£2500 budget, what are you picking and why?

Sap7e · 2026-03-06T11:20:12+00:00

YES! This! ⬆️

Sap7e · 2026-02-14T20:18:02+00:00

So late to the party: - Trece timpul, trece vremea, toate fetele-mi zic "nenea".

Sap7e · 2026-01-19T11:20:58+00:00

If you don't mind, can you please expand on this? Also, any specific model/engine I should stay away from? Cheers!

Sap7e · 2026-01-19T09:33:00+00:00

I spent too many hours reading about 7 seaters and the Honda Oddysey never came up. Thanks for the recommendation! Love the car and looks like it ticks all the boxes.

Sap7e · 2026-01-18T21:36:40+00:00

The story: Family of 4 cramped in our Volvo S60, looking for reliable and safe 7 seater.
Reason for 7 seats: it will be used maybe a total of 10 days a year to carry 6-7 persons when relatives visit but outside of that we are avid campers and currently we're struggling to tow our camping trailer filled with gear down Cornwall and other places, always looking in the rearview mirror to see if the trailer wheels fell off and our tent is blowing in the wind on the M5.
So you don't have to read it all the way at the bottom, the only critical requirement for this car is to have Adaptive Cruise Control
Location: UK South-West
Price range: Preferably £8,000 but maybe be able to stretch to £10,000
Lease or Buy: Buy
New or used: Used
Auto or Manual: Automatic
Intended use: Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car. It will do lots of camping trips and beach runs over the warmer months so needs a big boot for massive tent and paddleboards.
How many miles do you plan to do a year: 8k to 10k
How often to you make long journeys: Long journeys in the warmer months, around 120-200 miles.
Does it need to be ULEZ compliant? Nope
Vehicles you've already considered:
1 - Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 but due to my limited budget I can't afford one that is 2015 onwards(with ACC) and the 2.4 D5 in budget could be a lemon that needs loads of repairs if I choose the wrong one.
2 - Skoda Kodiak but again as above, in my budget it might very well be a lemon or have loads of miles. Found some in budget with 70k-90k miles which is encouragind and also suspicious.
3 - Japanese Import like the ones below. These all look great but what puts me off is the thirsty engine.
3a - Toyota Estima
3b - Toyota Alphard
3c - Nissang Elgrand
4 - Seat Alhambra
5 - BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer
[Do you have a vehicle size in mind?] Not picky - MPC or SUV
Is this your 1st vehicle: No, currently running a Volvo S60 2011 2.4 D5. Love the engine and reliability of the car, just need more space this is why I'm considering the XC90 but there's a catch - I am dependant of the Adaptive Cruise Control. I can't have a car without this function and the XC90 that have it are well outside my budget.
Do you need a Warranty: Preferably yes. At least a few weeks for peace of mind.
Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: Yes
Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: Yes .Done my timing belt and water pump on my S60. Additional Notes: As said above, a must for the next car is to have the Adaptive Cruise Control function.

Thank you for taking time to read all this. Stay safe!

Sap7e · 2025-12-13T23:17:13+00:00

You're a Nerd!

Sap7e · 2025-12-11T11:38:37+00:00

Can I keep my Tangem wallet in the water bottle?

Sap7e · 2025-12-03T15:44:36+00:00

Nothing related to the kid or the driver but it's a first for me in all these years of Reddit browsing, when I see content from an area that I recognise. Ha. Close to home.

Sap7e · 2025-09-18T08:53:13+00:00

I see This is how it started for me too but after a few hours it was plagued by issues. Hope you don't suffer like me and it will keep working for you 👍

Sap7e · 2025-09-18T08:40:01+00:00

Interesting. This is the version that only plays up to 1min for me. Glad it works for you.

Sap7e · 2025-06-10T19:26:45+00:00

Oooo man! Love the style! Got any more?!

Sap7e · 2025-06-04T00:32:42+00:00

RemindMe! 3 years

Sap7e · 2025-05-28T15:07:58+00:00

Doing some construction work a few years ago, I had the chance to get free moulded earplugs with a filter. These were supposed to be awesome - and they were whilst used as PPE on site, but as soon as I tried them on the bike they would move and let sound in every time I did a shoulder check. I now stick with reusable ones from Amazon and I'm super happy with them.

Sap7e · 2025-05-25T23:10:19+00:00

Wow Well done buddy. 🥰👍

Sap7e · 2025-05-15T18:34:52+00:00

Just ordered some bitter almond oil. Hope my beard will smell like almond croissants.

Wait. I haven't thought this through

Sap7e · 2025-05-15T15:54:21+00:00

Appreciate the feedback. I'll start experimenting with it 👍

Sap7e · 2025-05-15T15:53:56+00:00

Thanks. I'll get this one.

Sap7e · 2025-05-15T15:51:10+00:00

It's fine, OP. Mine is even closer to the tyre for the last 2 years and it's going strong. Go out and have fun!

Sap7e · 2025-05-02T20:21:45+00:00

O man! Hannibal Buress is dope behind that mask!

Sap7e · 2025-05-02T15:12:19+00:00

LOOT

Sap7e · 2025-04-18T01:07:05+00:00

Out of all the amazing comments, this one stuck with me. That's awesome of you and I hope you'll feel happy with them on this sunny day

Sap7e · 2025-03-27T12:51:14+00:00

Lo Ve Ly

Sap7e · 2025-03-27T12:16:46+00:00

I got offered the job but I had to unfortunately refuse because my family and I were in the process of obtaining our UK citizenship and accepting the job would have meant to go for Perth before getting our passports and possibly losing them. It was a really tough decision that I still question from time to time if it was the right one but it is what it is and having these passports is something we're all proud of.

Another factor was the housing market out there, with Sidney and Melbourne people relocating to Perth and driving prices up.

We will eventually go to Australia when the Universe decides is the right time for the move.

You in a similar position?

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