Reliable car, 500l boot : decisions!

[kjanea]

I love the x reg euro 3 polo I’ve been driving but it has to go

Would love some advice on a user friendly and reliable bigger replacement. I have 2 children who will be getting very tall and also often a cello, bikes etc. I’m hoping for a big boot rather than having to faff around with racks for a good while. Bonus for automatic but not essential.

Budget 10-17k. I’d like it to be a little bit fun but mostly reliable for many years to come. The polo has been £500/year on repairs and I’d hope not to exceed that budget, or indeed undercut it, on servicing : is that reasonable?

Have hyper-focused on car research for some time but also still open to suggestions, and would appreciate feedback on my choices too.

Top contenders:

- Peugeot 3008 petrol - lightweight & claiming very good fuel economy; phev boot too small (planning to test drive next week)
- Mitsubishi outlander phev 2.4 (test drove and enjoyed, but they seem expensive & maybe also expensive to maintain)
(Ford kuga & Citroen SUVs ruled out due to interior quality)
- possibly a Golf, Octavia or Leon estate, 1.0 petrol engine(?) I am a bit more nervous about driving a very long, low car as a shortie. Curious to hear from anyone who can compare. Is an SUV easier to manoeuvre, as the more boxy shape would suggest? I really do want to go for ease & safety, but wonder also if there’s some gendering at play here too which pushes women towards the more expensive cars.
- a high mileage Volvo (v60; maybe even xc40) if this isn’t going to be more expensive than the others to maintain and will be more durable. Getting a diesel would upset members of my family.

I live in Fife where car prices are high, so any tips on what to compromise on - age, service history, mileage, & “importing” from England without a test drive - would be great. I’m thinking 2017 and 2021 are good rubicons for age around the max and min of my price ranges, but not quite sure what to think with mileage.

Thanks for any feedback!

[Skodillac]

Honda Civic Tourer, 1.8i-VTEC auto. I used to have one and the boot space is epic for the class of car. A great drive to, pretty much a warm hatch with an estate boot. Awesome car.

This kinda thing:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505062...

[kjanea]

Skodillac said:

Honda Civic Tourer, 1.8i-VTEC auto. I used to have one and the boot space is epic for the class of car. A great drive to, pretty much a warm hatch with an estate boot. Awesome car.

Thanks! Looks like a nice car. You reckon the 1.8 engine is worth the fuel consumption?

[Skodillac]

kjanea said:

Skodillac said:

Honda Civic Tourer, 1.8i-VTEC auto. I used to have one and the boot space is epic for the class of car. A great drive to, pretty much a warm hatch with an estate boot. Awesome car.

Thanks! Looks like a nice car. You reckon the 1.8 engine is worth the fuel consumption?

Yep. It's a lively unit and returns 40mpg on a run. Depending on your mileage of course, it could be preferable to the diesel.

[Evil.soup]

I have owned a Kia Ceed estate 2010 1.6 CDTi for a number of years. It is on 136,000 miles and still pulls strong and feels tight to drive with really low ownerships costs over the past 40,000 miles. Fuel consumption is easily high 50mpg on a run and high 40's with mixed town driving. It's well equipped and has a great boot capacity. I would highly recommend considering either a Ceed estate with the same engine or the Pro-ceed with the 1.6 diesel. Ceed is better value generally, but not quite a good looking as the Pro-ceed

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504251...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412187...

[heisthegaffer]

Skodillac said:

kjanea said:

Skodillac said:

Honda Civic Tourer, 1.8i-VTEC auto. I used to have one and the boot space is epic for the class of car. A great drive to, pretty much a warm hatch with an estate boot. Awesome car.

Thanks! Looks like a nice car. You reckon the 1.8 engine is worth the fuel consumption?

Yep. It's a lively unit and returns 40mpg on a run. Depending on your mileage of course, it could be preferable to the diesel.

I had the previous version as a hatch back (2 of them in fact) and they were very economical on the motorway and cost effective to run.

[Evil.soup]

Facelifted auto is actually well inside budget.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504181...

[kjanea]

Evil.soup said:

I have owned a Kia Ceed estate 2010 1.6 CDTi for a number of years. It is on 136,000 miles and still pulls strong and feels tight to drive with really low ownerships costs over the past 40,000 miles. Fuel consumption is easily high 50mpg on a run and high 40's with mixed town driving. It's well equipped and has a great boot capacity. I would highly recommend considering either a Ceed estate with the same engine or the Pro-ceed with the 1.6 diesel. Ceed is better value generally, but not quite a good looking as the Pro-ceed

Thank you! Sounds like you are pro diesel… it doesn’t suit our main uses, unfortunately. Would you avoid the similar sized petrol engines? Consumption still looks okay relatively.

[kjanea]

Evil.soup said:

Facelifted auto is actually well inside budget.

looks great. Thanks!

[Evil.soup]

kjanea said:

Evil.soup said:

I have owned a Kia Ceed estate 2010 1.6 CDTi for a number of years. It is on 136,000 miles and still pulls strong and feels tight to drive with really low ownerships costs over the past 40,000 miles. Fuel consumption is easily high 50mpg on a run and high 40's with mixed town driving. It's well equipped and has a great boot capacity. I would highly recommend considering either a Ceed estate with the same engine or the Pro-ceed with the 1.6 diesel. Ceed is better value generally, but not quite a good looking as the Pro-ceed

Thank you! Sounds like you are pro diesel… it doesn’t suit our main uses, unfortunately. Would you avoid the similar sized petrol engines? Consumption still looks okay relatively.

