Family Car - £5k Budget

[MrGeoff]

After some advice on a car to go for. Needs to be a relatively good family car for my missus. She's lived with a 3dr Swift Sport with one kid but now number 2 is on the way sadly it has to go. If anyone knows what the boots are like on them, they're tiny and kids come with a lot of bulky things like scooters and pushchairs etc. The Swift has been ridiculously reliable so it's going to be a hard act to follow. Budget is around 5k, preferably 5 door hatchback, she doesn't want an SUV, saloon or estate shape. Manual ideally. Preferably petrol, she does about 6k a year so diesel would be ruinous. Doesn't need to be quick, just easy to live with, being easy to work on would be a bonus, if anything goes wrong I'm happy to work on it. Cheers.

[Welshbeef]

Golf GTi
Newest mark you can buy.

Lovely blend of power to economy
Good looking
Nice kit levels
Economic

[carlove]

I think the normal obvious answer for a family car in that budget is the Focus. They're also fun to drive like the Swift and the one I'm linking below looks like it's got a bit of punch, many are available. My only knowledge on reliability is a colleague with an 11 plate who has never had a problem, she does similar mileage but with a diesel.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101147...

If you want reliability but not necessarily fun I suspect a Toyota Auris would be a good choice.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101077...

Looks like you can get a lot for you money with a Hyundai i30, looks a very well specced car for the price, should be reliable too.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012147...


The Focus is my pick from that list, but there's a lot of choice out there.

[Nickp82]

I would add a Mazda 3 Sport to the list , decent looks, decent to drive, decent spec , usually reliable (petrol version)

[ZX10R NIN]

Vauxhall Astra Elite very good reliable cars which are well spec'd

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011266...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012096...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010084...

Alfa Giulietta Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012036...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101037...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012147...

308 Active

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011136...

Focus Titanium 150 good cars but they hold their money compared to some of the other options

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101137...

Titanium X

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012046...

Honda Civic SE

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101228...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011186...

[MrGeoff]

Cracking selections there. Will have a look through all these cars.

[ZX10R NIN]

For me the Astra is the pick age spec reliability & price make it the one to go for.

[carlove]

ZX10R NIN said:

For me the Astra is the pick age spec reliability & price make it the one to go for.

I was trying to find a good Astra, but could only find fairly basic ones, you’re clearly a lot better at finding good cars than I am.

I think an Astra Elite (SE gets a decent spec too) is an excellent idea. I’ve got an Astra (the current model) I’ve had it almost 3 years and put about 60k on it, the anti roll bar link came off but other than that I’ve only replaced consumables. Astras, and Vauxhall’s in general are much better than people make out.

[MrGeoff]

carlove said:

ZX10R NIN said:

For me the Astra is the pick age spec reliability & price make it the one to go for.

I was trying to find a good Astra, but could only find fairly basic ones, you’re clearly a lot better at finding good cars than I am.

I think an Astra Elite (SE gets a decent spec too) is an excellent idea. I’ve got an Astra (the current model) I’ve had it almost 3 years and put about 60k on it, the anti roll bar link came off but other than that I’ve only replaced consumables. Astras, and Vauxhall’s in general are much better than people make out.

My first car was a Vauxhall, a p reg Corsa, fond memories, never owned another Vauxhall since, I think a lot of it is brand snobbery. I might have to revisit the brand.

[Mark300zx]

Seat Leon, same as a golf but you will get a newer, lower mileage car for the same money!

[ahenners]

Octavia. Bigger than the aforementioned hatches in boot space and rear room. It's amazing how quickly a boot fills when you have a pushchair plus shopping etc. The Octavia VRS has been a staple family car since our first and now through the second kid. Never really struggled for space, but wouldn't want any less either.

[mbwoy84]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-1-0-SCTi-125...

Think these are head and shoulders above everything else in class for a small-medium hatch.

[Challo]

mbwoy84 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-1-0-SCTi-125...

Think these are head and shoulders above everything else in class for a small-medium hatch.

My mate bought one of these as his main car and loves it. Full of toys, engine is good and economical, reliable and boot space is excellent.

[Welshbeef]

mbwoy84 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-1-0-SCTi-125...

Think these are head and shoulders above everything else in class for a small-medium hatch.

For 37k miles the drivers seat is shagged. The plastics look worn

Either not a great example or poor quality materials.