New Car

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OwenP
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New Car

Post by OwenP »

My Girlfriend will soon be looking for a new car.
For various reasons she gets her car on motability so it will be a brand new one, for the same reasons she also needs a car that doesn't transmit bumps from the wheels to the car too much, also it has to be an automatic.
Does anyone know out of the current crop of new cars which are have smooth rides? Size wise, she currently drives a VW Polo, which is OKish, but she's not sure if thats what she wants this time round esp. after being a passenger in both of my Pug 405s. Have been looking on WhatCar and everyone seems to be going for stiff suspension seemingly giving a bumpier ride, certainly in the same size as the Polo. How much bigger does she need to look at before getting back to 405 levels of ride?
Does need to be very reliable, as the only garage up here that motability like are fairly um... c...s.. *insert suitable word here*
Cheers all.
adamskibx
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Post by adamskibx »

Umm not sure what small cars have a good ride- The Pola isnt too bad but I find the hard seats are responsible for transmitting bumps badly on those- A friends Saxo seemed quite soft but then you cant really call them comfortable cars due to the size. I would start looking at Golf sized cars. Obviously your limited by the fact that it has to be new- Id imagine the C4 and 307 etc are pretty good. Id try and avoid German cars due to the hard seats, unless thats seen as a bonus, and Fords tend to be pretty tough springed these days.
406 V6
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Post by 406 V6 »

How about a Yaris or a Jazz? The Jazz is very roomy from what i've read and comfy too.
Nowadays even french cars are a bit stiffer than before[:(]
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

Hi Owen, She doesn't have to buy a new car? "Buying" with motability is in fact a rental agreement, you don't actually 'own' anything, you have to return the car after 3 years and pay for any repairs they claim are needed, i.e. anything at all! no matter how trivial or minor, and they charge a lot for such repairs.. In my opinion renting through motability is a very expensive way of running a car..
My advice is to buy a ZX diesel auto for cash and put the motability car allowance toward running costs.. You can get a nice ZX for around £1,000 to £1,500. I've had mine for over 3 years and its proved to be very very reliable, very comfortable, and very economic [:D] [^]..
.
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Well if she still wants to get a new car, and if her ride comfort is the main consideration. She could have a suspension seat installed in a vehicle with sufficient internal headroom to allow the seat to work properly I.E. rise, and fall. The seats separately suspend the driver, and don't just work with air pressure, and have been installed in people carriers, and various other models of cars where extra height, and space is part of the design. [:)]
The company on the link I have listed below also do mechanical versions. After you have set the seat to the weight of the driver, it has a dial next to the adjusters, and is quite easy to do, then the driver rides around in comfort as the seat ensures that bumps, and jolts that would be transmitted to the driver do not get through.
Here are the links:-
http://www.capitalseating.co.uk/product ... id=52&rid=
http://www.capitalseating.co.uk/product ... id=52&rid=
On the other hand why not consider the Citroen models that offer greater comfort ride through their fluid suspension, like the CX, BX, Xantia, and the C5. [:)]
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Hope they are better than the things on the forklifts at work. Is it comfortable? - well its better than sitting on a sheet of metal I suppose but I think its a total waste of money and 4 inches of good foam would absorb the bumps better!
Many of these contraptions seem to be designed by people who never use them for any length of time. and have many knobs and apparently good ideas which appeal to those buying them who generally are not the same people who use them and they don't listen to the users.
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Post by ActivaV6uk »

they use those for the front seats of ambulances, they totaly kill bumps but they dont feel to stable, and if its back problems she suffers with she is lightly to over use her back muscels as you always feel like your going to fall off the seat...
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Post by Kowalski »

My Dad has a seat like that in his JCB and he loves it, after sitting in the pressed metal seats that a Fordson Major comes with he thinks it's luxury and I'd agree with him. JCBs don't have any suspension at all beyond the tyres.
OwenP
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Post by OwenP »

I hadn't spotted there had been a few more replies or would have replied sooner.
Not sure about a separately suspended seat, although its a good idea, the problem is to do with a pain hypersensitivty in one of her legs, so pressure to us is pain to her, i.e. anything that pushes on her leg is out of the question. I'll suggest it to her and see what she thinks.
Not sure if she could afford the C5, as we are both students money is very limited and most cars still need a downpayment, and the bigger car will be more pricey, again will have a look and ask her.
Thanks All. Any more suggestions welcome.
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Post by bikeboyz »

Try a lower spec Fiat Punto, with the foamy seats, Active model. The 1.3TD should be quite nippy maybe Panda too. The Punto has full auto available in petrol form, and Punto Multijet TD and Pandas have Semi Automatic.
Hyundai Getz is becoming very popular, especially with 5 years warranty, 3 years servicing and 3 years RAC. They don't drive too bad, quite soft. A 1.3 Auto model is available.
Citroen C3 and C3 comes in petrol auto sensodrive. With a good ride, I would say the C2 on lower specs is much more the softer of the two.
If you want something a little more 'upright' head over to Daihatsu, their small 4x4, the Terrios comes with an Auto tranny as an option. It won't mind mounting the curbs in Sainsburys car park either, and plenty of room to get stuff in with the rear opening door. It has a very robust 1.3DVVT Toyota based engine comes with the extras free like alloys, airbags, etc etc from £9000 which I think is great. Auto is also available on their Sirion and Charade super minis.
I agree with you about the Polo, mate has a TDi and its frankly, cr*p, 1yr warranty and a tape deck to add insult.
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Post by yangreen »

I guess we have to thank the motoring journo's for the stiffly sprung state of cars these days. Buy a 2cv and keep the money!
Definitely avoid Vauxhalls. I don't know who's been designing their seats but they are still rock hard and rubbish! I found the Focus very comfortable. The ride is firm but absorbant in my opinion as long as you avoid sporty ones.
You really need to spend some time testing all of the many different models. Oh, Daihatsu Charade. That's small, very good and has a nice ride apparently. Based on press reports rather than my own knowledge. You could try a Citroen C2 but looking at it might make you feel ill.
And I thought the Saxo was bad.
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

I like the C2 more than I like the C3, and probably more than I ever liked the Xsara. The C2 has sort of cutesy styling that sort of works, where as the C3 looks very snail shaped. I wondered whether since BMW brought out a new Mini, and VW brought out the noddy car that the new Beetle is, Citroen had attempted to bring back the 2CV. Where else would the C3's snail shaped roofline come from?
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Post by bikeboyz »

I saw the concept at Geneva a few years back, it was still called Pluriel then I think, hence the current model based on C3. It it supposed to have trates of the 2CV. Supposed to.... Dont get me wrong I like C3, including the sliding needle speedo, not dial! It drives great (only driven LHD), good ride etc. Its just missing headlamps mounted in the 2CV way, a song of an engine note, and more flares... Maybe soon?
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