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Best 'Older' Cars.

Yeah, they also make an odd noise when the battery is fully charged - it's almost like the engine revs high to drain off some charge. Very odd the first time you hear it

It’s the CVT Transmission system which gives the whine when you try and boot it.
 
It’s the CVT Transmission system which gives the whine when you try and boot it.
This is different; if I freewheel down a long hill when the battery is nearly fully charged the engine blips itself for 5-10 seconds, rather like very lightly applying the accelerator to about 3k then back off.
 
I have a hankering for one of these

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Don’t have the money, just the hankering.
 
just make sure you get a free seasick pill prescription with the deal. That suspension is floatyboaty. Some love it but by 'eck!
I drive an old x type at present, though being a Mondeo underneath probably makes it less floatyboaty???
 
One observation that applies to the above ad is almost every ageing Honda I’ve come across that has a damp boot has either a blocked sunroof drain tube or more likely a rusted sunroof tray, usually where the drain tube joins the tray and water travelling down the outside of the plastic drain tube.The latter is a real pain to fix.

My Civic (08) had/has the soggy boot issue and doesn't have a sunroof. Seems that water getting into the boot of Civics is a common problem with a selection of possible routes in. Mine may have been fixed by removing all the rear light clusters and cleaning and resealing them with a bit of clear bathroom silicon sealant, but this is apparently not always where it gets in. I've barely driven it in the last 12 months and have kept it parked in a sheltered spot, so there's still a chance that I haven't cured it. Apart from that though, it's been a reliable and spacious drive and returns ~46mpg (1.8 petrol). The way the rear seats fold to make an entirely flat surface is great for transporting massive speakers ;-)
 
I'll need to move on a diesel honda FRV (slightly whacky six seater) later this year and am looking to replace it with something similar or slightly bigger ( kids are growing, camping gear to haul around etc).

It'll need to be petrol and more suv type hatchback than saloon, and reliable.

I drive as little as possible, preferring to cycle whenever possible, but when called upon the car needs to work hard. In better days fully laden trips up north or to France.

Frugality in fuel consumption would be good. I think any petrol engine will come as a shock after diesel but I don't want a thirsty guzzler.

Any ideas?
 
My Civic (08) had/has the soggy boot issue and doesn't have a sunroof. Seems that water getting into the boot of Civics is a common problem with a selection of possible routes in. Mine may have been fixed by removing all the rear light clusters and cleaning and resealing them with a bit of clear bathroom silicon sealant, but this is apparently not always where it gets in. I've barely driven it in the last 12 months and have kept it parked in a sheltered spot, so there's still a chance that I haven't cured it. Apart from that though, it's been a reliable and spacious drive and returns ~46mpg (1.8 petrol). The way the rear seats fold to make an entirely flat surface is great for transporting massive speakers ;-)

Yup, I forgot about the light clusters leaking. As you said, a bead of does the trick?
 
I'll need to move on a diesel honda FRV (slightly whacky six seater) later this year and am looking to replace it with something similar or slightly bigger ( kids are growing, camping gear to haul around etc).

It'll need to be petrol and more suv type hatchback than saloon, and reliable.

I drive as little as possible, preferring to cycle whenever possible, but when called upon the car needs to work hard. In better days fully laden trips up north or to France.

Frugality in fuel consumption would be good. I think any petrol engine will come as a shock after diesel but I don't want a thirsty guzzler.

Any ideas?

How many seats do you need and what's the budget? Why petrol too?
 
I'll need to move on a diesel honda FRV (slightly whacky six seater) later this year and am looking to replace it with something similar or slightly bigger ( kids are growing, camping gear to haul around etc).

It'll need to be petrol and more suv type hatchback than saloon, and reliable.

I drive as little as possible, preferring to cycle whenever possible, but when called upon the car needs to work hard. In better days fully laden trips up north or to France.

Frugality in fuel consumption would be good. I think any petrol engine will come as a shock after diesel but I don't want a thirsty guzzler.

Any ideas?

We had a Ford Galaxy for quite a while - that would do the job. The slightly similar S-max does not have full size seats. If you need 6 seats and luggage, then Galaxy or Land Rover Discovery are your options - the latter kind of expensive to own and run.
 
How many seats do you need and what's the budget? Why petrol too?
London based and the ulez clean air scheme is coming in so it's hot to be petrol ( or hybrid). Fully electric is beyond our reach.

There are four of us so a five seater, though oddly having the six has been handy and the kids seem to like us dropping the middle one of the front three (think fiat multipla) to give them a good view of the road .

The budget hasn't quite been set but I wouldn't want to go too far above 5 k unless it was really worth it. Of course much cheaper would be very welcome.

I really like the frv and wonder whether to get the petrol version but think they might be getting a little long in the tooth and we are probably outgrowing it anyway.
 
