Advice on cheap, spacious car for property maintenance

[London1986]

Hi all

I am after some advice on a second car that I can use for carrying things around, going to the dump, etc. I also am a landlord who self-manages my properties so it will be used for carrying tools, materials, etc. Obviously nothing too large that would require a van but one with adequate space for storing most things. The back seats will likely be permanently down.

My requirements...

1. Not fussed how it looks
2. Cheap - Ideally I want to spend no more than a couple of grand so that likely rules out any German brands.
3. Cheap to run (low maintenance, road tax)
4. Reliable
5. Looking at around 10 years old as a starting point
6. Open to auto/manual, petrol/diesel (although I imagine petrol would be better suited to my mileage)
7. Has to be an estate or hatchback

Mileage will be minimal, less than 5k a year.

Look forward to hearing your advice.

[talksthetorque]

London1986 said:

Hi all

I am after some advice on a second car that I can use for carrying things around, going to the dump, etc. I also am a landlord who self-manages my properties so it will be used for carrying tools, materials, etc. Obviously nothing too large that would require a van but one with adequate space for storing most things. The back seats will likely be permanently down.

My requirements...

1. Not fussed how it looks
2. Cheap - Ideally I want to spend no more than a couple of grand so that likely rules out any German brands.
3. Cheap to run (low maintenance, road tax)
4. Reliable
5. Looking at around 10 years old as a starting point
6. Open to auto/manual, petrol/diesel (although I imagine petrol would be better suited to my mileage)
7. Has to be an estate or hatchback

Mileage will be minimal, less than 5k a year.

Look forward to hearing your advice.

The stuff I see knocking around on the local streets full of handyman crap ( ladders,dust sheets, bucket and trowel empty crisp packets etc) are:
Citroen C5 estate
VW touran ( stick to the 1.9, not the 2.0)
Ford Galaxy
The C5 has been around for yeeears
any estate is good, but any people carrier with the seats removed gives more space.

[Silvanus]

A few years ago we used a Chrysler grand Yoyager as a Van to get around some daft rules at the tip. It was enormous in the back, bigger than some vans.

[Cold]

Vauxhall Zafira.

[_Neal_]

Does it have to be ULEZ-compliant (given your forum name)?

Something like a Volvo V40 estate (1.8 petrol) would be a decent choice - small but spacious, cheap to buy, and even the older petrols (pre-2006) seem to be ULEZ-compliant.

[Krise]

Gotta be a Volvo of some sort !

[LuS1fer]

Insignias are cheap.
Mondeo's too.

[otolith]

Large estate cars of that vintage are predominantly diesel and of course not ULEZ compliant if that matters. Which leaves the smaller stuff. My painter and decorator mate has a petrol Skoda Fabia estate which has been good to him, and there are quite a few of those about with petrol engines.

[London1986]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far, good to see some of the names I was thinking (Volvos, mondeos, zafiras, etc)

Good comment about vans and dump restrictions. That is one of the reasons I ruled out a small van.

As for the ULEZ comments, I have actually moved out of London but my properties are based around London so yes ideally ULEZ compliant would be preferred.

[Gad-Westy]

talksthetorque said:

London1986 said:

Hi all

I am after some advice on a second car that I can use for carrying things around, going to the dump, etc. I also am a landlord who self-manages my properties so it will be used for carrying tools, materials, etc. Obviously nothing too large that would require a van but one with adequate space for storing most things. The back seats will likely be permanently down.

My requirements...

1. Not fussed how it looks
2. Cheap - Ideally I want to spend no more than a couple of grand so that likely rules out any German brands.
3. Cheap to run (low maintenance, road tax)
4. Reliable
5. Looking at around 10 years old as a starting point
6. Open to auto/manual, petrol/diesel (although I imagine petrol would be better suited to my mileage)
7. Has to be an estate or hatchback

Mileage will be minimal, less than 5k a year.

Look forward to hearing your advice.

The stuff I see knocking around on the local streets full of handyman crap ( ladders,dust sheets, bucket and trowel empty crisp packets etc) are:
Citroen C5 estate
VW touran ( stick to the 1.9, not the 2.0)
Ford Galaxy
The C5 has been around for yeeears
any estate is good, but any people carrier with the seats removed gives more space.