To tell you the truth, I am certainly not against a petrol version, I just don't have much experience of the petrol version in terms of reliability etc.

The car itself has proven to be generally well built though and the 2010 model, even in estate form, does drive very well.

Currently considering an X-Ceed for my partner, possibly petrol, just not completed much research on the petrol version yet.

[Boringvolvodriver]

Appreciate that your location may be the issue although how about looking at a Skoda Octavia?

The hatchback boot is 600l and the estate is only slightly bigger although probably better shaped.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504141...

This has a decent level of performance as well and imo looks pretty good in the red.

[Oberheim]

Consider the Toyota Corolla estate (officially named Touring Sports) with the 2 litre petrol hybrid engine. 600-litre boot, well-built, auto transmission, comfortable, economical, and very reliable.

[Skodillac]

heisthegaffer said:

Skodillac said:

kjanea said:

Skodillac said:

Honda Civic Tourer, 1.8i-VTEC auto. I used to have one and the boot space is epic for the class of car. A great drive to, pretty much a warm hatch with an estate boot. Awesome car.

Thanks! Looks like a nice car. You reckon the 1.8 engine is worth the fuel consumption?

Yep. It's a lively unit and returns 40mpg on a run. Depending on your mileage of course, it could be preferable to the diesel.

I had the previous version as a hatch back (2 of them in fact) and they were very economical on the motorway and cost effective to run.

Mine was 100% reliable in my ownership (4 years) also.

[PistonBroker]

Skodillac said:

Yep. It's a lively unit and returns 40mpg on a run. Depending on your mileage of course, it could be preferable to the diesel.

We've got the 1.6 diesel version and it's run for 4 years/30k miles without issue.

They are indeed a cracking car. Bought simply because it appeared at a local auction as our lease on a Disco Sport neared its end. It's still here providing sterling service and I can't think why I'd replace it or what with for the money.

[kjanea]

Thanks for the replies so far!

It might help to clarify that by “fun” I was thinking “high up” for me *and the kids* as well as fairly nice interior. I realise that this might be at odds with this forum’s norm for that word! Performance wise, I don’t suspect hard to improve on a little 25-year-old VW engine.

The recommendations are very much appreciated, anyway - thank you.

Perhaps i should look up the Peugeot (2017 version) and Mitsubishi options on other threads here; thoughts on them would still be welcome. Are the servicing costs unrealistic? I guess they are also not as tested as cars which have been around much longer.

Thoughts on weighing up service history, mileage & age etc very helpful also.

[Skodillac]

PistonBroker said:

Skodillac said:

Yep. It's a lively unit and returns 40mpg on a run. Depending on your mileage of course, it could be preferable to the diesel.

We've got the 1.6 diesel version and it's run for 4 years/30k miles without issue.

They are indeed a cracking car. Bought simply because it appeared at a local auction as our lease on a Disco Sport neared its end. It's still here providing sterling service and I can't think why I'd replace it or what with for the money.

Yep, I only replaced mine because I wanted some more legroom in the back seat - for most people and circumstances the Civic is fine, in fact it has excellent interior space, but a teenager of mine suddenly took an unexpected growth spurt well beyond 6 feet, and when my finance agreement came to an end I thought I'd go for something different and got a Skoda Superb, which simply can't be beaten this side of a long wheelbase Audi A8 or the like for rear legroom. They (the Civic Tourer) seem to hold their value really well too, because there really isn't much like them on the second hand market, which I think is down to so many people getting it wrong and buying/leasing SUVs and crossovers from new, so estate cars are a dying breed, even though I think they make far better family cars.

[bodhi]

Another vote for the Civic here - we've got the previous shape hatch and it's cavernous in terms of what you can fit in it, had cost buttons to run and will judge 45 mpg on a run. Ours is used mostly round town and it still sitting on 32 over the last 2k miles.

Pretty fun to drive for what it is as well.

[addey]

I know you ruled out Citroen but have you looked at the DS 7 Cross back? Fancy interior, reasonably powerful 1.6 petrol engine. Can't comment on reliability though!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025051323...

Edited by addey on Thursday 15th May 14:40

[ZX10R NIN]

kjanea said:

Thanks for the replies so far!

It might help to clarify that by “fun” I was thinking “high up” for me *and the kids* as well as fairly nice interior. I realise that this might be at odds with this forum’s norm for that word! Performance wise, I don’t suspect hard to improve on a little 25-year-old VW engine.

The recommendations are very much appreciated, anyway - thank you.

Perhaps i should look up the Peugeot (2017 version) and Mitsubishi options on other threads here; thoughts on them would still be welcome. Are the servicing costs unrealistic? I guess they are also not as tested as cars which have been around much longer.

Thoughts on weighing up service history, mileage & age etc very helpful also.

The DS7 in Ultra Prestige spec will fit your brief & it's a very good car with a nice amount of go too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503019...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503190...

Cupra Formentor:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412117...

[Saudade]

Honda CRV?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505072...

Or the previous gen. Not quite as nice in my opinion and the petrol engine is a bit wheezy but cheaper.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505052...

RAV4 hybrid - good, just a bit smaller inside than a CRV and perhaps not as nice. Though higher trim levels than this one are a little better.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505102...

Suzuki Vitara if you want something smaller but still good rear passenger room but boot may be too small.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505132...

S-Cross is bigger so may work too. Cheaper and non-hybrids are available too in both the S-Cross and Vitara.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503099...

This issue with estates is that tall passengers will not enjoy it. Also the high up position may be a woman thing but these days everyone else is high up too so sitting down low is annoying when driving, lights are at your eye level, you can't see over all the other SUVs etc.