Sub £4k utilitarian and reliable

[nunpuncher]

Looking for suggestions and recommendations for a do it all vehicle for under £4000.

- Be able to seat 5 for the daily short school run
- civilized enough for a long journey once a month
- Fit a full suspension mountain bike or 2 inside with 2 passengers
- extra points for roof rails or a bug tailgate that can take a rack
- Ideally big enough to get a kids dirt bike in the back

I'm not so bothered about economy or fuel type but am fussy about running costs. Don't want anything that'll break all the time or cost a bomb to fix but not afraid of a bit of spannering.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

Skoda Yeti?

[shtu]

I'm thinking those small Citroen/Renault van based MPVs would be the thing. Kangoo and similar.

[nunpuncher]

Smurfsarepeopletoo said:

Skoda Yeti?

Are they 5dr golf/A3 sized? Mrs puncher has an ix35 so something a bit bigger. I thought the roomster was bigger (due to the name) but I think it might actually be smaller.

[mike9009]

Our Nissan Note has been bullet proof over the last eight years of ownership. Only failed MOT once due to a bulge in an inner tyre wall. They are pretty cheap to buy now too. Ours has been abused by my wife and two kids but keeps soldiering on.

Uninspiring but gets the job done. Not sure about two bikes in the back though as we use our van for bike stuff.

[nunpuncher]

shtu said:

I'm thinking those small Citroen/Renault van based MPVs would be the thing. Kangoo and similar.

The Berlingo/partner look about perfect but they all seem to come with that flakey 1.6hdi engine.

[SCEtoAUX]

I always say RAV4, so RAV4.

[A500leroy]

panda and a bike rack

[alfabeat]

Skoda Superb Estate or Octavia Estate

[s p a c e m a n]

Land cruiser

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333751788607

Probably get a d4d for that price if you want something newer

[clockworks]

nunpuncher said:

The Berlingo/partner look about perfect but they all seem to come with that flakey 1.6hdi engine.

Fiat Doblo is a similar vehicle, and is available with a 1.3 or 1.9 diesel. The 1.3 is a good engine, but might be a bit underpowered. Easily capable of big miles though. Not sure about the 1.9.

[ZX10R NIN]

SUV wise I'd say the 3.0i X5 is a good shout:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008092...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010104...

Subaru Tribeca

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008202...

2.7 Hyundai Santa Fe

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009083...

I think an MPV might be a better option.

Ford S Max Titanium

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009033...

Toyota Previa

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006300...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008212...

Nissan Elgrand this is a good option as long as you're good with the fuel consumption.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008182...

[nunpuncher]

Some good suggestions to look into there. Cheers.

Think you might be right regarding the MPV and something more like a van than an SUV. Lifting a kids dirt bike into a high vehicle wouldn't be fun. Starting to realise tiny things like no/low boot lip and a flat floor could make a huge difference.