Decent cars for £4-5k

[lewis991]

So the time has come that the Mrs and me are going to start looking at buying a house, as most of my cash is wrapped up in my BMW 123d I am seeling it with the view of spending £4-5k on the next car...

Not really sure what to get, I love driving, like quickish cars as we all do on here... Must be 5 door and practical as will possibly need to last 5 + years and may see some kids too.

Currently i do just shy of 9k miles a year, which hasnt made the 123d cost effective for me. There is a possiblilty I will change my job in the new year where I will have an 80 mile round trip 3-4 times a week (shift work) most of which will be on the dual carrigeway but ith quite a few round abouts... But the new job will pay mileage at £0.33 a mile....

After much searching there is not much that ticks all the boxes, I do keep coming back to the Mondeo ST 220... Just conceend I might be out of pocket fuel wise with the potential job change...

My question is does anyone know of another decent cars that are quick, practical, reliable and offer 30ish MPg on a run?

Cheers.

[HonestIago]

5dr Megane 225 - 30mpg should be possible! There are a few on PH I just checked

[lewis991]

HonestIago said:

5dr Megane 225 - 30mpg should be possible!

Cool, never been keen on renault but will have a look.

[Russ225]

I have just traded my megane 225 in, don't expect to get 33mpg unless u drive like a saint or do a lot of motorway driving. My average mpg over 3 years of ownership was about 23 mpg

[anonymous-user]

330i touring?

[CallorFold]

In to see responses

[FD3Si]

Similar brief for us came down to an 9-5 Aero (bit too big for my other half, Integra DB8 (can't get past the looks), Impreza (she wanted something more low key and less attractive to chavs after a DC2), Legacy (again, too in-your-face), Megane 225 (couldn't find a nice 5 door in our price range), and an E46.
Ended up with a 330i touring and she utterly loves it. Loads of room for me moving bits of house/garden/car, OKish on petrol (averaging mid/low 20s according to OBC) reasonable turn of speed, and seems pretty well put together, as well as an OK place to be. Plenty of space for our littlun and ISOfix as well.

[RichwiththeS2000]

You'd get a really nice E46 for that.

I've had a couple of 330ci;s they will do 30mpg at 70, 25 round town.

[FD3Si]

Ours is an auto, which I guess doesn't help at all!
I wouldn't get a Ci if it's with a view to having littluns in it - they aren't the biggest of cars at the best of times - is there less legroom in teh back of a coupe than a saloon/estate? We have to monkey about with the front seats sometiems to get the child seat in and out. Bit of a pain. We went away last week and I was shocked at how much crap 14lbs of ginger needed for the week.

[cptsideways]

Lexus GS300, some lovely ones well within your budget, no mechanical things to worry about & they manage 30mpg & a bit on a run.

[amusingduck]

Octavia VRS? 40mpg manageable on the motorway.

I wish i'd plucked for the estate though. Looks a little worse but the it's not really any longer, and plenty more practical.

[lewis991]

Thanks for the avice guys, good suggestions. Yeah looking at Octavia VRS, the Mrs isnt keen as she is a badge snobb!

[Hub]

amusingduck said:

Octavia VRS? 40mpg manageable on the motorway.

I wish i'd plucked for the estate though. Looks a little worse but the it's not really any longer, and plenty more practical.

The boot is pretty much as huge on the hatch!

I don't understand how anyone can still be badge snobby about Skoda!