Safe reliable family car for £5000?

Joannmaximus

I have been saving up for a new family car , I currently drive a 03 Polo which has been great. The reason for the change is that it only has three doors and with two children under 5 , it is really doing my back in on the school run. I brought it 7 years ago at a bca auction at blackbushe for just under £4000.

We really need 5 doors , it needs to be safe and reliable within reason (will have it serviced every 12 months anyway). I'm not fussed about looks - I've seen the nissan note and it seems ok?

I've read that buying at auction isn't as cost effective as it used to be? I was really hoping that I could get something at Blackbushe again for this kind of money?

I'm after suggestions on what you would buy for £5000 ish

bigjl

There are more private buyers at auction these days. Which pushes up prices a little bit.

On your kind of budget you will find something.

Was at Manhiem in Colchester a couple of weeks ago to help a mate source an estate car, got a clean and tidy 55plate Astra 1.6 petrol in Design spec with full history and even a recent cambelt. For just under £1500.

Saw a 51plate Golf estate go for twice that! It was quite nice and had a 1.9diesel lump. But £3000! Didn't even have aircon.

C-Max is usually good news as are any number of above average mileage ex lease cars.

Your budget will get you into loads of 3yr end of lease motors.

Netwizard

Petrol / Diesel? Annual Mileage?

Do you prefer People carrier? like a Ford Galaxy, or estate? Ford Mondeo?

C_Mababejive

Golf /civic/focus...

Joannmaximus

Thanks for this. Annual mileage approx 10,000 miles

My polo is a diesel as I used to do a lot of miles through work but now I only use the car for the school run, shopping etc with maybe 1/2 camping/festival trips a year. So whatever is going to be more cost effective - I'm guessing petrol?

I don't want anything too big, but if it's economical and cheap to maintain I wouldn't mind a mondeo size

knightstyle

Have a look at Toyota Auris, this one is the first on Autotrader
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201402171862193/sort/default/make/TOYOTA/model/AURIS/postcode/dn212nr/radius/1500/price-from/4000/price-to/5000/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/advert-type/featured-listing/dealer/21219/usedcars?logcode=flp

fivetide

Mondeo sized then - a Mondeo?

Otherwise the Toyota Avensis is a good car. All those taxi drivers can't be wrong and the 1.8, while it won't win the traffic light GP will return a solid 40mpg

Netwizard

fivetide wrote: »

Mondeo sized then - a Mondeo?

Otherwise the Toyota Avensis is a good car. All those taxi drivers can't be wrong and the 1.8, while it won't win the traffic light GP will return a solid 40mpg

They sound good to me!

Joannmaximus

fivetide wrote: »

Mondeo sized then - a Mondeo?

:rotfl: Ha ha, thanks , walked into that one. What I really meant was that if it was still safe and reliable then I wouldn't mind something as big as a mondeo.

I keep going round and round in circles - seats - safety - mpg - size - boot space - very hard to make a decision on what will be best.

Joannmaximus

bigjl wrote: »

There are more private buyers at auction these days. Which pushes up prices a little bit.

On your kind of budget you will find something.

Was at Manhiem in Colchester a couple of weeks ago to help a mate source an estate car, got a clean and tidy 55plate Astra 1.6 petrol in Design spec with full history and even a recent cambelt. For just under £1500.

Saw a 51plate Golf estate go for twice that! It was quite nice and had a 1.9diesel lump. But £3000! Didn't even have aircon.

C-Max is usually good news as are any number of above average mileage ex lease cars.

Your budget will get you into loads of 3yr end of lease motors.

What kind of mileage would I be looking at do you think for a standard 3yr end of lease car?

Foxy-Stoat_3

What cars aren't safe these days anyway?