Any advice on which new (to me) car?

Have just changed to Skoda Yeti ( despite the name!) and have to admit that it's just great. I was used to driving bigger cars but this feels larger than it is and is high enough off the ground to make getting in and out really a doodle, even for a small giant like me. And you get all the VW and Audi parts in a cheaper wrapper. Stylish too, heaven forfend even Jeremy Clarkson liked it.........don't let that put you off!
Have christened it 'big foot'

Good for you Maniac you seem to have been in the right place at the right time.

DH keeps saying he is going to pop down the road and get a Morgan (Britain's biggest care manufacturer!) but it is just a pipe dream

My VW Polo on its way to scrapyard.Repairs would cost more than car value.
Not ready yet to give up driving .Just applied for next 3yr licence.
Just picked up Nissan Micra.N reg.18,000 miles. Lady owner since 1999 still lives locally but not fit to drive.Her son in law I met owns a Merck and a Morgan!
Price not much more than estimated repair costs on Polo.
Garage owner I know and trust recommends
Oh and it's PURPLE....appropriate for a 'growing old disgracefully' member!

Hello again. It has been interesting reading all the diffrent viewpoits. I finally bought a 3 year old (2009) Mark 6 Golf Plus and am really pleased with it. Seating position is much higher than on my old Golf and passenger doors are wider which should help with the childseats. Amazed how technology has changed in the 10 years since last bought a 'new to me' car! Lots of new technology to get used to but fun so far!

Re question of recommended smaller cars - my OH has also changed his car. He needs something smaller and super-economical because of the mileage he does weekly for work and bought a Daihatsu Sirion. He is over 6 foot tall but it is very spacious inside and he's very happy with it, especially as it came with a lot of things that would be extras on some cars as standard.

celebgran ours were both 2007 models so in an ideal world would have hoped they would last longer but the joint trade-in was not bad and there are always so many incentives to buy new (in this case no VAT) and we felt ther cars would only depreciate further so it seemed a good time. It is a lose-lose situation though !!

Anno is the Aygo the smallest Toyota or the next one up? DH had a C1, the smallest Citroen and I found it VERY small. He swapped it for a Toyota IQ which feels quite big, has lots of room for getting in and out and does lots of miles to the gallon round the Leicestershire countryside.

gracesmum glad you pleased with your car, we keep toying with idea of cutting back to one car, our Micra is 4 years and Astra only just 3 had from new, trouble is like them both and reckon we will lose a lot on trade in, oh decisions decisons!!!

Just to add that I got to drive my new car today for the first time apart from driving it home from the dealership on Saturday! And I love it! Having got used to OH's diesel, it is so quiet and light to drive, I really appreciate that as my left wrist is very painful, so an easy gear change helps no end and I suppose it is due to new well-inflated tyres, but the ride is so comfortable!

I would like to get an even smaller car than my ageing Yaris, but it does have a very good driving position - upright and easy to get into, specially after I'd had the hip 'done'. I'm wondering about the smaller Toyota - Aygo - or the equivalent Peugeot. I'd also like to have an automatic. Not fussy, am I? Does anyone have experience of these?

kirsty'if it helps have just gone back to smaller car and the the entering is an undignified flump ...used to roll my eyes at my mum for it ignorance of youth..and my exit is well let's just say I make sure I wear jeans and is not as easy as the zafira.....wish I still had it was good on the diesel,loads of room when 6/7 where folded down... happy motoring

One major point - if you have just bought a new car it is quite nice to be able to drive it, not just admire(?) it on your drive under its mantle of snow with an expanse of icy/snowy road between it and the "open" road. Brought baby home on Saturday and haven't driven it yet!! (Fingers crossed for tomorrow - other wise it's an expensive snowman)

thank you, that's very useful. i was worried about climbing up into the car, but it might not be that big a climb after all.

lower cars are a trouble - not so much getting in, but getting out of them!

thanks again for your comment.

Hi kirsty have just sold ours for a different car,I would think as they are higher than cars than an older person would find them easier to get into as long as it wasn't 6th and 7th seat which they would have to climb into,I found it a comfortable car as a passenger and lovely to drive as I like to sit up higher as I am a shortie and can't always see over the bonnet of bigger or longer cars.

Hello. Does anyone have - or has sat in - a Vauxhall Zafira? it's a 'people carrier' one. My daughter is thinking of getting one, but isn't sure if we 80+ year olds will get in and out of it easily.

Just wondered if anyone had been in one?

thank you.

I fancy a Smart car, how cool for an old lady to uncurl herself out of the car, Believe they are cheap to run, and insurance and tax are cheap. Just think you can park any which way. One day, hopefully soon

Took delivery of new car today - love the (entirely random) number plate- it's our intitals +62 then AOG which we will be able to remember as All Old Gits!

Enjoy. I'm really looking forward to being able to fit all the GKs in, safe from marauding bears

Picked up mine todayKali and am thrilled with it. However, just driving home up our muddy, potholed lane and it's already totally splattered and filthy-ah well, it was nice to have a clean shiny car for one day in my life!

kitty I think it was you suggested a Qashqai plus 2? Just to let you know I've bought one and pick it up next week. Thanks for the tip.

Good point re diesel., so true, plus if you don't do some long drives at motorway speed the particle filter (?) can clog up leading to expensive repairs. Have now signed for a new Skoda Roomster (petrol version) and am trading in 57 Fabia and 07 Roomster. Seduced by the extended warranty and 0% VATand free servicing. Now that DH has virtually given up driving it makes sense to have just one car but it has to do short distances as well as Birmingham and London - hence the decision for petrol Isn't it amazing how quickly you can spend an awful lot (seems it to me anyway) of money?

Just you watch out for all the bears in Manchester Grannylin - they're everywhere!

Love DH's Qashgai! Bit big for me after my tiny Streetka, but very comfortable, and I think it has a little "edge" stylistically.

I blame kitty and the bear for this, but I have just bought a used Qashqai and I was really on my way to swimming!.I've been looking at them for a while now as my lovely Audi A2, that I've had for 10 years, has been letting me down.I need something reliable and safe ( and what's safer than a car that can withstand a bear?) to drive to Manchester in case the new GC arrives any minute.Can't wait to get it on Saturday...or see the look on OH's face when I eventually tell him

Just remembered something else I know about cars and this time it might be useful. Apparently you need to do an awful lot of miles, much, much more than the average in order to recoup the extra cost of diesel. This is because the UK only has a limited number of refineries for deisel and it is unlikely that there will be more any time soon. Therefore the more people who buy deisel cars the dearer diesel will become. I hope this helps someone.

I went to buy a second hand Mercedes jeni and found that the deals on new ones were so good, I ended up buying a new A class for about the same as a Golf. That was over 5 years ago, and it's been great value. I would change my car every 2 years before that, so have saved a substantial amount by buying this sturdy and comfortable car. I believe the engineering is good, but a car that goes consistently and never lets me down impresses me. Perfect for driving children and all their gear around, and my 6'5" son fits in the back seat between two child seats.