Yaris replacement

In our house, historically I've always had the bigger, better equipped car and my wife has had the smaller runaround. She doesn't really enjoy driving and only uses hers when I'm not around.

I've got a 2.0 TDCi Focus Ghia which has given me good service over the past 6 years. I use it for commuting and we tend to use it for longer social trips, holidays etc. My daily commute is about 70 miles there and back and I'm doing about 20k a year. I've decided to keep the Focus until it drops. I've just had the cambelt and waterpump replaced and I'm hoping to get another 5 years reliable use out of it. Some of my commute is along dirty shitty country lanes and I don't fancy doing that with a nice new(ish) car. The Focus is looking a bit tatty now with stone chips, scratches and general wear and tear.

So my wife has a 2006 Yaris 1.3 which she likes and only does about 3k a year. I'd like to replace it with something that she could drive day to day but that we could both use socially leaving the Focus purely for my work commute.

The problem is that I would want decent performance and some luxury. She thinks the Yaris is big enough for her (hates driving my Focus) and doesn't want anything much bigger.

So what can we get that meets the brief? I'll compromise a bit on performance and although I like my TD's I accept that petrol would be the best bet considering the low mileage it would be doing. She says she will consider something slightly bigger than her Yaris but not much.

I'm a bit out of touch with what's out there at the moment. Although I've driven Ford's for the past 15 years, I hate the interior styling of the Fiesta so that's out. I looked at the Mini which seems to be same length as the Yaris but a bit wider. The other car that caught my eye was the Citroen DS3 which looks to be fairly well regarded and is possibly small enough for her indoors but its French innit and I'm a bit wary of that. If it were a 1968 Citroen DS I'd buy it in a flash but I'm not so sure about modern ones. Any thoughts on the DS3 or alternatives that fit the brief?

Reply to
Paul Giverin
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Reply to
Huge

You'd have to become religious and pray every morning that nothing goes wrong with that beast.

Out of interest, what about this one?

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I know it's the 1 litre engine, but isn't that almost too cheap to be true?

Reply to
GB

Myself I would be looking at a VW Golf TDI

Reply to
Rob

Fine as an opening gambit but I might have to move a little on the size.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

Paul Giverin wrote: [snip]

No mention of budget makes recommendation more difficult.

I would look at the Fiat 500 if only to be sure you have seen/driven one. it is the best of the small cars IMO, possible exception for the Mini. Both cars are more or less "classless" so you can turn up to social events without being tagged as a Skoda driving pikey.

The 500 is a pleasant package, but don't get the TwinAir. The engine ruins it and I suspect your wife won't be able to drive it. Mine can't.

If money is no object the Alfa Romeo MiTo is worth a look. It's a head turner yet not a large car. An alternative that's very new is the VW Up!

Reply to
Steve Firth

Location: Essex

That says a lot.

BTW is Hitchin a shithole? It's closer to you than it is to me, I've never been there and wondered if you have?

Reply to
Steve Firth

In message , Rob writes

Too big..... almost as big as the Focus she hates to drive. The Polo is a possibility but even that is almost 8" wider than the DS4.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

In message , Paul Giverin writes

Sorry, meant to say DS3.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

I had a quick look at the MiTo reviews just in case SteveH recommended one. It looks great from the outside, not quite as nice inside IMHO. I'll take a look at the Fiat 500.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

Says 'v car' in the advert, deliberately 'hidden' away, so you have no comeback when you realise you've bought a rebuilt written off car...

Dodgy as hell.

Reply to
SteveH

Yes.

I worked there for 18 months.

Reply to
SteveH

The trouble with the MiTo is that they've not really changed enough of the Grande Punto bits to make it 'special'. Not a fan of them, really.

500s are great, but they're not cheap and even top spec. cars aren't exactly 'luxury'.

It's a shame Peugeot stopped their Roland Garros variants - as that is exactly the kind of thing you'd be looking for.

Reply to
SteveH

Toyota Auris HSD? - look like they're smaller than a Focus, but I could be wrong.

Reply to
SteveH

I searched for the word cat, as in cat C or cat D, but I am not come across the expression V car before. Mean buggers!

Reply to
GB

Yep, lots of people wouldn't spot that or know the significance.

Reply to
Dr Zoidberg

SteveH wrote: [snip]

... If you wanted to look like a c*ck.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Yep some models of cars started life as a small car then as they progressed became extraordinary large.

Golf - small now doubled in size LxW

Honda Civic

Toyota RAV

Toyota Corolla

and the list goes on.

Reply to
Rob

This seems ideal:

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Reply to
AC

Too small and bearing in mind its Toyota underpinnings, its mutton dressed as lamb if you will excuse the ovine reference ;)

Reply to
Paul Giverin

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