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Need help with auto box

Well, choosing one really.

Our "main" car is a Nissan QX 3.0 SEL Auto and it's bloody brilliant. Currently 102k on the clock and still drives as well and as smoothly as when we bought it at 45k. So far it's been very reliable but I know that if/when things go wrong, I'll probably need to sell a kidney to pay for the spare parts - and we can only afford to run one car of that class/quality/expense.

My wife's car is now getting beyond economic repair and needs to be replaced but as it's a second car we don't need (nor can we afford) anything in the same class as the QX - I'm thinking more along the lines of a Mondeo or Vectra or something, you know, just a "standard, family-type" car. Corsa's and Fiesta's and the likes may be a bit on the small side but I'm not ruling out anything.

I don't care if it's a Skoda or a Vauxhall or a Nissan smaller than the QX but whatever it is, it absolutely *must* be automatic transmission due to my wife having injured her left foot 30 years ago and she has problems with a clutch. I've heard, for instance, that Fiat and Renault have crappy, unreliable auto boxes, so what do the panel here recommend we go for?

Oh, and I suppose I should say that we'll have about £3000 and she does an average round-trip mileage to/from/for work of about 40 miles/day.

TIA, John.

Reply to
John
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I would avoid Ford, and anything french with an auto box. That in the Vectra is reliable, and so is anything japanesse.

Regular fluid changes despite what the manual may suggest are extremely recommened.

Tim.

Reply to
Tim..

By 'eck Tim, that was quick!!! :o)

Thanks mate, points noted.

John

Reply to
John

get a Toyota avensis auto, must be one of the most reliable vehicles ever built.

Reply to
MrCheerful

Thanks for that Mr Cheerful, good suggestion.

John

Reply to
John

Seconded, Toyota autos are excellent; our Previas have been bulletproof.

Reply to
asahartz

Avoid the Mk1/Mk2 Mondeo 2.0l with an Auto box. They burn out the 2nd brake band by 70k miles.

Steer clear of French Autos.

HTH

Pete.

Reply to
Pete Smith

Cheers Pete. Tim suggested "anything Japanese" and Mr Cheerful suggested a Toyota Avensis so we're strongly leaning that way at the moment having looked at a couple of review sites this afternoon and with your comments of which to avoid, we're not doing so bad :o)

Thanks, John

Reply to
John

The downside being that everyone will think you're a minicab.

Reply to
SteveH

And that it's a *very* uninspiring car.

I've driven a range of them over long distances. There's nothing *wrong*=20 with them, there's just not a lot right with them.

Very upright driving position, lots of plastic. Probably go on forever=20 though. If not, it'll feel like it anyway!

Pete.

Reply to
Pete Smith

And that it's a *very* uninspiring car.

I've driven a range of them over long distances. There's nothing *wrong* with them, there's just not a lot right with them.

Very upright driving position, lots of plastic. Probably go on forever though. If not, it'll feel like it anyway!

Pete.

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Yeahbut, nobut, the OP already said that they have a "main" car and this is just a second car for his wife to use for work. I think reliability was paramount so the Toyota Avensis is a good choice.

Reply to
Bill

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