Other cars Can't make up my mind...need perspective!

[Skybird]

Hi all

Find myself facing a really difficult decision, and i would appreciate some honest feedback.

I currently drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 53 plate,with 57k miles, diesel auto which feels very safe and comfortable, but sucks the tank dry to the tune of 25mpg, corners like the titanic sinking, and most of the time drives around the country with just little old me inside. Not to mention when I put my foot down [it does shift for a large vehicle 2.7 TD engine], this fug of particulates seems to cut a swathe behind me for several miles, so I am certain it's not environmentally friendly!

I drive nationally, around 30k miles per year, and servicing costs on the Jeep are around £300-£350 every 12.5k miles.

I need to replace it, mainly because it is costing me so much to drive - I get 15p per mile allowance from my Company, and my calculations show I am spending about 19p per mile currently, with diesel being so pricey, not to mention the servicing costs.

I have test driven the Civic [06], BMW 320d, Mercedes C180k in the last week.

Civic felt good, and I love all the instrumentation, and I have been offered a trade in of 8.2k against a EX with i-shift, 1.8 petrol 10.5k miles in silver, which would cost me a further 5.6k to secure with 12 months road tax. In everyone's opinion, is that a good deal? My concerns are that, given the fact I can be driving for three-four hours at a time, would the Civic be comfortable for that length of time? I also like the fuel consumption of the petrol, around 44mpg combined, is that realistic? The Civic felt the most in-touch with the road of all the cars I tested, but road noise seemed higher. The diesel engine 2.2 appears to be the engine of choice, but I wanted the i-shift semi-auto and I understand it's not yet available for the diesel engines.

The BMW was responsive, with MPG quoted around 55mpg on a disel automatic, but it was expensive at £17449 with 51k on the clock, and you don't get much in the way of extras. Not had a trade in price for the Jeep yet.

The C180k was a great, comfortable car to drive, MPG for the petrol automatic around 37mpg combined, with a few nice extras like semi-electric seats and cruise control. Quoted around £16999 for a 55 plate, but only offered £7k for the Jeep on trade in.

I have to make the right decision, as I won't be able to replace this car for at least three years, so it's essential I choose the right one.

Ownership of the Civic apears to be the most cost effective - the insurance would be around £44 a month, and servicing costs appear much cheaper than the Jeep. I would welcome the groups feedback and perspective on these choices.

Thanks in advance, Skybird.

[allan40alt]

Why not take the Civic on a longer test run?

I've just driven 2hrs to our relations home and 2hrs back again. There was a lot of motorway driving and long delays with traffic and road works. I felt as fresh and relaxed when I arrived as when I left.

I find the seat comfortable (I'm 6ft 1in tall). I get 43mpg on average from my 1.8 i-Shift.

I find the service and attention at my local Honda dealers in Coventry to be courteous and friendly, unlike the matter-of-fact-you're-just-a-number-to-us attitude at some other 'prestige' brand cars dealers.

Friends of mine have had lots of problems in the past with both BMW and Mercedes along with all of us having problems with Jaguar. So, just because you buy a 'prestige' brand it doesn't mean you are going to get reliability.....and those 'prestige' servicing cost....whoa!

[ghowarth]

I am driving a 1.8 vtech ex, I regularly drive 3-4 hours up north to visit family, in all honesty I do find that the seats can be a little too firm driving this length of time, and I do wish I had waited for the i-shift, (there was a long wait when I bought mine)!! Only for when the motorways jam up and you are up and down on the clutch like nobodies business!!
But on the whole I am still absolutely in love with my car, and get loads of people asking how it is and that they would love one too!
The final decision will be yours alone, but I do love my civic!!

[jazzman]

We have done three trips to Leeds, each a round trip of 500 miles and the Civic has been wonderful whether you take a fast trip or normal. It has proved to be very comfortable and relaxing to drive and also giving an average of 43 mpg (corrected figures not computer figures). Luggage space is superb enabling us to carry all sorts of strange bits and pieces, reliability faultless and the I-shift very smooth and at the same time a very versatile system which can be great fun if you want to play with it in manual mode..To sum up , we love it and after 50 years of motoring it has brought the fun and enjoyment back into our motoring lives.

[HappyMan]

I drove 2000km over the christmas period to belgium and back a total of about 20 - 22 hours driving and found the seats very comfortable and the car very economical and fun to drive.

As I am sure you have read this site and seen all the problems that can accur on the car I would still recommend the car to you. It's fun to drive, looks amazing both inside and out.

