The best used estate cars for less than £5,000
Thinking about taking a holiday in the UK this year? Or perhaps you’re planning on driving abroad instead of flying? If so, you might be wondering how you’re going to cram the kids, the dog, two bags of toys, several changes of clothes, not-that-teddy-bear-this-one, bikes, buckets and spades, and maybe even some tents, into your family hatchback.
Current fashion dictates that you should therefore buy an SUV. But for those requiring maximum luggage space, the humble estate car still makes a great case for itself. OK, you have to eschew the raised driving position a taller car gives you – but you’ll spend less on fuel, and might even get a bigger boot into the bargain. What’s more, you’ll get more car for your cash than you would with a modish SUV.
And with a swingeing recession on the horizon, that last point is more salient than ever. So why not avoid plumping for a costly PCP deal on a new SUV, and choose a good-quality used estate instead? After all, £5,000 is all you need to get hold of any of the five family favourites we’ve picked out here, all of which should make brilliant summer holiday transport
5. Toyota Avensis (2009-2015)
Don’t expect an exciting drive or… well, an exciting just-about-anything, to be fair. But because it’s so unendingly vanilla, the British-built Avensis is a car that should fit into your life extremely well.
For starters, it’s comfortable, with supportive seats and a supple ride. There’s a big, well-shaped boot with rear seats that fold flush to make it easier to load bulky items, and when they’re upright, passengers are well catered for with a flat floor, so even in the middle seat there’s plenty of leg room.
In the front, some shiny dashboard plastics mean the ambience isn’t exactly upmarket, but in true Toyota style it’s all well screwed-together and most models came with a decent slug of equipment. It was one of the safest cars around in its day, too.
That Toyota badge also means the Avensis will be one of the most reliable choices you can make at this price point, and with a decent range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, you can take your pick of fuels. Yes, the Avensis might be a bit dull, but if hassle-free motoring is all you’re after, it’s hard to beat.
Price to pay: from £3,000
We found: 2009 Avensis 2.0 D4-D T4, 79,000 miles, full service history, £4,750
Watch out for: Diesel particulate filter (DPF) problems on diesels, cracking door frames around hinge mechanisms.
4. Vauxhall Astra (2009-2015)
It’s hard to imagine that anyone’s dream car is a Vauxhall Astra estate, but as a used family hauler it makes a great deal of sense.
Partly because of their anonymous image and ubiquity, Astras are super-cheap on the used market, and that means you get a much newer, lower-mileage example for your money than with most other estate cars.
And while the Astra’s image isn’t that great, it’s still a comfortable car that’s decent to drive, and with a slew of petrol and diesel engines on offer. We prefer the latter, especially in the quiet, efficient 1.6-litre form introduced in 2014, but the 1.6-litre petrol is perfectly serviceable if you want to steer clear of diesel.
What’s more, not only is the boot big, but it’s a useful, square shape. Maintenance costs are reasonable, too, and there are so many examples to choose from that you can almost take your pick of specification and colour. While it might not set bales of hay alight with its desirability, then, the Astra is nevertheless a great value choice.
Price to pay: from £2,500
We found: 2014 Astra 1.6 CDTi Design, 56,000 miles, full service history, £4,975
Watch out for: Rattly or seizing rear brakes, weak six-speed manual gearboxes, auto gearbox issues, slipping clutches on diesels.
3. Volvo V70 (2000-2007)
This budget buys you one of the last of the second-generation V70s – or one of the first of the third-generation cars. We’d take the former, given you’ll get a lower-mileage example with a proper history, but either way you end up with a cosseting load-lugger with an aspirational middle-class image.
Whether it’s because of the beautifully finished dashboard or the supremely comfy seats, undertaking long trips in the V70 is a joy, and with a range of engines that’s almost exclusively turbocharged you get muscular, if not electrifying, performance whichever version you go for. There are plenty of petrol options to choose from, if that’s your wont, though be warned that all are quite thirsty; if that’s a concern, diesel versions make gutsy and economical alternatives.
Despite Volvo’s reputation for building vast estate cars, the V70’s boot isn’t actually the biggest around – but it’s still plenty big enough for most families’ needs. There’s a decent amount of space in the rear seats, too, and what’s more, if you do decide to go with the older model, you should be able to find an example with a fairly luxurious specification.
Price to pay: from £1,000
We found: 2006 V70 2.0T SE auto, 104,000 miles, full service history, £4,995
Watch out for: Particulate filter (DPF) issues on low-mile diesels, knocking front suspension, rough running due to ignition coil issues.
2. Skoda Octavia (2004-2013)
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Skoda Octavia. And can you blame us? It’s one of the cleverest estate cars out there, and in this second-generation form it’s a very tempting used buy.
The Octavia crams one of the biggest boots in the business into a relatively compact body, yet it doesn’t do so at the expense of passenger space – there’s loads, whether you’re in the front or in the back.
And while the dashboard isn’t quite of the same quality of the Volkswagen Golf, with which the Octavia shares much of its mechanical make-up, it’s still smart enough to hold its own against almost all of its other rivals.
The Octavia is great to drive, too, with a ride that’s comfortable enough, if a touch on the firm side, and sharp handling. And you can choose from a range of fuel-sipping diesel and flexible petrol engines; there’s even a hot vRS version, if you fancy a bit more go.
Price to pay: from £1,500
We found: 2011 Octavia 1.4 TSI Elegance, 71,000 miles, full service history, £4,891
Watch out for: Timing chain failure on 1.8- and 2.0-litre petrol engines, dodgy DSG automatic gearboxes, ABS or ESP warning light on.
Best buy: Ford Mondeo (2007-2015)
You don’t usually buy an estate car because it’s fun to drive. But the fourth-generation Ford Mondeo is precisely that.
Of course, this would be for nought if it wasn’t good at being an estate, first and foremost, but it manages that feat too. The boot is vast, there’s loads of space for passengers, and the slick suspension delivers a silky-smooth ride, making long journeys a breeze.
It’s not all good news; the interior is a little plasticky in places. But on the plus side, most Mondeo estates on the used market can be found in high-specification versions, which means you get loads of equipment; the top-spec Titanium X even comes with heated and cooled seats.
The Mondeo isn’t just great to drive and own, it’s also cheap to buy and run. In fact, we’d go as far as to say the Mondeo is now a veritable bargain. And you can choose from perky petrol engines – the 1.6 Ecoboost is a particular favourite of ours – and some great diesel options.
With so much car for so little cash – and so much going for it – it’s no wonder the Mondeo is our favourite estate for £5,000.
Price to pay: from £1,500
We found: 2010 Mondeo 2.0 TDCI 163 Titanium, 78,000 miles, full service history, £4,995
Watch out for: Dual-mass flywheel (DMF) failures on diesels, jerky Powershift automatic gearboxes, electrical glitches, injector problems on 1.6-litre diesels.
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