Which mid-size estate for £6000? I'm looking at the Volkswagen Passat, the Volvo V50 and the Volvo V70.

I'm looking for a mid-size estate for general motorway use, but also for outdoor gear and to carry kayaks on the roof - perhaps even to sleep in the back with the seats down (I'm six feet tall). I've narrowed it down to these three. I'm keen on the 2.0-litre diesels from around 2005-2007, and my budget is £6000. I'm erring towards the Volkswagen Passat as I think the Volvo V50 is too small and the V70 not a fun enough drive. I've also considered the Audi A6 and Mondeo, but feel the first has not enough mpg, and the second is not pretty enough. It will probably end up as my fiancee's main car.

Asked on 20 July 2010 by banzer

Answered by Honest John
The A6 is the best looking car and readers report 40 - 50mpg from the 2.0TDI PD manual, but they're quite hard to find one for £6000. Mondeos are plentiful and likely to cost less in repairs than the Passat. The V50 is Focus-based. Nice cars, but smaller than the A6 or Mondeo. Old shape V70s are great looking but not fault free, and are expensive to fix.
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