Please Help me Choose a family size car :-)

[FireDragon]

Hi All

I am sorry I am writting in English, since I dont know how to type in Hebrew... please respond in Hebrew or English (my Hebrew is fluent

 

We have a Mazda 3 and we are looking for a 2nd car, which will be used by me (woman), mostly

within the city with the kids, and like once a week outside the city - not very long drives

 

My main criteria is spacious in the back row (2 carseats + a teen), and I want a LARGE trunk (I hate the Mazda 3 = small trunk and not spacious at all

 

My budget is 70,000 NIS

 

My top option right now is the Ford Focus 5-door, but I dont know much about cars, and would really like some other options to look into before I make such a huge purchase. I am nervous about the Focus being such a heavy car... would love something sportier and maybe a bit lighter, but I will be using the car *hopefully* for many years and want something that will not need a lot of "Tipulim

 

Please help me with more ideas

 

You can respond in Hebrew



Thank you

[Ahbarony]

אין לך משהוא אחר חוץ מפוקוס. היא הכי רחבה בקטגוריה. אפילו יותר ממכוניות יותר גדולות.

כדאי לך ללכת על 4 דלתות אם הבגאז' חשוב לך.

[falou]

I think the Megane 2 Sedan will fit the bill (except for the sporty criteria). It is big, for its class

[barend]

Hi,

 

The Focus is a good choice! You might want to look into the 2.0L engine (Ghia version). It has a higher performance (I believe 140HP), is fully equipped with among others Cruise control, Dual-zone climate control, alloy wheels, Premium audio system, sunroof, armrests and more.

 

For the same amount of money you can also purchase a Ford Mondeo, with the same engine and pretty much the same equippment but a size bigger and roomier.

 

Good luck!

[Ahbarony]

Why do ya'll insist to show your English abilities?

[FireDragon]

Thanks all....

So I like the idea of a "hatchback" since its a bit sportier and not like a typical car (as a woman, I'd have prefered a smaller car, but the criterias of spacious back seats and large trunk are top priorities

 

is the trunk on the 4 door focus bigger? is the Modeo bigger

 

I have read lots of great reviews on the forum about the focus and will have to get one from leasing, since I dont have a car to run around and check personal peoples cars and unfortunately, the leasing companies dont seem to have the GLX model with the 2.0 engine, nor can I even seem to find one from private purchase

 

Am I missing any other options? thank so much for your feedback

 

~ Fire

[zvit]

כמו שאמרו קודמיי לפוקוס 4 דלתות בגאז הרבה יותר גדול מזה של ה-5 דלתות.

 

המגאן סדאן אף היא אופציה טובה (במיוחד כשניתן לקנות בתקציב שלך 2007 מליסינג עם הרבה עודף)

 

המגאן מהשנים האחרונות אמינה למדי עם טיפולים פעם בשנה או 30000 ק"מ.

 

לרעתה עומד טיפול טיימינג שעולה כ-5000 ש"ח ונדרש אחת ל-4 שנים.

 

שאר עלויות האחזקה זולות יחסית, היא הרבה יותר חסכונית מהפוקוס - ותעריפי הביטוח שלה זולים לעומה המחתרות.

[falou]

? is the MoNdeo bigger

Yes, it is bigger, but it's in a different (higher) class of cars, together with the Mazda 6, Subaru B4, and others. the 6 and the B4 can be easily found used, but being at higher class of the 4 door saloons (or as they called in Israel "Executive" cars) they cost more to buy and run. Buying from a leasing company is not always a bad idea, as long as you can find a good example. There is a lot of text in the forum on how to buy a used car, and I suggest you read it.

 

Why do ya'll insist to show your English abilities?

 

Skills, not abilities.

 

I live in a bilingual family. It is actually easier for me to answer in English after reading a text in English.

0

[elibaba]

אני כרגע נוסע בפוקוס 2007 של לקוח שלי, ואני יכול להגיד שאני לא מבין איזה נער יכנס שם בין 2 כסאות בטיחות. צריך להיות לו תחת צר במיוחד.

 

אני הייתי חושב לכיוון אחר : משהו כמו סקודה רומסטר שייתן הרבה בגאז'.

[Clutch]

Bilinguals, eh? Well, I might as well jump in

 

I don't think the Focus is a good choice. The Focus and the Mazda 3 share the same platform (called C1) and none of them is particularly capacious. Then again, there aren't many compact family hatches that can actually seat three in the second row for an extended period of time (however, the Megane Sedan is not a bad bet). Also, keep in mind that boosters tend to be a little wide, thus leaving little space for the poor teen Remember that judging by sheer volume, trunks in sedans are usually larger than their hatchback counterparts - they are, however, significantly harder to utilize.

 

You should consider going for a 'one size extra' car. As falou said, 'Executive' cars are an options, but besides bearing a higher price tag than traditional family sedans, they also come with hefty maintenance fees. Try looking for a microvan or a five seat minivan. They should fit the bill much better. Such options include the Renault Scenic and Citroen Picasso. The Skoda Roomster (as portrayed in my avatar) is also a good option, if you can find one in a good condition bearing the constraints of your budget.

[Derish]

Hello, and welcome to the Carsforum.

 

Before giving any further advice (on top of what's been said already), I'd appreciate it if you could tell us a little bit about your automotive history:

 

- What cars did you own/drive in the past, other than the Mazda?

- Which type of car are you most experienced on? (5-door, coupe, station wagon)

- Do you have anything against manual gearboxes or Diesel engines? Any experience with those?

- Which driving conditions are you used to? (snowy mountains, muddy B-roads, German autobahn tarmac)

 

Judging by your discomfort with Hebrew keyboards, I assume you haven't been living in Israel for long. Habits gathered over a lifetime of driving might render our advice useless, with all due respect to its good intentions. Help us help you.

 

(Would you also like a Spanish version? :- )

 

1

[Clutch]

Bearing in mind the OP's dissing of the Mazda 3 due to space issues, I'd have to guess she has a background with a certain nation across the pond

 

Kidding aside, the Mazda 3 really is a cramped car.

 

And yes, I remain totally bewildered by the amount of incognito bilinguals (and trilinguals ) on this board.

[spidrman]

הייתי שוקל סקודה אוקטביה,מרווחת (יחסית) אבל יש לה את תא המטען הכי גדול בקטיגוריה,פשוט ענק,יש לה דלת חמישית שהופכת את ההטענה לנוחה ופשוטה,היא אמינה וחסכונית (יחסית) ונסיעתה נעימה (ואירופאית..).

 

רכב אחר אפשרי הוא פיאט מולטיפלה (קשה למצוא אחת שמורה עם מעט קלומטרים ויש רק ידניות ולא אוטומטית) או הונדה FRV (יקרה).