I'd agree with the Galaxy option on the assumption that 'has to be estate or hatchback' really means no saloons.

As close as you'll get to van capacity without having to worry about council permits to get rid of waste. IIRC the rear seats can be completely removed rather than just folded flat, so loads of height available and about the same length as a large estate. Only downside of MPV I guess is if you regularly need to put things on the roof, you're reaching up far higher.

If estate, I'd maybe gravitate to a mondeo or Volvo. Avoid anything with a heavily angled rear window as it makes it much harder to judge what you can put it in and much easier to smash rear glass (guess how I know that one!). Volvo V70's aren't neccessarily the biggest estates but they are pretty tough. Mondeos seem pretty dependable too but with the added bonus that parts and maintenance are sensible.

[Whitean3]

It may sound tiny, but a Honda Jazz is cavernous inside for it's size; it's going to be reliable and pretty economical too

[TEKNOPUG]

The killer is going to be the age/price combo. Petrol, Hatchback, 2012+, £2000......may just get a very leggy Insignia (not Estate) or Zafira but otherwise it will all be Corsa sized little cars.

Ignore the age factor and huge choice - Focus estates, Mondeos, Renaut Meganes, lots of 206 SWs etc:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=milea...

[clarkey]

Peugeot Partner Tepee. We have one as a dog car, it's good.

[SweptVolume]

Wow, what happened to the big, petrol barges at giveaway prices? I realise nearly-new cars have gone up considerably where people who always bought new are turning to them, but at the ratty end of the depreciation cycle, they're still way up.

Petrol Octavia Estates seem to start at just under £4k and petrol Superb Estates at over £7k.

We've come a long way from late 90's luxo barges (SAABs and Volvos with leather, air, and a reasonably big engine) going for £2k at only 7/8 years old.

No wonder Shed's been struggling. Mercy, mercy me.

Edited by SweptVolume on Thursday 19th January 10:33

[spreadsheet monkey]

Gad-Westy said:

I'd agree with the Galaxy option on the assumption that 'has to be estate or hatchback' really means no saloons.

As close as you'll get to van capacity without having to worry about council permits to get rid of waste. IIRC the rear seats can be completely removed rather than just folded flat, so loads of height available and about the same length as a large estate. Only downside of MPV I guess is if you regularly need to put things on the roof, you're reaching up far higher.

Some councils are getting wise to tradesmen using people carriers with the seats removed, as a way of dumping waste without paying charges. You might want to check the rules with your local council, before you buy some knackered old Galaxy. You’ll probably get away with this if you can prove you’re not a tradesman, but they might start logging your reg number and challenging you if you turn up too regularly.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/va...

[Silvanus]

Definitely go for something with sliding rear doors, that makes a massive amount of difference. Its the reason we swapped the A6 Avant to a Chrysler Voyager V6. Ridiculously comfortable and huge in the back. I was going to convert into a campervan before a wall fell on it

[danp]

I had a £300 Citroen Xsara Picasso for a similar role, pretty cavernous as all 3 x rear seats come out (as opposed to folding into the floor)

Unlike some similar French cars they’re pretty simple mechanically (eg no electronic handbrake or key cards etc) so that appealed - newest are 2010 so may be a bit old however.

[snotrag]

Citreon Berlingo/Peugeot Partner/Renault Kangoo.


I'm not even sure why anyone would suggest anything else given the criteria!

[Silvanus]

snotrag said:

Citreon Berlingo/Peugeot Partner/Renault Kangoo.


I'm not even sure why anyone would suggest anything else given the criteria!

The tip nazis don't always like these, even car versions. Some of the MPVs mentioned actually have larger load areas with the seats out. The van based cars have taller load bays but that's not always necessary and load length might be more important which some of the vehicles suggested give you.

[deckster]

spreadsheet monkey said:

Some councils are getting wise to tradesmen using people carriers with the seats removed, as a way of dumping waste without paying charges. You might want to check the rules with your local council, before you buy some knackered old Galaxy. You’ll probably get away with this if you can prove you’re not a tradesman, but they might start logging your reg number and challenging you if you turn up too regularly.

Maybe I'm missing something, but as a "landlord self-managing my properties" surely the OP should be paying to dispose of his waste anyway.