[Courant]

Hi Skybird,

Had to make a similar decision recently, and ended up going for a Civic. Here's my thoughts on the matter:

Help me pick my next car: Test Drive Reports

As regards economics, there's actually not much in it between the Civic petrol and the diesel, certainly not enough to be worried about (see sums later in that thread). I went for a diesel in the end, but that was more to do with the way it drives. I had an older civic vtec and that was a superb car, and I was easily able to match quoted fuel consumption figures - everything I've heard about the new vtec seems to point that way too. It's without a doubt the best petrol engine in its class - nothing else gives you that blend between performance and economy. What are your concerns about comfort on long trips? Noise, suspension, seats, space? I don't anticipate any of these being an issue with the civic, although on the first two points there certainly are quiter/more comfortable cars out there. Depends what overall package you are looking for!

Other cars... what about the BMW 1-series? It's the car I would have bought had I not bought my civic. You can get a 118d or 120d in SE trim (which comes with lots of goodies, aside from the fact that most BMW buyers tend to spec up cars - if you are patient, you can find the car with the right blend of features and price). Total cost of ownership is lower than a Civic (partly due to the fantastic depreciation). It's also possibly a more comfortable car for motorway cruising, it felt very stable and comfortable at speed, and the cabin is quieter. Only thing is that there is not much space for passengers and the boot is rather small - very nice up front for the driver though!

Volvo S40? Both the Mazda 3 and Ford Focus drive excellently, and the S40 is based on the same chassis - given you're looking at a BMW and a Merc, maybe the S40 fits your image best of these three cars. Not sure what the available engine/gearbox combinations are, though.

Also, final point, given you live in Bury St Edmunds, I take it John Banks are the dealer you're going to? My experience is that their secondhand car prices are not that competitive (although they did offer me an extremely good p/ex price so it might have balanced out - in the end I bought my new car elsewhere and sold my old car privately!). Use Honda's used car locator to get the national spread of prices and either go and find a better price or use it to negotiate. Similarly, buy a copy of Parkers used car price guide or their website What's it worth? - Parker's - this will both give you a fair price for your trade in and a dealer price for your new car.

Courant

[M99TT P]

Hi Skybird

I had a very similar decision to make a while back, I drive a lot of miles this year I did 30k but I have done a lot more in past years. I had a BMW 320d Auto for a couple of years and changed jobs so I decided to change cars. I looked at all makes and models and once I has seen the Civic nothing else compared.

I wanted a Diesel auto but as you said it is not available so I had to decide which was more important Diesel or auto!! I went for the Diesel and am very happy with it. The service cost are less than the BMW and you can get a full spec Civic for less than a basic BMW.

To answer your question on what's it like on a long drive, it is very comfortable and the internal controls are truly like a space ship and you never get bored of them. And as James May said when he did his review, after a boring meeting coming out and pushing that red starter makes you smile every time.

I hope this helps a bit.

[Skybird]

All - sincerely thanks for all your replies, your time is appreciated.

I think i will see if the local garage [it is John Bank's Honda] will let me , have the car for a "typical" day, then I can see how it drives on a long journey.

Thanks for the suggestions - BMW 1 series just seems too small inside, S40 fuel consumption seems high even on diesel, Mazda 3 I haven't considered, put i used to own an RX-8, and was impressed with the service, so may be worth a look, Jaguar not looked into, sounds bad!

Thanks again, skybird.

[surferjr1999]

Hi Skybird

If you chose a Civic I am sure you won't be disappointed as I have been very satisfied with mine over the last 14 months and 10k miles.

I have by choice had many diesel company cars over a 12 year period and I still prefer the torquey instant power that this type of engine delivers. Also on motorways they are quieter/ less intrusive in the cabin.

When chosing my present Civic I drove the diesel which seemed faster than the petrol in an effortless way and just love the instant power available without changing down. However I am now retired and mostly do town driving. The petrol engine is very smooth and I like the soft clutch great gearbox and the engine warms up much quicker and subsequently the heater too. The 5 year petrol servicing deal also great value at £500.

I really couldn't justify the extra purchase price and servicing cost.

I also fancied the I-shift but could'nt get on with the lack of smoothness on the changes but I now understand that with the software upgrade this much improved. Strongly suggest you have long test drive in I-shift if you go down this road.

In summary I still consider the choice of petrol engine was right for me and the performance great you just have to use the gears and no great punch below 4000revs.

For your high mileage my choice would be the diesel. There is a thread by Pottsy where he has shown that with higher residuals/fuel consumption the diesel comes out on top for overall cost of ownership.

Both engines are great as is the car. Good luck in your choice