Bye bye Student-Mobile!

[Thraxes]

I'm done with Uni and my new employer is letting me choose a Car *hoorah*. Aside from the monthly cost I am only limited by what their Fleet company has on offer - and the selection is huge

The budget would have given me a more or less basic Audi A4 (yummy but everyone and his dog has one around here), BMW 3 series (yuck) or Merc C class (not my style). So none of those - besides, I am a tall guy and those cars are just too small for me. That is also the reason why I can't have an Alfa 159. I'd really like one but I just don't fit all that comfortably. I currently drive a 96 Escort - I'm done with small cars.

So, ditch the luxury badge and go up in size to the big estates... Passat? I'd rather have to live with the shame of a BMW 3 series than own one of those. It's just a lump of meh. Vectra? Same as the Passat (even if most of my friends work at Opel).

I have now narrowed it down to two. Both with Diesel engines and fully equipped - and I mean fully equipped, there is hardly an optional extra that is not on board:
Honda Accord Tourer (aka The Hearse - driving a death-mobile actually suits my Heavy Metal music and that Honda Diesel is awesome and really shifts)
Ford Mondeo (actually my favorite from the looks and like the Accord it is BIG - test drive next week to see if the drive matches)

Both in Black with tinted windows etc...

So what does the Hive mind reccon? Bare in mind: Around here there are tons of Audis, BMWs, Mercs, Passats and with the Opel factory down the road many many Vectras - but hardly any Mondeos or Hondas. So the argument of the Mondeo being 'common' does not apply.

In any case it's really cool to have a choice

EDIT: I can see it coming now: "what about the Mazda 6?" Well the Fleet company does not deal with Mazdas - it's that simple.

[C53A_4G63T]

Any Alfa's?

[Karoug]

Just make sure the car you choose is black.. \m/

[MadCow809]

Subary legacy, you wont go wrong. (if they sell them at Germany)

[Blind_Io]

I thing both the Honda and the Ford would be excellent choices; really it just comes down to which one you would prefer.

I own a Honda and the van we are going to get for my dad will be Honda's Odyssey with a ramp kit. My friend just bought his wife a Ford Fusion after I recommended he check out Ford's line. I'm very impressed with how far Ford as come, but their US cars have always been a tad behind the European ones.

Either way, it's hard to go wrong.

[Cobol74]

Blind has it about right. Honda or new Mondeo? Depends what you want it for but that would be my choice too. No family duties go for the Ford, lugging family around then its the Honda. But you can't go wrong really - I like the legacy very much too, another fine car.

[Thraxes]

C53A_4G63T: Nope, no Alfas - they are just too small. I am 2m tall (6,5 ft) and the 159 doesn't cut it.

MadCow809: A Subaru would have also been a nice choice, but economics dictate that it has to be a Diesel (fuel economy and the fact that Diesel is taxed less). Subaru don't make Diesels.

At the moment I really am tending towards the Ford. I will be travelling quite a bit in this job so the main useage will be Autobahn Cruiser. The idea of setting the Radar assisted cruise control to 160Kph, the suspension to comfort, the Iced Earth CD to very loud and then just let the scenery fly past does seem appealing.

But I will reserve final judgement until I have driven the Mondeo on Friday

[TomCat]

A fully loaded black Ford Mondeo sounds cool to me.

The Accord is cool, but it doesn't look quite a sporty or expensive as the Mondeo. The Mondeo seems more up-market.

[tigger]

Sounds like a good choice either way, but personally I'd take the Mondeo.

[Ottobon]

Accords are really not that bad at all. I'm not huge fans of them but i do think using them in the same sentence as Camrys should be a crime.

[DTMracer]

Mondeo. Absolutely beautiful car.

[Austere]

What about a Skoda Octavia?

[MadCow809]

If its Diesel car you are talking about then you should try the Seat 1.9 TDi Cupra (118kW)

[Final Daihatsu]

^ or a Superb. A Superb is basically an elongated Passat that looks like a luxury car, and it's DEAD CHEAP. for about 20k Euro you get a car that looks like this:

I'd buy one of these if I had the choice between that and a Mondeo

[LeMans GTR]

@ OP

I know you don't like BMW 3ers but a 335d sounds like great value for money, my second suggestion is a Fiat Bravo.

[vRS]

Originally Posted by Austere

What about a Skoda Octavia?

More to the point the diesel vRS, economical and fast.

[Sony]

My dad has the new Passat Variant and Its a very nice car. I actually prefer the styling to Alfa 159 which is in my opinion a step back from the beautiful 156.

how can you say this is meh. It looks brilliant. Equip it with a dsg and youve got a great car.

[Prost264]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

Subary legacy, you wont go wrong. (if they sell them at Germany)

+18328572458743250987OMGDOIT!

You really can't go wrong, there is absolutely no downside to owning a Subaru Legacy.

[/Subaru Leg humping]

[D-Fence]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

If its Diesel car you are talking about then you should try the Seat 1.9 TDi Cupra (118kW)

That´s an Ibiza FR on the pic btw As well, the Cupras aren´t build any more, sadly, new Ibiza in April 2008...


But he wants a bigger car, so no hatches

Octavia TDi RS Kombi would be my choice!

[un-dee]

Alfa 159, clear case. Just chop your legs off if you don't fit properly. Other car I'd really recommend would be A5, but I guess its slightly out of range.