vw golf diesil....

[MRMOPARMAN]

Still require the top tether if running ISOFIX dont you?

yes.

pat, how big is she actually willing to go? nothing on the market these days is as small as a 121.. except maybe a fiat 500? i think the focus/cruize/I30 segment is the one to look at. they are fair huge inside, yet still easy to park and shit.

so if boring cars are where its at, then look at i30 wagon/hatches. come in diesel, manuals, heaaaapps of room inside, boring and reliable. check on all counts.

should be able to pick up a current shape in your price range. the last gen i30 diesels economy wasnt that great (our averaged 6.5-7L all the time, but was auto)

dont discount wagons because 'wagons must be huge'.. the i130 wagons arent much longer than the hatch, but sooooo much handier load space.

[fantapants]

Fair comments. We won't really know you'll she test drive them. I have a selfish desire for the car not to be pure girly shit as I hate driving cars that are ...... Imasculating lol.

But in the end if she drives them and if happy I'll be swayed.

What about the Mazda 3 diesel ? I've read a bunch if good reports ... Again the same 2007 08 range. I like the shape. It's a strong engine. I haavnt found many comments other than reliable and strong with good build quilty but average nvh. Nvh I'm happy to fix with a good layer of sound matting through the car one weekend. It ain't no racecar agreed all. They look good with some wheels and a touch lower... Thoughts ? Again dealer car with after market Wtee ? Worth the effort ?

[Do the safety dance.]

Aftermarket warranty is a load of shit, save your money.

[Captiva Fan]

Aftermarket warranty is a load of shit, save your money.

This, BUT, some manufacturers are offering warranties that extend the factory one & have the exact same terms & conditions. But you need to extend before the factory warranty runs out.
I don't know who does this, but I know people who've extended Daihatsu (irrelevant these days I guess), Subaru, Mazda & Nissan warranties like this. Bought Dad a 2yo/40k kms ex-rental Maxima which seemed mechanically-sound & he plonked an extra 2yrs & 50k kms warranty on it for ~$1k - seemed like a decent deal, to cover any Badness which might have happened from it having been a rental.

[Bob Vegana.]

The manufacturer-based ones are the way to go.

[loop]

If only Volkswagen had a sub-brand known for reliability, keen pricing and also had an abundance of manual gearboxes, pram-friendly boots and efficient petrol/diesel motors.

[Reax]

Extended factory warranties are awesome. Got one thrown in when I picked up the nopics Outback and have put it to the test. Front power window motor crapped out, $500 fix. Asked if extended factory warranty would cover it, one phone call. Yep, booked in to get fixed no charges. Just check the fine print where you are allowed to get your car serviced.

[id]

The car will absolutely be manual. Neither her nor I will drive an auto ( current ke70 piece of shit project excepted due to my Bing leg lol) so day costs are not an issue.

She won't drive anything bigger than this style so cheap big aus cars are not viable. She will be driving this 80% of the time.

She usually travels about 100 a day highway miles for work. I don't like her doing it in a small pissy "run about " car but she has always refused anything more suitable. So somwthiing that is stable and capable at highway speed and around trucks is important as the 121 is fucking shit ... Along with every small can I've ever driven.

So What ever we look at has to be in that size range and capability from my point of view, as boring and non Pf as that might be lol

Are dealer warantees worth a spit ?

In that case diesel is good.

I'm putting in a nomination for the Skoda Octavia, either hatch or wagon. The 118 version actually uses the Audi 1.8turbo motor not the shitawful 1.4 twincharger and is a good engine. The RS is great. The RS125tdi might be perfect if it is in budget. Might be hard to get a manual though.

[Sumodog]

If only Volkswagen had a sub-brand known for reliability, keen pricing and also had an abundance of manual gearboxes, pram-friendly boots and efficient petrol/diesel motors.

Octavia ?  they seem to be better than vw equivalent , even if using the same mechanicals . Owners complain less because cheaper or Czechs build them better ?

[tut]

Octavia ?  they seem to be better than vw equivalent , even if using the same mechanicals . Owners complain less because cheaper or Czechs build them better ?

people buy skoda so expect shit. turns out it meets expectations, so it's better than VW, where people expect more than shit.

[Mini]

The car will absolutely be manual. Neither her nor I will drive an auto ( current ke70 piece of shit project excepted due to my Bing leg lol) so day costs are not an issue.

She won't drive anything bigger than this style so cheap big aus cars are not viable. She will be driving this 80% of the time.

I bet she changes her mind fairly quickly before you have a second child.

[Do the safety dance.]

I bet she changes her mind fairly quickly before you have a second child.

About which part? My mrs is still driving the 05 manual Corolla wagon we've had since before she popped out a couple.