sallysimmons

We bought a Honda Jazz - a car that's not even available in America because it's too fuel efficient! It's not flashy like a mini cooper, but it's great - fun to drive, totally reliable and loads more room than you would think because of the way the back seats go down. We have carted so much stuff in that little car!

Plus I don't know that you can get better service than Honda. They've been really great with us.

Pulaski

Utter twaddle! The Honda Jazz is sold in the US as the Honda Fit.

ldollard

its call a honda fit in the USA

windsong

Is it big enough (legroom-wise) for someone who is 5 ft 9 in tall (me)?

Englishmum

Just a thought; I strongly suggest that as you'll be driving in Scotland to consider buying a car with front-wheel drive or maybe even AWD (all-wheel-drive aka 4-wheel drive). If you get a rear-wheel drive car, then winter tyres would be safer in slippery, snowy conditions.

I remember a friend had to abandon his rear-wheel drive car one night when he was slipping and sliding all over a car park and getting nowhere. I took my front-wheel drive car and had to tow him out of the car park as it had much better traction!

The Honda Jazz (Honda Fit in the US) is available in front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Fit

I would seriously consider buying one of these if I returned to the UK. A friend has a red Honda Fit in the US and it looks v. good . There is currently a special deal which I keep hearing about on UK radio for all new Hondas with 4 years free servicing if you buy before 30th June....you might want to visit a Honda dealer in the US and take a look at their Honda Fits (and not let on that you're moving to the UK lol!) http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/offers/

I don't know how easy it is to find a newish secondhand car which is really popular eg. Toyotas and Hondas....I often wonder why someone would want to sell an excellent reliable car, then I wonder if the car isn't so good after all lol!

Another car to check out might be a Subaru Forester...they are 4-wheel drive and good cars for the countryside, muddy dogs etc

cheers

I think a lot of English people like to change cars even though they have a good car. I'm not like that, I get rid of my car when it gets dirty.

Cheers

cheers

Is your car an automatic? (transmission) Does it have a diesel engine?
Cheers

dunroving

What, every week?

dunroving

I had a bog standard Subaru Legacy estate for 5 years when I came back (older model) and although I loved driving it, repairs were ridiculously expensive - more like what I'd expect to pay for a luxury car. Mainly due to the cost of parts, but also some of the repairs were very awkward so took a long time.

Skoda are having another one of their "Big Fat Zero" sales (no VAT) at the moment - they seem to do that regularly, and they are already pretty reasonably priced for a quality build car.

cheers

So what kind of a car do you have now? I thought you still had the Subaru?

dunroving

No, I had to trade it in back in February 2012, because the wheel bearing was going and the repair bill was going to be just silly (and I'd just spent £500 on a replacement fuel filler neck - what a waste of money that was!)

I'm driving a Skoda Fabia hatchback (older model). It does OK, decent fuel consumption, reliable, and will do me for another couple of years. I'd like to try one of these van/cars like a Citroen Berlingo, Citroen C3 Picasso, Fiat Doblo, etc. as I think it would come close to the utility I miss from my old truck (Mazda B-4000) - you know, chuck the bike or a few bags of compost in the back, kind of thing. I'd buy one of those Skoda Roomsters but they look like a bloody hearse.

cheers

From what I have read the Skoda is the way---

Englishmum

Here's the very latest list (released 7th June 2013) of the cars rated by readers of AutoExpress of the most reliable cars in the UK:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-rev...-reliable-cars

ldollard

Skoda's really come on I think you guys must be joking haha...

cheers

What do you mean?