Need a estate car, help me choose

Herzlos

Another curve ball is a small box trailer, if you've got somewhere to keep it.
Something like a Daxara 148 with hard top and roof bars will cost about £1k new and will handle everything you need, require virtually no maintenance or moving of stuff around, and you'll be able to tow it with pretty much anything that can have a tow bar.

https://indespension.co.uk/products/daxara-148-abs-lid

I did exactly that with a Clio for years, though with a bigger trailer. Gave me a tiny car most of the time, and a van on the days I needed it without needing to move tools in/out or adjust seats.

chrisw

Volvo V60?

sk240

Just putting it out there, start the EV's are rubbish debate - MG5?

T.T.D

How about going modern classic. 90's Rover 416/418 (XUD) tourer clean examples are out there 418 being the rarer of the two, £2.5 is going about the going rate for one, parts and service items are good availability wise and there is Facebook groups offering lots of support and parts, plus the Pride O Longbridge show every April.

On the Rover MG Marquee there's the 75/ZT tourer I prefer the 2.5 V6 190 engine as its smooth offers a more refined drive, but there's a 1.8 L and 1.8 Turbo engine available.

Ford 1.8D Escort Estate, there's a few around of the late 90's era model can run on cooked oil.

Early 00's Octavia petrol or diesel VRS or base models.

Peugeot 406 estate of the early 00's petrol or HDi diesels they were decent motors in the day, avoid 1.6 petrol the 2.0 is better watch out for gearbox noises.

plumb1_2

I’ve narrowed it down to

1- petrol, 2- no turbo, 3- no wet belt, so a timing chain, so my short list is

susuki Swace, Toyota Auris and Hyundai i30 or i40, Honda Civic or Accord

Budget ideally £10k

T.T.D

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82169895#Comment_82169895

Honda accord would be my choice.