Break My Chains

Kept Man needs a car and more reasons to refer to himself in the third person. Right, Bob Dole? Right, Kept Man.

Here are the wants:

1. Bluetooth Communication: Ok, this one is a must! My mobile phone and portable navigation need this so I can use them hands-free in the car. They are stricter on using phones in the car here. When you see the web of roads here, you will understand why navigation is needed. I'd opt for built-in navigation but just like the US, its too expensive here.
   
2. Two Bike Capacity: We have great outdoor space right outside our backdoor and some even better places not far away. I've got the bikes tuned up so the car needs to hold them. Ideally, a roof rack.
3. Kayak-able: I really want to dig in to kayaking. I went a few times around Chicago and on various vacations and want to do more. Some of the nearby coasts are supposed to be great for this; not to mention the River Wye right up the road. The car should be long enough and have a shape conducive to holding a kayak.
   
4. But Not Too Big: Herefordshire has narrow roads and short parking spaces. Too big and the car won't fit. Yes, I know this conflicts with the kayak requirement. It's my blog.
   
5. Ooompf: A very typical engine here would be less than 90 horsepower. This is quite timid by American standards, even for small cars. For comparison, my last car had 280HP. I am shooting for 120HP+. They don't use horsepower as a measurement much here, though. You will see the German unit Pferdestärke abbreviated as PS, and that means horse strength. 1 PS is roughly 0.98 horsepower; for most people we can just say they're equal.
   
6. Price point: Less than 300 pounds per month including VAT. VAT is like sales tax except more painful at 18% on top of everything. I think I get charged VAT for blogging. Please don't convert pounds to dollars... its not worth the pain.
   
7. Odds and Ends: A nice stereo would be a plus. I like tech stuff, so anything like keyless start, rain sensing wipers, reverse sensors, etc. is a nice bonus. Oh, and an automatic transmission would be nice (shift with my left hand???) but these are quite premium here.
   

With these rules in mind, I have some contenders, in current order of preference (and yes, I like wagons; they call them 'estates' here):

1. Ford Focus Estate: Fords here seem to have a great set of features at very good prices. With everything I want above, I think this is one of my best bets. Bluetooth is currently a free option and a 145HP engine is a reasonable upgrade. Roof rack is cheap. You can even get the fancy keyless ignition and voice recognition in these. Not common so leasing might be hard to do. Rachel sometimes thinks its ugly but I like it, just fine.
   
2. Volvo V50: I almost bought this car in the US. Similar to the Ford shape-wise, but with nicer trim and higher price tag. I love the interior on current Volvos; the design around the stereo controls is very cool. Very common lease car here, though, so may be able to get a better deal. This sentence is just filler so the pictures line up better.
3. Audi A3 Sportback 5-Door: I had an Audi A4 in the USA and loved it. Performance-wise, this might be the best on my list but I think its also a bit smaller (both a pro and con.) Options are expensive on these guys so Bluetooth and bike-hauling gear might be an issue. Target engine would be the 1.4 TFSI @ 120PS; next one up is too expensive. Fairly common lease car; getting a deal may be a possibility.
   
4. Nissan Qashqai: A new entry from Nissan that might be called the Rogue in the USA. These seem to have good standard options and a great look. The body style might be a problem for kayaks. Roof rack would need to be aftermarket and options are limited. Rachel likes it.
5. Volvo C30R: The sportiest of the bunch; I like the look. Very hip. If I could get one of the better engines, it would be a great performer, too. Its a two door hatchback, though, so not so convenient for having guests. Kayak may be an issue but its longer than it looks.
6. I added this one last minute as a tribute to the GM heritage of my family. Vauxhall is the GM-brand in the UK. I like many of their cars but there are sooo many options they are a bit hard to sort out. The Astra, for example, has around 15 trim levels and 3 body-styles, ranging from kid-haulers with no oompf at all to the super-sport 240HP Nurburgring Edition. This one, the Astra SXi Sport Hatch, is one of my favorites. It has a sporty look, a 115PS engine option, and a good price point. Minimal options included as standard, so might be hard to get Bluetooth and such.
   

Runners-Up: Ford C-Maxx, Ford Mondeo, Audi A4 Estate ($$$), Peugeot 308 SW(questionable style), Nissan Note (a serious bargain option)

You've seen the contenders, let's put it to a vote! See panel at right.