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Finding the ideal car

bristolvr3

Hello, everyone.

In December 2012, my sister Rebecca decided to replace her then 11-year-old Vauxhall Corsa car. Although the interior and bodywork were in very good condition at the time, it had done around 120,000 miles at the time, and it had mechanical leaks. Any repairs were likely to cost more money than the car was worth (only a few hundred pounds at the time).

So my parents browsed the Internet for her perfect car. However, although my dad had about 35 years of driving experience at the time, his knowledge on cars was limited. So I stepped in, and made full use of my car knowledge. Although I don't drive a car myself, I have watched various motoring programmes on television, and have browsed various motoring websites.

My sister Rebecca did not have a lot of money, so a brand new car was ruled out. She had back problems, and she currently (as of 2013) has a mild form of multiple sclerosis. She currently works at a university in Colchester, Essex, which is a long-ish round trip from her home at the time (around 60 miles, or 30 miles each way). Taking all this into account, cars with sporty suspension or alloy wheels were ruled out due to their sometimes harsh ride quality, which could harm her back on long journeys.

So I was on the lookout for something with a softer ride quality, softer seats, adequate spec, decent reliability and affordable running costs. After about a couple of hours' research, I found one car I knew she would love - a Citroen C3. A former work colleague of mine from the past, but I never recommend anything for that reason alone. Me and my parents went to the local Citroen dealership, and after test driving a 2009-spec example, my parents bought the car as, at the time, Rebecca's 28th birthday present after returning home from (I think) Australia on holiday. When she saw her new car, she was absolutely stunned and amazed. I feared that the car's digital speedometer would be a problem, but that wasn't the case. Both she and my parents literally hailed me a hero for my accurate research. If anyone else I knew needed help in finding their ideal car (or ideal anything), my research would come in useful for them.

Let me know if you have any similar stories.

Parents

  • Hello, Autist.

    If you were looking for an ideal car within your local area, the Auto Trader website is a good place to start. I would also recommend websites such as What Car? and Parkers Online for used car reviews.

    I don't know how old your Ford Fiesta was when it crashed, but if its dimensions are a slight problem for parking, you may consider a slightly shorter vehicle, but still spacious inside all the same. As well as anti-lock brakes, one other feature you may want to consider is parking sensors. If you could search the Auto Trader website, find the text box marked 'add keyword', and then type 'parking sensors', you may find a few vehicles out there that already have that feature fitted, as well as ABS. However, Halfords may be able to supply and fit a front and rear parking sensor kit on virtually any spec of car that doesn't already have such kit fitted. It may cost between £75 and £150, but if you could get your ideal car for the best possible price, it's worth paying that bit extra for safety reasons.

    As for the car itself, if you feel that a slightly shorter car is better for you, I would recommend a Citroen C2 or a Nissan Micra. Some car models lose money in time, and a new car buyer's loss can be a used person's gain, so you could get a relatively young C2 or Micra model, both of which have good reliability reputations, low running costs, good styling etc. If your Fiesta's dimensions are actually no problem, I would suggest adding a Citroen C3, or possibly an updated version of your old Ford Fiesta to your shortlist.

    Hopefully my research helps.

Reply

  • Hello, Autist.

    If you were looking for an ideal car within your local area, the Auto Trader website is a good place to start. I would also recommend websites such as What Car? and Parkers Online for used car reviews.

    I don't know how old your Ford Fiesta was when it crashed, but if its dimensions are a slight problem for parking, you may consider a slightly shorter vehicle, but still spacious inside all the same. As well as anti-lock brakes, one other feature you may want to consider is parking sensors. If you could search the Auto Trader website, find the text box marked 'add keyword', and then type 'parking sensors', you may find a few vehicles out there that already have that feature fitted, as well as ABS. However, Halfords may be able to supply and fit a front and rear parking sensor kit on virtually any spec of car that doesn't already have such kit fitted. It may cost between £75 and £150, but if you could get your ideal car for the best possible price, it's worth paying that bit extra for safety reasons.

    As for the car itself, if you feel that a slightly shorter car is better for you, I would recommend a Citroen C2 or a Nissan Micra. Some car models lose money in time, and a new car buyer's loss can be a used person's gain, so you could get a relatively young C2 or Micra model, both of which have good reliability reputations, low running costs, good styling etc. If your Fiesta's dimensions are actually no problem, I would suggest adding a Citroen C3, or possibly an updated version of your old Ford Fiesta to your shortlist.

    Hopefully my research helps.

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