£5k Reliable Family Estate

[MiniMan64]

This is very much a future hypothetical for the moment as financial ability to purchase won’t be available till next spring.

Current have a 156 V6 Sportwagon which has served as a great compromise between shuttling children around for the last 5 years but still being a “fun” car. Now however it has crossed the 100k mark and it’s getting expensive to run and is spending too long in the garage for a car that needs to be dependable. Also getting rather snug space wise.

All my searches so far for a boring(ish) but reliable and slightly larger family wagon around the £5-6k mark have produced a Mondeo as the answer.

Am I missing other options in this price range?

No autos, petrol is probably better (90% sub 10 mile drives with the odd long trip) and no SUVs.

Expand my horizons!

[spikeyhead]

Would an Insignia be better

• ducks and runs

[SlowV6]

Octavia vRS estate.
Superb estate. (They do a 3.6V6....). Maybe auto only.

Last shape Honda Accord with the 2.0i.

E350 W212 (I think!). Again likely to be auto. Not sure how reliable these are.

Mondeo 2.5T estate is often the answer. Think they stopped making them in 2009 however.

[markirl]

e60 wagon is the way to go if you can find a good one, a facelift 530i wagon with a manual box is a joyous car
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/well-maintained-bmw-...

Vrs looks ok
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Legacy wagon looks interesting:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[ZX10R NIN]

The 2.5T Mondeo is the pick at this price point it's the best FWD steer of the lot but the no Auto rule means you're only looking at the 2.5T model.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Failing that the 2.0T Insignia in Elite spec isn't a bad call:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Vectra VXR

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

2.4 Accord Type S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Octavia VRS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[ahenners]

MK2 facelift petrol VRS isn't especially reliable - which was a key requirement - unless you can verify its had the chain tensioner replaced with the latest version. Even then I'm not sure whether it fully mitigates the possibility of tensioner failure. Also potentially has dodgy piston rings resulting in high oil consumption, intake manifold issues, and issues with the evap purge valve.

Source - my 59 plate I traded in at 80k after topping oil up every other week. The above issues are also common on Briskoda.

[Hrimfaxi]

Subaru Legacy?

[bristolracer]

Mazda 6

[PomBstard]

Hrimfaxi said:

Subaru Legacy?

Indeed. The Gen 5 (2009-2014) has a face only a mother could love but it’s reliable, fun to drive, rides well and, as I’m discovering during my search for something bigger, deceptively spacious.

Older Gen 4 (03-09) are much better looking and better finished, but tighter for space.

[Shifter1]

So I guess you would be ditching the " still being a fun car" part then?

If not I would definitely look at RWD. There is no easier fun to be had than with RWD. Even if you have not much power and the looks totally sucks, it always puts a smile on your face when coming out of bends.

So from all the suggested I would go with the e60. And I'm no BMW fan at all.

I would think the E350 W212 is probably only available with a manual if diesel? As would any other Mercedes.

Jaguar doesn't make a RWD wagon in that price range. The XF will cost more and it's automatic only.

Not sure if Toyota makes a RWD wagon. Or Lexus. But probably auto only if they do.

Wow, just realized if you want a RWD manual petrol wagon the only options are BMW.

Glad I'm not in the market for one as I'm really not a fan of BMWs.


Is it the same with SUVs? I would have to have a look.

[Mr Tidy]

Last year I bought a BMW E91 325i Touring for just under £3K - but it had done 132K miles, albeit with full BMWSH.

Earlier this year I replaced it with an E90 330i (so a Saloon - but with the optional split/fold rear seats).

For your budget I'd be trying to find an E91 330i.

Good luck anyway.