Family car

[Ferrer]

Well in January we'll be buying a new family car, effectively waving goodbye to the Mini. It's been a great car, but it's too thirsty and expensive to run. Anyway here are the contenders:

Lancia Ypsilon Sport (Diesel, 105bhp, 5-speed, 17.500€)

FOR

-Cheap
-Frugal
-Well equiped

AGAINST

-MPVish looks
-Not as much car as the others
-No xenons available at all

Alfa Romeo 147 1.6 TS 3dr (Petrol, 105bhp, 5-speed, 19.000€)

FOR

-Nice interior, driving position
-Practical
-Attention to detail

AGAINST

-Dated
-Thirsty
-Bad manoeuvrability

Volvo C30 1.6i (Petrol, 100bhp, 5-speed, 20.700€)

FOR

-Stylish
-Modern
-Safe

AGAINST

-Expensive
-Slowest
-Heaviest

So which one is going to be?

[Revo]

My vote goes for the Lancia Y. It's a perfect city car (if that's what your family is looking for) - nimble, small, fast, presumedly most economical. Also, it is most unusual looking and cheapest.

Naturally avoid black color, get a nice two tone combo with light interior.

Good luck with your decision.

[The_Canuck]

I like the Alfa the best, seems well equiped and nice looking.

[Ferrer]

My vote goes for the Lancia Y. It's a perfect city car (if that's what your family is looking for) - nimble, small, fast, presumedly most economical. Also, it is most unusual looking and cheapest.

Naturally avoid black color, get a nice two tone combo with light interior.

Good luck with your decision.

Well the thing is here we are limited with choices. Only the 105bhp diesel (when other markets have a 90bhp diesel and 95bhp petrol) and when it comes to colors only black or b-colore yellow and grey. And yellow is a big no-no.

[Cyco]

VE Commodore

[Ferrer]

VE Commodore

Send me one...

[M_M]

Why "Bad manoeuvrability" as a weak point for the Alfa?

[Ferrer]

Why "Bad manoeuvrability" as a weak point for the Alfa?

It has the biggest turning circle of them all.

[M_M]

It has the biggest turning circle of them all.

Ah, ok, for a second I thought you were talking about its driving dynamic, so I got a bit confused...
Anyway, I think I'd pick the Ypsilon, it's quite cute, same size (more or less) as the Mini (so I think you shouldn't have problem fitting in it...), quite powerful yet economical.
The 147 was ruined by the facelift - but if you pick one with the "Pieno Fiore" Leather (I don't know if the name remains the same in every country) interior, I don't think it would be a bad choice.
The Volvo C30... well, quite a good-looking car, but it MUST be ordered with color-matching bumpers!
But tell us, what are your family's priorities regarding a car?

[Rockefella]

I really don't know anything about those 3 cars seeing as none of them are offered in America, but from what's there, I think the Lancia's your best choice.

[Ferrer]

But tell us, what are your family's priorities regarding a car?

It's got to be frugal, decent dynamics, able to do 20,000km a year without too much fuss (50/50 city/motorway), good quality and have something especial. So no a Toyota won't do.

[M_M]

It's got to be frugal, decent dynamics, able to do 20,000km a year without too much fuss (50/50 city/motorway), good quality and have something especial. So no a Toyota won't do.

For that amount of kms, it's worthy considering even 1,6 petrol engine, you're right.
If you look to quality, I think you should pick the Volvo... I don't know, I just don't like the way the plastics of the Ypsilon's interior looks... They simply seems economical while they're not so bad.
Alfa's interior obviously got a bit old but it's not that bad - but sometimes there are too many gaps between plastics.
The Volvo has surely something special, like the design (in primis) and the interior - even though is the exact copy of the S40/V50 interior, and besides that central console always looks good...
How many people in the family? Because the Volvo can seats only four (single seats even in the rear), as probably the Ypsilon - but that's much shorter.
Maybe tomorrow I can think to some other alternatives...
...and LOL to the "a Toyota won't do"...

[Waugh-terfall]

I'd say Volvo. Are the 1.6D SE or 1.8FlexiFuel SE out of the equation?

Second to that I'd say the Lancia Ypsillon.

Are the Punto Sporting and Panda 100HP's not even being considered?

[Ferrer]

How many people in the family? Because the Volvo can seats only four (single seats even in the rear), as probably the Ypsilon - but that's much shorter.

2 mainly, occasionally 3.

[Ferrer]

I'd say Volvo. Are the 1.6D SE or 1.8FlexiFuel SE out of the equation?

Yup, too expensive.

Are the Punto Sporting and Panda 100HP's not even being considered?

We considered the Panda but we thought it'd be too basic. The Punto just isn't special enough and I find the interior just rubbish.