be paying that, much like you'd never pay £150 p/h for a Honda. Buy a decent car, don't just buy the make. For all we know, more BMW and Jag owners are likely to kick up a fuss and complain, hence the skewed stats. Could well be true actually, as Civics are normally owned by old people bored of life who "don't want to bother any one, dearie". If you want an XE, then get an XE! Stupid chart is stupid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangzoom Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) My local BMW dealer charges £150/hr+vat for labour, and the only time I've owned a car that's had to be towed to a garage is when my 335 broke down and refused to drive!! Our Civic on the other hand has been faultless, all our friends who own BMWs (120d to M3s) have all had problems with their cars. So the chart actually reflects my personal experience of the two brands perfectly, so why wouldn't I trust it to gain an insight into what Jags are like for reliability?? The XE sounds like a fab car, but this will be our main family 'hack', it needs to start every day, get us to work without any problems (currently we are averaging 15-20k a year just for commuting miles), and not end up been at the dealers once a month for repairs...which I fear a Jag would need. Edited August 6, 2014 by gangzoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Is that not why you buy a brand-new car though, for the warranty? Tbh, if it's that critical that the car is 100% all the time, then you really need to be looking at buying two cars. One main one, and one back up shed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rat Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My vote is a passat Cc, I have done just over 60k in 18mths mega reliable , very comfy with adjustable suspension and all the toys, get the Gt pack , also returns me between 55-65 mpg dependant on how far and hard I drive. Only my opinion though big a big thumbs up from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 volvo s60 lexus gs300 Inifinity Q50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My local BMW dealer charges £150/hr+vat for labour, and the only time I've owned a car that's had to be towed to a garage is when my 335 broke down and refused to drive!! Our Civic on the other hand has been faultless, all our friends who own BMWs (120d to M3s) have all had problems with their cars. So the chart actually reflects my personal experience of the two brands perfectly, so why wouldn't I trust it to gain an insight into what Jags are like for reliability?? The XE sounds like a fab car, but this will be our main family 'hack', it needs to start every day, get us to work without any problems (currently we are averaging 15-20k a year just for commuting miles), and not end up been at the dealers once a month for repairs...which I fear a Jag would need. I've had two M3's and never had one problem and never spent a minute off the road, does that even out your stats?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRF4N Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 A few curveballs for you Mazda 6- nice interior and IMO very good looking car. Not sure how the build quality/drive are Mondeo- never been in one but heard good things about them. Maybe a bit common/bland but still an upgrade from a civic Kia optima- doesn't have the badge and probably not the build quality but they have vastly improved over the years and with a 7 year warranty hopefully reliability issues are solved. Good looking car with plenty of change from 30k A jeep? Evoque, Volvo xc60 etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theheff Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 How about a focus st estate? They are big inside, comfortable and from personal experience that I won't go into the new focus are safe and take a crash well. Will save you £10k aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Skoda VRS, save the other £8k for curries and drink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bems Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 If you want reliable then get a Lexus but then you'll be bored out your brain every time you drive it. For a bit of fun & decent reliability get a BMW or jag. Depends what you want. A civic may be reliable but I'd never say a 2.2cdti was fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Subaru Legacy is pretty well thought of as well as a family lugger isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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