I, too, found a pre-Adblue and Pre-FAP Peugeot 207 and am pretty happy with it.
I haven’t heard of any problems with Renault or non-PSA diesels, though. Are there any?
Get a grip will you 
Your’s is the only, and IMHO unverified, AdBlue horror story.
What sort of car would you like Sukie? That’s the first question.
1 Like
And what’s your budget? Be warned, cars here are not cheap compared to USA.
2 Likes
My dream car in France would be my current car, Ioniq 5 EV, Euro version. But I have zero interest in a bigger car (wide) or that cost. And I adore driving manual transmission; I learned to drive on a 1969 1/2 three-speed Ford Mustang. So yes, I like to DRIVE a car and not just ferry myself around in one (well, sometimes…). So I am thinking a Peugeot or Citroen or other similar ride, a few years old.
1 Like
Oh, the cars I am seeing that I’d want as a “French starter” are well within my budget. Under 20k. I have dogs. I need a car that can take scratches and drool!
2 Likes
You are right to consider those 2. I transported rescue dogs all over Europe with first a Berlingo and then my Partner. The back seats fold forward or can be removed completely which allowed me to put two cages in big enough to keep Dobermanns, Alsatians etc in total comfort or, without cages a Spanish Mastiff, a St. Bernard and, once, a Great Dane and a Pyrenean Mountain Dog both together.
I think that might do you. 
1 Like
It is pretty well known in the PSA world that the Peugeot and Citroen Adblue solution was botched. Adblue has a tendency to crystallize and when it does it can lead to the failure of the Adblue pump. PSA designed the pump and tank to be replaced in one piece and the approximate cost to change this item is 2000 euros. It’s just another problem that is worth avoiding with PSA, as well as their lousy Puretec gasser engine.
Perhaps a Dacia. They are Renault, but older technology and more basic trim
2 Likes
Yes, I thought maybe a Duster too. I looked earlier and it looked like a list price a shade under 20k.
Thanks for the info on AdBlue, I’d never heard of those problems.
1 Like
I used a car buying service because I was so overwhelmed with the move and it was seamless/ painless. I use FAB Insurance and they have a Services division. I needed an automatic utility van as my rental contract was expiring and he dealt with everything. It was 950 and money well spent for me.
1 Like
Very popular in Aveyron/Cantal.
Our neighbours are on their third one and have been delighted with them
1 Like
Dacia Jogger or Duster new are both not too far off the 20k
1 Like
The Dacia Bigster is launching soon, not too far North of that price range and…er…bigger. There are highly likely to be launch offers, with a bit of luck similar to the Jogger where they offered top end trim and options integrated for a midrange price as a launch offer.
1 Like
Buying a car is always a lottery - even when under warranty, but it is a lot easier these days than it used to be (breakdown companies seem to be much less in evidence in recent years, but it happens). Choice of car depends on so many factors - what you need it for, how many miles will you drive (and is it mostly rural) and etc. Asking neighbours which local garage is reliable and can be trusted is also good if you can do it and if they favour a particular marque then consider that.
If you have dogs then presumably something with a tailgate is ideal and personally I would go for something around 5-10yrs old with low(ish) mileage which will take your budget much lower (and leave something for repairs if you don’t win the relilable car lottery). If you are in a rural spot then diesel might be more economical, or even bio-ethanol, which is half the price of regular fuels and widely available in France but relatively few models are available, bizarrely, although there is a brisk trade in conversion kits for regular unleaded gasoline cars. There is an interesting company (I’ve not used them but I’m tempted for my next buy) that imports low mileage cars from Sweden that were bult in the factory for biofuel but they are mostly recent models and correspondingly higher price: https://www.hgointernational.fr/e85
I have always favoured French cars, even when living in the UK and I have experienced few problems. Living here it is a no-brainer, really, as widespread parts availability (even used) makes them cheaper to repair if needed. I have a Peugeot 3008 diesel hybride bought for €10k at 5yrs old with 50,000km 8 years ago that has cost nothing in repairs other than routine maintenance and now at 200,000km. My beloved Renault Grande Espace was bought (in the UK but LHD) 12 yrs ago and also cost next to nothing in repairs, until I wrote it off earlier this year.
As for buying in Paris, Toulouse is plenty big enough to offer a wide choice and won’t be much more expensive, while being close enough if there are any warranty needs in the early months of ownership. A final thought is to consider the Crit-Air rating, which is increasingly important as more cities restrict access (even on ring roads) to higher rated cars. Another reason for me to consider bioethanol for my next purchase as I drive to the UK and back - no bioethanol in the UK but you can fill up before crossing and then top up with normal petrol if needed with no harm to the engine.
2 Likes
Unless you want a sports car or luxury car (which I don’t think is the case), I’d stick with Peugeot, Citroen, Renault or Dacia. Good value cars, reliable and widespread so easy to get spare parts. French cars are mostly manual gearboxes.
1 Like
There’s a reason a lot of taxi drivers have Skoda breaks.
1 Like
That is a monumentally silly name. 
What is it with car companies and names ending in -ster?
e.g. Porsche Boxster, Hyundai Veloster, Skoda Roomster, Kia Trail’ster (complete with redundant apostrophe!!)
Dacia Duster is a bit more sensible as it’s an actual word and implies driving off-road.
Japanese home market cars have some odd names too - my favourite is the Mazda Bongo Friendee.
To me it implies cleaning furniture in the house.
1 Like