More practical car needed! Please help!

[Big Worm 1]

For the last 4 years i've been the proud owner of a BMW 323i, but it is not suitable for my situation anymore! It was fantastic when i was a single guy, but now i have a wife and 2 kids. Wasn't too bad with just one child but now there are two i need to get rid of it for something more family friendly!

Basically, it is costing me too much in petrol and isn't big enough now for me to cart the mrs and offspring around. Once i put the pram in the boot and there is no room for anything else. So i have decided i have to give up my lovely car and get something more practical, such as a diesel estate.

I need something that will give me above 40 mpg (combined), won't cost me more than about £8k, not too high mileage - <80k, and isn't too old, because i'm going to have to keep hold of it for a good few years.

I've been looking at the Audi A4 and A6 but they are generally outside of my budget (from the ones i have seen). There is also the VW Passat, Ford Mondeo or Volvo V70 which are possibilities. There are other things i would like, such as heated seats and an mp3 player which i find so useful in my BMW.

Not being too well up on cars, i'm hoping you guys can help me make my mind up and give me some advice.

The joys of having a family!

Thanks

[10 Pence Short]

Honda Accord estate. Good engines, stupidly reliable, lots of kit, plentyful and should be within budget. A very good drive, too.

[anonymous-user]

Honda Accord or a Mazda 6 would be a good shout!

[Liquid Knight]

Fiat Multipla (with a Coupe turbo engine).

[bob_g]

Smaller pram & LPG?

[chrisispringles]

I wouldn't say being picky about age was really necessary because it is entirely possible that a 10 year old car will be in far better shape than a 5 year old car. It really depends on how well it has been kept, I mean my dad has a 15 year old Volvo and a 10 year old Merc and the Volvo is by far the tidier of the two, in fact it is tidier than many cars I've seen that are a fifth it's age. If you were willing to buy slightly older cars there are things that meet your needs and are nicer than an average estate:

2001 Mercedes E320 CDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

2003 Volvo V70 D5: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

2004 Audi A6 2.5 TDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

2003 BMW 530d: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

If not then you could have one of these:

2007 Saab 9-5 1.9 TiD: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

2006 Honda Accord 2.2 I-CTDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

2006 Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCi ST: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Hope that helps.

[goldblum]

That Volvo is incredible value.Have to update the audio?

[Big Worm 1]

What do people think of Ford Focus diesel estates? I've been lead to believe that they are very good cars and something like this seems to tick all the right boxes!

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/uvl/popup.jsp?cur...

[CinqAbarth]

Let me get this straight.... you're selling the BMW to get cheaper running costs?

That doesn't compute - it very, very rarely makes sense to change a car to gain 20mpg, unless you're doing huge mileages.

And why is it these days that everyone needs a massive car for their kids? - we used to manage in a Hillman Avenger when I was a kid, and after that a MkI Honda Accord - which are tiny little things compared with your 3-series!

[Rammy76]

CinqAbarth said:

Let me get this straight.... you're selling the BMW to get cheaper running costs?

That doesn't compute - it very, very rarely makes sense to change a car to gain 20mpg, unless you're doing huge mileages.

And why is it these days that everyone needs a massive car for their kids? - we used to manage in a Hillman Avenger when I was a kid, and after that a MkI Honda Accord - which are tiny little things compared with your 3-series!

Completely agree with this, we went on touring holidays around the Highlands in an Austin Allegro 1100! Considering we were a family of five we managed quite well. Shame about the car though, I don't think I've ever sat in anything as slow or noisy since!

[CinqAbarth]

Big Worm 1 said:

What do people think of Ford Focus diesel estates? I've been lead to believe that they are very good cars and something like this seems to tick all the right boxes!

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/uvl/popup.jsp?cur...

Noisy, slow, unrefined, cheap interior trim, dull, will depreciate like you wouldn't believe as there are thousands of them out there being hacked up and down the motorways by sales reps.

I ran one (1.6TDCI LX Estate) as a company car for a while - it was so shockingly bad, I sent it back and took a Prius instead!

[Big Worm 1]

chrisispringles - Thanks for the suggestions!

CinqAbarth - I'm not sure what is so difficult to understand?? My circumstances now require me to fill my car up once a month rather than once every 1-2 weeks, and the car isn't big enough for what i need now. For example, if i decide i want to go away for a few days in this country, once the pram is in the boot and 2 kids in the back seat, there is no room for suitcases, etc. What do you suggest? Should i get a roof box or a trailer?

[CinqAbarth]

Big Worm 1 said:

chrisispringles - Thanks for the suggestions!

CinqAbarth - I'm not sure what is so difficult to understand?? My circumstances now require me to fill my car up once a month rather than once every 1-2 weeks, and the car isn't big enough for what i need now. For example, if i decide i want to go away for a few days in this country, once the pram is in the boot and 2 kids in the back seat, there is no room for suitcases, etc. What do you suggest? Should i get a roof box or a trailer?

The point is that, the cost of changing will be more than wiped out by the loss you take on selling your current car. Especially if you're having to find cash to buy the replacement car.... not sure if that's your situation, though.

However, what the hell is it with prams these days? - as I said up there, we seemed to manage OK with an Avenger in the 70s, and a BMW 3-series is a significantly bigger car..... what has changed in the last 30 years?

[kiethton]

Skoda Octavia vrs tdi???

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...