We had a Ford Galaxy for quite a while - that would do the job. The slightly similar S-max does not have full size seats. If you need 6 seats and luggage, then Galaxy or Land Rover Discovery are your options - the latter kind of expensive to own and run.
Expensive to own and run puts me off as ongoing car expense is always a horror and I place reliability very high on the list whereas cosmetic imperfection is fine by me, within reason.

Six seats welcome but not necessary. Leg room and a slightly elevated and upright driving position are factors as I'm 6'2" and my back has a tendency to stiffen up on long drives and my knees play up especially when I'm a passenger.
 
Expensive to own and run puts me off as ongoing car expense is always a horror and I place reliability very high on the list whereas cosmetic imperfection is fine by me, within reason.

Six seats welcome but not necessary. Leg room and a slightly elevated and upright driving position are factors as I'm 6'2" and my back has a tendency to stiffen up on long drives and my knees play up especially when I'm a passenger.

Galaxy might be perfect then. It is a fabulously versatile and spacious car - but underneath it is essentially a Mondeo and easy to fix. Ford parts are not expensive as things go, and plenty of non-franchise garages can look after them easily.
 
Galaxy might be perfect then. It is a fabulously versatile and spacious car - but underneath it is essentially a Mondeo and easy to fix. Ford parts are not expensive as things go, and plenty of non-franchise garages can look after them easily.
Thank you, that's one to add to the list.

For the money is it better to seek out a private seller or trust a dealer?
 
That depends on the 'value' you place on a dealer warranty. Even without an extended warranty (which you can buy for yourself anyway!) a dealer is a 'safer' bet as he obliged by law to provide a vehicle in good shape. With a private seller you would have no comeback - but a less expensive car. Yer pays yer money and yer makes yer choice!
 
Galaxy might be perfect then. It is a fabulously versatile and spacious car - but underneath it is essentially a Mondeo and easy to fix. Ford parts are not expensive as things go, and plenty of non-franchise garages can look after them easily.

I think the Mk2 and 3 petrols are ULEZ compliant (EU5)
 
My Civic (08) had/has the soggy boot issue and doesn't have a sunroof. Seems that water getting into the boot of Civics is a common problem with a selection of possible routes in. Mine may have been fixed by removing all the rear light clusters and cleaning and resealing them with a bit of clear bathroom silicon sealant, but this is apparently not always where it gets in. I've barely driven it in the last 12 months and have kept it parked in a sheltered spot, so there's still a chance that I haven't cured it. Apart from that though, it's been a reliable and spacious drive and returns ~46mpg (1.8 petrol). The way the rear seats fold to make an entirely flat surface is great for transporting massive speakers ;-)
The fix is to have an assistant with a watering can. You get in, shut the doors, they water the doors, lights, etc. Or do the same on a rainy day. I fix light fittings with watered down *acrylic* bathroom sealant. Thin it until it's like paint. You paint it around the lights on a dry day, let it run into the cracks. Wipe up the excess, let it dry. It goes in all the joints, dries and seals up. It's easier to dismantle than the same thing assembled with clear silicone, which is to say "not impossible". Scrape off any excess dried sealant with a fingernail. Leaking seals can allow water to travel a long way under sealant joints.
 
Expensive to own and run puts me off as ongoing car expense is always a horror and I place reliability very high on the list whereas cosmetic imperfection is fine by me, within reason.

Six seats welcome but not necessary. Leg room and a slightly elevated and upright driving position are factors as I'm 6'2" and my back has a tendency to stiffen up on long drives and my knees play up especially when I'm a passenger.

"I place reliability very high on the list". I have never, ever, met anyone who said "Ah, y'know what, I don't really care about reliability. I mean if it dumps me on the M25 when I'm on my way to the airport with a plane to catch, who cares, right?" Why not? Well, because very few of us are in fact mad. EVERYBODY places reliability high on the list. Obviously. Because a car that dumps you on the road is a major PITA. Even if you are only a mile from home in the supermarket, which is to be fair a point where most of us could stand a breakdown, but we still don't want it.

However it's worth defining "reliability". I have a friend who has said my current car (11 years old, 160k miles) is "unreliable" because it has needed 2 repairs in the 6 months I have owned it. One to the heater blower, one to the ignition switch. Note that neither of these stopped it doing its job, it always started, stopped and got to where I was going. I define "reliability" as a failure to start or complete a journey. One day it's going to need repairs for the MoT. Is that unreliable? No. So do you share my view or are you like my friend, where "it has to be reliable" means "other than going in once a year for a service I do not expect this car EVER to develop a fault in any system or hand me any repair bills"? Because my version of reliability means that you can run an older car. The other means that once it hits say 80k miles it's time to get rid, because it may need brake discs or a bit of suspension work come the test, and "any car that needs £200 on suspension work at the MoT is unreliable".
 


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